When zombies first started gaining popularity, they were mainly seen in horror movies where a group of survivors would slowly get whittled down over the course of about ninety minutes until all – or nearly all – of them were dead and/or members of the zombie ranks. Exploring the zombie apocalypse in a long-running episodic series, as The Walking Dead does, changes the dynamic of this narrative and allows more time for a lot more breathing room.

read more ‘The Walking Dead’: Robert Kirkman Says Season 5 Will ‘Hit the Ground Running’.