Thought I'd bump this as BBC America just started airing it. Anyone watch? What did you guys think?
I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing the next two episodes and the eventual extended series next year.
It has some elements of (the much more comedically themed but not as good)
Warm Bodies and
Fido, with the consequences of zombies returning to normal in the former case and with their troublesome integration into an uninfected suburbia in the latter.
I liked the conversation between the brother and sister, where after he told a story about her she reluctantly acknowledged that he was truly the brother she used to know beneath the horrifying face and eyes. But then after no longer distancing herself from him because of that, she has to confront the fact that he committed suicide and left her behind. It rang about as true as you can get given the subject matter, and started off heartwarming before ending on a sad note. Very well done.
The other heartbreaking scene was the murder of the vicar's "Rotter" wife (it is amusing how all of these shows go out of their way not to call them zombies, presumably because zombie movies are nonexistent in these universes) by the local HVF. They did a great job of making the zombies sympathetic, while at the same time you can disagree with the HVF's militarism but kind of understand where they're coming from as well because of their past experiences; at least until they have more exposure to the returnees themselves, as it their leader will when his son who died in Afghanistan is resurrected and comes home.
At the same time, not all the reclaimed zombies are sympathetic victims, and they have their own militaristic wing that seems to want to embrace their fate and give in to the hunger, and does so through drugs that I assume counteract the inhibitor injections. So it's a balanced portrayal.
I enjoyed that the show isn't about fighting zombies but more of an examination of family and suburban dynamics with a twist, and touches on themes like how collaborators are dealt with during and after war, and the impact of war on families, especially those who have lost loved ones. I look forward to seeing it delve into these themes in-depth on the regular series.
I highly recommend the show to anyone who hasn't caught it yet. It's smart, touching, compelling, and amusing (especially the politically correct way the government tiptoes around the undead, instead calling them victims of "Partially Deceased Syndrome" and hanging public service announcement flyers everywhere).
