The Walking Dead season 2 premieres with the 90-minute episode “What Lies Ahead,” but how does it hold up to the comic book continuity? The group is split as Rick and Shane fight to save Carl’s life, while the others look for Sophia and Dale and T-Dog hold down the RV back on the freeway. So what’s next for The Walking Dead?
As AMC’s incarnation weaves in and out of storylines from the books and adds its own original characters and development, we’ve compiled an in-depth guide for fans of the comic as well as AMC’s The Walking Dead to enjoy. Check it out, and let us know your opinions of The Walking Dead‘s “What Lies Ahead” in the comments below!
THE SURVIVORS GROUP
AMC: As if you hadn’t seen their faces plastered all over town and the internet at large for weeks now, our core live-action survivors group consists of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), his wife and son Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Carl (Chandler Riggs), Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), Andrea (Laurie Holden), Glenn (Steven Yeun), Shane (Jon Bernthal), Carol (Melissa McBride) and Sophia (Madison Lintz, as well as original AMC characters T-Dog (IronE Singleton) and fan-favorite Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus).
The Comics: By the time the survivors left their campsite, the ranks consisted of Rick, Lori, Carl, Dale, Andrea, Glenn, Carol, Sophia, as well as Allen, Donna and their twins. Shane had already been killed at this point by Carl, defending his father. While AMC may not feature Allen, Donna or the twins, it’s possible that first season character ‘Morales’and his family may have stood in, before deciding to part ways with the group.
WILTSHIRE ESTATES
AMC: ‘What Lies Ahead’picks up where last season’s ‘TS-19’left off, with the survivors fleeing the CDC in search of safety, only to find their way blocked by a jammed freeway and a herd of approaching walkers.
The Comics: Before the survivors all ended up at Hershel Greene’s farm (which we assume AMC’s will, eventually), the gang made a brief detour into a gated community known as Wiltshire Estates. All seemed well until the snow cleared and revealed the community had been locked to keep its dead inside. The survivors were forced to flee, losing Allen’s wife Donna and nearly Alan himself in the process.
ANDREA
AMC’s Andrea is a far cry from the character we know in the comics, at least for now. Still grieving the loss of her sister, AMC Andrea also harbors an intense resentment of Dale for taking away her choice to commit suicide at the CDC. There’s even an attraction suggested between she and Shane, with whom she hopes to leave the other survivors with.
By this point in the comics, Andrea had largely accepted her sister’s death, gained a growing proficiency with firearms, and begun to grow closer to Dale, with whom she would soon strike up a romance.
THE WALKING SHANE
AMC: Hey, congratulations Jon Bernthal! You made it! The most visible departure from the comics, Shane continues to live and travel with the survivors, but makes plans to ‘quietly slip away’due to his tense relationship with Lori, leaving Carl confused why Shane would treat him so coldly.
The Comics: Nope. Deadzo. Carl shot Shane through the neck to protect his father, rather than seeking Shane’s approval as on TV.
THE FREEWAY
AMC: After fleeing the CDC, the survivors convoy finds their way blocked by a massive traffic jam and engine troubles with Dale’s RV.
The Comics: During their RV journey toward uncertain safety, the group encountered plenty of cars that needed to be moved off the road, but nothing quite so massive. Similarly, Dale’s RV eventually would experience engine troubles, but not quite this early.
BOY, THAT SOUTHERN HEAT
AMC: The cast and crew could tell you quite a few stories about the difficulty of shooting The Walking Dead in Georgia’s 100-degree heat and humidity, and plenty of characters pour buckets of sweat into their clothes during ‘What Lies Ahead.’In fact, the cast often rested under the cars to cool off!
The Comics: Perhaps Robert Kirkman wasn’t terribly familiar with the Georgia climate, given that much of the camping, and trip toward Hershel’s farm took place in a bitter winter. In fact, the increasing cold was one of the factors that prompted the survivors to leave the campsite in the first place.
TYREESE, JULIE and CHRIS
Lost in translation from AMC’s The Walking Dead are Tyreese, Chris and Julie, whom the group encountered on the road and added to their group for months to come. Tyreese was a former football player travelling with his daughter Julie, and her boyfriend Chris.
Some viewers have theorized that AMC character ‘T-Dog’is the show’s interation of Tyreese, but so far the two share very few similarities.
THE HERD
AMC: Dozens upon dozens of zombies descend upon the group and attempt to make their way through the cars on the freeway as part of one mindless group, which Andrea and Shane dub a ‘herd.’
The Comics: A giant herd of walkers wouldn’t be seen until much later in the comics, and in a much greater number than on-screen. Even then, it was Dr. Eugene Porter who coined the term ‘herd,’and went on to describe them in far greater detail:
“[Walkers in a herd] are a force of nature. They don’t operate on logic or reason. If one of them even so much as brushes a hand against your door, and another one sees that, mistakes that as an attempt to get in – it’s over. That one starts trying to get in, the one who did the accidental tap thinks something’s inside all of a sudden, he starts beating on the door with him. They would kill you all.”
THAT DARN SOPHIA
AMC: Hiding under the cars proves to be a fine strategy against the herd, but Sophia accidentally alerts one to her presence, and winds up chased into the woods. Once there, Rick manages to fend off her pursuers, but Sophia herself disappears before she makes it back to the RV, and the survivors spend the rest of the episode trying to track her down.
The Comics: Sophia rarely found herself in danger for that long, with Carl more often than not being in need of rescue. Sophia’s biggest troubles usually lay in dealing with her increasingly deranged mother, Carol.
THE GORE
It was pretty hard to top Rick and Glenn’s (comic-faithful) zombie-coating in last season’s ‘Guts,’but darn it all if Daryl Dixon didn’t find a way, cutting open and tearing apart a walker’s stomach to look for evidence of Sophia’s remains.
The comics could get pretty gory at times, but…yeesh.
GUNS
AMC: Dale confesses himself ‘uncomfortable’giving Andrea a gun given her recent suicide attempt, and Shane corroborates Dales’feelings by insisting survivors carry as few firearms as possible to avoid unnecessary fire.
The Comics: In the books, both Rick and Shane agreed that all survivors (even Carl) should carry guns for safety, and be trained in their use. Andrea especially proved the best shot of the whole group!
THE CHURCH
AMC: Ringing bells in the distance bring the survivors to a church in search of Sophia, and offers the group a quiet chance to reflect upon their religious beliefs. After some brutal zombie killin’, of course!
The Comics: The survivors would indeed happen upon a church, though not until much later in the books. Additionally, it was Father Gabriel brought the survivors to his church rather than any ringing bells. No such character appears in AMC’s church, but who knows what the future might bring?
CAROL and LORI
AMC: Lori does her best to comfort Carol while Sophia goes missing, even planting a tender kiss on her forehead as Carol prays for her daughter’s safe return.
The Comics: The two indeed shared a strong friendship in the books, one that grew increasingly complicated by Carol’s growing insanity and wish for a three-way marriage to Lori and Rick! Now…we’re not saying the AMC kiss on the forehead in any way foreshadows, or even references that, but…a man can dream. A man can dream.
THE DUPLICITOUS DALE
AMC: Dale reveals to T-Dog that he fixed the RV much sooner than he let on to the group, believing that they’ll want to mobilize and leave Sophia behind if they know they’re able to.
The Comics: Even as the voice of reason within the group, Dale could be plenty duplicitous on paper as well. He insisted to Lori that, should her pregnancy indeed be from Shane, Rick must never know about it for the sake of the group.
POOR CARL
AMC: Carl accompanies Rick and Shane in the continued search for Sophia, and when the three stumble upon a majestic deer, a shot rings out and pierces Carl in the stomach. P’kow!
The Comics: The shooting happens in a similar manner, though in the books it takes place as Carl accompanies Rick and Tyreese hunting. There wasn’t any deer either, just Hershel’s farmhand Otis taking a shot at what he assumed from a distance were zombies, landing in Carl’s shoulder.
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What did you think of The Walking Dead season 2 premiere “What Lies Ahead?” Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments, and check back next week for our in-depth comic-to-TV comparison of episode two, “Bloodletting”!
i thought the premire was just okay. somewhat dull in the middle, but otherwise blahhh
By this point in the comics, ANDREA had largely accepted her sister’s death, gained a growing proficiency with firearms, and begun to grow closer to Dale, with whom she would soon strike up a romance.
you should correct that — other than this, INCREDIBLE comparison!