Surrounded by beer, pizza, video games and feeling 16 again, I attended the season 6 premiere for The Walking Dead.
At the Entertainment One offices, myself and a number of fellow Walking Dead fans gathered to see the first episode of the new season, First Time Again, but before we were screened the episode we were treated in fine fashion. On-board was a collection of themed beer, like Runaway Brewery and Dead Man’s Beer, and pizzas based off the characters of the show, which included The Rick Grimes (salami, rocket and Parmesan cheese – I’m still trying to figure out how that’s related to Rick)). To complete the teenage flashback was the chance to play Telltale’s award winning episodic game series, The Walking Dead Season One and Two, on the PlayStation 4. It was a joy to see people who aren’t gamers try to figure out what to do whilst playing, whether it was the other journalists or even the employees of Entertainment One having a go before they headed home. I must add I’ve played the first season on the PS3, but on the PS4 the game looks a lot crisper and makes the graphic novel style really pop off the screen.
The reason we were able to the game on the PS4 was because the screening was held in association with PlayStation Video. For the new season of The Walking Dead, PlayStation have a set up a season pass for the show, meaning that you can watch the entire season from your PS4 console right after the broadcast premiere on Fox every week. The week’s episode will be sent to you following the broadcast, allowing you to watch every nail-biting moment of the new season as many times as you want. The season pass for The Walking Dead will be available to download from PlayStation Video on the 14th October and is perfect for anyone who is a fan of the show and has a PS4 but can’t get Fox on their TV.
As for the episode itself, First Time Again is a fantastic opening to the new season. The events of last season’s finale have shaped a new landscape for the community of Alexandria, for better and for worse. The Walking Dead continues to try new storytelling techniques from the word go as the show jumps back and forth between the group trying to lead a huge herd of walkers away from the community, and the flashbacks of events leading to it. The episode looks at the building problems slowly bubbling under the surface, with people taking chances to secure their safety, a severe lack of trust and a potential battle for leadership between Rick and the returning Morgan. First Time Again keeps you on the edge of your seat, with times where you really thought characters were going to be killed. It’s a truly spectacular opening for the new season of The Walking Dead and looks set to have you running back for more.
