The Walking Dead has come a long way as a franchise in the last decade. Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes acted as the lead character of the series until the ninth season but the star’s personal favourite episode is still the pilot “Days Gone Bye”.
“The first. It’s always the first because it’s just extraordinary. Only because I was finding my way, it was Frank [Darabont], and just the scares. I loved it. It was really exciting, and terrifying, and just euphoria. And I think that was just kind of connecting. I will always harken back to riding a horse into downtown Atlanta, being chased by 500 zombies. That doesn’t happen that often in one’s career”, Lincoln commented.
The pilot set the tone for The Walking Dead
The first episode of the popular horror show details how Rick was injured during a shooting, only to wake up in a very different world from what he last saw. Not only did the pilot set the show’s cinematic tone, but it also showed that it wouldn’t skimp on bloodshed. And it was also an excellent opportunity for Lincoln to showcase himself as an actor. In the pilot alone he got to play everything from comedy to action and drama.
The pilot of the show was the brainchild of The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont. And Darabont’s influence and participation in the show speaks to the importance of “Days Gone Bye” in setting up the world of The Walking Dead that, after all these years, it remains Lincoln’s favourite episode.
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