1644 - The Walking Dead: season 2 part 1

Since the series is on hiatus until February I figured I'd chime in with my thoughts so far.  Full disclosure - I'm a big fan of the comic series that this is based on, and so that often effects my thoughts on this.  I'm not big on some of the casting of this series.  I think that Rick, in particular, was miscast.  The actor is starting to win me over a bit now, but it's really a very different character from the one in the comic (not that there's anything wrong with that).  And in a lot of ways I think that this is Robert Kirkman's chance to go back and shift things for the narrative - in particular he keeps a few characters around that didn't last so long in the book, and vice versa.
The pacing of this season has been pretty damn slow, and I know it's frustrated most reviewers of the show as well.  For me it's mostly frustrating because I know how much damn good stuff there is in the comic that they can go to when they want.  Although I suppose there is a question of budget... There is a particularly strong arc at one point involving a character called The Governor, which could probably last two or three seasons in and of itself.  And based on how this series is at this point I think they might even be willing to "go there".
I won't go into detail as other reviews have - but I will say that if the beginning of this season frustrated you and you abandoned the show because of it, do yourself a favour and at least watch the mid-season finale (episode seven).  It is a pretty great episode all the way through (and the opening will catch you up) but it's also got a final scene that very well may be one of the best scenes in television history.  It's really a solid solid piece from all angles - writing, directing, performance, and it damn sure makes you excited to see what they'll do when they come back in February.
It's not a great show, but it could be...

1472 - The Walking Dead: season one

Anyone who has read my blog in the past month knows that I'm pretty into this story, or at least the idea of the series, which is essentially a band of people just trying to survive in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. The comic series is phenomenal in every way - great characters, story, themes, and more important, great execution.
The pilot for this series nailed the tone just right - it mixed the disturbing with the mundane, but future episodes seemed to lose that a bit. And for a series that it meant to be about the survivors I didn't really feel like I got to know, or care, about them all that much - and that is the biggest downfall from this first season. And for someone like Darabont it really surprises me. This show has been greenlit for a second, longer, season and so perhaps that will help deal with some of those issues.
For fans of the comic that haven't jumped in yet keep in mind that they're not following the comic religiously by any means, so it's not just like a giant retread (if it were it might be a bit better..., but that's just my humble opinion).
It's worth giving this show a shot given that it's only six episodes in it's first run - but I implore you that if you like this show in anyway do yourself a favor and pick up the comic series of the same name, it will not disappoint!