Cops with Zombies, Vampires and Werewolves

Premiere: Monday, August 29 Order: 12 episodes

This one was flying under my horizon until I stumbled on it online. MTV has been doing some fine with Teen Wolf and this one is about zombies, vampires and werewolves. What is not to like about that? I know it is a bit early for Fall but I included it anyway.

Death Valley is a scripted horror-comedy that captures the exploits of the men and women of the Undead Task Force (UTF) – an elite branch of the LAPD that was formed in 2009 when the San Fernando Valley became overrun by zombies, vampires and werewolves. While scientists frantically search for an answer to what caused the outbreak, the UTF is responsible for eradicating the monsters, or at least containing them to the Valley. Documenting each case and paranormal encounter is a daring camera crew that is embedded with the UTF from the beginning to end of every shift. As a result, the documentary crew becomes central to the storytelling and is as much a part of the action as the young cops and the undead they encounter. Always alternating between humor and horror, Death Valley at times borrows from the conventions of reality television creating a visual style that is a blend of follow documentary and sci-fi action. The series stars an ensemble cast including Caity Lotz (who plays “Stephanie” on MAD MEN) Tania Raymonde (who played “Alex Rousseau” on LOST) and Charlie Sanders (Funny or Die’s The Big Dog).

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The Village with Zombies

Maybe science scares us and we like to read about its failure. That is a theme that comes again and again in zombie and other catastrophe stories. Maybe that is why I usually am not into zombie or catastrophe stories. I like when science makes progress and invents new stuff that amazes me.

This is my first review of a Swedish book even if this one is a translation from English. There might be more original Swedish works in the future. Carrie Ryan is also new to me.

I am very happy I read this story even if it is outside my comfort zone. It is halfway between a young adult and an adult story and it is about a young woman on her way into adulthood who doesn’t conform to the wishes of the repressive culture in her village. She gets involved in a love triangle with her best friend as a hurt bystander. Their isolated village lies in the middle of The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Swedish: De Vassa Tändernas skog) which is also the title. It is surrounded by fences that keep them safe from the unholy. The reason for the zombie apocalypse is never explained but it is hinted that it had something to do with immortality. Maybe we will learn in one of the following books.

The sisterhood is the only ones that seem to keep history alive inside their order at the same time as they work to withhold status quo. It is generations after the zombie apocalypse. The scientific method is dead. If you read between the lines they probably killed off the scientists at some stage. Now even curious and inquisitive minds are seen with suspicion.

In the village everything is done by duty in contrast to the romantic love she feels inside. The action works up to a frightening break-in by the unholy that forces her and a small band of survivor out on a journey along the mysterious fenced path nobody used in ages. The Journey is as always an important part of any zombie story so is the vengeful they-did-it-to-themselves theme.

The characters are okay but the romantic scenes sometimes lack the foundation they deserve in my opinion.

De Vassa Tändernas Skog was a pleasant surprise and I wouldn’t mind reading part two of Mary’s continued adventures. It reads quite well as a standalone book but you will want to learn more like I do.

Book Information

De Vassa tändernas skog (Eng: The Forest of Hands & Teeth) by Carrie Ryan (Styxx fantasy 2011, 1st 2009) – Review copy

Marys värld är liten – en isolerad by mitt ute i skogen, omgärdad av stängsel. Stängslet är det enda som håller Mary och de andra byborna vid liv, för på andra sidan finns De vassa tändernas skog där de oheliga ständigt rör sig i jakt på mer människokött att infektera. Så har det varit i generationer och i byn har man satt upp enkla regler för att överleva: Man gör sin plikt och följer Systerskapets order, allt annat är oviktigt. Ändå kan Mary inte låta bli att drömma om världen utanför stängslet och det som kan finnas där, om havet som hon bara hört talas om och en gång sett på ett foto.

En dag bryter sig de oheliga igenom stängslet. På några minuter utplånas stora delar av byn och Mary flyr ut i skogen. Kampen för att överleva har börjat och snart måste Mary göra viktiga val – mellan dröm och plikt, mellan mannen hon älskar och mannen som älskar henne. Vad finns egentligen på andra sidan av den fruktansvärda skogen?

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The aftermath of the zombie massacre takes its toll on the weary survivors. It is a gruesome cleanup as they have to impale each head with a pick to stop the body from reanimate. They pile and burn the zombies but burry their own in the graves they dug last week. Wonder how that crazy guy could know, I guess he was losing it a bit seeing all that death around. It was only a matter of time before zombies would wander into their area, since they were camping within sight of the city.

Amy was killed in the zombie attack but her grieving sister refuses to let anyone close. It is very emotional as she begs her for forgiveness for all the birthdays she has missed and then in the end she has to blow her mind out. Emotional but gory might be more correct. That part affected me more than the other stuff.

Abused wife asking to use the pick herself on her husband almost sounded sweet until she could not stop herself from hacking him again and again while weeping her eyes out. It is a wonder no one is getting infected by all the blood, gore and brain matter they tore into the air.

It is when they decide it is too dangerous to stay that things start to get interesting. Crazy guy from last week got bitten and are now slowly turning into a walker. Rick makes an argument that they should try for the CDC in Atlanta. Shane is arguing that they should head for a military base far from the city. They both try to convince Lori they are right but she only tells them that either isn’t totally wrong. The triangle drama continues to heat up as Rick and Shane walk the perimeter. Shane contemplates shooting Rick, he even aim for him when the old guy walks in on him.

After that he supports Shane’s suggestion to head for the CDC. But one of the families head off in another direction to look for relatives before they leave. Crazy guy gets worse and he begs them to leave him there by the roadside, so they do. They are probably going back for him next episode since the guy that hides all alone in the CDC needs freshly infected tissue.

There is a lone not particularly sane researcher in the CDC. He is conducting some kind of experiments with zombie tissue. But he might be infected himself after the lab accident earlier. I guess we will see next week.

I wonder how it is that I love that this is more about the personal drama than about the zombies in this show but I have such a hard time taking it on other shows. It might be something special with zombies. What do you think?

The Walking Dead 103 – Tell it to the Frogs [TV Review] November 16, 2010
Walking Dead 1.02 – Gore [TV Review] November 10, 2010
The Walking Dead Premiere [New This Fall] October 31, 2010
The New TV Season for Science Fiction Fans (Fall 2010) August 25, 2010
AMC orders ‘Walking Dead’ to series March 30 2010

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He might be a bigoted redneck but I feel sorry for him up there on the roof. Handcuffed to a pipe on the roof besieged by zombies is not the way for any man to go.

Rick meets up with his family and they have a nice little reunion before the tension starts to show. He hints about going back for the man they left on the roof. Deryl the man’s equally socially challenged brother is upset to say the least.

Laurie, Rick’s wife is wishing she hadn’t moved on just now, isn’t she. Rick is grateful, but he doesn’t know anything of what happened yet. The thunder storm in the night reflects the inner turmoil of Laurie and Shane.

Rick is going and Laurie tries to stop him. His sense of honor forces him back to the city while Shane and Ricks son goes and tries to catch frogs.

This pisses of the ladies of the camp who ended up the designated washing crew. “The world ended didn’t you get the memo” one of them says.

Laurie tracks down her son and drags him away from Shane. “That is over too, tell that to the frogs.” she tells him. Shane was the one telling Laurie Rick was dead. Laurie displays some righteous anger at that. Shane takes his anger out on the wife beater instead, beating him to almost pulp.

They find the guys sawn off hand next to the handcuffs.

Gory Days, Gory Days!

I like the way this is progressing, the characters are quite human but in an overall positive way. They all had to make hard decisions to survive and they will continue to do so, I am sure. So understandable that they already ordered a second season!

Walking Dead 1.02 – Gore [TV Review] November 10, 2010
The Walking Dead Premiere [New This Fall] October 31, 2010
The New TV Season for Science Fiction Fans (Fall 2010) August 25, 2010
AMC orders ‘Walking Dead’ to series March 30 2010

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Seems like this episode is controversial, I have avoided reading any of the many posts but as I understand it is considered racist by some and second rate by others (This could all be a misunderstanding from my side, but that is the preconceptions I have when viewing). I will try to build my own opinion as I go along. I really hope not because I liked the pilot a lot and wish it to succeed. We need stronger genre shows. News came during the day that AMC already renewed The Walking Dead for a second season of 13 episodes that ought to be good news.

Let’s see…

In this episode Rick meets up with some other survivors in the City and they have to resort to rather gruesome gore to fool the zombies and escape from the city. I could definitely live with the characters even the white redneck bigot and the afro American rapper. So what if the characters are a bit stereotypical. It is a zombie show!

I think its way to early to tell who these characters are. Reasonable we meet them when they are in panic over being surrounded by hordes of zombies lured there by Rick’s shooting. It is still one of the best new shows I have seen this year.

We leave Rick and his new friends as they leave town to join up with the people outside, which includes Rick’s wife, son and his best friend who is banging his wife. Next episode should be interesting in that regard.

Keep the zombies coming …