At last the wait was over.
The popcorn bowls were empty. A few crusts were scattered in otherwise empty pizza boxes. Customized, zombie-shaped cupcakes had been devoured. So had the cherry, blood-colored Jell-O shots.
The Superbowl? Meh.
The Oscars? Seriously?
No, this was THE WALKING DEAD PREMIERE.
And it was awesome.
Fan(atic)s have a variety of reasons why they love the show. The high-quality writing/acting/directing. The characters whose personalities draw us in, and whose fates shock us. The surprising but undeniable appeal of crossbow-toting Daryl Dixon. There's a reason why the show's action figures cost between $25 and $30, but Daryl's goes for almost $300. Female fans could explain it to you. But then they'd have to kill you.
Anyway, Season 3's first half cliffhanger had left us hanging, desperate for closure, for months. How would the brother-against-brother forced gladiators-in-the-Colliseum-ish battle turn out? Would the writers kill off our beloved Daryl? They'd better not. But they could. Well, THEY'D BETTER NOT. They had us on pins and needles for all those months, knowing that, with this series, anything goes. No one is safe. And who knew what completely out there plot twists were waiting for us. Expect the unexpected.
But mostly, expect a totally kick-ass episode. Every week. And that's what they gave us. Like I said, awesome.
And now, here it is! One day away from another episode! And the truly fanatical fans are getting all tingly. They're comingggg ...
Walkers will be shuffling into our living rooms once again.
Will Rick get any wackier? Will Carl pull a coup and put dear old Dad out to pasture? (Not literally, of course, because there are hungry zoms out there)
Will anyone in the group actually miss a head shot? (These are the best amateur shooters in the world. Ok, in a world with hardly any other people. But still.)
Can Daryl possibly look any hotter balancing that crossbow on his shoulder? Will he and Carol have another “moment,” complete with self-conscious little laugh?
And, most importantly, how many new ways will the writers come up with for squishing walker heads?
You know you love it.
Even as you say, “Ewwww!”