Day of the Dead – Episode 2 – Chum
So, was the impressive opening episode simply a fluke? Thankfully, no. The second instalment continues to build on the foundations laid by the premiere, delivering another enjoyable slice of zombie chaos. It’s by no means flawless, but the shortcomings are relatively minor and certainly aren’t enough to make me question whether I’ll continue watching. If anything, Episode 2, subtly titled Chum, reassures me that the first chapter wasn’t just a lucky hit.
One of the show’s biggest strengths is its cast of characters. At this stage, they’re already proving surprisingly easy to invest in, which is half the battle for any ensemble horror series. Romero’s original films always worked because the audience cared about the people trapped within the apocalypse, and while these characters don’t yet possess that same level of depth, they’re engaging enough that I genuinely want to see where their stories lead.
The series also isn’t afraid to embrace its more playful side. One standout moment sees a hearse dragging half of a zombie along the road for no reason other than because it’s amusing. It’s exactly the sort of darkly comic visual gag that tells you the writers understand this isn’t meant to be an exercise in relentless misery, like The Walking Dead.
Not everything lands quite as well. The dialogue continues to fluctuate between genuinely natural exchanges and moments that feel a little too cheesy. A campfire-style ghost story, in particular, is played with far more sincerity than it probably deserves, resulting in one of the episode’s few genuinely awkward scenes. Likewise, the musical score remains disappointingly generic. It does its job, but it rarely enhances the atmosphere or creates an identity of its own. A more distinctive soundtrack could have gone a long way towards giving the series a stronger personality.
One concern I had after the premiere was that the production might have emptied the gore tank in Episode 1 simply to grab viewers’ attention. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. The practical make-up effects continue to impress, with plenty of grisly zombie carnage throughout the episode. Rather than relying heavily on digital effects, the series embraces practical gore wherever possible.
My biggest reservation at this point is the pacing between the various storylines. The mysterious hole in the ground, and whatever is chained inside it, remains the most compelling thread of the entire series. Unfortunately, it barely progresses here. Meanwhile, other plotlines suggest that several hours have passed, with characters travelling across town and significant events unfolding, yet every return to the underground chamber amounts to little more than someone inching slightly closer to the mysterious creature. The uneven sense of time makes these scenes feel strangely disconnected from everything else that’s happening.
Thankfully, none of the parallel storylines feel like filler. Every group has something interesting brewing, which keeps the frequent jumps between characters from becoming frustrating. The wedding storyline is quickly becoming one of the strongest, balancing humour with mounting tension, while the mayor’s increasingly complicated situation continues to develop in intriguing ways.
One aspect the series handles particularly well is the staggered nature of the outbreak. Rather than having everyone immediately realise the dead are walking, different characters discover the outbreak at different times. This creates several entertaining “realisation” moments throughout the episodes, allowing each storyline to build its own suspense instead of rushing everyone into the same scenario. It’s a simple storytelling choice, but one that gives the outbreak a welcome sense of scale and keeps the pacing varied.
After two episodes, I’m pleasantly surprised by just how entertaining Day of the Dead has been. It still lacks some of the polish of bigger-budget zombie dramas, and there are moments where the writing and production reveal their limitations. Even so, it’s proving to be far more charming than its reputation suggests. By embracing fun over misery and focusing on an ensemble of likeable characters, the series is beginning to establish an identity of its own. Whether it can maintain that momentum over an entire season remains to be seen, but after Episode 2 I’m more than happy to keep following the outbreak.
