'Walking Dead' Season Premiere Recap: Highway To Hell

The long wait is finally over: "The Walking Dead" returned tonight (October 16) for its second season on television. Despite the tremendous attention focused on original showrunner Frank Darabont's departure earlier this summer, it feels safe to say that based on this opening number, "Dead" is just as good as it ever was.

Hit the jump to chew on everything we loved about the season premiere. Spoilers ahead!

Highway Of The Dead

What a way to open: our heroes, already down in the dumps following the explosive events at the CDC, are immediately thrust back into the clutches of danger when they encounter a horde of walkers in a gridlocked highway graveyard. The chilling, thrilling sequence stands out as one of the series' best, brimming with unforgettable moments from Andrea in the RV to Rick's tense trek through the woods to save Sophia.

Whatever you may have feared from a Darabont-less series, give credit where it's due: "The Walking Dead" wasted zero time reminding you why so many people fell in love with this show in the first place.

Regular Dixon

Norman Reedus returns in season two as Daryl Dixon, now boasting series regular status. It's a well-earned upgrade for a character who just might be television's best bad boy with a heart of gold since Sawyer on "Lost." He's already claimed two of the season's best moments so far: saving T-Dog from certain death with a well placed arrow and some truly nasty camouflage, for one. And don't forget Daryl dissecting a freshly killed walker to check its digestive system for little girl body parts for another.

It's disgusting, irresistible stuff, and it's made all the better by Reedus' committed portrayal of Daryl.

Decisions, Decisions

After an exhilarating first act, we moved onto the meat of what this season and show is really all about: how to make it in a dying world. Physical survival is no longer enough; tension is high, spirits are low and the cracks are spreading faster and faster. These folks don't just need to find a way to live anymore, they need to find a reason.

There's interesting stuff going on between these characters, and right now I think the biggest credit goes to Jon Bernthal for his performance as Shane. Really, he actually shouldn't even be here still if we were going strictly by the comics. Shane's continued presence on the show adds a cool little wrinkle to the familiar Rick and Lori dynamic, and even though he's thinking of leaving the pack, here's hoping he sticks around a little bit longer.

Nicoterrifying

One thing that hasn't changed in the slightest bit since season one is the stunning, Emmy-winning work that newly minuted co-executive producer and "Walking Dead" webisodes director Greg Nicotero and his KNB FX house have always been capable of. The walker that came after Andrea and the jawless creature rotting in the tent stand out as two of the best creations Nicotero and his team have ever put forth, period.

If the characters form the heart of "The Walking Dead," then the graphic, unholy deeds of Nicotero and friends bring the guts — lots and lots and lots of guts.

Gut Shot

Speaking of guts of both the literal and figurative variety, the final scene of the season premiere — in which Carl shares a tender moment in the forest with a deer, only to get inexplicably shot in the stomach by a mysterious shooter seconds later — is a gutsy one. With Rick and his companions already hanging on by such a thin thread, how can they survive through Carl's potentially fatal injury? More than that, can Carl even pull through?

Comic book readers may think they know the answers, but I wouldn't be too sure. This show has strayed away from the paneled page before, after all... just ask Shane.

Here's what Robert Kirkman had to say about the premiere's final scene.

Tell us what you thought of the "Walking Dead" season premiere in the comments section and on Twitter!