When watching the first episode of season 4 of “The Walking Dead,” it seems we have stumbled upon our beloved characters after quite some time. While in season 3 they had become much more badass after surviving the winter, in this season, their life seems idyllic. Horses are grazing and pigs feeding; Rick has started his own garden with the help of Hershel, who owned a farm before the apocalyptic zombie outbreak. A plethora of new people are introduced to the prison that Rick and Daryl have rescued, an obvious deviation from their isolationist policy last season. Rick doesn’t carry a gun when outside of the prison. Beth has a boyfriend. It almost mirrors a world free from zombies, except of course, for the hordes of moaning Walkers getting their faces caved in with a variety of knives, poles, and arrows at the prison gates.

Although the episode starts out tame, events quickly change. Rick meets someone new in the woods and Daryl, with a few others, explore an abandoned military relief center. To avoid spoilers, let’s just say the end of this episode is filled with plenty of gut-wrenching blood, nail-biting scenes, and moments that will make you gasp in surprise and terror.

One character that was missed throughout the episode was the sadistic Governor, not to say he wasn’t mentioned, though. Michonne is on the hunt for the man who, last season, massacred practically all of his followers. This reviewer was a little bummed not to see one of the greatest villains on television back on one of the greatest shows on television, but it looks like he may make an appearance in later episodes. However, the Governor and Walkers may be the least of the gang’s problems as a fresh issue reveals itself at the very end of the show, one that can’t be solved with guns.

Viewers are in love with “The Walking Dead’s” gore, horrifying scenes, and messed up characters, but a true fan knows this show is as smart as it is violent, and this episode is no exception. For me, the most interesting social commentary “The Walking Dead” has to offer is the effect on kids who grow up in a zombie-ravaged world, particularly on Rick’s young son Carl. We have seen Carl get shot, lose a good friend, lose his mother, and mercilessly shoot a questionably innocent man (the culmination of his loss of innocence), but this episode explores Beth’s psyche and the further desensitization of children when dealing with loss.

All in all, “The Walking Dead” premiere stayed true to the quality and suspense of the previous seasons and will undoubtedly have viewers dying for more.