Only six episodes into the season, and “The Walking Dead” continues to deliver action-packed thrills and genuine concern for the characters still alive and kicking in the post-apocalyptic world. Showrunner Scott Gimple and the rest of his extremely talented team have worked hard to create peril and deliver redemption in equal measure. At the moment, AMC’s mega-hit zombie drama follows the lives of a small group of survivors of the zombie apocalypse who have created a temporary home out of an abandoned prison in Georgia.

POST-APOCALYPTIC ZOMBIE ATTACKS 

If you’ve been keeping up with the current season, then you are all too aware that the newest threat to the survivors is a strain of an incredibly deadly flu, which leaves them vulnerable to zombie attacks from within their own ranks. While the cause is not completely hopeless, as a small group has been sent to a local hospital to seek medication, the illness’ progress cannot be impeded. It seems that no one is safe.

While “The Walking Dead” has its flaws, they are often outweighed by the strong character narratives that drive the show. Even in its fourth season, “The Walking Dead” remains more dialogue-heavy than most popular shows on television. Of course we can expect thrills and plenty of zombie kills, but at the heart of each episode are the redemptive qualities of human nature and what it means to survive in a world that constantly does its best to terrify you.

FOURTH SEASON FILLED WITH EXCITEMENT 

Central characters like Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Michonne and Hershel Greene, remain consistent and provide the anchor that the rest of the group clings to. The writing has its ups and downs. Season three particularly suffered from a loose narrative with multiple episodes that sought to fill time during a 16-episode season in which not every episode is permitted to be as hair-raising as the last. The fourth season has so far combated this well, however, and it will be fascinating to see if it continues in the same vein.

In a season that has been filled to the brim with intelligent writing, strong character arcs and surprising twists and turns, I believe we can expect more exhilarating action as the remaining few struggle to survive in their tempestuous world. There are certainly more evils to come for this resilient cast of characters, but no doubt they will continue to fight until the world is right once again.