AMC's "The Walking Dead": Does violence define the series?

"The Walking Dead" on AMC is one of the television shows I watch weekly. A bit out of my typical television genre, it was a friend who got me into the series. Being an avid fan of "Mad Men," also on AMC, I knew this network wasn't likely to disappoint me. 

Based on the popular comic book series by the same title, "The Walking Dead" follows a group of survivors attempting to cope with life after a zombie apocalypse. The series, now in its second season, began by exhibiting a "slice of life" of protagonist and police officer Rick Grimes just as zombie apocalypse is starting. He is then shot and hospitalized, remaining in a serious coma. Once Rick comes to, he realizes that he is alone in an empty, defunct hospital. As he goes off in pursuit of his wife and son, as well as safety, he meets people along the way who explain the symptoms of the zombie "virus." It begins with a bite or scratch, then a fever that seemingly destroys all memories and activity in the brain with the exception of the motor skills and basic human instincts, such as hunger. Once the virus takes hold, these "walkers" are an extreme hazard for the living. 

Naturally, this incurs a lot of violence within the plot of the show. The living characters typically kill the walkers because once they're infected, they cannot be saved--they're considered as good as dead. Therefore, the living kill walkers to ensure their own safety by shooting them in the head. This involves lots of blood and guts, making for a very violent and gory show. Just about every episode involves a casual killing of a walker, or several, sometimes even involving dismembering a walker. At first, the living characters struggle with the idea of killing mass amounts of walkers. But, as the show progresses, these survivors don't think twice about pulling the trigger, clearly unaffected by the act of killing.

With blood and guts aside, I think that "The Walking Dead" is a fantastic show. It's action packed, but also seeks to portray the dramatic struggle of the living characters grasping for shreds of humanity in a now inhumane world. In scenes involving walkers, I'm usually watching with one eye covered. Not to say I can't take the violence, I'm just jumpy when it comes to scary scenes. However, I also find that I get bored when there are several scenes in a row sans zombies. I wonder what this says about my tolerance and desensitization towards violence...

Here is the trailer for Season 1 of the show for those who are unfamiliar:

Here's a behind-the-scenes clip about the goriest scene the show has ever featured: