Up - Twd S01e01 - Rick Wakes

Critics and fans often highlight this scene as one of the best openings in television history for its atmosphere of isolation and dread. While medically unrealistic—as Rick likely would not have survived months without water or medical care—the show's web series The Oath suggests a doctor stayed behind to maintain the hospital as long as possible. RECAP: The Walking Dead – S01E01 – Days Gone By

: He finds an abandoned military site with sandbags and an idle helicopter before making his way back to his neighborhood on a bicycle. TWD S01E01 - Rick Wakes Up

As Rick flees the hospital, the scale of the devastation becomes clear: Critics and fans often highlight this scene as

: Rick wakes up to silence. The flowers by his bed are withered and dead, and the wall clock has stopped at 2:17. As Rick flees the hospital, the scale of

: At his home, which is empty and ransacked, Rick meets survivors Morgan and Duane Jones . They explain the "rules" of this new world: the "walkers" are attracted to sound and smell, and a bite causes a fatal fever that leads to reanimation. Significance and Realism

Rick wakes up alone in in King County, Georgia. He had been in a coma for an estimated 46 to 59 days following a gunshot wound sustained in the line of duty.

: Upon exiting his room, he finds the hospital in ruins, with flickering lights, blood-streaked walls, and bullet holes. He encounters the iconic chained cafeteria doors with the message: "DON'T OPEN / DEAD INSIDE" . Discovery of the New World