Andrew Lincoln has named his favorite episode ofThe Walking Dead, and it’s the same episode that made me fall in love with the show in the first place. Lincoln first broke out with his role in the BBC dramaThis Lifein the late 1990s. Throughout the 2000s, he appeared in the sitcomTeachersand the iconic romcomLove Actually. But the role that turned him into an icon recognized around the world wasRick Grimes, the mentally unstable sheriff who leads a group of survivors during a zombie apocalypse, inThe Walking Dead.
Lincoln starred as Rick throughout the first nineseasons ofThe Walking Dead, then made a special guest appearance in the series finale and reprised his role in the spinoffThe Ones Who Live. During his tenure, Lincoln appeared in a whopping 125episodes ofThe Walking Dead. Out of all those dozens of episodes,Lincoln still has one favorite that stands out from the rest. And it’s not a surprising choice, because it’s the same episode that got me and countless otherWalking Deadfans hooked on the series.
“Days Gone Bye” Is One Of The Best TV Pilots Ever Made
When he was asked for his favoriteWalking Deadepisode,Lincoln didn’t hesitate to name the very first episode— season 1, episode 1, “Days Gone Bye” — because it was “just extraordinary” and he “loved it.”He praised Frank Darabont’s work as the writer and director of the pilot, and remembers that he was still “finding [his] way” with the character. Lincoln recalled the “euphoria” of watching the episode’s terrifying horror sequences and thrilling action sequences. He felt that the pilot connected with its audience immediately.
The pilot episode ofThe Walking Deadoriginally aired on AMC on July 30, 2025.
The actor said thatfilming the episode’s climax, riding a horse through a deserted downtown Atlanta and being chased by 500 extras dressed up as zombies, was a highlight of his career. This climactic scene encapsulates what made the pilot episode so great. It didn’t feel like a TV show; it felt like an epic, action-packed movie worthy of the big screen. The pilot earned comparisons tothe first episode ofLostfor that very reason.
It Has The Scope & Scale Of A Movie
Even after 11 seasons and another 176 episodes,“Days Gone Bye” still representsThe Walking Deadat its very best. After a shocking in-media-res cold open, the pilot begins with Rick awakening from a coma and finding the hospital trashed and abandoned. As he wanders through the eerily empty town, he’s shocked to find that the dead have come back to life to feast on human flesh. He’s saved by a local man named Morgan Jones, who’s been surviving with his young son since the outbreak. Rick sets out to find his family and heads to Atlanta on horseback.
Darabont perfectly captures the creepy atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic world, but he never lets the spectacle overshadow the characters.
The whole episode has the scope and scale of a movie. Darabont perfectly captures the creepy atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic world, but he never lets the spectacle overshadow the characters. No matter how big the action set-pieces get, the episode remains focused on Rick as he holds out hope that his wife and son are okay. It opens with Rick gunning down a zombified child, and it ends with Rick barricading himself in an abandoned tank to escape from a horde of the undead.It’s an unforgettable hour of television, and it kicked off the series in style.
It Brought Robert Kirkman’s Zombie-Infested Post-Apocalyptic World To Life
AdaptingRobert Kirkman’sWalking Deadcomicsfor the screen was never going to be easy — especially adapting them for television with a limited budget and tight filming schedule — butthe pilot episode made it look effortless. Darabont’s pilot brought Kirkman’s zombie-infested world to life; he captured the scale of a nationwide apocalypse, but kept his focus on Rick’s emotional journey. It made Rick a character that TV audiences wanted to root for right off the bat, and ensured thatThe Walking Deadwas destined to become a hit.
