AMC
A cowboy rides his horse along an abandoned highway. Days later, that same highway is crawling with the dead. Months later, the cowboy and his posse battle their way into a prison. Months after that, the prison is a picturesque sanctuary — and it’s burned to ashes within weeks.
The list of vivid images from the Walking Dead season premieres stretches on and on. Just like the show’s various season finales, the AMC zombie drama’s premieres can be a mixed bag — but the highs are just about as high as it ever gets when it comes to Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and the rest.
Here are our rankings of the Walking Dead season premieres, current through the midseason seven premiere.