The survivors of a world overrun with zombies are followed in this horror series. In the first episode, a sheriff's deputy emerges from a coma to find few people but far too many flesh-eating "walkers" who have died and come back to life. The lawman encounters another member of the human race, who tells him there's a refugee center in Atlanta, so he heads there with hopes of finding his missing wife and son. (TV Guide)
Rick receives some surprise help escaping from a tank surrounded by walkers, and hooks up with a resourceful survivor who leads him to other humans holed up in a downtown department store. The group is none-too-pleased with Rick, whose gunshots have attracted a rapacious rabble of zombies, and he is forced to come up with a gutsy plan to get them out of the city. (TV Guide)
Against his better judgment, Rick heads back to Atlanta to recover his cache of guns and ammo and hopefully retrieve the redneck bully originally left behind. Meanwhile, Lori and Shane are shocked by the return of someone they feared was dead. (TV Guide)
Rick's mission to return to Atlanta may need to be aborted when he runs into some unforeseen problems. Meanwhile back at camp, Jim appears to be going off the deep end. (TV Guide)
After a zombie attack, Rick and the group set off for the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, and Jim must face a life-or-death decision. (TV Guide)
The group finds solace in a protected C.D.C. laboratory, where they hope the lone surviving scientist can offer some explanations about what's gone wrong with the world. Andrea struggles to find a reason to go on.