The very first scene of the very first episode showed a sheriff’s deputy whose crisp uniform already looked out of place amidst the flipped vehicles, dark traffic lights, and complete absence of other living humans.
The Walking Dead series premiere didn’t waste any time in showing the complete desolation of the zombie apocalypse.
The entire area genuinely looked like a disaster had struck.
Rick’s exploration of his town after the fall of civilization was a fantastically creepy way to start the series, even before any Walkers showed up.