Before its first airing, several segments were announced and broadcast, including a six-part internet series and a live after-show hosted by Chris Hardwick.

Ratings were similarly positive: in the United States, it broke the record for the most-watched drama in the history of basic cable, attaining 7.3 million viewers.

The horde soon passes, and the group returns to clearing the road, while Rick and Daryl Dixon attempt to find Sophia.

As Carol prays for the return of her daughter, Andrea overhears Shane arguing with Lori about his leaving, and she tells him she wants to go with him.

An early concept for the season premiere by Frank Darabont never materialized, allegedly as a result of budget cuts.

[1] This initial idea would have been an episode-long flashback, illustrating the fall of Atlanta and centering on the mission of a doomed soldier who loses his team.

[1] "All they have to do is travel maybe a dozen blocks", he said, "a simple journey, but what starts as a no-brainer scenario goes from 'the city is being secured' to 'holy shit, we've lost control, the world is ending'.

[1] Samuel Witwer, who was cast as the soldier in the pilot for this backstory that would eventually unfold, was frustrated by the story's rejection and questioned the need for such a budget cut.

[5][6] Principal photography for the episode resumed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Smyrna, Georgia, which was depicted as the headquarters of the CDC.

[7][9] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, series creator Robert Kirkman said that after editing "there were certain things that just got left on the cutting room floor".

This led to much of the original first episode, titled "Miles Behind Us," to be discarded, and is also the reason that the premiere contains dual credits for both writer and director.

Frantically trying to catch up on foot, he is nearly overrun by a multitude of walkers when he is rescued in the nick of time by the rest of the group, Daryl having noticed Shane's absence in the convoy.

After clearing out the area to spend the night, the group observes that the people were not killed by walkers, but execution-style by human pillagers, in what was likely intended to be foreshadowing of The Governor.

Resolving that they will never again let their guard down, the group decides that they will try to reach Fort Benning, the alternative to the CDC proposed by Shane in the prior season.

As in the final version of the episode, a narration scene with Rick speaking to Morgan on the walkie-talkie was included, but was re-shot with modified dialog that served to replace the above material, allowing the premiere to begin with the group putting Atlanta behind them.

Many of the deleted scenes from "Miles Behind Us" appear as bonus material on the Season 2 DVD, though it does not include the events leading up to Shane's rescue nor the original rooftop walkie-talkie monologue.

"[14] Similarly, Neil Brown Jr., the actor who played Guillermo, gave an interview where he obliquely referred to possible participation in the Season 2 premiere.

[24] Initial reports suggested that he was unable to adjust to the schedule of running a television series,[24] but it was later confirmed that he was fired because of the show's reduced budget and his strained relationship with the executives of AMC.

It received 7.3 million viewers and attained a 4.8HH rating, breaking the record for the most-watched drama in the history of cable television.

It received the second highest viewership of the week ending October 16, scoring higher than Jersey Shore but less than a 2011 NFL season game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears.

It premiered in 122 countries in thirty-five languages, with a total viewership of 10 million and an average rating of 2.0 in most metered television markets.

Hernan Lopez, CEO of Fox International Channels (FIC), commented, "The Walking Dead has gone from phenomenon to pandemic.

[36] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post found the pace of this episode "sleeker" than that of previous ones, adding, "This has the subtle but immediate effect of making The Walking Dead less predictable and more frightening.

"[39] David Hickley of Daily News gave "What Lies Ahead" three out of five stars and expressed the view: "The Walking Dead may be under new management, but it seems to have kept its rhythm, moving easily between bursts of intense violence and long stretches of psychological sparring.

"It's 90 minutes of skill", he wrote, "bringing viewers back into the story without missing a beat, adding immediate depth to characters, ratcheting up suspense [...], plus expanding the emotional palette of the series.

[44] Likewise, Nick Venable of Cinema Blend wrote: "I won't say I got bored, but much of the episode left me unmoved, and far less tense than I should have been.