The reason why The Walking Dead is more than just a zombie show, it’s the highest rated show on the goddamn television, is largely because of Greg Nicotero. The four-time Emmy winner (and seven-time nominee) is the special-effects supervisor on The Walking Dead, and he is why the series can do close ups on zombies. Nobody does what Greg Nicotero does better than Greg Nicotero does it.

One of my favorite details about The Walking Dead is that Nicotero also ensures that, in each subsequent season of The Walking Dead, the zombies look more and more decomposed. It’s that attention to detail that really matters, and having seen a few production photos from season five (including, above), we can now confirm that the decomposition rate has continued.

Here’s a look at the walkers in the first four seasons.

Season One

Season Two

Season Three

Season Four

Here’s what they look like in season five.

And here’s what they are projected to look like in season six.

Source: AMC