Arrow on the Doorpost, the thirteenth episode of the third season of the Walking Dead, maintained a slower pace in comparison to the shootout that happened a few episodes back, but it seems evident they are merely building towards an explosive season finale. By “slow,” I don’t mean that it was uninteresting, only that there was a lot of dialogue with little action. Personally, I just eat this stuff up. It gives us more time to develop these characters and care about them a little more. For example, Martinez finally showed another side to him that we haven’t really seen. It wasn’t much, but when he confided in Daryl about the Governor’s intent to kill off the prison group regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, it showed that he at least isn’t as heartless as his boss. He also revealed how he used to be a family man who had changed quite a bit since the onset of the apocalypse. Martinez is a man who would have been a decent guy under other circumstances, but now does whatever he can to survive, even if it means working under a menace. Plus, Martinez and Daryl’s walker-killing competition was pretty sweet, so I think I ended up caring a little more about Martinez by the end of the show, even if he’s living on borrowed time. When I noticed Rick and Daryl had both came along on the trip, I realized Merle had been left behind with Glenn and Michonne. I knew that was a recipe for disaster. Even if Merle’s idea of going after the Governor had some merit, there was no way the group was going to let him leave. Michonne and Glenn showed their loyalty to the group while Merle maintained his maverick ways, which of course resulted in a scuffle. Thank God Beth showed up with that handgun when she did, because it looked like Merle was about to slice up Glenn’s face! It does make me continue to question Merle’s presence in the group. Daryl can keep him at bay when he’s around, but as we saw, Merle can be quite a loose cannon when he is alone. Maybe Merle should be locked in a cellblock when his brother ain’t around, but of course we know he wouldn’t like that too much. Merle’s a strong fighter and definitely somebody the group needs on their side when the shit hits the fan, but damn, is he hard to trust. “Good for Glenn!” I thought when he and Maggie got it on like they used to back in season two. I didn’t like how they were at odds after their Woodbury trauma, but it’s quite apparent now that things are a-OK with the two of them. I still can’t believe Rick didn’t shoot the Governor the second he saw him in that barn. His henchmen weren’t even around yet, and here he was with this nightmare who intends to kill them all. I think it helped with Rick visiting Morgan and regaining some of his sense. If this meeting happened before that, ol’ crazy Rick may not have been as willing to talk. Speaking or Morgan, I can’t help being afraid for his safety. The Governor revealed to Rick how he knew about their gun run, so it’s possible they were somehow followed or tracked to King’s County. Could Morgan be captured for leverage against the group if the Michonne deal falls through? I really hope not. I would rather not see Morgan again, thinking of his fate and new role as the one who “clears” the world of walkers, than to have him show up just to get killed off real quick. I know Rick is considering the Michonne deal with the Gov, and I’m just a little disappointed about that. Rick even acknowledged that the Governor would kill them all anyway, even if they gave her to Woodbury, so I hate to see him think about such a cold offer. I guess I get it, since Rick has a son and daughter to care for, but he needs to wise up. Michonne is one of their best warriors, so willingly handing her over would be logically ill-advised aside from just being plain wrong. Michonne has earned her place within the group. In the end, though, I’m confident Rick will realize what’s going on and tell the Governor to go straight to Hell.
Tag Archives: Glenn
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 311 ‘I Ain’t a Judas’
After the intense episode that was 310, it seemed natural to slow things down for a little while. Episode 311 was definitely a recovery episode in the sense that it remained story-driven with little emphasis on action. While we were catching our breaths after last episode’s assault, I Ain’t a Judas introduced us to the aftermath of the attack on both sides of the equation with poor Andrea caught in the middle.
Before I talk about the episode, let me take a second to address all of this Andrea hatred from many fans of the show. It seemed that since Lori’s gone on to the big purple flannel factory in the sky, her haters were left without a lead woman to constantly bitch about. Rather than attending therapy or at least taking their anger out on computer-generated enemies in violent video games, everybody simply decided to switch gears and start laying it on Andrea.
People, you’ve got to realize that the characters don’t always know what we, the viewers, know. We can be disappointed with her falling for the Governor, since we knew what kind of despicable person he really was, but we can’t get pissed at her for not knowing that. All she knew was that everything seemed safe in Woodbury compared to her eight months on the road and this handsome leader began putting the moves on her. I’m willing to bet that any woman in that situation would’ve done the same thing.
Instead, Andrea’s “stupid,” even though she didn’t know about his murderous dark side (the walker heads and Penny was disturbing, but not that much weirder than her hanging out with Michonne’s pets for eight months, or Hershel’s zombie-filled barn). And, Andrea’s a “slut,” even though she’s only been with two people since the start of the apocalypse, in a world where it’s extremely difficult to find any form of romantic comfort.
We can concede that Andrea doesn’t have the best picks with her men, but we’ve also got to remember that options are very limited, and out of those of us who have dated multiple people, who hasn’t made some mistakes?
In any case, after Michonne revealed to Andrea the Governor’s true colors, you could see everything clicking in Andrea’s eyes. She knows what’s up now, but all the same, she doesn’t want anymore bloodshed. A lot of people will give her shit for not offing the Governor when she had the chance, but I think they’re not fully understanding her position if that is the case. While Maggie and others from Rick’s group have killed humans at this point, Andrea never has. It’s quite a leap to go from that to slicing a man’s throat while he sleeps, even if he is an asshole.
It was very interesting seeing Andrea reunite with her long-lost friends in the prison. I almost forgot she didn’t even know of the deaths of Shane, Lori and T-Dog, which had to be upsetting to hear. Everybody has suffered so much loss, I can see why she wants to end the carnage as peacefully as possible. Obviously, though, that’s not going to happen.
It seems Tyreese and friends have made their way to Woodbury. The Governor no doubt would appreciate their services, but I’m hoping Tyreese thinks better of trying to help Woodbury attack the prison group. Tyreese knows and respects all of the group members except Rick, and he knows there’s a baby there whom he’s already shown sympathy for. I can’t see him willingly firing on the prison with that in mind. I’m sure Sasha, his sister, will back him up should he choose not to go along with that, but those assholes Allen and Ben will definitely be a problem.
I wonder if the Governor will find out from Tyreese’s group that there’s a baby in the prison? It will certainly make the Governor that much more despicable if he follows through with his attack, even with that information.
I was a little surprised to see Merle freely walking around the prison and later even holding a machine gun. It sure seems like he was forgiven a little quickly, doesn’t it? I’d figure they’d keep him in a cell like he was in the beginning of the episode. Even with Daryl vouching for him, his inclusion still makes me a little uneasy. Great call from Rick not to take Daryl on the supply run, so he can keep an eye on Merle. I’m sure Merle will stay in line with his brother around, but I know I wouldn’t want to be left alone with him. Evidently and understandably, though, it seems Glenn and Michonne still have not quite buried the hatchet there.
I’m pretty excited for the next episode. My favorite badasses from the comics, Rick and Michonne, are going on a roadtrip! It almost sounds like a comedy spin-off, but I’m sure the ride will be mostly full of awkward silence until they encounter inevitable major problems. Or maybe they’ll just find a White Castle.
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 310 ‘Home’
This blog contains heavy spoilers. Lori is back! Well, sort of. I actually loved seeing Sarah Wayne Callies again. In Rick’s vision of Lori, she looked better than she ever had on the show, and it was a touching image. Everybody copes in their own ways, and now that Rick has acknowledged these hallucinations I believe he is making progress. Now that the group is under attack, though, he’s going to have to work extra hard to keep it together. I hate to see Maggie and Glenn lashing out at each other. They barely escaped Woodbury with their lives with an impending war, and now they’re at odds. I guess they’re coping with her sexual assault in different ways, but I’m sure they will work it out. This episode developed the Dixon brothers and their relationship incredibly well. The scene where Daryl and a reluctant Merle saving a passing family from walkers, and then Daryl saving said family’s belongings from Merle, told us a lot about both brothers. The reveal of how Merle and Daryl originally planned to pillage the group in season 1 served to show exactly how much Daryl has changed while Merle has remained the same. Obviously, I always liked Axel, and have been disappointed with his lack of screen time. This episode provided Axel with a lot more to do and say, including the humorous details behind his arrest. As with Carol, I’ve really begun to appreciate the twirly-mustached fellow, and I liked the optimism he brought to the show. He even managed to throw in another, “You follow me?” to Carol for good measure. With that said, I’m sure my cries could be heard miles away when our beloved Axel took a bullet through the brain. There will be no more following of Axel on the Walking Dead, and that fact brings a tear to my eye. At least his death was as graceful as could be. He died with a smile on his face, in the presence of a lady, content with where he was in life, with no pain, suffering or awareness of his death. We also know he won’t turn, and even in his passing, helped save Carol’s life. The angels will follow you up to that big prison in the sky, Axel. You’ll be missed! There wasn’t much time to grieve, though. The Governor had launched his assault and everyone was under fire. This really kept me on the edge of my seat, as with Axel gone, there was a very real possibility someone else would get hit. I was pulling for all of them, and thankfully they were all lucky enough to survive, even with a zombie version of the Trojan horse. It kicked ass to see the Dixons make it back to the prison, though I still can’t help but wonder how this will go down. Glenn and Michonne are not going to be thrilled, exactly. Merle has done some evil things, but does he have valuable information about the man attacking them? At a time when extra soldiers are badly needed, is it wise to turn him away? I really don’t know how this is going to go down, but I’m ecstatic to find out.
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 309 ‘The Suicide King’
This blog contains heavy spoilers.
Finally, the Dixon brothers are reunited and once again out on their own. I figured Merle wouldn’t actually want to kill his baby brother, but I also knew he would never be welcomed back into Rick’s group. Daryl’s brother or not, Merle hunted Michonne, then kidnapped Maggie and Glenn, and even tried to have a walker kill Glenn. I’d say Merle’s just lucky Rick stopped Michonne and Glenn from killing Merle on the spot.
It’s sad to see Daryl go, but he is between a rock and a hard place. He was forced to make a choice, and how hard would it be to walk away from his big brother who he has known all his life and presumed long gone? In any case, with or without Merle, I think Daryl will second guess this decision and return to help protect the prison. After all, he’s grown a special bond with all of these people, including baby Judith, and they’ve become pretty tight-knit amongst themselves.
Maggie’s really come a long way from the innocent little farm girl that she used to be. After shoving that walker bone in some poor sap’s neck, now she’s gone and murdered Haley with a well-placed sniper round. I get it, though; Daryl’s safety was the priority, and Haley stood nearby with an assault rifle. She probably would have gunned down Daryl without a second thought if Maggie didn’t put her down.
Glenn, however, seems to be taking the Woodbury kidnapping experience a lot worse. It makes sense, as he was the one severely beaten and barely escaped with his life, only to see the love of his life sexually violated. At the time, he was powerless to stop it, but now, I think he’s hellbent on cold, hard vengeance. It’s interesting to see him toughen up quite so much, but let’s just hope he doesn’t do anything too stupid and get himself killed.
Tyreese has proven to be a smart, good-hearted and rational-thinking guy by this point, on top of being a physical powerhouse. He would be an incredible asset to the group, especially in the wake of Daryl’s absence. He has grown on me pretty quickly and I hope he is officially let into the group soon, along with his crew.
It was great to see Lori again… sort of. I liked that they kept her face completely darkened, though. It really made it a lot creepier. Just when I start thinking Rick is pulling himself together, he completely unravels. I realize there is so much going on at once, but the group is going to need him to put his mental issues on hold before the Governor makes his way to the prison. Rick’s pretty damn scary these days.
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 307 ‘When the Dead Come Knocking’
I’m surprised how well the direction of the series has been here in Season 3. The conclusion of episode 307 left me salivating for the midseason finale, and I am oh so excited. Before watching what will probably be the most chaotic episode of the series thus far, let’s take a look back at 307 and talk about the parts which stuck out for me.
First of all, Glenn has shown himself to be a far bigger badass than I had ever realized. No matter how badly he took his beatings from Merle, Glenn never showed any fear and didn’t betray the group’s location. He kept his lips shut, even after an intense walker brawl, and Merle’s threats towards Maggie.
I honestly thought the interrogation scene between Maggie and the Governor was a lot tamer than I thought it was going to be, but it’s only because I’ve read the books. Michonne’s comic book counterpart can tell you how Maggie’s treatment seemed like peaches and cream, in comparison. Let’s just say there were rape scenes which were more brutal than those seen on Oz. But, I am happy Maggie didn’t actually end up raped and beaten, the poor girl.
Michonne has been as quiet as ever since finding the prison, but who can blame her after her Woodbury suspicions proved to be accurate? I think she definitely realizes that this is Andrea’s group, and probably that Daryl is Merle’s brother, but she is keeping everything to herself, going moment to moment. It is actually a very smart strategy, letting them know only as much as they need to until she can figure these new people out. For all she knows, Daryl will shoot her himself if he finds out his brother was after her.
Concerning the group of four travelling to Woodbury, doesn’t Oscar kind of seem like a Star Trek redshirt, beaming down to a dangerous planet with Picard, Riker and Data? His chances of survival are slim is all I’m saying. A lot has been building up towards this midseason finale which will need to be explosive to top the episodes before it, and I predict we will see a lot of death. Daryl, Rick and Michonne will most likely be alright, but, of course, you never know.
It looks like some hell is about to break loose back at the prison while the main eventers are absent, and I am sure things will be even more brutal here than in Woodbury. I think we will end up saying goodbye to more than one of our beloved crew, which is particularly sad for me since I like everybody.
Axel’s days are probably numbered, as he seems pretty expendable, givenxd his lack of airtime. I sure do hope he can say his catchphrase again before he goes, if he does. I even think some of the bigger characters, such as Hershel and Andrea, are also in danger.
I really hope Glenn and Maggie can both make it out of Woodbury alive as well, but I really just don’t know for sure. You know what, though? That unpredictability is what I love so much about the Walking Dead.
Blogging Dead – The Walking Dead, Episode 306 ‘Hounded’
This blog contains SPOILERS
Episode 306 was a very wild ride all the way through from the very start. It turns out the Governor did, in fact, consider Michonne a liability and ordered her execution. It made for great television, though; that bitergram was awesome! And Michonne is totally a badass. I didn’t expect her to swoop in like a ninja and hack up a couple of bad dudes like that, but I sure did think it kicked ass.
Weird Rick’s still hanging out in the boiler room, talking on his magic telephone. I noticed that the bloated zombie who ate Lori was also chillin’ on the floor. I can’t help but wonder what happened to the rest of Lori’s body. I’m not sure if the implication is that the zombie ate Lori’s entire body, but that seems unbelievable. How would he eat her skull, and other large bones? And if he could, there wouldn’t be enough room in that stomach to fit an entire body; his belly would burst, spilling it’s contents everywhere. My theory is that her remains could be around a corner we couldn’t see, perhaps, or maybe other walkers had came by and dragged it elsewhere.
You know, it’s weird how vastly different the Dixon brothers have become at this point in time. Merle showed how evil he really is, not only by coldly killing his own comrade, but by kidnapping people he knows to be Daryl’s friends. I’m pretty afraid for Maggie, thinking about some of the things the Governor does in the comics to interrogate people.
It’s a good thing Michonne saw the whole thing, knowing she finds the prison by the end of the episode. There is some hope for a rescue, since Michonne knows where Woodbury is. She knows Merle, too, and will be able to tell Daryl and Rick. I am probably most anticipating Daryl’s reaction. Merle is going to want him to take sides, but Daryl’s not an evil prick, so it’s going to come to a head.
It was sad to see Rick come to realize the phone calls were merely a false hope, a result of his own spiralling insanity. It was good for him to cope with his loss though, however he could, and move on. The group needed him back with them, especially now with the impending shitstorm about to go down. It was heartwarming to see him finally cradle that little baby, a moment a lot of us had been waiting for. I think now Rick has got ahold of his senses, and I could just see the love he has for her.
I knew Carol was alive, too. I think we all did. I’m surprised even the group thought she was for sure dead, even though they had only found her doo-rag. I’d still consider her days numbered, but she’s at least got some more time now. I think I’m actually one of the few who doesn’t want to see Carol and Daryl hook up. I’m okay with them being close, but I just think that would be weird.
Oh, I also could have gone without seeing the Governor naked. Just sayin’.
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 305 ‘Say the Word’
This blog contains MAJOR SPOILERS.
When this episode first started, I thought it was a flashback. There were children playing with a dog at some sort of backyard party, and the woman handing out drinks looked like Lori (at first). When I saw Milton come into frame and walk up to Andrea, I realized that we were merely back in Woodbury.
I think it goes to show how crazy this place really is. You almost wouldn’t even know you were in a zombie apocalypse. It helped me realize that I can’t really blame Andrea for wanting to stay. The place is a paradise compared to everywhere else she’s been, and walking away from that would be a difficult choice. On the other hand, I am still glad Michonne isn’t falling for the Governor’s lies and is moving on, as sad as it was to see the two of them break up.
It was good to see Penny, the Governor’s daughter, make her appearance on the show. It was a very disturbing but memorable scene, watching him wrap her up in a makeshift straightjacket. It did a great job conveying how disturbed the Governor really is on the inside, and how well he does concealing that part of himself.
Speaking of crazy, Rick Grimes is now officially off his rocker. His mind has completely collapsed, and his scenes on this episode really added strong elements of psychological horror. Rick may be the protagonist of the series, but damn is he scary now.
He definitely wasn’t in the right frame of mind when he found that walker with a belly-full in the boiler room. If he had any shred of sanity left, that would have been completely demolished once he saw what was left of his wife. That phone call at the end, I predict, will give us further insight into Rick’s mind in the next episode. In any case, he will have to cope however he can to move forward, although now I will see him as a lot more scary and dangerous from this point on.
It was heartbreaking to see that poor baby crying for her mother, leaving the group to try and figure something out. I shouldn’t be surprised that Daryl was the first to jump at the opportunity. Daryl’s got a heart of gold underneath that badass exterior, as we saw with his desperate search for Sophia last season. I grew to really appreciate his character a whole lot more, and it was honestly heartwarming to see him feed that hungry baby in his arms.
Despite everything going on and how bleak the future appears, that moment made me feel like there was hope for this baby. With the world the way it is, raising a child will of course be very challenging. But between Daryl, Carl and Rick (once he comes to his senses), I think this baby’s really got a good shot at survival.
But, then again, this is the Walking Dead.
Blogging Dead – The Walking Dead, Episode 304 ‘Killer Within’
Warning: This blog contains major SPOILERS!
The latest episode of Rick Grimes’ Series of Unfortunate Events was compelling and depressing, simultaneously. It seems like it doesn’t matter how hard Rick tries, things just always get worse for that man. The ending scene was heartbreaking, and I’ll get back to that in a minute, but first I want to talk about some other memorable moments from the episode.
First of all, on a much happier note for me personally, Axel finally said his catchphrase! “We can’t sleep in there another night, you follow me?” I screamed to myself with joy, geeking out bigtime over such a silly saying. It was weird to hear it spoken with that Southern twang, but I was incredibly happy. The key now is for Axel to utter it a few more times before the season’s end, and I’m going to giddily shriek each time.
I want to say that Rick’s group should trust Oscar and Axel, allowing them into the fold, but you can’t deny the danger. I trust Axel, obviously, but who knows about Oscar? Admittedly, he seems nice enough. He’s got a level head and seemed concerned about his family on the outside. That said, we don’t even know what Oscar’s in for, and the phrase, “It’s the quiet ones you need to watch,” comes to mind. I do like the character though, and I hope he’s okay, but I am definitely getting less trustworthy of people as this show goes on.
I love Michonne. She’s a badass and she’s great. I enjoyed seeing her shoot holes in the Governor’s phony story about the military convoy. It isn’t good, though, that ol’ Gov now knows that Michonne is onto him. He is just as aware of how deadly she can be, so that makes her a liability. It’s going to get ugly.
Oh, and I KNEW it was Andrew who cut the fence in the beginning, letting the undead inside. They didn’t show his face, maybe to keep things ambiguous or to make us think it was perhaps Axel or Oscar, but the blue prison overalls were a dead giveaway. “That son a bitch!” I thought. At least his death brought about a way for Oscar to show his worth to the group, but it was unfortunately at heavy cost.
I am still upset about T-Dog getting bitten. I was honestly shocked when that walker took a chunk out of T’s shoulder. I mean, I know that deaths can happen at any time, but that bite was so sudden. It was nice that he got to go out as a hero and save Carol’s life (who, yes, I am sure is still alive). Still, I thought they were always keeping him around, saving him for a confrontation with Merle. I didn’t forget that it was T-Dog who dropped the handcuff key on the roof in Atlanta, so I’m sure Merle didn’t either. Of course, without T-Dog to worry about, this means that Merle can focus all of his anger on Rick Grimes.
I knew Lori’s days were numbers, but seeing her go got me a little sad. It seemed Rick and Lori were starting to progress with mending their relationship with one another. It struck a chord when Rick looked at Carl and completely fell apart at the end, but what was most heartbreaking for me was thinking about their new child. That poor baby can’t even nurse, and she was just born! How can they even take care of her now? It really adds a strong sense of urgency to figure out this new major problem without leaving us really any time to even grieve for Lori and T-Dog.
Let’s see what happens in the next episode. I am sure they are going to keep up the pace as so much crazy stuff has happened so far already, and we are only four episodes in.
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Sick (Season 3, Episode 2) Review/Thoughts
These are my thoughts on The Walking Dead episode, Sick. This blog contains MAJOR SPOILERS, so don’t read any further until you’ve seen the episode!
Sunday night’s new episode of the Walking Dead, Sick, was one hell of a show! Keeping up the pace of the premiere, the mass-slaughter of the undead continued into the depths of the dark prison. It picked up right where it left off with Hershel’s new leg amputation, leaving a group of confused prisoners to try and make sense of the situation. Despite some initial trust problems between Rick and the inmates, the group overall decides to work together to clear out some more of the walker-filled prison, upping the bodycount to nearly astronomical numbers.
I didn’t hear if they actually spoke his name, but it seems Axel indeed made it as a character on the show. I’m assuming it is him as he does have a beard and long hair, but I was very disappointed not to hear him say his catch phrase (that’s, “You follow me?” for those who haven’t read the comics). Still, other than Andrew (the little guy who Rick left for dead outside with the walkers), all of the other prisoners were completely new characters, so I should still be happy Axel made it onto the show. I don’t know why I enjoyed that character so much in the books. Overall, he was pretty insignificant and probably forgettable for many other readers. For some reason, though, he just had a charismatic vibe, and I’d get a kick out of him ending every sentence with, “You follow me?” My hope is that now that things have calmed down a little bit, Axel will be more relaxed and may have more dialogue, so there will still be plenty of opportunities for him to say it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Rick’s rivalry with the leader of the prisoners, Tomas, ended just as quickly as it began with a machete to the skull, Jason Voorhees-style. I knew that guy was going to be a problem and it looks like Rick Grimes did, too. After Big Tiny took a zombie wrist-bone to the back, and Tomas eagerly bashed the big guys head into a million pieces, I thought, “You know, he seemed to enjoy that a little more than he should have. Better watch that one.” Not too long after, when he shoved that zombie at Rick, that pretty much confirmed all suspicions. Thankfully, Rick survived, but I knew there was going to be hell to pay. Next thing you know, Tomas gets his brain split in half.
When Tomas’ right hand man, Andrew, took off outside the prison, Rick gave chase. Again, I was reminded of Jason Voorhees, stalking his prey. I thought it was a little cold, though, how Rick slammed the barred-door shut in Andrew’s face, preventing reentry into the prison. I definitely supported the decision to plant that blade into the skull of Tomas, but I wasn’t sure if Andrew swung at Rick because he had planned an attack against the group with Tomas, or if he was instinctively scared after seeing Tomas’ body drop. I didn’t know, but I thought Rick was going to capture him and maybe throw him in a cell while they figured out what to do with him. Then again, last season, Rick tried the whole, “Let’s keep somebody prisoner until we figure something out,” thing and it didn’t exactly work out so well.
I think that maybe by killing Shane, the reality of the horrendous world they all now live in had sunk in Rick’s mind. Once he had to kill his own best friend, I think he figured out how important it was for them to survive at any cost. Leaving Andrew outside to die is definitely not something Rick would have ever done before the end of the second season, and while it was a bit cold, it was good for showing us the rapid evolution of Rick’s mindset. At heart, he’s always wanted to be the good guy, but you just can’t do that anymore in this world if you expect to survive. Tough choices must be made and terrible things must be done, and since Rick is not an evil person, I think these things are starting to eat away at him inside. We saw from the end of this episode that he can’t even have an intimate conversation with his own wife anymore. Maybe Rick is slowly losing his mind as he becomes this completely different person than he was before.
I was saddened not to see the continuation of the story arc with Michonne and Andrea in this episode, but there was a hell of a lot of stuff going on. It seems they’re going to get quite a bit of screen time if next week’s preview is any indication. I’m really excited to see them meet with the Governor in Woodbury. And I almost forgot, it showed none other than MERLE DIXON in the preview, which means in the next episode, he will be back! With Merle’s return, I’m very scared for T-Dog’s life, as well as Rick’s right hand. I’ve got a funny feeling that Merle is going to off them both.
Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead – Season 3 Episode 1 Review
This review contains SPOILERS, so it’s recommended you read AFTER you have watched the episode.
After many painful months of a hiatus from television, Rick Grimes and friends have finally returned in the season 3 premiere episode of The Walking Dead. I know I’m not alone when I say that I was ecstatic to watch it. The show has surprisingly become very popular within the past couple years, firmly rooting the phenomenon of zombie horror into pop culture. A few years ago, I never would have believed a show about zombies would become so popular, but because of its highly suspenseful nature and incredible source material, I guess I really shouldn’t be so surprised.
The season 3 premiere episode, Seed, picks up a short while from where we left off with our favorite band of human survivors. We can see that some time has passed with Lori now carrying a basketball-sized stomach as well has Hershel growing out his hair, complete with a wicked beard. The group has been struggling to survive, taking what they can from any empty houses they encounter, but they are still seeking that safe haven. It seems Carl has came a long way, too, as he’s now taking down the undead just as good as the grown-ups.
Being such a longtime, huge fan of the comics, I was overjoyed to see our group of survivors finally arrive at a massive prison. In the books, things start getting much crazier after Rick and the others hole up in the place. The television, it seems, is going to be just as intense, if this premiere episode is any indication. As soon as the crew goes through the gates, they kick things off with a complete zombie massacre. Walkers were everywhere, but our group has become very good at disposing of them and takes over the courtyard flawlessly. It was pretty action-packed and kept my eyes glued to the screen.
As crazy as it was clearing out all of the exterior zombies, I feel the suspense heightened when the group entered and began to explore the dark hallways of the prison. Around every corner is a possible threat and my heart starts to pound as they peek around each area, inevitably coming across groups of hungry walkers. Even when the group eventually clears out and takes over the place, it’d still serve as a dark, gloomy, depressing place to live, a contrast from their previous station at Hershel’s farm. But, the exterior, barbed-wire fences of the prison certainly help keep the geeks out, so I bet I’d come to appreciate it real quick.
Going back to my appreciation of the comics, I must also say that I absolutely love seeing Michonne on the screen. She is possibly the most badass character from the graphic novels and I’d been waiting for the last two seasons for her to show up. Danai Gurira portrays a perfect adaptation of the katana-wielding zombie slayer, decapitating walkers effortlessly. She has apparently been caring for Andrea all this time, while she has been assumed dead by the rest of the group. I’ve gotta admit, I really enjoy the storyline between these two characters, and since this wasn’t what happened in the books, I’m very excited to see where they go with it. I know from the season 3 previews that the two wind up in Woodbury, face to face with the Governor himself, and I just can’t wait to see what happens there. I’m also curious as to what will happen when Rick’s group eventually meets back up with Andrea, who may hold animosity against them for leaving her behind (or for Rick killing Shane).
As Daryl, Rick and the others continued to clear out the prison towards the end of the episode, Hershel, a character I very much like, took a bite to the leg. While I realize that this is the nature of the beast with this franchise, my heart stopped, as when you’re bitten, that’s pretty much it. The crew manages to get him into a safer room where I think they are going to put him down, but when I see Rick removing his belt, I understand what is happening. In the comic books, two different characters are bitten on the ankle, causing Rick to hack the whole damn limb off in an attempt to stop the infection. One character survives and gets a pegleg while the other simply passes away from his wounds. So, I’d say Hershel’s chances of survival are about 50/50 going into the next episode. I, for one, am hoping he survives and limps away from this one. I grew to enjoy the character by the end of the previous season, but the badass beard he now sports really solidified my being a fan of his.
Before going off the air, we see a group of living inmates who had apparently been watching this crazy scene of leg dismemberment unfold right in front of them. We will probably get to meet these guys in the next episode and new characters are always interesting. I don’t know if they are going to use some, all or none of the inmate characters from the books, but I am hoping they will have Axel in there. In the comics, Axel was a tattooed biker who looked like Santa Claus, constantly spewing his catch phrase, “You follow me?” He was never all that important to the group, but he just had a certain charisma to him making him very likeable. He really does say, “You follow me?” an awful lot though, and if they are going to use the character for the show, it’d be a travesty if he doesn’t say that at least a few times.
The Walking Dead has definitely done it again, ending their episode in a way that leaves me highly anticipating the next one. Watching multiple marathons of the previous seasons leading up to the premiere may have spoiled me a little bit. It’s certainly going to be on my mind all week until the next episode, when the process will undoubtedly repeat.
The Jeremy Dick 