The Walking Dead

Season three of the Walking Dead has come to an end on AMC. I have seen most every episode of The Walking Dead with the exception of a couple at the start of season three. Having read every single one of the graphic novels, I eagerly anticipated the 2010 premiere of the AMC television series when it first launched. And then every subsequent episode, from week to week. Why I missed a few recent episodes is another story. I will catch up over the summer hiatus.

Even though I've seen most every episode, I did not love the show at the start. But I was spellbound. I could not miss an episode. But I wouldn't say I loved The Walking Dead.

TWD and I did spend time together over the next three years and we have grown to love each other. This realization finally struck during the last season finale.

The Walking Dead Season 4

I have compared this series to Battlestar Galactica, the tremendous space adventure drama of just a couple years ago. Both series explored the human race's struggle to survive after being nearly wiped out. When devoid of all hope, a spark grows amongst the remaining survivors and from this small spark there is hope. Both series show the struggle of humans to survive, and while both being based in the fantastical science fiction, are rugged and believable.

BSG was a better show.

If you have read the graphic novels, or seen at least a number of the episodes, you know that the main characters are just as likely to die as the walk-ons. There are no designated red shirt wearers here.

This is a brutal show. Brutal in that it is filled with gore, murder, blood, despair, corruption. It also shows heroic characters filled with hope and passion to live. Characters willing to put everything on the line so that their friends and family survive the living nightmare. And not to mention powerful acting and superior writing.

Forget about the zombie genre for a moment, why has post-apocalyptic literature been so popular over the decades?

From The Day of the Triffids, The Chrysalids to The Stand and The Road. Popular novels and each having been made into film. And  not to mention the Mad Max series or The Day After Tomorrow and the multitude of over films.

TWD may be escapist viewing but not of the relaxing kind. You may feel just as wound up as you would say after watching a Denis Leary monologue.

If you have seen the show, or are a fan, I am interested in hearing some feedback.

What did you think of the finale? What do you think about the changes they have made from the graphic novels to the screen? The new characters? The characters that died prematurely, or lived longer than expected? Are you as excited about season four of The Walking Dead as I am? Starts in October.

The Walking Dead Season 3

The Walking Dead Season 3 Trailer

The Walking Dead Season 3 Premieres October 14th on AMC. The TV series is based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, written by Robert Kirkman, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse.

The series follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually, Teachers, Strike Back), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. Jon Bernthal (The Pacific, The Ghost Writer) plays Shane Walsh, Rick's sheriff's department partner before the apocalypse, and Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), is Rick's wife, Lori Grimes.

Additional cast include: Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey DeMunn, Chandler Riggs, Iron E. Singleton and Melissa McBride. Guest stars include: Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson and Pruitt Taylor Vince.

The Walking Dead Season 3 trailer from Comic-Con. The Walking Dead returns Sun., Oct. 14 at 9 on AMC.

Maggie Walker, The Walking Dead

Michonne, The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead Year 2

TWD: Walker

Season 2 of The Walking Dead kicked off Sunday night and picked up where season 1 left off. Oh, just the usual. Panic, disaster, gore, death and mayhem. The group of survivors are heading down the highway after having just left the Center for Disease Control. Led by former Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes, the group includes his wife, his partner Shane and the others that first met up in Atlanta. The opening sequence features Rick's monologue over a walkie-talkie to Morgan, a survivor he encountered weeks before, who may or may not be on the other end.

Is it just me? What is happening to Rick's accent? Andrew Lincoln, the actor who plays Rick Grimes is from London, England. During his conversations with the other characters, his interpretation of an American accent was near flawless. In his attempt at a southern drawl during the monologue though, Lincoln was all over the place, moving in and out of the Kentucky-ish accent.

Grimes and his Zombie Friend

The show picks up similar in tone to last season, if not a little slower. With a full 13 episode arc for this year, expect more character development to go along with the action. If episode 1 is any indication, this season will up the gore factor, so that it more closely resembles the graphic novels on which they are based. And so far we are getting to know some of the secondary characters as both Daryl (played by Norman Reedus) and Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) both had moments to shine.
If I had a critique of the debut season was that it did not stick close enough to the novels. Too many new characters were introduced. That being said, Frank Darabont did a wonderful job and he was a major reason the show was such a hit. With Darabont gone from the series, it is left to be seen how the second time around will fare.
From the preview for episode two, it looks like The Walking Dead will move ahead with more excitement. And typical of the books, the first episode ends with a doozy of a cliffhanger.

And here's the Trailer for Season Two of The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead Game

It started with the graphic novels, then on to the TV series. The folks over at AMC have created a pretty cool interactive website, included are some themed Walking Dead games. Under AMC Originals click the link to the The Walking Dead page. On it you have the option of The Survival Test, Trivia Tests Comic Book quizzes or The Atlanta Run. Atlanta Run is well crafted but simple RPG. I originally embedded the game into this post but my browser kept crashing. So here is the direct link to the game. Look for season two of The Walking Dead to start sometime in October 2011 on AMC. As of today no official announcement has been made.

The Walking Dead

If you are a fan of The Walking Dead, you already know that the televised episodes started airing on AMC on October 31st. This first season is to run six episodes, it took AMC only two eps to announce it has renewed the show for a second season. Look for a thirteen show arc in year two of TWD.
There is plenty of violence and gore in this show. What's different about this series and the books from which it originates, is that the surviving humans aren't spending all their time hacking up zombies. The last forty or so years of zombie movies was all chase, run, hack, shoot. Yes, in TWD there is plenty of fighting off the undead but consider it a drama where the humans must also fight off the monsters that they themselves are becoming as society regresses.
The show is going strong pulling in 5.1 million viewers in its third week, up from 4.7 million the week prior. Another 5.3 viewed its Halloween night premiere.

Here's a short clip from the show



Just kidding that's Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard in the 1940 movie The Ghost Breakers.
If you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer for the The Walking Dead. Consider this a warning, while the teaser below is cleaner than the actual show, don't click play if you are bothered by gore.

The Walking Dead