The Walking Dead Season 3

Hot on the heels of the zombie arguments from the climate change deniers, here’s a review of The Walking Dead, Season 3.

As you can see from the montage of mugshots, there are a few new faces, and a few missing faces.

After Season 2 which was very slow up until the rather violent ending, Season 3 starts as it means to go on – the walkers/biters are far more frequent and they are the least of Rick’s worries. Establishing themselves in a prison with its sturdy wire fences and watchtowers, and dealing with most of the remaining prisoners, the series switches to Andrea, her saviour Michone and the community of woodbury lead by The Governor.

Michone is immediately wary of him, not least because Merle is one of his henchmen and pulls a gun on the pair of them.

Merle is less than impressed when Andrea talks to him, but they both bond over the fact that Rick’s group left them for dead (in both cases that is false but hey neither of the characters believe that analysis). Michone leaves town the hard way, retrieving her katana, finding the Governors collection of live and dead heads in fish tanks (yeah, lovely) and then hooks up with Rick’s group though Rick is very reluctant. He’s already kicked out one other group of stragglers.

Angela, with Milton have uncovered the Governor’s antics are beyond the pale. Both take covert actions to try and patch things up with Rick’s group and Woodbury. Both fail, both are caught and set upon each other by The Governor, as are Merle and his brother Daryl after Rick’s group raid Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie who were captured.

The season ends with a big shoot out as the Governor attacks the prison, is driven off and goes mad shooting his own side, the survivors joining Rick’s group.

That’s a very brief synopsis of the plot, but what did I think of the series and other things I didn’t mention ?

Lori: I commented that Lori was a very unsympathetic character in Season 2. Well she gets it in Season 3 – and in a horrible way that made me almost feel sorry for her. She dies in childbirth as Maggie, Carl and she are escaping zombies.

Rick: He starts seeing and hearing Lori after her death and almost ignores his new daughter (born by c-section performed by Maggie). Some people might think this is far fetched – sorry No, been there seen it done it with the Late Queen In Yellow. But this undermines his self-faith and he abdicates responsibility at the end of the season. A bit disappointing but I can understand.

Carl: Both growing up fast when he locks the stragglers out, but worrying when he shoots a surrendering Woodbury soldier.

Herschel: Loose the pony tail !

Carol: Comes out fighting ! She’s turning into a very interesting character. I hope she doesn’t get killed off in Season 4.

Other than those character notes – this is a much more action packed season. Character development is in no way ignored but there are a lot more zombie incidences along the way, and the tension between the surviving groups is great. Fights over supplies are inevitable in any post apocalyptic situation.

I’m looking forward to Season 4 already. Long may this series continue. 🙂