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| It's survival of the fittest, for both good and evil, in THE WALKING DEAD Season Three. Images: AMC. |
Creator Robert Kirkman and icon producer Gale Ann Hurd’s epic slice of apocalyptic zombie action/ character drama, THE WALKING DEAD, marches forward, with the odd eyeball and limb missing here and there, into its third season second half, and to the best ratings and critical acclaim yet. There may be lots of death throes on screen, but this show is thankfully not in any danger of disappearing from the worldwide TV schedules anytime soon, what with its recently commissioned fourth season-though sadly without its prince of showrunners, Glen Mazzara (why on earth can’t AMC hold onto it’s best people anymore!).
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| Brothers in battle: Darryl (Norman Reedus) and Merle (Michael Rooker) are Zombie bait. |
A thoroughly engrossing and can’t wait to see what happens next slice of TV heaven, the show’s third season start proved consistently excellent throughout, and by far the best show on the air in TV’s final 2012 quarter. The creative wheels were back on full steam after the departure of Frank Darabont and there wasn’t one dull or slightly stretch out episode plot this time round. Brilliantly plotted and written, with some genuine, often moving character moments amongst the blood splatting gore and well-staged action, the cast acted with gusto (with the welcome return of sadistic Southerner, old Merle (welcome back, Michael Rooker, so good at playing American Rednecks that it’s truly disturbing!) and the equally brilliant introduction of the sword wielding survivalist, Michonne (Danai Gurira), alongside terrific piling on the atmosphere direction and plenty of unexpected shocks and surprises approaching one of the all-time great mid-season cliffhangers needing to be resolved. The crazy one-eyed governor (a quietly dangerous performance from Brit David Morrissey) and his merciless private army are about to launch an attack on the nearby prison, which an on-the-brink-of-madness Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his family (now including new character, and comic favourite, Tyrese (Chad Coleman) and his small band of survivors), having so valiantly fought legions of zombies in order to make it their new home, is sure to protect it with the guile and ingenuity of a King inside his besieged castle. But first, there’s the little matter of the now one eyed baddie putting his old lieutenant, crazy ol’ Merle, and his loyal puppy brother Daryl (Norman Reedus) to the death through Zombie sport (I’m really surprised that this hasn’t been picked up for real by ESPN!), watched by an enthusiast group of the Governor’s demented townsfolk (including a shocked and surprised Andrea (Laurie Holden), once more unlucky in love and finding out the hard way just what a vicious psychopath she’s been recently hooked up with!).
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| The stakes are higher than ever for our heroic Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). |
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| In the Kingdom of the Blind, the one-eyed Governor (David Morrissey) is king. |
With TWD’s opening episode, Suicide King, arriving tonight on the UK’s FOX HD channel, I’m not going to say I’m chewing my finger nails with anticipation-that way would surely lead to Zombiefication!- but the carnage ahead should be well worth the wait!
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