Filming has begun on season three of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” and the network released the first promo video which shows viewers what’s happening on set.
The two and a half minute video features clips of cast members Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, IronE Singleton and Laurie Holden, as well as several of the showrunners telling fans what to expect in the upcoming season.
Among the future plot twists are two new characters- the Governor and katana-wielding Michonne. Cohan said that other characters who have not yet been announced would appear as well.
Reedus also confirms that romance will blossom for a couple of characters.
Producer Gale Anne Hurd also confirmed what fans already know, that the prison will play a large role in season three.
It’s a journey into the unknown, and it’s a huge gamble,” Lincoln says in the video. “But it just shows how desperate they are.”
The cast members, who are covered in fake blood during the video, also promise an abundance of zombie kills. Ernest Dickerson, who directed the season two finale, will also direct the first episode of season three, which Hurd says gives a sense of symmetry to the premiere.
Singleton says season three will top all of season two. Lincoln makes note that the overall pace will be darker, harder, faster and deeper.
“It’s incredibly dangerous, and it’s thrilling,” he adds.
The third season is scheduled to premiere in fall 2012 and will feature 16 episodes. The series is based on the series of comic books of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard; it was developed for television by Frank Darabont, and is executive produced by Robert Kirkman and Glen Mazzara.
Many television channels view timeshifting services as bad for business, but not AMC. The network reported sizable ratings boosts for “The Walking Dead” and “Mad Men” due in part, it says, to Netflix and other online streaming services.
Last year, Netflix purchased the exclusive rights to stream every back episode of AMC shows “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” and “The Walking Dead.”
According to DigitalTrends, AMC reported that its revenues were up about 40 percent in the first three months of 2012. Profits were up 20 percent thanks to strong ratings and performance of the new season “The Walking Dead.”
They haven’t been shy about vocalizing the role of Netflix in their ratings. Part of the reason for the network’s success, according to CEO Josh Sapan, was the working with Netflix and Amazon.
2012 got off to a strong start for AMC Networks, with double digit increases in net revenues, AOCF and operating income,” Sapan said. “Continued viewer enthusiasm for our programming resulted in ratings gains for our national networks, most notably AMC’s The Walking Dead, which ended its second season with nine million total viewers, an increase of 50 percent over last season’s finale. The series reigns as the highest-rated scripted drama in basic cable history in advertiser’s key demos. The fifth season of AMC’s Mad Men currently ranks as the most watched season ever of the series, outperforming the prior season by double-digits. These successes underscore the strength of our original programming strategy, which continues to drive audience and advertiser demand for our networks.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sapan later went into more detail during a conference call,
New viewers are finding these shows on a digital service, catching up on prior seasons and then tuning into AMC for new seasons in greater numbers, many for the first time.”
AMC isn’t without its problems though. Dish Networks, a satellite TV operator, has decided to drop the channel from its lineup. Dish cited low ratings as the reason for the cut, but said it was the result of ongoing litigation between the two companies over its participation in Voom HD, a collection of HD channels that Dish decided to pick up, but dropped in 2008.
However, “The Walking Dead” continues to do extremely well on the channel. After premiering in October 2010, it has broken several ratings records and continues to be well received by critics and viewers. It has also received many award nominations, including a Writers Guild of America Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series Drama. The series has also attained strong Nielsen ratings, beating various records for a cable series, including receiving 9 million viewers for its season two finale to become the most-watched basic cable drama telecast in history.
AMC began production on season three of “The Walking Dead” Monday, and Executive Producer Robert Kirkman did an on-set interview with AMCtv.com to discuss his thoughts and expectations for the upcoming 16 episodes.
According to Kirkman, Season three will see several changes, some of which were teased in season two’s finale such as that the group will at last depart from Herschel’s farm after it is overrun by walkers and that they will arrive at a seemingly abandoned prison, where a numerous plot twists unfold.
When it comes to the prison, Kirkman said he is very excited for fans to see the prison set.
They’ve taken a lot of what you see in the comic book series and brought it to life in ways that I didn’t think possible,” he said. “This is going to be one of the most impressive looking things that’s ever been put together for a show.”
Season 3 will also see the addition of new characters such as the sinister Governor (David Morrissey), whose actions suggest humans may pose more of a threat than the undead.
The plan was always to evolve naturally into a place where the zombies essentially become a manageable threat,” Kirkman said. “You know the rules. You know how to deal with them. To a certain extent they become something to not really be scared of unless you mess up. Humans, however, do not follow any rules and will always do something that surprises you and are capable of doing things far worse than trying to eat you…We’re definitely going to be seeing a lot of horrible things.”
Along with the Governor, fan-favorite zombie slicer Michonne, played by Danai Gurira, will also be joining the cast.
Kirkman explained he was impressed with the sword skills she is picking up in training.
She’s going to be doing all of the hard character stuff and drama that The Walking Dead is known for, but she has tremendous physical capability and the sword training that I’ve seen is absolutely amazing,” he said. “I can’t wait to see her hack up some zombies.”
Season 3 will have 16 episodes, making it the show’s longest season yet. With the extra time, Kirkman said he looks forward to packing in as much character development and action as possible.
The actors and the crew and a lot of the producers would not be thrilled to hear me saying this, but I love doing 16 episodes a year,” he said. “I think the more the better, and I think it’s a lot of fun. We are going to get to tell bigger stories, and tell more stories, and get into the characters a lot more. So the more the merrier.”
AMC wisely had renewed “The Walking Dead” for it’s third season on October 25th, 2011 after the season 2 premiere broke cable ratings records. Actual filming for season 3 is scheduled to begin shooting in another area, Senoia, on May 31, 2012.
Fans of “The Walking Dead” now have more than author Robert Kirkman’s monthly comic book releases to get them through the AMC show’s off-season. Friday, Telltale Games released The Walking Dead: Episode One- A New Day for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac and PC.
According to a press release from GamesPress, despite the game taking place in the same world as Kirkman’s comic series, there will be some key differences.
The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day is set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series. Lee Everett, a man convicted of a crime of passion, has been given the chance for redemption in a world devastated by the undead. Players will experience life changing events, meet new characters and familiar ones from the original comic, and also visit locations that foreshadow the story of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead offers a tailored game experience – player actions, choices and decisions affect how the story plays out across the entire series.”
The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day follows a character named Lee Everett, though a convicted criminal for a crime of passion, he has the opportunity for redemption in this post-apocalyptic world of the undead. Players experience events that can be life-changing. You also get to meet new characters as well as some familiar ones from the original comic book. And as a tie in to the story and tv series, players will visit locations that foreshadow the events of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the game is that decisions players make will affect them and the story throughout the entire game.
The game has received a positive critical reception, earning Editors’ Choice awards from both Official Xbox Magazine and IGN.com. Gaming website Polygon gave the game a 9 out of 10 score.
Polygon praised the game for its enthralling gameplay and heart-stopping action.
With choices that matter and intensity to spare, Telltale Games delivers one of its best efforts to date […] The first episode of The Walking Dead held me in as I was thrown from one story-twisting, heart-stopping conflict to another, disaster threatening if I looked away from the screen even for a moment.”
Popular game review site, IGN, also praised the first episode the video game adaptation for its intense and emotionally engaging gameplay.
This is a deeply personal and emotional experience, and that’s why it feels so right as a part of this franchise,” one IGN reviewer said.
Official Xbox Magazine praised the game’s “striking art style and cinematic presentation.”
Episode One – A New Day is the first of five monthly episodes of The Walking Dead games series and will be available for 400 Microsoft®Points on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360® on April 27th; it is available now for $4.99 per episode on PlayStation®Network, and is available as the first part of a five episode season pass for $24.99 on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store and other digital outlets.
The Walking Dead: Episode One- A New Day is rated M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language by the ESRB.
Most fans are probably already counting the days till season 3 begins for AMC’s mega-hit series, “The Walking Dead”. After the amazing season finale last week, we are all ready to see Michonne kick some ass next season.
Showrunner Glen Mazzara has already begun teasing the new season that kicks off next October. He recently did a conference call interview with a handful of journalists and explained what we can expect out of Season 3.
When asked about what we can expect from the band of survivors in new season, Mazzara spoke about the new character of Michonne.
Michonne is one of the lead characters in the graphic novel so we’re excited to finally introduce her. She is a loner, she’s a kick ass character and she’s very dynamic so we really see her as a very, very important addition to the cast. She’s a significant character and she’ll be carrying a lot of story so we’re excited about her.
We’re also excited about (Danai Gurira) who is the young actress who is going to play this role, so we’re lucky to have her and look forward to seeing what she does with it.
As we have discussed here at the site before, T-Dog’s lack of character development, well actually a lack of anything remotely resembling a storyline, and Mazzara has admitted to having the character left to the side. But he promises to develop the character more fully in Season 3.
You know what? The T-Dog question, I’m glad you’re asking that. I’ve been surprised at this because I’ve worked on shows before that have had characters in the background and have been on a slow burn. If you look at Dave Rees Snell’s character Ronnie from the Shield, that was a character that we brought along throughout that series and he had a very significant role at the end.
With T-Dog, I’ll admit, T-Dog has been off to the side and has been forgotten and part of my goal as showrunner was to really address developing Rick’s character and some other stuff. So poor T-Dog was left by the side and that’s something that now that he has survived the finale we’re going to correct. I think (IronE Singleton) has done a fantastic job of establishing a character and making people interested in him with just very, very little to say.
But you know, that’s the strength of the show. I think moving forward hopefully we’ll make it a strength and that’s a character we’re looking to develop in a significant way. So that’s a fair question and you know, we haven’t done our work yet with T-Dog but we’re going to roll up our sleeves and get to it.
Do you hate Lori? If so, you are not alone. Many find her irritating, incapable, and frustrating. She can’t seem to keep tabs on her own child, and causes many of the problems within the group. Mazzara addresses her character but says he doesn’t find her as irritating as the fans do.
I think Lori is a compelling and interesting character. I think she is realistic in a lot of ways and she’s certainly a character that people are talking about so I don’t find her irritating.
But I think it’s interesting that people are so focused on her and, you know, I think the work ahead of that is to see where in Season 3 we have to look at the Rick and Lori relationship a little more closely. She’s the one who put Rick and Shane in motion to try to kill each other and so that’s an interesting place for us to start and we’ll certainly examine that character. I just don’t know if we really need to start creating false speeds to make her more likeable. That’s not part of the plan for us.
AMC and the producers have announced several major storyline for the new season such as the casting of David Morrissey as the much-anticipated character of The Governor, as well as the prison as a location in the much of the upcoming season, and Danai Gurira as Michonne. Many are wondering if the prison will be only in season 3 or if it will be something we can expect to see for a while. Mazzara has confirmed that he sees the prison going longer than just the third season.
That’s a great question. Right now I do see that prison as a significant storyline for Season 3 and into Season 4. I do think that’s a major storyline. But as you know, we were on the farm for longer than perhaps people wanted even though there were reasons for that.
But I think what we want to do is make sure that that prison does not become claustrophobic. I think the farm played a little claustrophobic for people. The farm — now that the entire landscape has fallen to the zombie apocalypse and zombies are literally at the gate of the prison — if you see the graphic novel, that prison is really a very, very small safe corner and there’s a lot of danger around. So it won’t feel like we are bottled up in the same way that we were on the farm in Season 2.
So I do think that prison is a significant storyline but we’re interested also in opening up the world too. There are other factors out there in the world, other groups so I think that Rick’s group is really stumbling into a much larger world.
Tensions within our band of survivors have been growing throughout the series almost to the point that we wonder whether they will be destroyed by themselves or the zombies. Mazzara assures us that the zombies will not take a backseat and their threat will always be there.
Zombies will never take a back seat, okay. We will always have the human drama and we would like to introduce a significant human threat. We love writing the zombie material and I think those zombies are now fully integrated into the world. We’re not waiting for the zombies anymore to reach us. They are there; they are within our eyesight all the time and part of the landscape. So we expect there to still be a balance of zombie and human threat but the zombies will never take a back seat on this show.
For fans of the comic book series, the introduction of Michonne was about time. Mazzara talked about whether the show will start reflecting the fantastical nature of the graphic novel.
That’s a great question and let’s be honest- the reason that the character is cloaked at the end was because we had not cast the actress yet so that was a cheat there. But it’s interesting because we were thinking about that character during the casting process and we were just wondering how theatrical IS Michonne? That’s quite a theatrical entrance and that was something that we didn’t realize at the time.
But then yesterday we were in the writer’s room talking about her and her back story and a lot of the writers had very heightened pitches and my own sensibility is to keep the show grounded, to keep it gritty. That’s where I’m comfortable as a writer and as a storyteller.
So I do think that that’s an interesting character and that she feels like she stepped off those pages right into the show. I think that’s exciting. That’s a challenge for us but I think we know how to keep it real and keep it grounded because if it doesn’t feel real, I think the audience will not be able to put themselves in the immediate circumstances of the story.
Season 3 is set to begin in October and has been given an extended episode order of 16 full episodes.
Now that season 2 of AMC’s hit show, “The Walking Dead” is over, it is a perfect time to get pumped about the new video game release based on the series. The game comes from Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman, who is the creator and writer of the “The Walking Dead,” and now they have a released a brand new trailer for the upcoming game.
This first trailer features the first of five monthly episodes of the “Walking Dead” video game that is set to be released in late April on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360® for 400 Microsoft® Points, on PlayStation®Network for $4.99 and on PC and Mac as a season pass for $24.99 from the Telltale Online Store and other digital outlets.
The trailer for the game was created by animator and director Daniel M. Kanemoto. He blended together both 2D and 3D imagery that incorporates both the series and the original comic book. Telltale games had actually asked Kanemoto to create the trailer because of his “fan made” title sequence he had made for the series.
Dan Connors, the co-founder and CEO of Telltale said this about the game:
This trailer really shows off how our artists have managed to take the 2D art style of the comic books and create a 3D world allowing fans to truly interact with Robert Kirkman’s world for the very first time. We hope that fans will like what they see and be excited by the chance to join the cast of the game; we promise they’ll die horribly!
Kirkman also added this regarding the game:
Telltale has done a phenomenal job in making a game that meets the expectations of fans. Running around with a gun isn’t what ‘The Walking Dead’ is about; it’s about how people caught in an apocalypse deal with facing their own death every day, and the horrible choices they have to make to survive. Telltale’s game series has captured the spirit of the comic books perfectly.
The plot of the video game follows Lee Everett, a convicted criminal that has been given a chance for redemption in the apocalyptic world of the undead. Players will be able to experience different events, meet people and visit locations through out the world of the comic book and series. And, the actions of players and their choices will affect how the story plays out across the entire game series.
You can watch the new trailer for the video game below:
AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, continues to garner high ratings. First it was broken in October 2011 with the season 2 premiere of the show. Clocking in 7.3 million viewers. In February, the show did it again, raising the bar to 8.1 million viewers for the mid-season premiere, the highest in cable history. Well, it was up until the season finale last Bloody Sunday. Again it has shattered its own basic-cable ratings for a second time this season. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show brought in 9 million viewers. A zombie show that draws in mindless zombies that infect and create more mindless zombies. Go figure.
As I take out my leather journal that contains the secrets of the future; dyed the color of police telephone box blue; I would like to issue a warning to any who have not watched AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, especially the season two finale.
Spoilers: You have been warned.
A herd is formed by the appearance of a helicopter. One moved towards it with purpose. others followed. Then they kept walking a straight line, not knowing who was following whom. It was like watching so many hipsters going towards the Apple store for their new iPad 3.
Now that Shane is dead, the invisible force field that protected the farm and all that dwell on it has weakened. I think it was powered by the undiscovered fission produced by high school drama. Nature of course abhors a vacuum, so an zombie herd immediately appears to fill the void that Shane’s homicidal tendencies has left behind. Could the season finale actually be about surviving a real zombie threat? Sweet Jeebus! This is one episode of “The Walking Dead” I did not see coming for once.
In true zombie genre fashion, everyone flips out and makes moves that are questionable to survival. It’s as if this is everyone’s first exposure to real zombies and has put them into shock.
Rick somehow gets flanked by zombies that were originally far behind him. Rick and Carl then run into a barn, thus getting Carl and himself boxed inside. Rick then lets zombies into the barn. Instead of running, casually walks to the ladder almost within arm’s reach of being killed. Carl then sets zombies on fire with kerosene, while he and Carl wait in the protective comfort of wood and hay shelter. They set the fire on the ground, so how could it possibly spread further?
Then there’s the rest of the group, who are unable to form coherent strategies without their genius leader Rick; or the sound of someone flipping out.
Team Humans first plan: Waste ammo and gas, driving around the farm in circles and shooting the walkers. The idea is to get the attention of the dead and lead them off the farm. Instead, let’s everyone drive, sow chaos and do donuts in the grass.
Team Humans second plan: Attempt to evacuate fifteen minutes after the walkers are first spotted.
Hershel does his best to stay as long as possible. He needs to have the farm. It’s his legacy, plus it’s always good to own land.
Lori can’t seem to keep a track of her child. So she holds up the evacuation to look for him some more. In fact, no one keeps an eye on Carl. It’s not as if they’re engaged in work all the time. Why can’t anyone keep an eye on the kid? Here’s an idea. How about give the kid a mentor, who passes on skills that he can later use to survive? When the kid learns all that he can, he’s released from that mentor and on to the next babysitter. If you want off babysitting duty, make the kid demonstrate a new skill with competence. Sorted!
Team Humans third plan: Drive away and hope for the best. There is no set meeting place or technology to help them communicate. The plague you see has somehow taken out all walkie-talkies and CB radios.
Team Zombies plan: Find live flesh and eat them. It’s worked out rather well. I hope they win.
Oh, and some supporting cast get eaten. Really, let’s stop the RV and park right outside a burning barn surrounded by zombies. Oh mister red shirt. I hardly knew your name.
Once the immediate threat are over, it’s time to sink back into drama. To save time, let’s just list them off.
Lori is mad at Rick for killing Shane in self defence.
– Yet Lori was also the one to tell Rick that Shane was a threat.
– She also went out of her way to explain to Shane that she is thankful for all the things he’s done to protect her and Carl thus far.
– Lori also goes out of her way to tell Shane that she doesn’t know who the father is of the unborn child within her, again giving Shane false hope.
Carol wants to be feel safe. To do this, she needles Rick with her nagging, while attempting to get Daryl to turn on Rick. You know, because he’s the leader they deserve, not the one that they need. In the awesome Batman sort of way.
Carl begins to cry knowing that his dad has killed Shane, even though he’s responsible for indirectly killing Dale. Stupid kid.
Rick lays out how their new situation will work, which is:
1. Everyone shuts up.
2. Everyone does as he says.
Everyone appears upset at this outburst and are shocked, as if they were oblivious to their own idiocy which causes it. It’s almost as if you can hear the gears of mutiny turning.
Instantly the force field is back up and no more real zombie threats are to be had.
While other plots may have appeared within the season finale; such as the television series first introduction to the sword-wielding heroine, Michonne, played by Danai Gurira. The best part of the finale is the finale shot. A backdrop of the prison, which in the gloom of the pale moon light, looks like Castle Hogwarts. If we’re lucky, maybe Snape will replace Shane.
::::Spoilers Ahead if you haven’t seen the finale of Season 2::::
In the finale of the season 2 of AMC’s mega hit show, “The Walking Dead” a new character was introduced (if only briefly) that will be a major part of season 3. However, if you haven’t watched the finale yet, it would be wise to not continue on.
As promised by the show runner Glen Mazzara, the season 2 finale did indeed have several surprises that fans of both the show and the comic book series were sure to enjoy.
In the climatic season finale, Andrea (played by Laurie Holden) was about to be eaten by some very angry (or hungry) walkers when she is saved by the slice of a mysterious sword, which belongs to a character that fans of the comic book have been patiently waiting for since the beginning of the series. The scene pulls back to only reveal a cloaked female figure. The female is also oddly walking two walkers chained behind her like pets.
If you have read the books, you know this character is set to be Michonne, an incredibly bad-ass chick with a samurai sword. And yeah she could probably kick your ass.
Up until recently, the producers were keeping quiet on when this character would be revealed along with the identity of the actress that was set to play her. but following the season finale, in AMC “Talking Dead” show, the creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman revealed the identity of Michonne to be Danai Gurira.
You might know her from HBO’s drama set in New Orleans called, “Treme” since she has appeared in six episodes of the series. But she is a veteran actress of several television shows and movies.
Since the series is now over, we have to patiently wait for season 3 which has been set to have 16 episodes.
Along with Gurira, David Morrissey has been cast as the major antagonist for the show, The Governor and Michael Rooker will reprise his role as Merle Dixon, Daryl’s older brother.
You can read the official AMC press release about the casting of Michonne below:
AMC has cast actress Danai Gurira (Treme/The Visitor) in the coveted role of Michonne in its original series, “The Walking Dead.” Tonight’s season two finale first featured the iconic character who will reappear in season three of the AMC series. Michonne, a fan favorite from Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, is a mysterious woman armed with a sword.
“The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years after a zombie apocalypse, following a group of survivors who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by walkers, where the interpersonal conflicts often present a greater danger than anything else and over time, the characters grow willing to do almost anything to survive.
“The Walking Dead” received rave reviews from countless critics, both domestically and internationally. “Above all else, “The Walking Dead” hasn’t lost the most important ingredient in its strangely successful recipe: it’s thrilling” (The Hollywood Reporter). “…with Dead’s riveting cast of characters, the personal dynamics are almost as potent as the gory thrills” (US Weekly). “The Walking Dead is a feast. Dig in.”(The Guardian- UK). “It doesn’t even take three minutes to realize that this series is setting standards” (Der Tagesspiegel-Germany).
“The Walking Dead” secured a 2010 Golden Globe nomination for best television series and won the 2011 Emmy award for outstanding prosthetic make-up. It is executive produced by Glen Mazzara, Gale Anne Hurd, Robert Kirkman and Dave Alpert.
Filming for season 3 will begin in May and is set to begin the new season in October 2012.
::::Warning Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen season 2::::
AMC’s mega-hit show “The Walking Dead” is heading to its season finale (but thankfully it has been renewed!) and the body count of cast members is mounting. But just because major characters have already bit the dust, doesn’t mean fans can relax. Showrunner, Glen Mazzara, has promised even more losses for our group of survivors.
In the last two episodes of season 2 have seen the Rick’s group lose two of its pivotal members. Fans saw the shocking loss of Dale and then the not-so shocking, kind of had it coming, death of Shane the groups #2.
Mazzara said Thursday during a conference call with reporters,
“If you count up all the deaths, we’re on a big killing spree here. There’s more bloodshed coming. These characters have felt that they are safe on this farm and they’ve been wrong. I guarantee there will be bloodshed.”
With 13 remaining members of the group, it is pretty much a wildcard on who could be the next to join Sophia, Dale and Shane as casualties this season.
Starting with Rick, who is played by Andrew Lincoln, we can safely assume he is going to survive. Even in the original comic book, he is going 94 issues strong sans one limb. Mazzara has said that the deaths have helped develop Lincoln’s character the most. He went on to say, “[Shane’s death] is a statement about our main character, that he’s evolving as a person and as a leader and what he’s willing to do.” Basically, fans can reasonably rest assured that Rick won’t be killed off anytime soon.
It seems there aren’t any fans who still like Lori, played by Sarah Wayne Callies. There is still major backlash floating through the internet. “Can you watch Carl” has been used as her slogan in meme after meme questions her characters morality and worth to the group. Mazzara has stated that “nothing is over the line” for the writers (especially when the characters death is warranted or will propel the story forward.) When reporters asked the showrunner about mounting wishes for her death, he said, “no character is safe” and that writers “have examined at different times killing every character.” If even Dale wasn’t even safe this early in the show despite lasting much longer in the comic, we can expect that Lori might be right behind her ex-lover Shane in the death tole.
The last, but not so innocent child of the group Carl, played by Chandler Riggs, is one that the writers love writing for. “If he survives, Carl will grow up in a world where the pre-apocalyptic world will be a distant memory,” Mazzara says. Carl can easily put a shot through the head of zombie as proven with zombie Shane. “We do want to see Carl grow into that badass [in the comics],” Mazzara told reporters. Basically, it seems cruel to kill the last child off, so they will probably keep him.
One character that has made great strides in the series is Andrea played by Laurie Holden. Mazzara recently revealed a bit of a teaser regarding her character when he said, “If she makes it out of Episode 13, it will be interesting to see what she does.” Andrea has changed a lot over the last season from a cowering young woman who wanted to die, to a confident survivor who had a sexy romp with Shane. She has taken over Dale’s position in both the series and comics. It seems resonable to say she will continue on for a while in the band of survivors.
With Shane dead, the group for reals needs a new #2, and since Dwight isnt in this show, who better to take over than Daryl, played by Norman Reedus. Mazzara said regarding Daryl, “”If he survives the finale, I would certainly lean on that character heavily,” Mazzara says of Daryl’s Season 3 potential. “He’s a viable leader and a viable No. 2. … Daryl is the character, in a sense, that’s preadapted to the world and most qualified to survive.” Since Rick is going to need an assistant TO THE leader, Daryl seems to be safe as well.
Who doesn’t feel bad for Carol, played by Melissa McBride? Season 2 saw the unfortunate search for her daughter Sophia that ended with her being a walker in Hershel’s barn the entire time. Plus you kind of wanted to see her get it on with Daryl. However, promos for the final invasion in the finale see her literally pinned against the wall. She deserves to live!
T-Dog, played by Robert Singleton has been made fun of countless times by the internet as he seemingly does, well, nothing in every episode. But Mazzara has said that while fans may see him as a prop, his lack of a storyline is intentional. “In our minds, he’s very smart in that he keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t draw anyone’s attention … his agenda has been to survive,” the showrunner told The Hollywood Reporter. “There was an intention here of why this guy was quiet; in our mind, he is playing everything close to the vest. There’s a method to our madness.” For those of you willing to put up with the quite character, Mazzara promises that they will give fans a reason to love T-Dog. He could possibly bite the dust in an epically awesome way, or save the group in an equally epic way.
Which brings us to Glenn, played by Steven Yeun. Poor Glenn is the best at navigating through dangerous zombie filled situations. Because of his worth to the group in that way (I mean they do have to survive the farm and I can bet Glenn will be pivotal for that) it is reasonable to assume he is going to survive.
Hershel, played by Scott Wilson, probably had it right when he said he would die at his farm. Even though Hershel dies by the hands of the Governor in the comics, it doesn’t seem he will be making it off of his land in the series. And besides his daughter will probably get it on with Glenn and the two will be happy together anyway.
Glenn’s lady love, Maggie played by Lauren Cohan, could go either way. She could die along with Hershel or be saved with the help (and love) of Glenn.
Another one of Hershel’s daughters, Beth played by Emily Kinney, has already come INCREDIBLY close to suicide but she now appears to be taking inspiration from Andrea to heart. However, she doesn’t quite have a role in the group yet. Without a plausible function within the group it is easy to see her killed off without affecting the group to devastatingly.
Beth’s boyfriend at the time of the apocalypse, Jimmy, played by James Allen McCune, is pretty useful to the group, unfortunately for Beth who is increasingly uninvested in life with him. But he at least has a purpose to the group not to mention he can actually WATCH Carl. He would be a definite asset to the survivors so it would be easy to see him staying with or without Beth by his side.
Otis’ wife, Patricia, played by Jane McNeil, is incredibly handy when it comes to medical emergencies but unlike the rest of the group she has no weapons training therefore can’t defend herself. It is even questionable that she would leave Hershel’s side in an emergency. She could likely perish on her own when she can’t defend herself or an instance with Hershel while in peril.
Either way, we know that someone else is going to follow Sophia, Dale, and Shane out of the apocalyptic world the question is who. I think the biggest shocker would be Lori despite the ire her character causes for fans.
Be sure to watch the season finale this sunday entitled, “Beside the Dying Fire.”
The hit AMC television series, “The Walking Dead” is invading Facebook. It was recently revealed that Eyes Wide Games, AMC, and Rock You have teamed up to create a new social based Facebook game based on the series. The game is set to arrive net month. (You can see screenshots from the game below)
The objective is pretty simple given it is a game about zombies. Stay Alive. The game makes you team up with Facebook friends to establish a camp and defend it from the Walkers. You will also have to scavenge for resources, complete missions, and meet characters from the actual television show.
“AMC’s The Walking Dead Social Game is a next generation game for social networks,” Eye Wides Games CEO Stephen Griffin told G4. “It’s got deep playability. It’s got drama, and it’s still approachable for the casual audience. However, if you’re a gamer and you’ve been looking for a deeper game to play and to experience on social networks then this is it.”
Even more is that this isn’t the first video game tie-in that has been announced for the television series. Telltale Game is also creating an episodic adventure game that is based on the comics. The first episode in that game is expected to be available sometime this spring.
“The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series, The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It is currently in the middle of its second season. AMC announced in October 2011 that the show would be renewed for a third season due to the fact the premiere of season 2 broke cable records in their demographic. On January 14, 2012, AMC announced that the third season will contain an extended episode order of 16 episodes.
The Walking Dead tells the story of a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Most of the story takes place in the Atlanta metropolitan area, as the survivors search for a haven away from the shuffling hordes of predatory “walkers” who devour and infect any living thing they catch. The plot is focused primarily on the dilemmas the group face as they struggle to balance their humanity with their survival.
The group is led by Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (You can see an interview with Lincoln here), who was a sheriff’s deputy in a small Georgian town before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the dead walking again, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that the structures of society have collapsed.
You can sign up for the Walking Dead Social Game by liking its fan page. You’ll be notified when it launches in April.
You can also see some screenshots from the new Facebook game below:
As promised by the show runner Glen Mazzara, the season 2 finale did indeed have several surprises that fans of both the show and the comic book series were sure to enjoy.
