As we prepare for tomorrow’s episode of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” episode four, ‘Killer Within’, still haunts us – what was perhaps the most powerful episode of the serie (so far) also proved that this is all about survival; no one is safe, not even a main character.

Viewers were treated to both high-intensity battle at the prison as well as conspiracy at the hands of the Governor in Woodbury.

But it was the death of Lori which really defined episode four of “The Walking Dead”s third season.

In an AMC interview with Sarah Wayne Callies, the 35-year-old actress behind Lori Grimes, Rick’s guilt-ridden wife, talked about her character’s emotional departure. “I was nervous because I was expecting it to hurt, but I was so proud of Chandler [Riggs] and proud to say I was a part of helping to build that show. I think Lori’s death did justice to that; she was a remarkable and powerful woman and she was given a remarkable and powerful death.”

She also revealed that the cast has a ritual for the departing cast members; “We started having death dinners for everyone who got killed off the show beginning in Season 1. After some one’s last episode, all the actors would go out to dinner together and raise a glass to them. Those dinners became a big tradition.”

The other, admittedly less important, demise, was the death of T-Dog, a character who splits opinions because of his passive involvement and zero character development. While some saw him as a token black man, others as their quiet favorite, people who know the comic have sporadically assumed that T-Dog is the watered down version of the character Tyrese. This assumption was partly negated in March when producer Glen Mazzara told MTV Slash Page that he thinks “the Tyrese character is someone we are interested in introducing at some point,” but why T-Dog, who is original to the series, was ever there in the first place if not to fill the diversity quota, is anyone’s guess.

In any case, as sad and heroic as T-Dog’s death was, it was expected. KevyB commented on TVline.com’s recap that “T-Dog never got any lines, so they clearly had no clue what to do with him, so he was going to die.” Meanwhile, the reviewer for TV.com who was saddened by T-Dog’s exit, albeit not surprised, wrote “At least the man who lasted inexplicably longer than we thought he would went out a warrior, sacrificing his life for Carol.”

Speaking of which, the jury is still out on whether or not Carol got away safely.

And then everyone else

Fans who shared my personal dislike of Lori were probably just as happy to see her character redeem herself in her final moments. Her speech to Carl was a real tear jerker and every message board in the past week has been overflown with testimonials from fans, talking about their emotions towards her death. It is also impossible to overlook Andrew Lincoln’s heartbreaking performance when Rick realises that his wife has passed away; a scene likely to go down in television history.

It was a great, yet troubling detail that Lori and Rick never fully reconciled. In the moments up until the surprise invasion of walkers, a look was exchanged between Rick and Lori that made us hopeful. Not knowing what was in store, it was comforting so see, as the walkers were closing in, how Rick ran to his estranged wife. It could have been the turning point of their relationship.

Instead, when she said “goodnight love,” it was as if she was talking to Rick. It was a turning point alright, but definitely not what I had in mind.

Although we got a little from both stories last week, the events at the prison clearly dominated the episode’s overall storyline. Andrea and Michonne are preparing to leave the Governor’s oasis, but Andrea is so bedazzled by Woodbury and the attractive Governor that she doubts Michonne’s instincts. Bad move blondie.

Andrea also tempts Merle with a possibility to track down his long-lost brother. As unattractive as this degenerate may seem, he grows on you. When he asks Andrea, “How come we never hooked up?” my heart grew two sizes for him.

Unlike the prison, danger is far from obvious at Woodbury — yet equally deadly. Having the insight we do as viewers, it is hard to watch Andrea become so taken by Woodbury which, after a rocky start, is becoming quite taken with her in return. Especially the Governor – or should we say, Philip.

Still, Michonne got the right idea when she says she would rather take her chances out on the road than stay in Woodbury.

For tomorrow night, the questions will be: How does Carl and Rick deal with the loss of Lori (not to mention, the baby), can Michonne suppress her bad feeling towards the Governor much longer, and where is Carol?

Tune in tomorrow night for ‘Say the Word’, episode five of “The Walking Dead.”

The article Before Sunday: “The Walking Dead” Took Shocking Turn Last Week appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On Sunday, October 28, 2012, Andrea was the focus in the popular post-zombie-apocalypse saga. Curiosity regarding her story drew 10.509 million viewers  - a 10% increased from last week, according to Tvbythenumbers.com.

With “The Walking Dead” now back for Dish Network subscribers too, no wonder.

We were once again reminded of the unfortunate separation of Andrea from the Atlanta group when the farm was overrun – and her fateful meeting with the mysterious lone warrior, Michonne. This episode, ‘Walk with Me’, also had the distinction of solving one of the big question marks still lingering from Season 1: Whatever happened to Merle?

What is very interesting about Season 3 so far, is that the concept of “other” survivors is much more prevalent than in the earlier seasons. “The Walking Dead” has so far been a very closed storyline, where the conflicts that arise in one group. The fact that ‘Walk with Me’ starts off from a stranger’s perspective, with the helicopter, is new but does not seem like a recurring one. Judging by the eventual development from the helicopter crash and onwards, I suspect this is a one-time thing.

Last week’s teaser pushed an Andrea-centric storyline, introducing the split screen format of Season 3 – a split which I predict will attempt to unite the two teams in either collaboration or deadly showdown. We entered the story where it left us in the season premiere – Andrea is sick but the duo is on the road. When they witness the helicopter crash, they investigate but are interrupted by a mysterious gang of  well-organized men who seem familiar with the helicopter and possibly its crew, having come for survivors. Michonne must sacrifice her walker footmen to avoid detection and it seemed to work, until a familiar voice emerges from behind.

If I had met Merle like that, I would probably also have passed out.

You don’t want to be blonde in “The Walking Dead”

Let’s start off with Andrea. Surprisingly, she has not changed much in the last 8 months, despite a complete situational change-up. She still yearns to prove herself, is still attracted to dangerous men and continues to be a poor judge of character. Like Beth, she seems out of touch with her surroundings and responds in odd ways when facing certain situations. Despite being (nearly) the only known character in this storyline, she is the least interesting.

What fans really should relish is the introduction and expected development of three other key characters.

Starting from the top, fans of the comic were thrilled to have the character of Michonne finally introduced. On paper, Michonne is fearless, strong and considered a multi-layered warrior, bound to push on the story arc through sheer fierceness. Next to Andrea, Michonne has shown caution, intelligence, raw power, compassion and loyalty. She is portrayed as overly moody, barely speaking and obviously uneasy about the perceived comfort and safety of Woodbury.

In contrast to Andrea’s chronic willingness to follow the strong unquestionably, Michonne is evasive of the Governor’s outstretched hand and, we learn, even holding back towards Andrea despite their mutual trust.

Fans of the show were probably equally thrilled to find out what Merle have been up to since the fatal roof scene in Atlanta of Season 1. Saved by the Governor and rising to the position of second in command, Merle is in many ways no longer the racist redneck he used to be. Then again, he is still pretty rough and though he has become much more civilized in the thralls of Woodbury, he has the distinct air of psychopath over him.

That label is the last one you would initially give the Governor, a sherif-type authority figure, who sounds like James Cromwell. Calm, composed, compassionate and eloquent, the Governor seems to be a source of admiration – that is, until he bashes the head in on a soldier in an ambush. The Governor is by far the most intriguing character, exhibiting obvious sociopathic qualities alongside a tragic-hero complex and desire for control and power. He is a source of both relief and concern towards our duo, introducing them the virus that Rick got from the scientist and offering help, while making fans around the world very uneasy with the whole, ‘heads in fish tanks’. It is yet to be determined if Woodbury is heaven or hell.

Big questions for next time we meet Andrea and Michonne: Who is the Governor exactly? Why the heads in fish tanks? What is Michonne’s story? And what is in that tea?

Tune in this Sunday for the next episode ‘The Killer Within’, on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”

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