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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Fans of the hit AMC show “The Walking Dead” faithfully watched the premiere of the new Season 3 last Sunday and followed up on October 21 with episode 2, ‘Sick’. Even though viewer numbers dropped from the successful opening night, 9.5 million people tuned in which is still impressive numbers, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

“The Walking Dead” also seems sure to remain the number one program for adults this fall, pending the development of the storyline for our favorite survivors of the zombie apocalypse.

It was indeed an adrenalin kick of a first episode, which ended rather unexpectedly as the senior member of the crew, Hershel, was bitten. Rick’s quick resolve resulted in a stomach-churning amputation and the discovery that the group is not alone in the haunted prison.

Come ‘Sick’, and we are introduced to a motley band of nameless prisoners who have been isolated from the mayhem that swept through the prison and survived nearly a year in the cafeteria. Their role in the overall narrative is intriguing; both in the way they act towards Rick and his men and the way Rick reacts to their ‘intrusion’.

There is an obvious power imbalance between the two groups – they’ve been locked up, blissfully unaware of the dire situation of the world around them while Rick’s group are experts on survival. The only thing that equalizes them is that some of these men are purebred killers; The Atlanta group has learned to kill.

Rick’s hardening is painfully evident as he strikes a deal with the supposed leader of the prisoners; while his original group’s encounter with Hershel and his people at the farm was a dance that eventually married the two, Rick draws a strict line between his group and these men. There will be no cooperation – he has learned to trust no one.

You gotta love ‘New Carol’

The Atlanta group works very well as a team under pressure this season, after spending Lori’s pregnancy on the road together. They know their roles, their strengths and each others limits (sort of).

Carol is by far the most creative character these days and she continues to surprise, having grown so much from her catatonic state for the most of Season 1 and 2. We’re told that Hershel taught her a few things for the birth so when he is hurt, medical responsibilities are passed on to Carol. And it suits her. Deciding to find a walker to practice a c-section on shows resolve, and in a world where creative solutions are key to survival, ‘New Carol’ is an asset for both the group and “The Walking Dead” as a show.

Maggie, on the other hand, let us down in this episode by stepping completely out of character and giving up on her father without a fight. Her lack of confidence in his survival is a strange detour from her powerful performance in the season premiere. It was hard to believe that she, rather than Beth, would abandon hope so soon, practically begging Hershel to let go of life.

Speaking of which, while many fans found Carl and Lori insufferable throughout Season 2, Carl has so far abandoned most of his mindlessness and Lori is so subdued by guilt and pregnancy that she barely makes a noise. So who is now “most recommended for zombie feed”? After Sunday’s episode, Beth gets my nomination.

Besides fulfilling duties like ‘singing at bonfire’ and ‘being the only girl remotely close to Carl’s age he can play footsie with’, all Beth does is stand around sobbing. Her positive attitude towards Hershel’s amputation is suspiciously out of character.

Finally, while Rick and Lori’s relationship is distracted by the newcomers and the effort to save Hershel, we still get a few glimpses into their dynamic as husband and wife. After discussing their options towards the inmates, Lori seems eager to support a decision to end the other group. A retort is quickly delivered from a visibly irritated Rick, reminding us that Lori disowned him after he revealed killing Shane in self defense. Lori then admits to being a ‘shitty wife’. All I’m thinking is “will someone just say ‘I love you’!”

Lori’s heroic save of Hershel’s life seemed to soften Rick’s emotional barrier towards her, but he is still struggling to come to terms with the pain he feels in her company. All she (we) got was a hand on the shoulder.

Questions for next week: Who is that person spying on Carol from the bushes? Tune in for next episode of “The Walking Dead” this Sunday, October 28 on AMC.

The article This Prison Is Ours: Ep 2, Season 3 of “The Walking Dead” Shows Character appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Fans from around the world tuned in as the new season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” premiered this Sunday, October 14. TVByTheNumbers.com could report that Rick and his band of survivors beat other cable hits such as “Modern Family,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “The Voice” and is pretty sure to become the biggest show this fall among television viewers, 18-49.

With 10.3 million people watching, the season premiere showed a 50% increase from Season Two and no wonder; the final episode ‘Beside the Dying Fire’ left a handful of tantalizing cliffhangers that one by one were opened up when the news episode ‘Seed’ rolled over our screens.

Right off the bat, we’re introduced to a jump in time; Carl is taller and has learned to shoot, Hershel looks particularly more ‘wild’ than at the farm and Lori is seriously pregnant. The visibly strained group has been looking for a place to camp out for some time, as it is evident that Lori is nearing the end of her term, so when Daryl and Rick find a prison in the middle of nowhere, Rick makes up his mind; that prison is theirs.

There has been some exciting character developments since we left off on a rather beastly note in Season Two. Rick declaring himself the dictator after sharing with Lori that he, in fact, killed Shane and sharing with the rest of the group the little detail that the scientist left him with at the end of Season One; some pretty harsh ground rules were set for the new season. It brought on a couple of crucial questions. Will the group accept Rick’s terms and more importantly, how much is left of Rick’s humanity?

The first of the characters to show progress is Carol. Despite obvious signs of distrust of Rick’s supremacy at the end of Season Two, her new, albeit shaky, skills as a marksman shows great empowerment from the fragile mother-in-mourning throughout Season Two. When the group has cleared out the yard area of the prison, she is the first to inquire Lori for her well-being and to confidently walk into the body-littered area, expressing her contentment. She is also boldly flirtatious towards Daryl which is a clear sign that a new, less inhibited Carol is breaking out of her shell.

Rick and Lori’s relationship seems to have taken a turn for the worse since Shane was killed; whether Lori is afraid of Rick or Rick has become scornful towards Lori, somehow the impending birth of the baby which may or may not be the spawn of Shane is the root of icy, almost hostile relations between the two. This is a noticeable comedown from Season Two’s “First Lady”-feel, where Lori was adamant to stand by her man and Rick willing to sacrifice everything for her.

Maggie also grew a pair in the elapsed time; from being a wall of tough girl attitude, to an emotional, near-hysterical sob princess, to triumphantly stabbing an armed zombified guard, Maggie finally brought her feisty persona and powerful machete-wielding together to fight as an equal against the walking plague. She has taken the spot from Andrea, just without the exhausting defiance and irritating “lone ranger” tendencies. Still, as Glenn checks her for scratches, we are reminded that there is a deep emotional bond between them, a huge indicator that their love story will become the dominant source of “feel good” this season.

Daryl seems to have adopted Shane’s job as right-hand-man to Rick, offering back-up and practical support in defense and attack. It is an interesting development as Rick notoriously chained Daryl’s brother Merle to the roof of the department store in Season One, from where he mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind a hand as proof of a possibly violent end. As a major fan favorite, Daryl has been kept more or less the same apart from the growing trust between him and Rick.

The last thing that simply has to be addressed from “The Walking Dead”‘s season premiere is the mysterious black lady who showed up at the nick of time and saved Andrea when she had been separated from the group. It was an impressive entrance, the mysterious woman donning the screen like a warrior goddess with two debilitated walkers on a leash. Who was she and does she mean good or bad news for Andrea?

We don’t have a name yet but we learn that her and Andrea have been roaming the land as a team, and a bond has been forged, meaning that the samurai sword-wielding warrior refuses to leave a sickened Andrea behind in a walker-infested area.

A very interesting thesis is presented as part of Lori’s impending childbirth. Given that they now know the virus is already in them, what happens if her child dies before being delivered? Or she dies during childbirth? Lori is clearly distressed at the thought of a zombie baby ripping through her insides, but Hershel attempts to dispel any negative emotions about the baby. Lori confides in him her feelings regarding Rick and Carl and admits to thinking that Rick hates her for what she put him through. Hershel confirms that the whole group has felt the weight of this emotional burden. The question remains if Rick will in fact come around.

Fans lucky enough to attend the 2012 New York Comic Con were treated to a more exclusive “Walking Dead” season premiere as the two events collided and the Con-goers could warm up for Sunday’s premiere with a panel of cast members and main writers, not to mention a special booth dedicated to fandom at the heart of the showroom floor. “It worked out really well when the show premiered,” said exhibitor David Andry to International Business Times. “It’s really nice that people come out and are excited about the show and the graphic novels.”

Sunday’s episode ended on a bloody note fit for the expectations and fans have been very positive towards the direction of the show. On Metacritic.com, user iFyzikal wrote: “Rick Grimes is way above his badass status as before and rises to a whole new monster.”

Another user, Booger-T writes, “The show is reinvented, the prison is absolutely perfect and a paradox in itself as its a enclosing institution that actually frees them.”

Finally, kudos have been given to the choice of advancing the time elapsed for character development, as Kkirbz1281 notes: “The jump in time has added a whole new dimension to the characters, keeping us on our toes even more than before. If this premiere is any indication, this is going to be the best season yet.”

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