Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Walking Dead: SEED


While the idea was to blog live during the show, technical difficulties prevented this from happening. However, I am confident that my computer issues did not hinder YOUR watching the show. Regardless, enjoy the blog re-cap of Season 3 Episode 1: Seed.

The show opens in early spring. We’ve missed the winter months (during our summer). Rick’s group has left the farm, and gathered herds of zombies. Andrea, still with Michonne, is battling the flu (H1N1???).

The episode is loaded with Walkers and, best I can recall, the most slaughtering said Walkers in a single show. Grizzly, and raw. Bloody, and gruesome. Loved it. I was captivated in front of my television. Hated when the show ended. Hate that I have to wait another week for the next installment.

And yet, there were still parts I’d pick apart. Not scenes. Characters.

Here we are in Season 3. I know it was only the first episode, but – come on, T-Dog is the most, long lasting, underdeveloped character I’ve ever seen. I can’t even recall if he has a back-story. If he has a voice, I don’t remember him ever talking. Once, when he had a fever and was conversing on the side of the RV with Dale in Season 2. Either kill him, or use him to move the story forward. I feel like he is a token Black character. Nothing more. That pisses me off.

In contrast, Maggie’s little sister, Beth—she sings a song. Part of one. Rick’s kid, Carl, is in puppy-love. So far, yeah, she’s cardboard. A Flat character. But at least the writers are working on who she is. Which is fine. But, hello? T-Dog. Anyone? Anyone?

Anyway. The show opens with Rick’s group storming a house. Destroying Walkers inside. Carl, all of 3 feet tall, and dressed like a cowboy with his dad’s sheriff hat, totes a handgun and clears rooms. I suppose after shooting Shane, and an obviously long winter, Carl has been forced to grow up. His pregnant mother doesn’t seem to protest as much. Not anymore.

It’s clear that supplies are worse than low. There seem to be an abundance of Walkers in the area. The idea of going house to house for the rest of their lives is not appealing. To find another location like the farm, where they can establish some normalcy appears to be the goal.

After, while Rick and Dayrl hunt, they stumble upon a prison. Spiraled barbed wire fences outline the perimeter. Possibilities are possibly endless, except Walkers fill the courtyard. Since Rick is in charge, and the group is not part of a democracy, he explains that inside the prison is likely to be weapons, food, and an infirmary filled with medical supplies.

In a choreographed assault, Rick’s group breach the courtyard. Taking down Walkers with bullets, arrows, and blades. Most of the now-dead Walkers wear prison or guard uniforms. A few, dressed in civilian clothing—which raises questions.

The interior of the prison is dark. Dirty. More dead littered everywhere. As they explore, they are surrounded. Hershel is bitten. A Walker tore a chunk out of his lower leg, just above the ankle. Once dragged to safety, Rick uses a hatchet and hacks away at Hershel’s leg below the knee. The bone doesn’t sever easily. Whack after whack after whack, the leg finally separates—hopefully before Hershel is infected from the bite (but I doubt it).

The show ends when a handful of what at first appear to be Walkers are standing outside the room staring in the window and watch Rick wield the ax. We know they are not infected when one of them speaks. Perhaps in awe that a large group of non-Walkers is inside the prison, or are just caught off-guard by Rick’s seemingly barbaric display of human-lumberjack-ing.

Are these men part of Randall’s group? Are they in fact more vicious and dangerous than they appeared at the end of the show (which was kind of dopey and dumb)? Don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out!

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Oh. And below is a list of Characters:

Rick Grimes—The Sheriff, and main character (Andrew Lincoln)
Lori Grimes—The Sheriff’s wife (Sarah Wayne Callies)
Carl Grimes—The Sheriff’s son, becoming slightly annoying (Chandler Riggs)
Andrea—The Blond, who gets tougher and tougher (Laurie Holden)
Glen—Dating Maggie Greene, Hershel’s daughter (Steven Yeun)
Dayrl Dixon—Perhaps my favorite Redneck with a Crossbow (Norman Reedus)
Hershel Greene—Maggie’s father, and owner of the farm (Scott Wilson)
Carol Peletier—Sophia’s Mom. Enough said, possible love interest to Dayrl (Melissa McBride)
T-Dog—A very, very underdeveloped character, a shame (IronE Singleton)
Beth Greene—Maggie’s kid sister (Emily Kinney)
Michonne—(“Me-shone”) armed with a katana and 2 armless/jawless zombies (Danai Gurira)

… And those who were significant and died in Season 2 …

Shane Walsh—The Sheriff’s one-time best friend (Jon Bernthal)
Dale Horvath—The Conscience of the group (Jeffrey DeMunn)

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See you next Sunday,

Phillip Tomasso

Thursday, October 11, 2012

October 14, 2012 : THE GROUP IS BROKEN

The date? Just days away. It is a significant date. Why? The Walking Dead’s Season 3 premieres. If you are a zombie fanatic—no, no—a Walking Dead Fanatic, then you have been counting down the days from last season’s season finale.

Starting October 14, 2012, I will be blogging live during the show, and every Sunday evening. The blog will consist of personal commentary, descriptions and my interpretation of what is to come.

*NOTE, I have not read the graphic novels. I do not know what some people “know”, and prefer to guess. So my predictions may be way off base. But whatever. Additionally, feel free to comment, ask questions, or add info!

In preparation of Sunday’s Main Event, I wanted to provide a list of Main and Recurring Characters for quick reference and review the last few episodes of Season 2.


Rick Grimes—The Sheriff, and main character (Andrew Lincoln)
Lori Grimes—The Sheriff’s wife (Sarah Wayne Callies)
Carl Grimes—The Sheriff’s son, becoming slightly annoying (Chandler Riggs)
Andrea—The Blond, who gets tougher and tougher (Laurie Holden)
Glen—Dating Maggie Greene, Hershel’s daughter (Steven Yeun)
Dayrl Dixon—Perhaps my favorite Redneck with a Crossbow (Norman Reedus)
Hershel Greene—Maggie’s father, and owner of the farm (Scott Wilson)
Carol Peletier—Sophia’s Mom. Enough said, possible love interest to Dayrl  (Melissa McBride)
T-Dog—A very, very underdeveloped character, a shame (IronE Singleton)

… And those who were significant and died …

Shane Walsh—The Sheriff’s one-time best friend (Jon Bernthal)
Dale Horvath—The Conscience of the group (Jeffrey DeMunn)

RECAP(ish):

When Randall is captured, and held captive in the barn on Hershel’s farm, the group is shocked to learn that he consorts with a group of more than 30 armed men. They’ve killed and raped. Clearly dangerous, and obviously holed up somewhere close to the farm, a decision is made to terminate Randall. The only one opposed to the execution is Dale. The constant, numbing voice of reason.

When Dale is subsequently attacked by a Walker, and dies, to honor his memory the group agrees to let Randall go. They’ll drive him off and leave him somewhere far, far from the farm. Shane, sensing this is a bad idea, leads Randall into the woods and snaps his neck. Unfortunately, despite not having been bitten or scratched by a Walker, Randall turns.

Rick confronts Shane. He knows Shane plans to murder him. The truth is, Rick knows that Shane is out of control. Going insane. And in turn, that he must kill Shane. A knife to the chest does the trick and Shane dies. Sort of . . .

When Rick turns and see his son, Carl, witnessed Shane’s murder—like Randall, without having been bitten or scratched by a Walker, Shane turns—he is stunned to find Carl pointing a gun at him. When Carl fires the gun, it is not Rick who is shot. It’s Shane. A bullet to the head.

The gunfire attracts the Walkers in the area. The farm is surrounded. The group scrambles to get away. Some are killed. Andrea is left behind. Most reunite on the main road

Rick is forced to tell the group two things. The guy at the CDC confided in him before the place exploded that EVERYONE has the Walker virus. When you die (of “natural” causes), you will turn into a Walker. No way around it. And two, this is no longer a democracy. He’s in charge. Like it, or not.
Andrea, alone in the woods, is almost taken down. She is saved when a woman/ninja with two armless Walkers chained-in-tow, save her life … Freaking awesome!
As the Season ends – the camera pulls back and reveals not far from the group is a giant prison … Is it possible that Randall’s group of violent men are using the prison as their sanctuary? Is it probable that Rick’s group will seek refuge at the prison? I think, yes . . .

As always, take care and best wishes!

Phillip Tomasso