Over the last few months I have found myself having intense Walking Dead withdrawals. These withdrawals have been almost as intense as the show itself.
After I saw the season two finale I could hardly wait for season three as I was anxious for all of my questions to be answered.
Who is this new character that keeps “walkers” on a leash? Why did they flash a scene of a prison at the end of the season finale? And finally, since when did Rick decide to take charge?
I expected a lot from the season three premiere and after watching the nail-biting hour of an episode, I can definitely say that it delivered.
The opening sequence was perfect. For a whole five minutes, not one character said a word as the group busted into an abandoned house. Of course, when they walked outside, they realized that the forest surrounding the house was full of walkers. That’s when they had to go into their zombie-fight mode, and also flee the scene.
After the opening credits, the gang came across the prison which was full of walkers garbed in prisoner and prison-guard clothing. Rick insisted that they must penetrate the building in order to gain access to shelter, weapons, and supplies in the infirmary.
That is one thing that was made apparent during the first episode. The character of Rick, (Andrew Lincoln) is finally starting to lay down the law. It’s about time.
The group stabbed, shot, and staked zombies in order to take over the prison. As always, the blood and guts were realistic and cringe-worthy, but that’s the best part.
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) did just as much zombie-slaying as the guys. I think that her character will be
crucial to the group’s survival.
My favorite character, bow and arrow-clad Dery Dixol (Norman Reedus), also plays a key role in keeping the group safe. I look forward to seeing what his character will do as season three progresses.
I even noticed that Carl (Chandler Riggs) is not as annoying as he was last season; he actually knows how to use a gun and is helping the group instead of making matters worse.
The producers had to make up for killing off Shane in the last season and added a new character.
Throughout the episode, viewers were given glimpses of Michonne (Danai Gurira). I can already tell that she is going to be one of the more interesting characters with her sword-slinging and use of walkers as pets.
The new character is not the only thing that the premier left viewers wondering about.
Let’s talk about the character Hershel (Scott Wilson). We all knew that as soon as he started walking off by himself, that something bad was about to happen.
And yes, he was bitten by the walker that appeared to be dead lying on the floor. I immediately thought that the group would have to kill him and that his death would be the major shocker of the season three premiere episode.
I was wrong.
Instead of shooting him, Rick amputated his leg in a matter of seconds and all of the graphics of this scene are shown.
To me, this unexpectedly gruesome amputation is a message from the creators of the Walking Dead. It is a little foreshadowing of the drama to come and I’m excited.
And, as if Rick chopping off Hershel’s leg isn’t enough to make the viewer fall out of his or her seat, the creators decided to throw out another twist.
The last scene pans out as we see prisoners, human prisoners, locked inside of a cell.
I have a feeling that this season of the Walking Dead is going to take up my Sunday nights.