Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Season 4 - "Sanctuary... those who arrive, survive."

The very last scene in the Comic-Con trailer featured Daryl, Michonne, Bob and Tyreese all in a car driving somewhere.  All of a sudden, they hear a voice on the radio that says "Sanctuary... those who arrive, survive."

I actually have a picture of a rumored location we might see in season four and it's of Fort Benning.  Here it is:


I've seen this same picture on many spoiler websites for "The Walking Dead" as being a location where they're filming at.  Now I do remember back in season one, the group (Shane in particular) was strongly considering heading to Fort Benning for shelter.  But then they decided to head for the CDC instead.  I think they were originally on their way to Fort Benning in the season two premiere, but Sophia got lost, Carl got shot and the group just ended up staying at Hershel's farm.

We still don't know where the Governor has gone to, so maybe this is one possibility for somewhere that he has gone.  But I think it would make more sense for Rick's group to go here because Rick and Shane were talking about checking this place out and seeing what was left.

So is Fort Benning the sanctuary that we hear of in the trailer?  It could be, but I have absolutely no clue as to where this sanctuary may be.  It could be the Alexandria Safe-Zone, where Rick's group actually went after they left the farm for the last time.  They're still there even to this point in the comic books, so the television series will eventually get to Alexandria.  But I don't know if that's the sanctuary because Alexandria is all the way up by Washington D.C. and Rick's group is still fairly close to Atlanta. 

So I think Fort Benning has the best chance of being the sanctuary, but honestly, it sounds too good to be true.  This is supposed to be the time where we see Abraham, Eugene and Rosita, according to SpoilerTV.  So maybe they will be at this sanctuary.  Another possibility is a group like the Hunters (a group of cannibals from the comic book series) broadcasting this message out to people and getting them to go to a certain location.  From there, the Hunters would kill them, take their stuff and then eat them.

I really want to see the Hunters though, not that I want to see a person from Rick's group eaten by another group of survivors.  But if they're going to be leaving the prison and they reportedly are going to come across Abraham, Eugene and Rosita, I would have to think that we could see the Hunters very soon.  The have the potential to be very good antagonists in the television series.

Tell me what you guys think about this sanctuary they speak of in the trailer.  Where is it? Could it be the Alexandria Safe-one? Fort Benning? Are the Hunters laying down a trap? Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Season 4 - Casting call for Abraham, Eugene, Rosita?

According to SpoilerTV, a casting call has been released for three new characters that could possibly be Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita, who are all characters from the comic book series.

These characters are reported to debut in episode 10 of the upcoming season, and these will be recurring roles.  Just like Bob Stookey and his fake name, Roy Stark, these characters also have fake names and then we find out their actual name afterwards.  Here are the three new recurring roles:

John Tyler - Early 30's, vulgar with rough edges but wise.
Wayne Kesey - Early 30's. Very smart and an experienced liar.
Jordana Barraza - Late 20's tough hispanic and beautiful. Shamed about her past.

Based on the descriptions, I think there's a 95% chance that this is Abraham, Eugene and Rosita.  The ages are about right and Rosita being Hispanic makes sense.  In addition, Wayne Kesey sounds a lot like Eugene because he is smart and an experienced liar in the comic books.  So these three characters really sound a lot like Abraham, Eugene and Rosita.

If this is true, I'm excited to see them in season four from episode 10 until the season finale.  This must mean that part of Rick's group will be leaving the prison with a few others like Rick and Carl staying at the prison. I'd like to see the group split up because you could have many storylines going on all at one time.  You can have one or two splinter groups away from the prison, a group at the prison, and the Governor's storyline.

I think we'll see Abraham, Eugene and Rosita debut in a similar fashion to how we met them in the comics.  I think they'll meet up with the others back at Hershel's farm or they'll meet up with one of splinter groups on the road.  If they do meet up with Rick's group, they could all head to Washington D.C. like in the comic books.  It'll be interesting to see how we come across these new characters.

It does look like season four will stick to the comic books more then any other season.  Everything I saw in the trailer involving Tyreese looked like it was pulled right out of the comic books, like when he was surrounded by walkers, and Michonne tracking down the Governor is also very similar to the comic books.  But I hope they create more storylines that aren't straight from the comic books because readers of the comics already know what happens and who dies.  Adding new storylines would definitely make the show more surprising not just for comic book readers, but for everyone.

So tell me what you think about possibly seeing Abraham, Eugene and Rosita in season four.  Is it too early to bring them in? How will they debut? Do you like the idea of Rick's group splitting up. Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Season 4 - Lennie James to return as "Morgan"

Back on July 19, season four show runner Scott Gimple informed "The Walking Dead" fans that we will be seeing Morgan Jones again in the upcoming season.  What role he will play or how the characters will come across him is unknown.

The actor that plays Morgan, Lennie James, will actually be in a new AMC series called "Low Winter Sun" (which I may check out, but I don't know yet).  James is a tremendous actor and I love his role in television series much more then the comic book series.  In the comics, Morgan feels like a crazy guy and personally, I really didn't care for him as a character.  He was one of those characters that was just there and didn't really do much.

Again, the acting of Lennie James is why we care about Morgan so much in the television series.  You can see James' emotion when he tries to kills his wife in the very first episode.  In "Clear", you can see that he's crazy, but he also that has that emotional connection with Rick when he says , "I know you."

I expect to see Morgan the exact same way we came across him in season three.  Rick could go to him for help or if the group splits up and has to leave the prison, he could go to Morgan and see if his group can stay there for a while. 

Whatever way we see him, I'm very excited to hear he's coming back because his performances have been short but definitely sweet. If Lennie James doesn't put in that emotion we expect from him, then the character of Morgan is completely different and more like the comic book version of him.  Because we hear the story about his wife and son combined with the acting of James, we feel a special connection with him. 

He's an interesting character and I can't wait to see what his role will be in season four and who will run into him. Will it be Daryl, Tyreese, Michonne and Bob?  We do see them separated from the rest of their group, so there's a possibility that they could run into Morgan.  Or maybe Rick could go back to Morgan and ask him for help against either the walkers or even the Governor.

Tell me what you think about Morgan's return in season four.  When will we see him? What events will take place in order for us to see him? Who will run into him?  Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.

Season 4 - Is Bob Stookey a traitor?

Based on the Comic-Con trailer for season four, there may be a possibility that a new character played by Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Bob Stookey, may be a traitor.

We know that he is a series regular, which means he's going to have a lot of parts in season four.  I think we'll see him a lot in season four, but I don't think he'll make it to season five or six.  I think he'll be a character like Merle, who was re-introduced in season three and died in the same season.

In the comic book series, there is a part where the Governor has one of his men infiltrate Rick's group at the prison.  He would then run back to the Governor and tell him about the location of the prison.  But since the television series has been changed around to not follow the exact same storyline, it would be the perfect time to insert this storyline next season.

With the prison group clueless about the Governor's whereabouts, it would make perfect sense for him to have someone infiltrate the group.  It can't be Martinez or Shumpert that does this because the prison group already knows who both of them are.  So it would make sense that the traitor would have to be Bob.

In the comic book series, Bob Stookey is a drunk in Woodbury who is a former army medic.  He was such a drunk that he became a detriment to Woodbury, until he was needed to patch up the Governor and he did.  In the television series, he will actually be a part of Rick's group as we saw in the trailer.  I think Bob Stookey will fill the role of Martinez from the comic book series in season four.

As a traitor, he would basically help the Governor attack the prison and relay information back to him because he does seem strange in some of his actions.  Toward the middle of the trailer, Bob says, "I'd like to start pulling my weight around here. Let me earn my keep."  The way he says this is so overly jolly and too nice for a zombie apocalypse.

A couple of seconds later, we also see Bob's hand shaking and it looks like it has blood on it.  Obviously, something happened for the blood to get on his hand.  Maybe he killed someone and he realizes what he did shortly after or something like that.  He could just be killing zombies and he notices blood on his hand.

That's all I can really say about the character for now.  We know that someone attacked the cell block, twelve people died and two were killed in cold blood, which means that the group knows that someone from inside the prison murdered two other people.  Maybe Bob has something to do with that, which could explain the blood his hand.  Maybe he's the one feeding all of those zombies outside of the prison that are trying to push the fence down.  We'll just have to wait and find out.

Tell me what you think about Bob Stookey as a character.  Will he fill the role of Martinez from the comic books? Is he a traitor? Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Season 4 - What is Tyreese looking at in the trailer?

I hope everyone has seen the Comic-Con trailer regarding season four of The Walking Dead.  If not, here it is:



In the trailer, at exactly 2:13, we see Tyreese looking at something, and he looks a mix between shocked and emotional.

At around two minutes, we see Tyreese walking out to a section of the prison where Rick chased after Andrew last season after he killed Tomas.  There are also two gas containers nearby.  Then at 2:13 in the trailer, Tyreese seems to discover something.  We also see Tyreese pushing Daryl up against a wall later in the trailer and then turning around and punching Rick.

There's a few different possibilities as to what Tyreese could have seen.  I think what he sees has something to do with his fight with Rick.  He also says, "We have to find who did this."  He's referring to the cell block being attacked by someone on the inside, and that sounds personal.

Having said all that, I think that Tyreese gets emotional after coming across his sister, Sasha, who is dying right in front of him.  There's also a scene in the trailer with her where it looks like Sasha is on the ground and her hand is pressed against the camera (3:51).  Tyreese also comes across a blood trail that leads to a place with light (2:00), so maybe Sasha was bleeding and crawled outside and then he finds her dead.

It also seems like they're setting Sasha up to be bossy in the beginning like at the Big Spot in the trailer when she's giving orders.  From what I've seen of her so far, I don't really care for her that much and I don't like her giving orders to others.  So maybe that's where they're going, but that seems a bit predictable and as a result, they may just go in a whole different direction to make it more surprising.

It could just be some random kids because if you see a kid being mutilated or eaten alive, Tyreese could garner that reaction that we see in the trailer.  There's probably something that I haven't thought of or maybe another character could be in that spot, but judging by the emotional response of Tyreese, I think my theory with Sasha makes the most sense.

Tell me what you guys think Tyreese sees.  Who/What do you think he stumbles upon? What are the circumstances? If you think it's a certain person or you have your own theory, tell me what it is and explain in the comments below.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Season 4 - Three new characters announced for S4E6 "Rise"

SpoilerTV.com and International Business Times have reported that three new characters will debut in season four, episode six, which is called "Rise."

The first of these characters is a male named Don, played by Danny Vinson, who has appeared in "Talladega Nights", "Walk the Line" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."  Based on his character description, it sounds like he's a bit like Hershel, but with a temper.  It says he's a "sometimes grumpy" man between the ages of 50 and 70.  I tend to think that he'll be a member of Rick's group just because of his age.  Now whether he came over from Woodbury in the season finale is still a question.

We don't know the actresses for the next two characters, but we know the names and a little bit about the character.  The first one is a single mother and former nurse named Laura and a "tough and funny woman" named Melody.  I could see those two being part of the prison group as well. 

These are supposed to be recurring characters, so they should be around for a few episodes.  I don't know if Don will be around for long because Danny Vinson seems like a very high profile actor with a lot of shows and movies, so he probably won't want to commit 100% to The Walking Dead.

Just as a another note, just like Roy Stark and Bob Stookey, the names of these characters could be false names and could be changed.  So don't be shocked if that happens again.

Tell me what you think about these new characters. Where are we going to meet these characters? What do you expect to see from them? Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Season 4 - Analyzing the Comic-Con Trailer + Predictions (PART 2)

A character that really stood out to me was Carol.  It was interesting to see her teaching little girls how to use knives safely. It seemed like she was being a motherly figure for those kids, but one kid in particular caught my eye when she held Carol's hand.  What could be the role of this little girl?

Analysis: This is probably a long shot, but maybe this girl and Carol could have a mother-daughter relationship. We also saw Carol taking the same little girl into some room  toward the middle of the trailer. So maybe they could grow closer as season four goes on and develop a close bond.

Apparently, the prison is not getting any safer, so the group may be forced to hit the road.  Hershel: "We may be safer outside those walls."  Glenn: "We have to go."  Daryl: "Sooner or later, we run." We also see Michonne is also seen scanning a map and she points to a place called Macon, which is familiar to some fans of The Walking Dead, including myself.  For those of you that don't know, Macon is a town in Georgia featured in The Walking Dead video game.  It is home to the main protagonist of the video game, Lee Everett.

Analysis: Let me assure you, that was not put there by accident.  This could mean some kind if crossover with the game.  We could actually see Lee and Clementine, the little girl that Lee protected throughout the game, in the show.  The show is already very different from the comic books, so why not make it that Lee and Clementine are still in Macon?  They're both fan favorites in the video game and bringing them in would be a great way to introduce some lovable characters.

Finally, we have the end of the trailer, where we see Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese and Bob hearing a voice on the radio.  "Sanctuary... those who arrive, survive."  What could this mean?

Analysis: It could be a hint to a new location for the group.  Maybe something like a safe zone? Could it be the Alexandria Safe Zone from the comics? I don't think so, but you never know.  We'll have to see what direction they go with that.

Other Thoughts

My favorite moment of the entire trailer (beside the fight between Rick and Tyreese) was when Tyreese got surrounded by tons of ravenous walkers, not that I wanted him to die or anything.  But Walking Dead comic book fans, do you remember when Tyreese was surrounded by tons of walkers?  You remember who came out on top, right? I won't go any further then that.

It also looks like Hershel was able to craft a prosthetic leg in order to remain an asset to the group. I also loved some of the quotes he gave in the trailer, my favorite quote being, "The only thing you can choose is what you're risking it for." It looks we'll be hearing more words of wisdom from Hershel in season four.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Carl, who didn't appear as often as I thought he would in the trailer.  But nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see how he acts after killing that boy in the season three finale and after complaining to his father about the new people moving into the prison.

I can't wait for plenty of walker-filled action, piles of zombie gore under spinning tires, poking walkers through the prison fence, Michonne taking zombies heads off with her katana horseback and lots and lots of headshots.  Just bring on October 13 already!

Season 4 - Analyzing the Comic-Con Trailer + Predictions (PART 1)

If you haven't seen the trailer for season four of The Walking Dead, I highly recommend watching it before reading any further!



"We just lost 12 of our own. Two were killed in cold blood."

They even tell us in the trailer how many people are going to die in season four, but there will probably be even more deaths then that.

AMC finally released an extended trailer for the upcoming season and we can make a lot of predictions just from watching this 4.5 minute video.  I've already watched it 18 times, so I have a lot of predictions and thoughts about season four.

Let's start with the raid on the "Big Spot" department store.  It looks like the prison group have gotten used to scavenging for food.  They even have their own formations and armor for protection. 

AnalysisOne thing that bothered me was seeing Sasha give orders to others.  She's only alive because of Tyreese and I just can't imagine Daryl or Michonne taking orders from someone like that.  So I already don't like Sasha.  We also see the first appearance of new character Bob Stookey, and we see a lot of him throughout the trailer.  There's also some yelling and gunfire in the Big Spot, so maybe this new character won't be around for very long.

Next, we see the prison, which has transformed into a farm with crops and even animals.  I saw some pigs, which are probably used for meat.  The group also made a new gate and it looks like Rick took a page out of Morgan's book with the sharp wooden beams surrounding the entrance.  Later in the trailer, we also see some sharp weapons hanging on the fence, ready for action at any time.

AnalysisWhat's not to love about seeing Michonne on a horse?  I'm actually really impressed about the prison and how it looks in the trailer.  Looks like they're using the same tactics as last season when it comes to killing walkers on the outside.  But as we find out from Carol, the zombies are starting to come in bigger groups.  She says to Daryl, "It's manageable, but unless we get ahead of it, not for long."

The violence came very early on in comic book series, and it looks like a version of this violence will be coming to the television show.  Walkers are seen attacking cell block D, which looks like the home of many new people in the prison.  Rick says after the attack, "Somebody attacked the cell block." Tyreese notes at another point, "We've got to find who did this." Rick responds, "We're not going anywhere, we'll find them." Hershel: "We just lost 12 of our own. Two of them were killed in cold blood."

Analysis: Who could possibly be behind this? It could be the Governor because he's familiar with the prison and will be a season regular.  But based on quotes from other characters, specifically Hershel, I have a feeling that this attack came from within the prison.  Could it be one of the people from Woodbury, or could it be someone from the main cast?  Don't be surprised if it ends up being Carl who does this.  Think about it.  Carl was pissed about having all the new people move in because they won't be able to defend themselves.  Thus, he lures the walkers into the prison and eliminates the people in cell block D.

"You got to calm down."  A big part in the comic book series was the fight between Rick and Tyreese, and it looks like we got a little preview of that in the trailer. It looks like Tyreese had Daryl pinned against a wall and then started a fight with Rick.  But why did Tyreese start the fight?

Analysis: Tyreese won in the comic book series, but towards the end of the trailer, we see that his eye is swollen.  This leads me to believe that Rick will win the fight in the television series.  To answer the question of why he started the fight, we did see him looking down at something about halfway through the trailer.  He looked to be getting emotional, which makes me think that someone very close to him died, most likely Sasha, his sister. 

PART 2 IS ON THE WAY...

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Walking Dead Issue #112 (Comic Book Series) Review

*** I'm sorry this review is late.  As you could tell, I had a lot of posts to complete and I didn't want to fall behind on those even more.  So again, I apologize.***

This review will contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the issue yet, I wouldn't advise reading any further.

Another month, another issue of The Walking Dead.  Even though there weren't any deaths, this issue was awesome! We're finally starting to see the start of the war beginning.  When Rick had Negan at gunpoint, I thought it was over.  But it couldn't have been that easy.

The issue starts off right after the death of Spencer and Rick arriving back the Safe Zone with the rest of the Survivors.  He found out what happened to Spencer and got pissed off, yelling, "I thought we had an agreement?!"  Then we had some tense dialogue between Rick and Negan, but Negan does explain that Spencer came to him and said that he wanted Rick dead.

Rick gives Negan half of his stuff and with everyone now back in Alexandria and Negan there with a small group, Rick scrambled back to his house and got Andrea to go up into the tower with her sniper.  Andrea then killed a few Saviors and Negan actually looked a little nervous.  Then Rick said to him, "You ever hear the one about a guy who brought a baseball bat to a gun fight, f--ker?"  We then see Rick yelling and shooting his gun, and I thought, "Rick is actually going to do this." But to no avail. 

We found out that Negan had about twenty armed men with guns stationed around the area, which shocked me because I thought he didn't have many guns.  Then he explained that guns should only be used on the living and the thinkers because they're much more dangerous, which I do agree with.  Then out come the Saviors and Negan then tells Rick that they're, "f--king f--ked."

That was a really exciting cliffhanger to end the issue.  The war is about to start, so I think we all knew that Rick wasn't going to kill Negan just like that and same goes for Negan killing Rick.  It also made a lot of sense for Rick to try and take Negan down at that moment in time.  He just didn't know that Negan had about 20 armed men in the area.

So that's about it for this month's issue.  Tell me what you guys think about Issue 112.  What will happen next?  Is Negan the best villain in the history of The Walking Dead? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Comic Series - Volume 20: All Out War

For any of you that have been following The Walking Dead comic book series over the past year, you're probably almost as or maybe even more excited then I am about the recent announcement of the "All Out War" 12 issue story arc.

We already knew this was going to happen anyway.  But I have some cool "team" pictures showing the four different groups involved in the war.  I also found out by looking through the pictures that they're officially naming Rick's group "The Survivors."  There's also a new cover for the story arc, but the best thing about the new volume is that new issues are going to be released biweekly starting in October.

I'm excited because now we get twice The Walking Dead with the TV show also returning in October.  So without further ado, let's take a look at the first of five pictures I'm going to analyze.


So this is the cover for the new story arc.  I love the symbolism with the size of Negan's head because it shows how powerful he is and how the Survivors, Hilltop and Kingdom are getting ready to fight against these odds.  You have Michonne on the right with her sword, Rick in the center with his axe and Andrea on left with her sniper in hand.  Just as a side note, every time I see Andrea in the comic book series, I always think back to the TV series and how different it is from the comic book series.  Finally, we have Carl at the bottom, who's looking a lot like a teenager and getting close to being 16 or 17 (I'm just guessing, I don't really know).  Very cool cover!


So here's the first of four team posters that I'm going to go over.  We now have the first official label for Rick's group, the Survivors.  I like the name because of what they've been through, particularly Rick, Carl, Andrea and Michonne.  The logo also resembles Carl a lot (except for the skull) because you have the eye patch and the cowboy hat.  Very cool logo and poster!


Next is the poster for Negan's group, the Saviors.  I love the addition of the baseball bat and I think a vulture is a perfect animal to represent Negan.  Vultures prey on the weak, which is what Negan does with his threats of violence.


Next we have the Hilltop poster, which has great symbolism with the iron and the hammer.  I'm pretty sure it refers back to the blacksmith that's located in the colony and how the people use spears when they're on watch duty.  So I think this represents them pretty well.


Last, but certainly not least, we have the poster for the Kingdom. I do like the sword and tiger, but my favorite thing about the logo is how the whole thing is on one of those old school flags. Very cool logos for all four groups!

I think this is some of the most exciting events we've ever seen in the comic book series.  This upcoming war is nothing like the prison group against the Governor.  There are different circumstances, more groups involved and stronger leaders such as Negan.  The whole thing is way more complicated with a lot more groups and characters coming together.

I'm predicting that there will be a lot of characters deaths throughout the course of this war.  I could even see characters like Andrea, Michonne or even Eugene dying or somebody really important to the Survivors. 

Tell me what you guys think about the new story arc beginning in October.  Who will come out on top in this war? What characters will die? Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Season 4 - First episode called "30 Days Without an Accident"

So we've now got the title of the first episode for season four.  The title is "30 Days Without an Accident." So what does it mean?

It could mean 30 days since the battle with the Governor, but the thing about that is that as season three went along, the weather got increasingly colder.  So if they were to do a 30 day time skip, it wouldn't be enough to just pass over winter and go from fall to spring.  In the pictures we've seen, there are no characters wearing jackets or anything of that nature.  So I don't think that would make sense.

I think they'll just to a time skip of the entire winter instead of just skipping ahead 30 days.  I think that something must have happened at the prison about 30 days and we'll learn what happened throughout the episode.  I also think we'll pick up the story when things are starting to become dangerous again. 

The episode title could mean that it's been about a month since someone died.  If this is correct, the character that dies wouldn't be one of the main characters or any characters that were brought in like Tyreese, Sasha or Karen.  I don't think you want to that during a time skip, so I'm thinking that it's probably one of the people Rick brought in from Woodbury.

So that's about all the speculation I can make about the first episode at this point.  And once again, the first trailer for season four is coming out in TWO DAYS at Comic-Con! Definitely expect a post from me about that and like most of you, I can't wait for Season 4!

Tell me what you guys think about the title of the first episode. What does it mean and what will happen in the season premiere? Will we any character deaths right off the bat? Write what you guys think in the comments below.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Season 4 - First Banner/Poster Revealed!

Finally! A visual released concerning season four! It's a miracle! It may not be much, but hey, at least it's something.


This is the best poster I've ever seen in terms of The Walking Dead.  How I'm going to review this is starting from the left side and working my way over.  So let's do it!

So we've got a herd of zombies surrounding Tyreese, who's got his trusty hammer straight out of the comic book series.  It looks like he's ready to bash some skulls and we'll definitely be seeing that this upcoming season.

Moving on, we have Andrew Lincoln as Rick holding his revolver and still wearing the same shirt from season three.  From all of the pictures I've seen so far from season four, Rick just looks really down.  Just look at his face.  Give me one reason why he doesn't look depressed.  Granted, he did lose Lori last season, so maybe that's still on his mind in season four.  But he is starting to look like the Rick from the comic books with his longer hair, so I do like that.

Speaking of longer hair, let's move over to Daryl, who looks like he doesn't care about his hair anyway.  But he looks very tough with his longer hair and signature crossbow.

But I think the character that looks the coolest in this entire banner is Michonne, who's riding a horse with her sword in hand, almost like a knight from medieval times.  I wonder if she'll actually get a horse in season four and just ride around and cut zombies' heads off.  That would be so cool to see!  My guess is that she has to, otherwise, they wouldn't have put it in the poster.

So if you haven't heard, Comic-Con is this weekend and there will be a panel of production people, actors and actresses answering questions about the upcoming season.  There will be a season four trailer released on Friday and I will definitely do a post about that, so check back here for more updates and analysis about season four.

TV Series - Top 5 Greatest Deaths

To me, a great death in The Walking Dead is a death that helps further the plot and make the viewer feel a sense of danger and thrill to get that instant shock when watching the show.  A great death also keeps us guessing on where the plot is going and who's going to die next.

So I will be counting down the top 5 greatest deaths in The Walking Dead TV series.  There have been a lot deaths we've seen, and some were well done and some were not.  So let's focus on the good, shall we?

Honorable Mention: Tomas

That was an absolutely crazy death and one of Rick's best kills when he struck him right in the head with the machete.  It makes sense to since you could tell that Tomas was the leader of the group of prison survivors and it makes sense that he would fight with Rick.  Before the zombie apocalypse, Rick was a cop and Tomas was a prisoner, so it makes sense that they wouldn't get along. 

#5 - Otis

I think this death is great because it really kick-started the evolution of Shane in the series. In season one, Shane seemed like a good guy, being a cop and longtime friends with Rick.  But he was really the first character to become a survivor killer.  Also, it's not just that Shane shot Otis in the leg, but he just stole his bag and left him there to be eaten alive by so many walkers just so he could escape.

#4 - Merle

This death has to be on my list, Merle went out like a complete soldier, taking down eight of the Governor's men.  He also mentioned in his final episode that he killed, if I remember correctly, about 16 people since the start of the apocalypse, so if you do the math, Merle killed about 24 people before ultimately being shot down by the Governor.

#3 - Sophia

This one I really liked because I think it was a good plot leading up to her coming out of the barn, with everyone trying to look for her and asking, "Where is she?"  Then the big question was finally answered in the midseason finale, as she stumbles out of the barn and Rick has to be the one to put her down.

#2 - Shane

Shane's death was one of the biggest highlights of season two, a season really centered around the development of Shane.  The whole thing with Randall and the love triangle between him, Rick and Lori was all very exciting all the way until Shane let his guard down and was stabbed by Rick.  I think Shane was handled really well in the television series and he is much better then his comic book counterpart.

#1 - Lori

The main reason I put this death at #1 is because it was unexpected.  Being an avid reader of the comic book series, I knew she was going to die sooner or later, but not at that moment.  After seeing T-Dog die earlier in the episode, I thought there would be no more character deaths for that episode, so that's where the shock came from for me.  Also, I really hated her as a character, so it worked out for me in that way, but at the same time, you felt bad for the rest of Grimes family: Rick, who was very emotional, and Carl, who had to put down his own mother.  That was probably the most emotional moment in the entire series, especially because of the acting from Andrew Lincoln.  He absolutely nailed it.

So there's my top 5 greatest deaths.  Tell me what you think is the greatest death so far in The Walking Dead TV series.  Is it Lori? Is it Shane? Is it someone else?  Write what you guys think in the comments below.

Monday, July 15, 2013

TV Series - Relationships in The Walking Dead

I think I speak for everyone reading this post when I say that finding something to do during a zombie apocalypse is very difficult.  There's no television, video games, computers or any form of entertainment.  This forces people to live close together in a camp-type environment and as a result, people are going to start hooking up.

It's the truth.  There's no distractions or entertainment, they're all living together in an enclosed area and they're fighting for their lives every single day.  It wouldn't be realistic for The Walking Dead not to contain a couple of relationships.  In some cases, you could have people killing each other like with Rick, Lori and Shane. 

While I'm at it, I'll just address that right now.  It's completely logical for Lori to hook up with Shane because she thinks Rick is dead, she has to look after Carl and even if she doesn't like Shane, he saved them and is doing everything he can to protect the group.  It's going to happen.

The unfortunate truth is that women will have a tougher time defending themselves in a zombie apocalypse as opposed to men, except if you're name is Michonne.  Not to say that it isn't difficult for men to defend themselves, but they definitely have an advantage in terms of strength and hand-to-hand fighting.

Women will often use the "my hero" thing on men in order to get protection and things like that.  I think The Walking Dead has done a pretty good job of that as the series has progressed.  The love triangle with Shane, Rick and Lori and the relationship between Glenn and Maggie would all be things that could occur during a zombie apocalypse, although not all of them will end in death.

Now, I've liked most of the Glenn and Maggie relationship.  My favorite moment/joke was when they were hooking up in the tower and Daryl yells to Glenn, "You coming?"  I also liked the whole dynamic with Glenn hating Merle because of what the Governor did to Maggie.  I thought that was really well done and interesting to watch. And again, their relationship makes sense because Glenn saved Maggie from that walker in the store back in season two.

Other then those two, there haven't really been that many relationships.  A possible relationship that has been flying around the internet has been Daryl and Carol.  Now, we haven't really seen them hook up or anything like that, but I expect to see some of that moving forward.  I think Daryl would admire the fact that Carol has been able to survive up to this point without her daughter and her abusive husband, not that she misses him or anything like that.

I also think we'll see a love interest for Rick, but not right away like in seasons four, five or six.  It would be a little weird if they did it in season four, just after Lori's death.  So I think around season seven or eight would make sense, sort of like what Robert Kirkman did in the comic books with how he waited a little while for Rick to garner a love interest.

So there you have it.  Tell me what you think about relationships in The Walking Dead and in a zombie apocalypse in general.  Will we see Daryl and Carol hook up in season four? Write what you guys think in the comments below.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Season 4 - New Location: Plant Yates + pics

So there have been rumors about a new set location for season four, which is reportedly called Power Plant Yates in Georgia. There are more pictures of this power plant other then the three I'm going to show, so you can surf the web and find those if you want.  There isn't anything up close though and I think it's because security has been really tight on the filming.  Apparently, the production is supposed to be really big with a lot of people involved in the production of whatever episode their filming.  I think we'll see the power plant between episodes three and six based on timing, but I could be wrong because they don't always shoot everything in chronological order.  So here's the pictures of Power Plant Yates:


This is a really cool location! I think one of the fun things about The Walking Dead is getting to see all of the new locations like in "Clear", where we see Rick's hometown, Atlanta with all of the rooftops and buildings and even the prison.  But just by looking at this location, this the perfect location for a zombie apocalypse.  The set team doesn't have to that much work, and all you would have to do is put some garbage and debris around the location and you're ready to shoot.  You have the fence for security and you can see the rust on those things on top of the roof.  So overall, this makes for a really nice set location.

I do wonder what they're going to use this location for and who's going to be there.  We've already seen Rick's group at the Big Spot and the prison for season four, so will this be the Governor's new spot?  It could be because I originally thought the Governor's new place would be at the Big Spot location, but we know that's not the case.  It's a tough call, but don't rule out the possibility of seeing the Governor here. He is a season regular as well, so we should be seeing him in almost every episode. 

 
So this photo is of the same location but it's from just up the road.  This reminds me a lot of the season two poster where you had Rick running up the road to the farm.  If this is really where they're shooting, this would be absolutely perfect. Just an awesome choice for a location!
 
 


Here's another picture of the plant and this one is zoomed out and you can see the body of water as well.  There isn't really too much that I can say other then wonder why they would be shooting there.  You wouldn't think there would be any food in a power plant.  According to International Business Times, there were about 120 production personnel and 200 extras on hands.  Could that mean 200 walkers?  That could spell trouble for anyone that steps foot in there.

So if this location is the Governor's new home base, this a really cool location for a base.  But it doesn't really make sense for anyone to be there beside the fact that Plant Yates is secured.  I don't think it would be that rich in terms of supplies or food.  But that's really all we can say at this point.  Write in the comment section below about what you think Plant Yates is being used for and who you think will be traveling there.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

TV Series - Top 5 Greatest Moments

Out of all of my "Top 5" posts, this was by far the most difficult list to make because there have been so many memorable moments in first three seasons, and I'm sure there will be many more to come in the future.  In terms of the word "moment" in The Walking Dead, it could evoke emotion, sadness, excitement or happiness.  These moments keep you watching the series. So let's get started!

Honorable Mention: Merle going out a hero, S3 E15

This is the one where Merle goes into the car, the walkers are behind him, he's drinking and he goes in and is shooting guys left and right.  He almost killed the Governor and then he pulled a season one quote in his final moments, "I ain't gonna beg."  That whole sequence was one of the most exciting moments of season three.

#5 - The Governor shoots his entire army, S3E16 "Welcome to the Tombs"

This moment represents the complete transformation where the Governor will not allow anyone to get in the ways of his goals.  His value of human life has basically decreased to nothing, and because they refused to listen to him and go back to the prison, he saw them as useless and just annihilated everyone in sight.  That was a great scene with tremendous acting by David Morrissey.

#4 - Daryl finds zombie Merle, S3E15 "This Sorrowful Life"

I don't count this moment with "Merle going out hero" simply because this happened later in the episode.  But Norman Reedus did a fantastic job in making that scene very touching for all of the viewers.  I love when he just keeps pushing him back and then he finally has the guts to do it and kills him because he's able to just let go.  Even though this was one of the saddest moments in the Walking Dead, it has to be one of the greatest as well.

#3 - Rick stabs Shane, S2E12 "Better Angels"

That was a crazy scene, especially looking back on it now.  The acting by Andrew Lincoln and Jon Bernthal was phenomenal and the environment and the moment was absolutely perfect.  What else can you say?  I had mixed emotions after watching this moment because I was sad that Shane was dead, but at the same time, I felt like that was a crazy moment.  Shane was such a major character in season two as well and that added to the shock of seeing him die. 

#2 - Rick's reaction to Lori's death, S3E4 "Killer Within"

This was probably the saddest scene in the history of The Walking Dead television series, which is what makes this moment so great.  When baby Judith comes out and Carl and Maggie exchange looks with Rick, he just knew it.  The acting by Andrew Lincoln in this scene was by far the best acting he's ever done in The Walking Dead.  It almost like you can feel all the emotion and the sadness going through Rick after finding out that his wife had passed away.  That was one of the most powerful moments in The Walking Dead television series.

#1 - Sophia coming out of the barn, S2E7 "Pretty Much Dead Already"

This is the greatest moment in The Walking Dead TV series not just because they were looking for Sophia for the entire season, but because not one single fan of The Walking Dead expected her to be in that barn.  It was an absolutely brilliant scene and Rick was ultimately the one to put her down.  There's really nothing more that needs to be said.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Season 4: Big Spot update + more pics

A couple weeks ago, I did a post about some predictions based on the Big Lots location pictures.  I'm going to update that in this post as well as show some new pictures and make some new predictions.  
 
 
So this photo was taken by Rodney Moore of AMC.com and it's basically a picture of the Big Spot location from a different angle.  If you look closely, you can see the crew filming on top of the store and you have the fence with military tents and vehicles inside.  Now I just assumed this would be the Governor's new location for Season 4.  As you will see in the next picture, I was wrong to assume that.


If you zoom in on the top of the roof, we can clearly see Rick standing there on the right side of this picture (on top of the ''RE" in MOORE).  I would think that Rick's group would be there to get supplies for all the new people they've taken in from Woodbury.  As far as I know there will be a winter time skip, which means that Rick's group will be running low on food, even if they found a lot of food stockpiled at Woodbury.  So I think Rick's group is at that location for food and supplies.

 
Here we have Steven Yeun, or Glenn, on location as you can see the building in the background.  His appearance his reminiscent to his comic book counterpart who also used to wear the prison riot gear.  His hair is longer then last season, and I love that the actors and actresses are starting to look like their characters in the comic book.  It also feels like their actually in a zombie apocalypse by not cutting their hair or shaving.   
 
  
If you're still not convinced it will be Rick's group that goes to the Big Spot location, here's another picture with Daryl's motorcycle in front of the fence.  I think we can pretty much guarantee that the Governor will not be going to this location and it will be Rick instead.
 
There are more pictures out there but I felt these were the ones that solidified that Rick's group will go to the Big Spot location, probably trying to get food for his group at the prison.  If you didn't know already, filming for the first episode was completed a while ago and these pictures were taken from the shooting of the premiere.  So we should see the Big Spot location in the season four premiere.
 
Hopefully, we'll get to see a promo/trailer from Comic Con and get some ideas to where the Governor has gone.  It's a big mystery at this point to fans of The Walking Dead.  My guess now is that he went back to place where he fought Merle and met with Rick.  But we won't know exactly until the season son four, which is still over three months away.