The Walking Shin Report gives you an inside look at all things The Walking Dead, and I give you my opinion on the television show and comic series. You can follow me on twitter at @dshin131, where I will be actively posting about The Walking Dead every Sunday night.
Some footage from a season three episode was revealed yesterday that features Merle and Carol. Here's the video if you haven't seen it already:
I'm guessing this takes place sometime after Merle joins the group at the prison. It seems like he's still being nice to everyone and trying to find his place within the group. What Carol basically says in the scene is that she should've been dead several times before. Then she threatens to slit Merle's throat while he sleeps if he does anything to Daryl or the rest of the group. The acting from Michael Rooker was on point, as always, but I think the acting from Melissa McBride was a little off mostly due to her smiling too much.
Overall, it was an okay scene, but again, a little awkward from Carol's perspective, but it still makes her character look great threatening Merle like that. I like the way Merle just smiles afterwards and then we see Daryl in the background.
I actually wouldn't mind if we actually saw this in season three. Sure the acting from Carol is a little weird, but it's still a really cool moment from her character. But it gives Merle more reason to just go in alone with a bunch of walkers against the Governor. He also said to Daryl, "You people look at me like I'm the devil." The scene gives more reason as to why he said that.
So tell me what you guys think about the first deleted scene from season three. Did you like it? Should this scene have been in an episode? Let me know what you guys think in the comments below.
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.
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.
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.
With season four slowly approaching (which feels like an eternity), I've decided to count down my top five favorite/greatest characters from The Walking Dead television series. I'll probably do my top five characters from the comic book series later. For those of you that do read the comics, there are a lot of characters in the comics, so I'll have an even tougher time picking my favorites from the comic book series. Without further ado, here are my top five favorite characters from the television series:
Honorable Mention: Morgan Jones
I know he's only been in two episodes, but I think his performance in "Clear" is the only reason I have him as an honorable mention. I think that was one of the best episodes of season three mainly because we get to see what has happened with him since the first episode of The Walking Dead. A lot of fans were hoping that he would return in the season three finale, but that didn't happen unfortunately. He may not be on that much, but when he is, the episode is always fantastic.
#5 - Glenn Rhee
The last remaining survivor from the Atlanta camp, Glenn has been one of my favorite characters over the past three seasons. He saved Rick from Atlanta and was the group's main supply runner. He began a relationship with Maggie in season two and I guess you can say they are married since Glenn gave her that ring in "This Sorrowful Life." Not only does Glenn show compassion and humanity, but he is one tough guy. When he and Maggie were captured and interrogated by the Governor, he survived a beating from Merle and a walker attack while tied to a chair. That brought out his resourcefulness and quick-thinking, which is why Glenn is one of my favorite characters.
#4 - Philip Blake a.k.a. "The Governor"
As much as I absolutely hate the Governor, you have to admit that he is a great villain. If you don't have the Joker, you don't really have Batman. What I mean by that is that you can have Batman, but you don't really have Batman unless you have someone like the Joker. If you're watching a Batman movie without the Joker, something is definitely missing. The Governor is that "Joker" and main villain. Sure, you have all the zombies, but again, you're missing that main villain that always stirs up trouble. I think the Governor has been handled really well and he definitely has to be on my list.
#3 - Merle Dixon
I think Merle was absolutely fantastic and one of my favorite characters in season three. He was responsible for some of the best moments of the entire season like taking out eight of the Governor's men in "This Sorrowful Life." It's too bad that he died because he really is an interesting character. He does what needs to be done, has no class whatsoever and teeters on the brink of a hero and a villain. I think he definitely went out as a hero in "This Sorrowful Life" when he took out all of those men and drew all of those zombies to where the Governor was.
#2 Rick Grimes
Andrew Lincoln is a phenomenal actor and there is no else better suited to playing Rick then him. I liked all of the struggle in season three over Lori's death and how he got over Lori in the second half of season three. Personally, I think Rick is more of a badass in the television series then in the comic book series, using grenades very well and being a great shot. One of the best scenes of season two was when Rick killed Dave and Tony in that bar, and another memorable scene was seeing Rick kill all those zombies in the prison following Lori's death. He's the main character of the series, and rightfully so because he is absolutely fantastic.
#1 Daryl Dixon
Rick may be the main character, but I think people watch The Walking Dead solely to see Daryl Dixon in action with his signature crossbow. I never want to see Daryl killed off because he is such a fan favorite, a great survivor and an interesting character in general. Norman Reedus did an outstanding job in season three, especially when he has to kill Merle after seeing him as a zombie. I loved when he just took the crossbow from Shumpert after Rick and Maggie came back to save him and Merle. In addition, Daryl probably had the best zombie kill in the history of the television series. Remember this?
Probably the best zombie kill I've ever seen in my life. I also love when Daryl stands up to Merle about Glenn he tells him, "He's Korean." That was one of my favorite lines of the entire season by far.
So just to recap, my favorite characters from The Walking Dead television series, in order, are Glenn, the Governor, Merle, Rick and Daryl. Let me know what you guys think and answer the poll above and tell me who your favorite character is. If you answer "Someone else", let me know who your favorite character is in the comments below.
