Season 3 is a great improvement in comparison to the much weaker second season.
Genre: Drama/Horror/Thriller
Created By: Frank Darabont
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Laurie Holden, Scott Wilson, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, David Morrissey, Danai Gurira & Sarah Wayne Callies.
Network: AMC
Average Runtime: 45 min.
No. of Episodes: 16
Release Period: 13 Oct. 2013 - 31 Mar 2013
The third season of The Walking Dead starts months after the end of season two. Lori is far into her pregnancy and the group is travelling through the wilderness, half starved. Rick’s loyalty is once again questioned, after he is unable to provide food and shelter for the group but that is before he stumbles upon a prison complex. Season three was in my opinion the best season so far, with suspenseful episodes aired from beginning to end, I also liked the character arcs and developments that occurred throughout the episodes, with Carl’s being the most disturbing.
---WATCH OUT THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS---
Months after the walking dead attacked the Greene farm, Rick (Lincoln) and the group are scavenging for food in a few suburban areas. Rick still doesn’t talk to Lori (Wayne Callies), after their fight at the end of the second season, and Hershel (Wilson) lets Rick know that the group needs to find a place to stay, because they can’t keep going on scavenging. In a lucky turn of events, the group finds a prison and decides to clean it out and make it a home, but they are not alone the consequences cost Lori her life, just after giving birth.
In the meantime Andrea (Holden) is been taken care off by her new friend Michonne (Gurira), when Merle takes them captive and brings them to Woodbury. Philip Blake (Morrissey), also known as the Governor, takes them in but is distrustful of Michonne. When Michonne discovers disturbing things going on in Woodbury, she flees and runs into Rick and his group at the prison. The Governor learns of the prison survivors and decides to attack them.
In comparison to the last season, the third instalment of the series is faster paced and has a better build-up of tension filled episodes. The third season is based on the third volume of The Walking Dead graphic novel series, with a couple of changes here and there; most important, though, it introduces the character of the Governor, who is the first big villain in the series. This villain is so important because he is the one person that makes the survivors realize that the dead are the least to worry about, since the living can become far more dangerous. The psychological profiling of the human being in the series keeps surprising me, as it hits the nail on its head when it comes to portraying people living in a dystopian world.
This also marks the first time we obtain a split story, with characters being on separate paths, since the first season. What I like about The Walking Dead is its difference compared to other TV shows! The producers are not afraid to kill important and beloved characters and I respect them for having the chops and following the source material. The fact that old friends die and new characters keep appearing during episodes and seasons gives the series new perspectives and keeps it fresh.
This season introduced us to a bunch of new characters and gave our regular heroes some really interesting arcs. After Rick’s leadership was questioned for not being honest about the zombie virus to the group (this included his wife), he grew distant towards the others and especially towards Lori. Eventually he loses his sanity when his wife dies, as he wasn’t able to forgive her and tell her that he loves her. Andrew Lincoln’s performance was amazing; the way he presented his emotions of loneliness and depression and how he depicted the loss of his sanity was tremendous. Carl also made an important growth as a character, if not for the best.
Herschel quickly became one of my favourite characters in this season, taking over the role of Dale as Rick’s voice of reason. Compared to Dale though, he has more passionate and had heart, which made it easier for the audience to connect with him. The loss of his leg and his will to keep going on is another factor that helped this character gain sympathy.
If you followed my previous reviews of season one and two, you will know that Andrea is my least favourite character and she kept that title in this season, behaving stupidly and ignorant. I was glad that she was one of the characters that got killed off! Michonne, the newcomer played by Danai Gurira, looked cool but annoyed me at the beginning because of her carelessness in Woodbury. She quickly changed along the season and became one of my favourites.
The Governor is a new type of character that makes his introduction in this season. While most living villains from previous instalments were either simply violent or desperate, Philip is a different person. He is twisted and sadistic, a person who gave me goose bumps and made Rick and the group realize, that trusting the living can come at a terrible price.
The cinematography still accounts as to one of the best in the history of TV series and the costume design and practical effects keep getting better the further the series progresses. Merle’s prosthetic “arm” was one of the better designs and the production team keeps coming up with different and creative ways to kill zombies. This is one of the best-looking TV series I have seen, not accounting Game of Thrones.
Verdict: Season three of The Walking Dead was a huge improvement to the previous season, in terms of storytelling and pacing. The characters made important developments that furthered the plot and we, as viewers, experienced heart-wrenching losses. This season did not only bring back the quality of the first, it also exceeded it by miles. I will give season three of The Walking Dead a 9.5 out of 10.
What was your opinion of this series third season? Did you like it? Leave your opinion in the comment section below and let me know what you think. Thank you very much for reading and if you liked this review, make sure to share it!
