After what felt like the longest wait in T.V. history, The Walking Dead is finally back! 70 days elapsed between the December 2 early season finale and the midseason premiere on February 10. Nearly 16 million tuned in to the return of the critically-acclaimed program. It was well worth the wait.
The episode began right where the midseason finale left off; Woodbury was in full disarray, and long lost brothers Merle and Daryl Dixon were face to face. Thankfully for all of us viewers, Daryl and his brother were able to escape thanks to a combination of brotherly know-how and firepower from Rick and his group.
The episode showcased the madness and insanity of almost every character in the show and also showed the strained relationships between many characters in Rick’s group. With the addition of the weary travelers of Tyrese’s group finding their way into the prison, Rick is pushed to a near mental breakdown. In typical Walking Dead fashion, the episode ended with a total surprise that nobody saw coming, and left you counting down the days until the next episode premiered.
The midseason premiere was everything I wanted and more. The perfect amount of storytelling, surprises, and awesome zombie kills satisfied a more than two month wait. Yet again, special effects guru Greg Nicotero didn’t disappoint. Like always, Nicotero proved that he is one of the best in the business with countless lifelike special effects that gave the feeling that what you were seeing was real, and not just a bunch of makeup on an extra.
Andrew Lincoln continues to play Rick, the leader of the group who is slowly but surely losing his mind, with astounding talent. Lincoln continuously brings his character to life week after week, and in my mind deserves at the very least a major award nomination. Has he? No, but I won’t get into that disservice to him.
In all, I believe the second half of this season will prove to be one of the best in television history. With so many twists the show can take, I am excited to sit in front of my T.V. every Sunday night to watch how season three plays out on the most watched television series plays out.
