Movies / Home Theatre

The Walking Dead Season 3 Premiere "Seed"

By Andy Frisk
October 15, 2012 - 23:19

The farm is lost, the walking dead are still everywhere, and food, shelter, and hope are in short supply. Enter the zombie overrun prison, and it's promise of an infirmary, armory, and perhaps most importantly, it's high fences. Will the ragtag survivors, barely kept alive and together by their leader Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), survive the battle to secure at least a small part of the prison and overcome what lurks inside? Meanwhile, Andrea (Laurie Holder) and her new friend Michonne (Danai Gurira) struggle to survive on their own...

Readers of The Walking Dead comic book already know the answers to these questions, and beyond, but we nevertheless can't seem to get enough of the best ever written horror comic turned live action television series. The Ernest R. Dickerson directed series takes a turn towards the action and gore in its third season debut episode, which is a good thing for fans of the comic and series as the biggest complaint about last season was that there was way too little of each.



The episode opens with a lengthy scene where Rick's ragtag gang of zombie apocalypse survivors battle desperately to continue to survive against the zombie hordes and their own fatigue and dwindling hopes. Zombie kill after zombie kill occurs while the cast speaks nary a word while Rick, now the full on and unquestioned alpha male of the group, displays the leadership chops that probably would have kept the farm secure if not for the selfish and idiotic antics of his now turned (and put down) former best friend Shane. Soon viewers are treated to some more of Michonne's swordplay and resoluteness in the face of despair while she and Andrea struggle to survive the wasteland world on their own. Michonne is every bit as bad-ass as she is in the comic book, and her bad-assness only promises to get badder as the season progresses.

The violence and gore in this episode are pretty much the most graphic that we've seen this far from The Walking Dead the television series. Blood, beheadings, amputations, gaping bloody wounds, and grime and gore covered bodies (both living and dead) abound. It's all so beautifully (admittedly a strange descriptor) filmed and executed on screen though. It doesn't have the feel of violence for violence's sake. This is humanity reduced to its most primal survival instincts and the walkers' gore offsets the very live hot blooded determination of Rick's crew. Even "get in the house" Carl gets in on the action and proves to be a crack shot (just like he is in the comics) displaying the incredible ability of even the children of mankind to survive and adapt against all odds.

An expertly threaded opening salvo of a pivotal season for AMC's flagship show, "Seed" definitely lives up to its title. The seed is planted for a long, involved, and yes action packed and bloody season.  

 

Rating: 10 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12