Rob Draugr: I Walked With The Dead, ok he was just really drunk, but he really did look like a zombie...honest

It's happened. Season two is over. Dale. Dead. Shane. Dead. Sophia. Dead. Jimmy. Dead. Patricia. Dead.

Rick and Shane's masterfully filmed final confrontation

Season two for me was brilliant. I understand there were many who believed that more zombies were needed, but I'm going to argue against that, and here's why. Season one was jammed packed with zombies, extravagant set pieces, the desolation of Atlanta and the hopelessness of the CDC. Season two had to ground the survivors in reality, it had to show how they were all coping, and what it did superbly was lull us all into a sense of false security. they found Hershel and his farm. It was relatively safe there far from the city, the inter state roads or any other major area where walkers would be congregating. It lulled the group into a false sense of security too, and it gave characters the chance to develop and blossom, for peoples agendas to become clear, and for me, one person to shine through. Shane. Jon Bernthal's portrayal of a man descending into madness was superb. His loss of morals and his drive to survive, to protect Lori, Carl and his possible unborn baby was divine. At first what seemed like survival instincts slowly gave way to a deeper motivation, one of jealousy, love and betrayal. And the final scene with Shane and Rick in the meadow, staring one another down, both poised to kill one another was a masterpiece in directing, the shots of Rick and Shane in silhouette were beautiful and very reminiscent of a comic book style. Shame he had to go, but a man has to do what a man has to do to protect his family, and Andrew Lincoln's Rick has been equally as compelling. Carrying the burden of the group, their safety, keeping one eye on Shane and one eye on the lookout for walkers and his struggle to remain the man he has always been in a world where all the rules have gone out the window has been a joy to watch.

David Morrisey and The Governor

So, what's going go down in Season Three? Who's going to live? Who's going to die? Who's going to become a walker and feast upon the living?
Well, if you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you'll already know they have cast David Morrisey as the Governor, yes that's right, the single most sadistic character from any comic book I have read (Thought that is a limited amount unless you include The Beano and The Dandy when I was seven, and let's just say he's a damn sight more sadistic than those Bash Street Kids!) and that means the already dark turn is going to get even darker. Perhaps we shall see the prison come into play in the third season, and God forbid, what happens if they follow the comic books progression and we get the harrowing, heart breaking story arc of Issue 50... I mean, I'm a tough man, I'm a mans man, I chop MDF and put up flat pack furniture, but Dale's death and Shane's death near enough choked me up, I don't think I could take seeing the carnage of Issue 50 on screen. (If you haven't read the comics, I'm not going to elaborate as I don't want to unintentionally spoil anything for you, but let's just say, I have seen slaughter houses that were less bloody and gorey.) For an indepth conversation with Robert Kirkman, here's a link to an interview with him on TV Line

Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon, before hacking
off his own hand

Also peaking interest for the new season, is the awesome news that everyone's favourite redneck, racist, coke taking, clap having big brother, Merle Dixon, played by Michael Rooker will be back. Yes Rooker is reprising the role of Daryl's big bro with only one arm for the new season, and apparently, according to Rooker he had to lose 20lbs for the role, a statement he made during a panel for the zombie infested "Lollipop Chainsaw" game, so could he have been in the clutches of an egocentric, stark raving mad, boil your bunny then wear it as a hat type of person know round London town as the Guvnah? Time will tell. Also tantalisingly being dangled at us Dead head's for the next season is Michonne, the one woman, zombie arse kicking survivalist who is a popular fan favourite. how will she factor in? At the time of writing, Michonne hasn't been cast, so who would work playing her? Would it be worth getting an actress like Tracie Thoms in to play her, or search for a relative unknown? *Okay scratch that, Michonne has been cast and has appeared, see the link. How about other major characters from later on within the story? The prison is there, are we going to see them get comfortable? Will they show the attempted rape of Carl? With such a vivid source to work from, surely this next season can only go from strength to strength.

For now, we will have to wait for more announcements to see where the show will go for it's third instalment, and then wait the agonisingly long seven months until October for the new season to get under way. So what do we do whilst we wait? Well, look no further than the Walking Dead video game! That should buy us some time! Check out the trailer below. So now to play some Dead Rising 2 whilst I wait for more Walking Dead to come along...I guess chainsaws on the ends of paddles will have to do before more awesome walker killing. Laters for now!