There are 40 days and nights remaining until AMC premieres The Walking Dead’s 4th season and ends that wait that has lasted since the season 3 finale aired on March 31, 2013. It’s been 5 long months. And we have more than 1 more to go. But, I have faith that it’s going to be worth it when the walkers and the group (along with their many new members) return to TV screens this fall.
Warning: If you aren’t caught up on The Walking Dead’s first 3 seasons, stop reading now and come back when you’re ready. This post does include spoilers.
We can see here that there will be no shortage of walkers. They will be everywhere. I don’t know if the larger group is making more noise and drawing them in. Or if the scent has wafted over time. Or heck, maybe the walkers just wandered over. Either way, they’ve got to be defended against and killed. From The Walking Dead Season 4 trailer (Comic-Con 2013) we know that at some point there is a walker situation in the prison that needs to be investigated and will likely cause casualties.
That’s sad. But to be expected. And will likely give us some tense moments before some violent moments and then some “I’m not crying, I just have something in my eye” moments. I am not at all ready to make any predictions about who lives and who dies. But I do I have an observation based on the next image…
So, observation time: In this photo of Carol, Daryl, Sasha, Glenn and Herschel sitting around having some sort of meeting it’s pretty clear to see the old farmer with 2 legs and 2 feet and 2 boots. So there’s either a little mix-up in the frames that ended up in the trailer OR Herschel got himself a prosthetic leg when the Woodbury move took place. If Herschel does have a new leg will he be suddenly more helpful and less of a liability as the group defends the prison against walkers and, presumably, The Governor or some other human threat at some point in the season.
Also, this image of 5 people having a meeting of the minds does not include Rick or Tyreese or Carl which makes me wonder what they’re talking about, what’s happened that brought them to this point and where does this meeting lead them?
And now, some photos of some of our favorite characters. With the death of Andrea and the progression of Michonne in season 3 (especially episode 12 “Clear” when she bonds with Carl) I expect her to be “all in” with the group this season. I don’t know if she’s hurt in the image with Maggie shown above, but either way, it shows that she’s willing to be close with her and that is a good sign. Her skills and strengths are no doubt a significant piece of the group’s chance for survival.
It’s very, very, very fair to say that Daryl is the fan favorite on The Walking Dead. Everyone loves this character and his growth and bad-ass edge from the first 3 seasons. One of the questions that needs to be answered in season 4 is how much of a leader can Darly be? If Rick does take a step back, will he take a step up. He has the skills and he’s matured and he is strong of will – 3 things that people want to stand behind. But does he want that mantle? Time will tell.
I’m also curious to see if Carol and Daryl become a couple at some point in the season. Will it take a tense and emotional moment to bring them together, or will the evolution of their relationship just take them there? I don’t think that the audience will complain if they come together as I think they will.
The last image is one of Rick and Carl. Seeing them together in the pig pen is important. It gives the immediate impression that perhaps father and son have smoothed things over. Maybe they’ve gotten back on the same page. Maybe they’ve got some mutual respect. Who knows. What we do know is that they are both going to be needed to feed the pigs and to help protect the group from the coming threats.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I’ve got The Walking Dead Season 4 trailer from Comic-Con – it’s right here for you. And if you want more from your favorite zombie infested TV show, check out the AMC website.
Get ready, there will be more goodies coming as The Walking Dead Season 4 gets closer.