It's the Rick Grimes I've known and love/feared for years - In Defense of Season 3 of Walking Dead mit non-spoil spoiler (for pageviews)

Now that the rancorous presidential election has finally drawn to a close, normalcy has returned, by and large, to social media.  This return to relative normalcy means two things: cat videos and people spoiling/bitching/espousing/making wild claims/etc. about the Walking Dead.  As a stalwart of the comic book and begrudging viewer of the show, I have to say that I actually enjoy the new direction of the show.  Here's why...obviously.

I think we're going to need a new group shot as well most of you are dead now.

1) They say the show was all about character development; most of them were developing into d-bags.

It's true.  Every week I watch Andrea, on the tv show, and I think good god what is your fucking problem lady?  Do you ever say anything that isn't patently retarded?  Wait, now you're siding with Shane?  Just die.  And even now in Season 3 she is still dumb as shit and developing on that trajectory of being a fucking moron.  So, what's the problem?  And hey, you know what?  Now that Merle is back he's more than just a syphilitic white supremacist; he's a syphilitic white supremacist that loves his brother and is part of the group.  Glenn is still very much Glenn, and Darryl continues to develop as the only likable character created for the show; hell, even T-Dog was useful/resonant before he died which is a big step really.  So there you go, the characters are still developing; it's just that things have actually been happening at a speedy click this season, with less wistful staring/hugging and shit.

2) The dialogue is cringe worthy.

Um...it always was.  Seriously, half of the time the show had people trying to spout exposition or make declarations of their feelings.  It's always been that way, and it's always been awkward.  Just think back to the CDC arc, or don't...it's terrible.  I'm really just glad that everyone who died um died.  So that's really it; the show hasn't gotten worse on that front really; you're just aware of it as it's not the show you had been watching, and change is scary.

3) Rick is a huge douchebag now.

That's how I like my Rick Grimes: crazy and willing to do whatever is necessary to help the group.  Sure, his interactions with Lori right before she ate it were a bit terse, but it happens some times in relationships.  Also, she did kinda convince him that murdering people was a-ok and that may have caused some strife.  I mean I've gotten short with women about movie concessions and vice versa.  My petty squabbles aside, that's the Rick Grimes I've love/feared in the comics for years.  He's at heart a good man that does what's necessary, but he's most of all a man.  He's going to react to his wife dying, stupidly, like anyone else-blind rage.  He's going to defend his people with machetes.  He's going to do way more questionable shit than that depending on how long the show runs.  I'd say just sit back and enjoy it; murder crazy Rick is the best and still fairly reasonable.  Just don't test him.  Ever.  He'll fucking kill you and not be all that bothered by it.

4) They just keep killing off characters left and right.

Refer back to 2.  It's the Walking Dead.  It happens in the books and on the show as that's the main thing that would happen in an actual zombpacalypse: people dropping like flies.  And hey, you know what they made me care about T-Dog, a character that I and the internet typically mocked (Rick: Okay, I'm going to need Glenn and Darryl on this one; T-Dog...I don't know go wait with the women or try and find Carl or something.)  But yeah I mean it's going to happen, and they already have a new more bad ass black guy.  I'm also sure there will be a new momish squeezy bun for Darryl.  Hey, maybe he could get with that girl who they keep trying to imply digs Carl but is 27 which makes me feel weird.  Or not.  Anyway, it's the show's m.o to keep the death toll high.

5) The reveals are stupid.

No they're not.  The arena is a pretty integral part of illustrating the ideological differences between survivors.  Pretty much, for television you've got to make it a slightly slower burn with illustrating that yes, the Governor is bat shit crazy.  Granted, we have already seen him straight up murder a group of survivors, but that happens on this show.  We have not seen someone corral his zombie daughter.  I am glad though that on the tv show he does not kiss said zombie daughter on the mouth, like on the comic.  He also doesn't have a bunch of zombie heads in aquariums that he watches in lieu of television.  And frankly, I don't really know if television audiences would be okay with his prolonged and systematic raping of Micchone, like in the comic books (it came out over 5 years ago and I feel spoiler free.)  So yeah, the reveals have less punch, but they're less ham fisted ways of illustrating the core differences between groups of survivors.

And now there be spoilers:

Stop reading

Seriously

Anyway, here we go... It's Lori on the phone.  Rick has gone nanners and talks to his dead wife on the phone for, frankly, way longer than he should.