The DVD and
Blu-ray release of the third season of “The Walking Dead” has a release date
just over two weeks before the television premiere of the fourth season, giving
new fans plenty of time to catch up on the series. It took me three days to
watch all sixteen season three episodes, and that was only because I forced
myself to spread it out some. I probably could have watched the entire season
in one sitting if life didn’t interfere. A single episode of previous seasons
of “The Walking Dead” was better than most zombie films in the last five years,
but this show has elevated its action and storyline to something far greater
than just the typical zombie apocalypse tale. This series is not just an
inspiration to the genre; it is a triumph for the medium of television.
At the beginning of the third season
we join Rick and the survivors as silent nomads, drifting from vacant house to
vacant house with hopes of scavenging scraps of food and moments of rest before
forced to run. This method has survived them the winter, though it also has
them left weakened and disheartened. Their fortune turns around when they find
a remote prison, promising shelter and security they haven’t experienced since
the farm. This possession eventually brings another type of danger, when a
tyrant (David Morrissey) running a small town of survivors finds reason to make
enemies out of Rick and the group.
Part of what
makes this series so intense is its willingness to kill characters off without
a moment’s notice. These bold decisions give the perception that everything is
at stake and that anything could happen. The final episodes of this season have
more of a likelihood to include the demise of a longstanding character than
not, leaving few remaining from the first season’s cast. Whether it is by
zombie bite or bullet, there are more dangers this season than any before. The
new season brought the best villain of the series so far, as well as adding the
Kitano-wielding Michonne (Danai Gurira) to the cast of reliably good
characters.
The Blu-ray
release of season three includes audio commentaries on episodes 4, 5, 8, 9, and
15. The episodes are all fit onto four discs, with the fifth and final disc
reserved for the handful of deleted scenes and numerous featurettes. The
deleted scenes are all character based scenes of dialogue, none of which are
boring or unexpected. They mostly just seem like filler for what we already
know. The featurettes, on the other hand, are spectacular. As well as the brave
writing, this series features some incredibly daring practical effects devised
by producer and special effects guru, Greg Nicotero. Some of the featurettes
deal with the technical aspects of the show, while others are more fan-based,
just rehashing the popular storylines with cast and crew interviews.
Entertainment Value:
10/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 9/10
Historical
Significance: 10/10
Disc Features: 8/10
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