When we saw Rick Grimes and his group at the beginning of “What Lies Ahead,” they were trying to prove to Doctor Jenner that there was something worth living for out in the zombie apocalypse. Maybe if they kept going, they could show that there was salvation. And then basically they took salvation and destroyed it. Jenner was right. In the opening of “The Walking Dead” season three entitled “Seed,” there really hasn’t been any progress.
A whole season has come and gone, and now the group that remains from Herschel’s farm are pretty much just savages. The opening five minutes of the premiere is rather magnificent as the group pretty much do nothing but try to find a place to sit down for more than five minutes. Without a single word of dialogue we can see how far they’ve come. And how little they’ve been able to cope, especially now with Lori very close to giving birth. In the opening scenes they raid a farm house and take down a few walkers. Out of an act of desperation and hunger, Daryl even brings down an Owl, and the group hunkers down prepared to eat what little food they’ve found. Before they can even spread their sheets for a stay, walkers begin to swarm outside, and they’re forced to get up and flee before the dead even catch wind of their fresh meat.
It’s becoming harder and harder to rationalize living in a world filled with walkers, and not even Rick seems to really understand why he continues pushing himself and his group forward. “Seed” is essentially the beginning of the best story arc from Robert Kirkman’s comics, except with the writers basically doing what they want with it, there’s no guarantee we’ll see anything from the comics take place. With Dale gone, and Andrea a part from the group, Rick and the group have been slimmed down and they now have to rely on once blubbering damsels like Carol and Maggie’s little sister Beth to do the hard work. “Seed” is comprised of the first strong story of the group finding a maximum security prison, and a secondary plot hinted at where the mysterious Michonne struggles to keep Andrea safe as she’s stricken with a horrible flu in the middle of a town peppered with drifters and walkers.
The primary premise of the episode garners some truly entertaining and horrific moments as well as planting the seeds for future sub-plots. Lori is having doubts about her soon to be born baby as she hasn’t felt it move in weeks, Carl is beginning to form an adorable crush on Maggie’s quite fetching sister Beth*, Maggie and Glenn are about as close as ever, and–shocker–Daryl and Carol are having a little fling on the side. “Seed” is filled with everything for newcomers to loyal fans of the entire series. For folks who whined endlessly in season two about the low zombie count, “Seed” delivers in spades. There are zombie attacks from all corners, and some wonderfully coordinated battles between the group and prison stalwarts, as well as some wonderful writing for the viewers who come to watch the show weekly for the taut writing. What with the final scene displaying some consequence to the group’s raid of the new cell block, and their discovery, season three is looking to be as compelling as seasons one and two.
* Carl likes Beth! Carl likes Beth! Nanner Nanner Nanner!