ZOMBIES: #TheWalkingDead Recap/Wild Speculation 'Internment'

HARSH REALITIES OF PRISON SICKNESS REVEALED

by

Bowie V. Ibarra

 

Things were getting rough for the folks quarantined in the prison.  Here's some 'wild speculation' that was submitted before the episode, and brief notes.

ARMY ED,
Special Weapons and Tactics Advisor to ZBF.com

Carol ends up with the Governor. Michone and Daryll seem like they have a thing going. the sickness will get resolved at the break and the Gov will be reintroduced as the cliff hanger.

R THOMAS RILEY
author of If God Doesn't Show from Permuted Press

1) Rick's decision to exile Carol is going to have major repercussions

2) Bob is proving to be a liability, there'll be a showdown between him and Daryl
3) Once Tyreese finds out Rick just let Carol go, he'll go looking for her to have his revenge.
4) More Woodbury residents will die, seeing as the writers don't have a clue what to do with them now.
5) The meds will not work, at least not at first. More desperate measures will have to be taken, putting Rick and Herschel at odds.

BRIEF NOTES

THE HASSLE OF CARING FOR/DISPOSING THE SICK

You got to hurt for Herschel, trying so hard to stem the tide of death going through quarantine.  He's the only one holding out hope for the sick folks.  That's not easy, putting so much work into what seemed like a futile effort to fend off death.

RICK AND CARL - FATHER/SON BONDING

That was a pretty cool moment watching Rick and Carl regulate the zeds breaching the fences of the prison.  Providing an automatic weapon for Carl, they both mowed down the zeds breaking down the defenses of the prison.  Let's hope they bond again by resecuring those breaches.

LOVE AND BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

Maggie smashes the protective window to get to her dad and fiancé after things fall apart in the quarantine.  Now with the window broken, the quarantine zone is breached. 

And, as you might imagine, she ran to see Glenn.  She almost shot her dad, who was trying to get an oxygen pump from a zed for Glenn (!!!), then ran and kissed Glenn's bloody face after the pump that was in the zed's mouth and apparently 'cleaned' with alcohol was used in his mouth (!!!).

JEEP MAKES AN APPEARANCE

Well, looks like Jeep passed on some of those Walking Dead promo dollars.  Thanks, Jeep, for your support of The Walking Dead

RETURN OF THE GOVERNOR

Yep.  He showed up at the end, like we all knew he would sometime.  But with no one to follow him, how is he going to get his revenge on the folks at the prison?

So what now?  We'll see next week.

And if you enjoyed the blog, support the blogger by picking up one of his zombie horror titles. 

 Down the Road, Down the Road: On the Last Day, and Down the Road: The Fall of Austin.  Pick them up in paperback or Kindle today.

 

 

BOWIE V. IBARRA earned his BFA in Acting and MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  Network with Bowie at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com today.

ZOMBIES: Recap - #TheWalkingDead Late 'Wild Speculation', Notes for 'Isolation'

DEATH WATCHES, ESCALATION OF TENSION IN LATEST EPISODE
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

'The Walking Dead' returns with another dark episode that just gets darker.  It seems this season they're balancing the action with a crueler theme at this point.  But before we get to the notes/recap, let's see how some of the 'wild speculation' played out

JACKIE DRUGA, author of 'The Flu' series from Permuted Press

First just let me get my typical gripe out of the way. I hate the fact that they wrote all the Woodbury residents into the series, and now they have found a way to write them off. Gotta love that the immune are original cast. Hmmm. Maybe that has something to do with the illness.

My prediction is the illness is not what you think. I think Kirkman and writers got a hold of my book Flu 2 and stole the idea of taking a germ from a BSL lab. The Gov did that. It’s all him.

Carol is doing the killing. She and that little girl are doing the deeds.

ARMY ED, Special Weapons and Tactics Advisor to ZombieBloodFights.com

I think Carol will turn out to be the one responsible for the rats and burning the bodies.

R THOMAS RILEY, author of If God Doesn't Show from Permuted Press

1) there will be more minor character deaths due to the "superflu", characters who we barely know their names, a major character will get sick, my prediction is either Rick (though he'll recover) or Daryl.

2) supply run, yep, and then the supply run will experience a setback, separating the two groups for an episode or 2.

3) a new group will (at least should) be introduced, Rick and company are going be faced with some tough decisions, possibly expelling the sick ones to protect the core group, of course this will be met with resistance and Rick's position will be in jeopardy as group leader.

So how did they do?  Looks like both Jackie and Army Ed scored with the prediction that CAROL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXECUTING THE FIRST TWO SICK FOLKS by burning them.  Well done Army Ed and Jackie.  That confession by Carol to Rick was pretty cold.  Not to mention the fact that she was asked by Tyrese to watch after Sasha while he was away.  Now we'll have to see how the possible revelation to Tyrese plays out.  And we get to see if Carol executes Sasha, too.

That's an issue, though, because Tyrese made the SUPPLY RUN that EXPERIENCED A MAJOR SETBACK (way to go, R Thomas) when the team that was sent 50 miles out to get antibiotics was jumped by the proverbial zombie mob and their Dodge Charger was disabled.

Here's some notes and observations from this episode:

DODGE MOTORCARS THROWING MORE MONEY AT THE WALKING DEAD

So, looks like the character Zach happened to have a stylish black Dodge Charger that Daryl had the ability to fix for the supply run.  We've already seen our hardy survivors use Dodge Rams.  Dodge trying to get that Hyundai Santa Fe/Death Dealer promo dollars.

MORE KILLING KIDS

Eesh.  The harsh truth of the Zombie Apocalypse has been a part of this series from the first five minutes of the series:  Kids are going to die, too.  Remember when Rick's first action was shooting a little girl who had turned into a zombie in the face?  Remember when they spent an entire half of season two looking for a kid?  Remember when The Governor kept his dead daughter, Penny, around after turning and Michone put a sword through her head in front of her father?  Here we go again with one of the kids Carol tried to train coming down with the virus that killed her dad.

DID CAROL TAINT THE WELL?

So, the weirdest moment was when Carol knocked over the water barrel.  What was that about?  There was still a lot of water in there.  If she wanted more water, couldn't she have tilted the barrel to get to it from the spout.  Could she have tainted the well with zombie blood and spilled it out of guilt?

JACKIE DRUGA chimes back in with WILD SPECULATION for next week's show: 

My prediction for next week, Rock finds out Carol is not alone. Hershel saves people but gets sick in the process and we find out that Michonne was actually a stay at home mom of a little boy who was snatched from the crib by walkers.

Will the squad sent out for antibiotics make it back on time?  Did Tyrese get bit or get all that gore in his mouth and get infected?  Looks like we'll have to wait until next week to find out more.

And if you need more zombie horror, check out the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press.   Down the Road, Down the Road: On the Last Day, and Down the Road: The Fall of Austin.  Pick them up in paperback or Kindle today.

 

 

 

BOWIE V. IBARRA earned his BFA in Acting and MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  Network with Bowie at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com today.

ZOMBIES: Season 3 Finale 'Wild Speculation' for 'Welcome to the Tombs - Walking Dead

by Bowie Ibarra

JACKIE DRUGA, Permuted Press author of FLU

Oh! Oh! This is the week where my wild speculation is spot on! Simply by viewing the two sneak peek trailers, this is my ‘Wow she nailed it’ predication for the season finale.

Milton discovers Andrea has been taken hostage by the Gov. As he tries to free and help Andrea, Gov comes in. After nailing Milton with that mighty punch, which by the way IMO wasn’t enough to take out bad ass Merle. Gove says to Andrea, “I’ll set you free, but you have to come with us. You have to be the one to get Michonne for me,” he tells her and a few other dubious lies. She says no and he laughs, we see him close the door. He rallies his forces. Tyrese stays behind with Sasha. Tyrese finds out via Milton, what the Gov has done to Andrea and turns the tides inside.

Meanwhile back at the prison, Rick and the crew have packed up, heeding Merle’s deathbed advice of Michonne to warn them. He sends Carol, Beth, Baby Judith (No she isn’t going to die) Carl and Hershel away and to be hidden. Gang Woodbury arrive to ambush the prison. Booby traps are set for them. Remember Michonne said, “We don’t have to win we just have to make it hard for them to get us.”

Daryl has found transport and heads back to the prison. He arrives as Rick, Micky, Maggie and Glenn are watching from a distance the Gov and his people fall.

The four of them, in turn head to Woodbury.

In short, they make their away in. The Gov, pissed off about the unsuccessful ambush, realizes that Team Prison is at his home front and goes there. This is where the battle takes place. This is where Maggie or Glen will die. They have been playing on them being happy and married so that is foreshadowing they won’t be. Michonne finds Milton who tells her Andrea is in the torture chamber. She goes there, Andrea’s head is down, when she lifts it, she’s a walker, Michonne takes her out. Rick fails in killing the Gov and he gets away. Team prison moves into Woodbury. The clean up begins.

GARETH WOOD, Permuted Press author of RISE

I predict for the season finale, either Milton or Andrea kills the Governor. Hershel will be killed in the showdown. Carol and the baby will be killed. The Governor kills Rick and adopts Carl to raise as his own. Andrea and the Governor elope.

ARMY ED, Special Weapons and Tactics Advisor to ZombieBloodFights.com

The people in the prison need to take off.  Let the Governor take the prison, cut their losses, and run.  There's no sense defending the place.  They can find another place to defend.  Let the Governor expend resources in this futile move for revenge.

There's just too much at stake for the prison to fight this maniac.

MICHAEL S. GARDNER, author of the short story collection, Death in the Times of Madness, and the zombie novella (that’s only a buck), Betrayal. He also blogs at: www.atasteofterror.blogspot.com. Look for his new zombie novel, Downfall, which is coming soon.

Well, last week was a tear-jerker. I truly was saddened with the loss of Merle. He, in my opinion, had a lot left to offer the show. But that’s what happens when you’re thrust into a world filled with walkers and one-eyed gov’nas, I suppose.

For the big season finale, I’m thinking that we’ll see Andrea get rescued (unfortunately) by either Michonne or Rick. I’m really betting on the former, however, as I imagine the gov’na or Tyreese will put one in the back of her head. Andrea won’t die, I’m thinking; we need a kickass female lead, and it’s apparent that Michonne isn’t what the director and writers are looking for.

Speaking of females, my girl, Maggie, will bite the big one. Her ghost came and told me this last night. Or maybe that was a dream. Glenn too. They’re both goners. Herschel will do his best to save them. However, a flight of stairs – his arch nemesis – will prevent him from doing so. The old man, this time, will run out of shotgun ammunition, as well as balance, and be consumed by a mob of hungering walkers.

Rick, well, he’ll be doing stuff and things; that much is obvious. My money is on Daryl fucking up the gov’na and his cronies. I imagine it happening like this: Daryl on top, choking the dirty politician and holding his head down so the walkers can peel slabs of flesh from the buffet of his face and lap up the blood like parched, feral canines.

Lori will make an appearance, but who cares? Even if it is significant.

We’ve been warned this season’s ending would leave us speechless, so all bets are off. I would prefer that we lose at least half of the cast. Nothing personal; it’s just time for a big change.

Oh, and if Daryl dies, we riot.

 

THOMAS, VW Tech Guy

Rick and the folks in the prison have booby-trapped the prison, ready to let The Governor and his Death Squad infiltrate the labyrinthine facility.  This will allow the Walking Dead folks to attack the Governor from all angles.

I also predict the Governor will get his other eye poked out and fall victim to a zombie.


ZOMBIEBLOODFIGHTS.COM

If I don't see Zombie Lori in this episode, I'll be upset.

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BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

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Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: Recap 'Walking Dead - Prey'

by Bowie Ibarra

As you might expect, even in the zpoc, humans can't get along and present an united front against a common enemy.  Here's a recap from 'The Walking Dead' episode 'Prey'.

-- The show opens with Andrea has a secret meeting with Michonne in the woods.  But while that's going down, the Governor is constructing a custom torture chamber for Michonne and any and all of his foes.  He looks a liiiiiitle too turned on at the prospect.

--  Woodbury gears up for war.  It's all or nothing for the town, and Andrea realizes she's been duped again.  I don't know, maybe they should consider the benefits of the 'nothing' option.

--  Milton talks with the Governor about the offensive, but discovers the torture chamber.  Awkward.

--  Milton leaks info about the torture chamber to Andrea and then shows it to her.  Then the governor shows up to test audio recording equipment.  Kinky.
-- Milton and Andrea explore the assassination option.  Hey Andrea, too little too late.  You could have killed him after banging him out a few nights before.  Do you get it now?
--  Milton says killing the Governor would only put Martinez in charge.  Things would go from bad to worse in Woodbury with the death squad leader at the helm.  It's a 'Day of the Dead' situation.  You remember when Major Cooper died and Sgt. Rhodes took over the underground base?

--  Andrea tries to make a run to warn the prison, but gets disarmed by Martinez and propositioned by the Governor.  Best thing you could do, Andrea, is stick with the team for the attack and off the governor before the battle even begins.  You wanted to shoot him just moments before.  Keep your friends close, and enemies closer, you know?

--  Tyrese and Sascha are on the wall on the watch and let Andrea run for the prison.  They're not cold enough to shoot her.   They then have to answer to the Governor on why they let her go.  Governor figures out Milton leaked info to her.

--  Tyrese confronts his other two friends, who are firmly behind the Governor. 

--  Governor tracks Andrea, and the hunt is on.  She runs into a building to escape the Governor.  After some cat-and-mouse and squashing a zeds face via some Greg Nicotero magic, Andrea makes a break for it and the Governor is confronted by zeds.

-- The pit that Woodbury gathered zombies for the ZombieBloodFights.com Games at the Woodbury Arena of Sport and other such experiments is set ablaze by a mysterious figure.

-- Andrea is yards away from the prison.  She's so close she can see Rick on the tower.  She can't cry out or the zeds would be on her, so she just waves.  But the Governor catches her and takes her back.  He tells the people at the gate he didn't find her.  He also discovers the sabotage and knows who did it.  Milton has a very bad poker face.

--  Show ends with Andrea strapped to the Governor's custom chair as the first contestant to initiate the Re-education Room.  You know, work out the kinks.  See what works and doesn't work.  You know, general torture to the death trial and error stuff.

Two more episodes, folks.  The two opposing factions throw down next week.  Get ready.

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BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

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Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: 'Arrow in the Doorpost' Walking Dead Notes

by Bowie Ibarra

 

 

Tensions were high in 'Arrow in the Doorpost'.  Here are some notes from ZombieBloodFights.com.

 

GOVERNOR AND RICK FACE-OFF

 

--  Rick, Daryl, and Herschel are part of a convoy to meet the Governor.

 

-- Great opening shot overhead of the silos where the Prison/Woodbury Peace Summit would take place.  Great shots throughout, creating great, bordering on arthouse-style pictures throughout.

 

--  Rick finds the shed where the Governor is waiting to broker a deal.  Rick puts his piece away, but the Governor has an ace in the hole taped to the side of the table.

 

--  Andrea shows up with Milton and Marquez.  She claims to have negotiated the peace talks.  She is quickly dismissed by the Governor, showing no respect to Andrea.

 

--  Rick suggests boundaries for co-existence, Governor doesn't want any of it.

 

--  Governor says he'll lay off if Rick sells out Michone.  He gives him two days to decide.

 

MARQUEZ AND DARYL, HERSCHEL AND MILTON

 

--  The muscle of both teams, Marquez and Daryl, flex their muscles putting down zeds.  Both know they're going to throw down eventually in spite of the diplomatic theatrics from their leaders.  But they respect their leaders enough to stay on their leashes.

 

--  Herschel and Milton have a moment together and bond over Herschel's cut off leg.

 

--  Herschel subtly reveals to Andrea the threat of rape the Governor posed to Maggie.  He also says she is still welcome with the prison crew.

 

PRISON GEARS UP

 

--  With all the weapons brought from Morgan and throughout their adventures, the team gears up.

 

--  Merle thinks they should jump the Governor at the meeting site, its the best opportunity to finish it.  Glenn shoots down the idea.

 

--  Merle takes the initiative and tries to gear up and make a run on the Governor, but Glenn stops him with physical force.

 

--  Merle tries to recruit Michone to go jump the Governor, but she turns him down, too.

 

RICK AND THE GOVERNOR'S RETURN

 

--  Rick weighs the options of selling out Michone by asking Herschel's thoughts.  Herschel says Michone has earned her place and is a big part of why their still alive and Glen and Maggie are safe.

 

-- The Governor says whether Rick brings in Michone or not, they're going on the offensive to crush the prison folks.

 

It's a great episode and lead up to next week.  We'll see how it plays out.  Join us later this week for the next 'Wild Speculation' as well.

 

If you enjoyed the blog, please consider offering support by purchasing one of the ZombieBloodFights.com titles from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster in paperback and kindle here.

 

============

 

BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

Follow Bowie's Facebook page.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: 'Arrow on the Doorpost' Wild Speculation, Walking Dead

by Bowie Ibarra

The follow-up to 'The Walking Dead-Clear' episode should be interesting.  Here are some thoughts from some noted Zombie Enthusiasts.

R THOMAS RILEY, author of the Permuted Press title 'If God Doesn't Show'

First off, I have a really healthy love/hate relationship with The Walking Dead. Some episodes all I want to do is reach through the screen and slap a stupid character, other times, I'm simply in love with said same character. Much of this has to do with the various writers of the show. The writers have done some really stupid stuff over the past three seasons, then again, the writers have managed to pull off some of the best stuff I've ever seen in a TV show. Basically, I long for the show to somehow find consistency. One can hope, right? Still, in the end, I'll still be hooked on this show, warts and all, and most episodes it is the best show on TV.

For this week's episode, Arrow on the Doorpost -

1) I predict Andrea is going to play a pretty significant part in setting up The Governor and Rick's meeting, and , and she'll pay dearly for it, caught in the middle and torn between her feelings for both The Governor and Rick, if not in this episode, certainly by the end of the season. I don't feel her chances of surviving past the finale are very high, and Michonne will have a hand in Andrea's demise.

2) The Governor is certainly laying a trap for Rick and his crew. I predict during the peace treaty talks, others from Woodbury, on orders from the Governor, will attack the prison, while Rick is distracted.

3) Merle will prove to be a wild card. At this point, he could go either way. Both Rick and The Governor have tried to kill him, so he's really not loyal to either at this point in the series. Merle is smart and a survivor, he'll certainly weigh his options and go with the group that's more likely to survive. I could see Merle taking over Woodbury and becoming the "new" Governor.

4) We're going to lose more characters, it's inevitable. I predict either Maggie or her sister are going to die. It'd really do a number on Glen if it's Maggie, and if it's Maggie's sister, the baby will be in even more danger.

5) This may be the episode where the set for the finale is very much in motion. The prison is no longer safe and it's time to move on. Rick's kicking Tyrone and his group out will come back to bite him. I really feel the hitchhiker from the previous episode is going to play into something as well.

JACKIE DRUGA, author of the Permuted Press title The Flu

Episode 12 gave us very little but character development of Michonne and a nice treat into Morgan.
So my speculation, based on previews and items picked up in the episode clear. They meet up with the governor. But I think Rick goes into the meeting thinking they are gonna talk and while Hershel is outside, he gets kidnapped. Starting the war.

Back at prison, Merle becomes more part of the group and they plot the assassination of the governer.
In Woodbury, Tyrese trains to be a solider there but learns quickly about the governor’s evil ways and hence becomes a spy. I think Tyrese sees Herschel.

Michonne really came out of her ‘anti’ shell and I liked what we saw. I don’t know if it’s me but I felt a connection between her and Rick. If anyone is gonna bring him out of his padded cell world, it’s her.

I’m gonna lean toward thinking there was something in the orange backpack they picked up. The writers can’t be so daft to think that we, the viewers would buy a man, who had survived a year in a Zombie Apocalypse, would scream and run down the road. He knows better. You gonna tell me he survived all that time to die being stupid. No. So I’m hopeful that the twit factor didn’t play into the writers and the running survivor means something other than a bad way to show Rick lost all humanity and how much he has changed.

ARMY ED, Special Weapons and Strategy Advisor to ZBF.com

There's got to be a showdown between Rick and the Governor.

Both sides feel each other out.  Prison needs to upgrade security.

Woodbury shouldn't storm the prison, but he's probably going to because of his hubris.  If they have 35 some-odd people at Woodbury, and 20 folks go on this offensive, what happens?  Some of them are going to die, many will be wounded.  Not only will they have to deal with the defenses and the prison itself, but the zombies outside.  As people start dying and getting wounded, the wounded start expending resources.

And even if they made it into the prison, they don't know where they're going, they're still dealing with zeds, and all the people in the prison have to do is lock the cell blocks and hold their positions.

And the Governor would have to maintain morale, which is hanging by a thread a the moment.  If the Governor were leaving people out on the battlefield without help, attitudes would definitely change toward the Governor's regime.  It would change the attitude of Tyrese, too, who might be the deciding factor in the assault.

If the Governor is going on the offensive, he'd be better off doing some sort of stealth attack with his death squad, infiltrating under the cover of darkness.

And Morgan's story about putting down his zombie wife and how she infected his son is finally setting up Zombie Lori.  Zombie Lori will have Carl in a vulnerable position, Carl won't be able to act, and Rick will put her down.  Rick learned from Morgan's story.

KAS ALLEY CASSEROLE, Zombie Horror enthusiast

I speculate that...
A. Rick makes some sort of deal with the governor that will put the group at odds and make everyone further question his judgement.

B. He and Michonne will plan a prison courtyard picnic with their dead loved ones.

C. The governor will find an abandoned Best Buy and suddenly will be as populated with iPad 3s as Atlanta is with 2013 cars in "2010".
;)

Suddenly Woodbury will be as populated with iPads.

 

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If you need a little more zombie horror in your life, I hope you will consider checking out my zombie horror series, Down the Road, from Permuted Press.  The books are available in Kindle and paperback at great prices, so check them out here.

Thanks, and we'll see you next week.  Don't forget to follow the blog for this week's 'wild speculation'.

ZombieBloodFights.com will be live Tweeting again next Sunday (@wingback20).  Use the hashtag #ZBF to join in the conversation, which was basically just me last week.  So join me for some fun during commercials.

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BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

Follow Bowie's Facebook page.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

 

 

ZOMBIES: Notes on Walking Dead 'Clear' featuring an outstanding monologue

by Bowie Ibarra

This Sunday's 'The Walking Dead' episode, 'Clear', marked probably the first time I have been truly blown away by a performance from one of the characters.  Let's talk about the return of Morgan and about the rest of the episode.

THE SUPPLY RUN

Michone, Carl, and Rick hit the road in the Hyundai Death Dealer: Zombie Crusher Edition for a supply run.  And one of the first things they do is pass up a dude hiking.  Lesson Learned:  There's no making friends during the Zpoc.

Driving into town, they find the stores sacked, a stack of dead bodies, and then find a defensive setup reminiscent of the iron barricades that lined the shores at Normandy, except made out of sharp sticks and live birds and rats in cages near their center section. 

They get jumped by a dude on a roof, geared up for battle, who tries to run them off.  Rick and his team goes on the offensive, with Michone going legit ninja speed and getting to the roof with the quickness.  But she's too late, as the dude had moved off the roof. 

The dude makes it down to street level and is zeroing in on Rick when Carl blindsides him with a shot to the chest.  They discover the dude has a vest on, survived the shot, and is actually Morgan.

Morgan was the dude from season one that helped save Rick, but lost his own family.  He's been holed up in a room in this building, trying to keep his sanity by scribbling messages on the wall.  On the wall is a crude chalk street map that Carl follows to a familiar eatery to get a picture of his family for his baby sister to know what her family looked like.

When Morgan regains consciousness, he assaults Rick and stabs him, but is fended off.

Its then, as the two reminisce about their trials and tribulations in the zombie apocalypse that the most eloquent monologue is delivered from Morgan since Duane Jones set the standard with the 'Beakman's Diner' (25:05-28:05) monologue in 'Night of the Living Dead' 1968, or the scene with John, Billy, and Sarah (2:30-8:00) in 'Day of the Dead'. 

As it turns out, Morgan is an accomplished actor from the UK named Lennie James.  You might remember him as Sol from the movie 'Snatch'.  Morgan's 'Just Kill Me' monologue is the best performance the series has seen, in my opinion.

Michone follows Carl to the restaurant to recover the old family photo.  After some crude distractions are utilized to get the zeds moving, Carl gets his picture and Michone gets a souvenir statue.

Before the team leaves, Rick offer Morgan refuge at the prison and recruit him to his side.  Morgan sees the angle and wants no part of the armed conflict between the tribes.  He tells Rick he will be 'torn apart by teeth or bullets' if he continues on the path.

As the team packs the death dealer, Michone tells Rick she hallucinates about her boyfriend as well, so she knows where Rick is coming from.

As they drive home, they see Morgan burning the bodies of the zombies that get caught up in his traps.

The team leaves Morgan, and on the way home, pick up the gear the hitchhiker lost after succumbing to a zombie attack.

Or did he?

It was a great episode that I will remember as one of the best. 

If you need a little more zombie horror in your life, I hope you will consider checking out my zombie horror series, Down the Road, from Permuted Press.  The books are available in Kindle and paperback at great prices, so check them out here.

Thanks, and we'll see you next week.  Don't forget to follow the blog for this week's 'wild speculation'.

ZombieBloodFights.com will be live Tweeting again next Sunday (@wingback20).  Use the hashtag #ZBF to join in the conversation, which was basically just me last week.  So join me for some fun during commercials.

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BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

Follow Bowie's Facebook page.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: Wild Speculation for The Walking Dead - Clear

by Bowie Ibarra

After considering last week's episode, 'I ain't a Judas', zombie fans chime in with their wild speculation for next week's episode, 'Clear'.

JACKIE DRUGA, author of Flu from Permuted Press

My, my, my, how I love Merle even more each episode. I though last night’s episode really showed how he was a valuable part of the group. Leading the pack when Andrea showed up. Love it.
Like many of you, I saw the sneak peek where the survivor chases the car, screaming for Rick to stop, but they don’t, that pissed me off. I mean, seriously, The prison group thinks only of their immediate survival and doesn’t think about the future. They should. They have three young people in their group.. Their future thoughts are with food for tomorrow instead of a world for Carl, Judith and Beth.

Onward to my speculation. I am basing this on the three TV previews I saw. This will be an episode where we only see, Rick, Michonne, and Carl. Aside from the running man on the road and the guy on the roof, they lead you to believe it is Woodbury, but it isn’t. I’m gonna say the guy on the roof is Morgan (From season 1 Episode 1), we know this from the comics. This is one of those episodes (IMO) that do not advance the storyline. Only character development for next season. Nothing pivotal will happen. Just some good visual PA stuff and twisted sickness (Like piles of burnt bodies). And while I am at it, can someone tell me why now Walker Blood is suddenly bright red? Even when they are severely decomposed? Why is blood so fresh? Grr.


MICHAEL S. GARDNER, horror writer and blogger from Virginia. His short story collection, Death in the Times of Madness, is currently available on Amazon for cheaper than a candy bar. You can check out his reviews and interviews at: www.atasteofterror.blogspot.com

My predictions for next week’s episode are as follows:

1.  We finally have Merle (re)integrating with his former survivor pals and newcomers alike. The tension is, of course, obvious. This, to me, means must-see television. We all know Merle is a racist prick, but we’ve finally seen some of the caring side (like that was possible, right?) when Daryl took off his shirt and revealed the scars from his abuse as a child – note the tattoo shifting sides. Near the end of the episode, we see him trying to bury the hatchet with Michonne. Yeah, yeah, this could just be another ploy to stir the pot, but I’d like to see less of this stereotypical backwoods bigot archetype. And this is my first prediction: In next week’s episode, we’ll start to see Merle’s character develop. Hell, who knows? Maybe he and Michonne might find out that their not so different after all? Possible love interest, maybe? Either that or he gets offed.

2.  We’ve finally seen Carl growing into the man he’s going to be (barring he doesn’t get shot on accident again – or on purpose). He made a good judgment call on the previous episode in pointing out Rick wasn’t fit for the Ricktatorship due to obvious stuff and things. Next week I think we’ll see him taking up more responsibility, possibly even starting or stopping a major conflict with the Governor.

3.  I do believe it is time for Daryl to get him some. Sorry, ladies, but I’m going with Carol for this one. (My girlfriend’s probably gonna punch me when she reads this!)

4.  Fourth, but FAR from final, I think we’ll see more horrible shots on the stationary living and more crack shots on the ambling dead. Seriously, WTF is up with that?

5.  This should have been my first prediction: Andrea will FINALLY die. And if it’s not on the next episode, count this prediction as “active” until someone just says screw it and puts one in her forehead. Every time I see her lately, I can only think of Peter Griffin saying: “Shut up, Meg.” I get that they’re trying to show her as the strong female lead - and the series needs one – but not her. Andrea just seems like she’s unable to what has to be done – note how she couldn’t kill the Governor, which will probably come back and bite her in the rear next episode or soon after. She should have just stayed at the CDC. I’d rather have Lori at this point (not in the form of a ghost, mind you).

GARETH WOOD, author of the 'Rise' series from Permuted Press

Wild Speculations on The Walking Dead! Well, kids, we've had a wild ride
this season so far. I think it's only about to get worse for Our Heroes.
My top 5 predictions, in no particular order, for the next episode:

1- Merle will misbehave, and Daryl will have to set him right.

2- Rick, with something to focus on other than the ghost of his dead wife, will make threats and state boldly that something "will not happen..."

3- Andrea will continue to be the most clueless character ever, in the history of everything. I mean really, the writers have done such a dis-service to a fine actress, giving her such terrible material to work with.

4- Michonne will kill something, and then snarl or be surly. Her default expression of mistrust and bat-shit-crazy will me replaced with one of confusion. Here is another character that the writers appear to have not one clue how to write properly.

5- There will be zombies. They will eat someone. Possibly a minor
character like Herschel's Other Daughter Who Is Not Maggie.

And there it is!  We'll see how right I am!

ARMY ED, Weapons and Tactics advisor to ZBF.com

For one, Tyrese might be ready to throw in with Woodbury, but he is going to see something or experience something that's going to change his mind about the place.  More idealistic than Andrea and is going to see Woodbury for what it is.  It might be at the cost of that female. 

Merle will carve out a niche for himself in the group and make himself indispensable.  He knows he's the first on the Governor's list, so he knows what side his bread is buttered on.

Andrea is also clearly going to regret not cashing the Governor out when she had the chance.  More people will die because of her inaction.

ZOMBIEBLOODFIGHTS.COM

From the teasers, it seems like Rick's going to make that run with Carl and friends, but it's not going to play out like he'd hoped.  He'll be captive in Woodbury, forcing the hand of the WD Crew in the prison.

That's it for this week!

If you enjoy this blog, The Walking Dead, or zombie smashing in general, please give the Down the Road zombie horror series a go.  Great action, great horror, and a great storyline.  Help support this blog by pitching in a few bucks to buy a book or two.

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BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

Follow Bowie's Facebook page.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: #TheWalkingDead crew gets caught with their pants down in "Home"

by Bowie Ibarra

Photo credit Gene Page/AMC

Things start in the realm of fantasy, it seems, but get real really fast at the prison as 'The Walking Dead' brings another episode to our screens of humans being more dangerous than zombies in 'Home'.

RICK'S PHANTOMS

The pressure put on Rick has pushed him over the edge.  Yet again, he's chasing the ghost of Lori out of the prison walls into the outer wall, making himself vulnerable in the sticks around the prison.  Michone, taking it upon herself to be a lookout from a position near the gate, sees it all play out.

Young Carl is working with Glenn to secure the prison, because if what Michonne is saying is correct, the Governor and his deathsquad will be making a move on the prison soon.  Glenn thinks they should mount an offensive against Woodbury, with Michone's knowledge.  But Herschel thinks it would not be a good move.

As they set up to defend the prison, Glenn and Maggie have an awkward conversation about the threat of rape the Governor used against Maggie.  It really seems Maggie has had this issue in the past even before the ZPoc, and Glenn doesn't know how to deal with it.

Axel and Carol flirt while building the defenses.  Axel's even cleaned himself up as well.  He lied about being a druggie because he was really in for armed robbery.

THE WALKING DIXONS

As 'Army Ed' astutely pointed out in our 'Wild Speculation' post, the Dixon boys were going to have to face the updated versions of each other.  And it didn't take long for them to butt heads on what direction they were going.

They eventually had to face off on their philosophical differences when helping a Latino family trapped on a bridge and attacked by zombies.  Daryl's idea was to help because they had a baby to take care of, hearkening back to his time and affection for 'Little Ass Kicker'.  But Merle's idea was to pillage after securing the zeds.

After having to put his crossbow to his brother's head to leave the Latinos alone, Daryl was walking away to head back to Rick's camp.  Merle knew he couldn't go back to Woodbury.  But then again, he couldn't go back to the prison because he had beef with Glenn and Maggie.

GOVERNOR SECURING ALLIES

Knowing he's lost some street cred after shooting a bitten resident of Woodbury in the face in front of its citizens, Phillip the Governor petitions Andrea to act as interim Governor as he takes a hiatus to pull himself together.  Andrea has always wanted to show her value, and had occasionally screwed up that chance.  Remember when she almost shot Daryl in the face?  I haven't forgotten that.

But the Governor clearly knows she wants to be a leader, and appeals to that part of her pride to keep her in his pocket.  He does the same to Milton, but with a little bit more menace because he knows he can with him.  He's Team Phillip for Life.

THE ASSAULT ON THE PRISON

Glenn apparently takes the new truck sponsor for the zombie apocalypse, the Dodge Ram, to drive to find where the breach to the prison was as Herschel moves to the first fenceline to talk to Rick, who reveals his problem with hallucinations as Michone watches.

Axel and Carol arrive on the scene.  But the tranquility of the scene and the budding friendship is ended quickly by a shot to Axel's head by the Governor.  His deathsquad arrives and raises hell, getting into a gun battle with the prison population.

Vulnerable, a milk truck batters through the first two fencelines and unleashes a crowd of zombies from the back of the truck.  The mysterious masked driver leaves the truck and returns to the Governor's position.

Its a wake-up call to Rick, who needs to get his shit together, as it seems his team, disorganized and caught with their pants down, was spared by the Governor.

We'll see if Rick can pull his head out of his ass and rally the team for the next move.  But who makes it?

We'll find out soon enough.

===

BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: #WalkingDead Wild Speculation for 'Home'

by Bowie Ibarra

The first episode of the second part of the third season of 'The Walking Dead' has come and gone, and as we head into the next episode, 'Home', zombie enthusiasts and Walking Dead followers have some wild speculation about what we might see in the coming episodes.

>>>JACKIE DRUGA, author of the Permuted Press title, The Flu

 

Opinion: Really? Daryl is gone and Rick takes a nosedive in the pool of insanity waving a gun and they push away the only guy (Tyrese) who could do a take down on Rick should he start shooting .

Tip to the writers: redeeming a character who went bad is a lot easier than redeeming a character who lost their mind.

Speculation: Rick leaves and Michonne follows to protect him. Garnishing her group status. Rick leaves to not only find himself but he finds the Dixon brothers in the process. After he meets the governor and discovers his 'whoops my bad' for getting rid of every strong person. Merle will be allowed back.  While Rick's gone, Tyrese helps the prison group when his guys turn on the group.

Wishes: On Talking Dead, Kevin Smith coyly indicted the missteps in writing. My hope is for better writers who actually work and depend on being good writers in this genre. Not just Hollywood writers with a distorted vision of what PA fans want. Kirkman clearly has stepped back.

>>> ARMY ED, ZombieBloodFights.com weapons advisor

It will be interesting to see how Merle and Daryl discover how each of them has changed.  Having had a strong role within Rick's group, I'm interested to see how Daryl will respond to his big brother's bullshit after growing as a leader.  That will be something to watch for.

I also feel that although the Dixon brothers want to go their own way, something will compel them to return to Rick's team.

>>> BOWIE IBARRA, ZombieBloodFights.com

I brought it up a few blogs back, but with Lori being mentioned several times during the episode before the big moment when Rick was haunted by her ghost, I still believe we're going to see 'Zombie Lori' sometime soon. 

Think about it:  Her body wasn't there when Rick found the place.  The Zed he stabbed all to hell didn't eat her up.  There was evidence of her body being dragged away.  I truly believe she's walking around the prison somewhere, and before the end of the season, Rick is going to have to face her and put her down.

What do YOU think?  What is your 'wild speculation' for the show?  Let us know in the comment section below.

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BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: Notes on #TheWalkingDead 'Suicide Kings

by Bowie Ibarra

Sideliners in San Antonio was hosting a 'Walking Dead' viewing party. I had no idea, I just needed a place that had a buttload of TVs and hope they would let me watch it on one.  I'm glad I gave Sideliners a chance, because I got to see the second part of season 3 premiere of 'The Walking Dead' there.  Here are some notes from the show.

-- Daryl vs. Merle I
The Governor booked the classic 'brother against brother' matchup for the people of Woodbury, selling out Merle to prove his faith to him by killing Daryl.  Andrea tried to stop it to no avail.  Merle made it look good, but quickly made it clear to Daryl they were breaking out.

Thanks to an assist from the WD Crew fire team, who laid down suppressive fire, the brothers made a break for it.  The chick that gave Andrea a hard time on the wall a few episodes back got plugged as well, much to Andrea's dismay.

-- Andrea outed
Merle reveals to Rick that Andrea is now in The Governor's pocket.  Glenn does not favor keeping Merle around, and neither does Maggie, as you might imagine.  So Daryl gets the choice to stay with the group or go with his brother.  It's an easy choice for him, and Daryl joins his brother to journey into the Zpoc together again.

-- Glenn stomps the s**t out of a Zombie's head
This was a great moment, with Glenn letting off some steam on a zombie that almost jumped him.

-- Some members of the new Prison Population have trust issues
Even thought they are being allowed to bury their killed mate, two members of Tyrese's contingent are having trust issues with the WD Crew.

-- Tension in Woodbury

After the debacle at the ZombieBloodFights.com arena, some members of Woodbury want to bail on the town.  They are denied by members of The Governor's death squad. 

Having been an articulate orator only days before and still dealing with the death of his zed daughter, Penny, has made The Governor a little disconsolate.  So Andrea steps forth and cuts a promo for the people of Woodbury.  Her stump speech convince people to stick around, and in this moment, a new 'character' seems to emerge:  The People of Woodbury as a collective character.

The problem is that some zeds snuck in from the night before and attacked a member of the community.  This is where Phillip finally appears and shoots the dude in the face in front of the city.

Andrea tries to motivate The Governor to no avail.

-- Rick's remaining team returns
Carol waxes nostalgic about the past, evoking the memory of the Sophie and Lori with Carl.  Its then she gets the news of the departed Daryl from the returning Rick. 

Glenn and Maggie keep the violation by The Governor a secret from Hershcel.

Herschel recommends working together with Tyrese and his team.  But when Rick is about to make a call, he is haunted by the memory of Lori, who he sees in a white dress in a stairwell in the prison.  This is the third time Rick has been afflicted with hallucinations.

Lots of fun things getting set up.  We'll see how the rest of the season plays out.

======

BOWIE IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: Wild Speculation on the return of 'The Walking Dead: Suicide Kings'

by Bowie Ibarra

Photo courtesy DEAD TALK and
ZOMBIE SAFE AREA

We've been 'Made to Suffer' for over two months now since the mid-season of the 'Walking Dead'.  You can get the full ZBF.com recap here.

Lots of loose ends to manage.  So I've asked several 'Walking Dead' fans and enthusiasts to give me there predictions for how this return episode is going to play out, and what they expect for the season with the next episode, 'Suicide Kings'.

Here we go!

WILD SPECULATION:  DL SNELL, author of the Permuted Press titles 'Roses of Blood on Barbed Wire Vines' and 'Pavlov's Dog'

Like most fans of THE WALKING DEAD, the cliffhanger mid-season three has left me fearing for Daryl Dixon’s life. As Rick Grimes has implied, the god of the TWD universe is ruthless (a sentiment echoed by creator Robert Kirkman). So while it would surprise me if they killed Daryl—arguably the show’s biggest sex symbol and fan-girl favorite—it’s certainly within the realm.

What I think will happen, though, is that somehow something will intervene. Rick’s team is just outside the walls; Merle will probably land squarely in Daryl’s corner of the ring; and Andrea is right in the Governor’s blind spot. But I don’t know if Daryl’s allies are enough, here. I think it might take an inventible zombie infiltration to get Daryl out of that arena and over the town walls.

The question is, who will let the zombies in? Rick? Andrea? Or will it be an act of God?

WILD SPECULATION:  THOMAS, VW Tech Guy

How ya'll doing fellow Walking Dead Fans?

So tell me something:  Does anyone out there loathe Andrea as much as I do?  Whose side is she on?  She pretty much turned her back on Michone.  The reason I talk about her is because judging from the previews, she looks to be the main focus in the premiere.  Looks to me like she's doing some recon for the ol' Governator, who I think is a good guy trapped in a bad world.  But that's another post.

So what do you think, fellow ZombieBloodFighters?  Will Merle die in the premiere?  If not, then who?

WILD SPECULATION:  ZombieBloodFights.com

The Governor seems to have sold out Merle to fight his brother, Daryl.  So, my prediction is that when the WD Fire Team, still outside Woodbury, makes a move to save Daryl, Merle helps his brother out, only to get shot by the governor and his people.

As for the season, I think the governor will make a move on the prison with his deathsquad in the coming episodes.  We shall see.

=====

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: RECAP - 'Walking Dead: Made To Suffer' until February, S3 Ep.8

by Bowie Ibarra

THE PRISON POPULATION GROWS

This weeks episode opens with the appearance of Tyrese, apparently another popular character from the comic, regulating zeds in the woods with his friends.  We are treated to an example of his football acumen as he runs through the woods with skill and athleticism with a big backpack to help his team.  Though one of their team is bit, they end up finding sanctuary in a broken down wall and its building.  Look familiar?

Axel gets creepy with Beth, but is cut off by Carol, who pulls him aside.  He's pretty plain about his motivations, having spent so much time behind bars without the company of a female.  He thinks Beth is his only option, stating he thought Carol was a lesbian because of her haircut.

Later, young Carl, with his dad's hat, keeps tabs on the group and his little sister.  They hear a scream from the interior.  There's a funny moment when Herschel says it can't be Carol because she's in the guard tower with Axel.  We all remember the fun Maggie and Glenn had in the guard tower from a while back.  I wonder how Daryl's going to feel about that.

At any rate, Carl goes to investigate and finds Tyrese and his friends.  He helps them fend off the zeds, who seem to have followed them in, and leads them back to a secure room.

Its there that one of their team passes from a bite suffered in the woods.  Before they can smash her face in with a hammer before she rises, Carl locks them in the space.  That's when one of the team named Sasha's voices that she's not much for being 'secured', but Tyrese sees the advantage and they relax about it.


ZERO DEAD THIRTY:  THE RAID ON WOODBURY

Andrea volunteers to help scientist Mr. Mamet cremate Mr. Coleman.  As she leaves the governor's side, it gives the governor special time with Penny.  He plays music like Mr. Mamet's experiment, Penny runs at her dad, but is restrained by a leash.  He tries to calm her by undoing her bonds and singing to her.  Too bad she's interested in the blood pudding he made for her.  He shouts at her, losing patience, and puts her back in her cell.

Meanwhile, Maggie and Glenn are trying to come to terms from their respective forms of torture, and 'forget what people do'.  Glenn gets motivated and rips the arm off a zed in the room, taking its bones for use as weapons.

Meanwhile, outside, the WD Crew Fireteam of Michone, Rick, Oscar, and Daryl follow Michone's lead and begin their infiltration of Woodbury to find their friends.

The Governor and Merle are planning an assault on the prison.  Though Merle is concerned about his brother, the Gov feels they can get Daryl on his side.

The WD Crew move deeper into enemy territory, breaking into a building.  Rick thinks Michone might be leading them into a trap.  But they are spotted by some schmuck from the wall who walks in on them.  The dude doesn't think they are much of a threat.  But when Rick jumps the dude and asks where his friends are, its too late.

They end up finding out where the prisoners are when Maggie and Glenn make a move on enemies entering the room they were in.  They jump them and stab them with their bones, but its short lived because they had backup.

It gives enough time for the WD Crew to initiate an assault, freeing their friends and leading to a mad dash out of Woodbury.

The Governor tells the regular citizens not to worry and go home, but tells his militia to gear up.

Michone leads the team to a safe building to make another run at the wall before she runs off.  Its here that Glenn tells the team about Merle and the Governors knowledge of the prison.  Daryl wants to see his brother, but Rick tells him he needs him with the WD Crew.  We once again see that Rick's relationship with Daryl is just like the Governor's to Merle.  It's another striking moment when you see the duality of the two teams, just like when Michone first joined the WD Crew at the prison.  It was like Woodbury without the trappings of normalcy.

The Governor mobilizes his team against the 'terrorists', and tries to keep Andrea out of the action, who again gets all women's libbed up and ready to fight back.  But the Governor can't let her see the enemy.

That's when the WD Crew makes their move.  The set off smoke bombs and race to the wall.  Andrea claims she sees them.  The Governor thinks she was able to see them because she was able to identify the prisoner, Oscar.  Not by name, actually, but by clothes.  But that could spoil his plan to assault the prison, so he demands she goes to hide.

While the WD Crew is running and gunning their way to their escape, the ghost of Shane comes to haunt Rick and even shoots Oscar dead.  Rick puts the Shane-Ghost down to find it was a real man that was not really Wolverine Shane.

Rick clearly is still not well.


PENNY



Michone infiltrates the Governor's house and waits at the door for her revenge.  But she hears Penny in the side room.  She kicks open the Governor's rec room to find the heads and Penny locked up.  She thinks Penny is just a kid and takes off her chain.  But then she takes off the bag on her head to find she's dead.  When she tries to bite her, Michone takes control to set up a fatal strike with her Hanzo.

But that's when the Governor shows up and begs her not to hurt her.  He even puts his gun away and submits to her, offering himself up to Michone to spare his 'little girl'.  Michone sees the best way to hurt the Governor by killing Penny, which she promptly does by stabbing her through the neck and out her mouth.

A fight ensues, as you might imagine, breaking the fish tanks with the heads and brinking their biting into to the equation.  That's when Michone uses some glass to go Lucio Fulci on the Governor and stab him in the eye.

Its then that Andrea appears to see it all, and the two former BFF's have a face off.  Michone walks off because the Women's Libber can't pull the trigger.  The other problem is she is now exposed to the Governor's sick secrets in his rec room.

At the doctor's office, Andrea confronts the Governor about the heads.  But he doesn't have much to say.  When Merle arrives, he tells the governor he'll go after them.  But the governor is thinking about a different angle.

Rick mentions to Michone upon her return that Daryl moved back into Woodbury to find his brother.  But the problem is he gets caught and put in the arena of sport, the ZombieBloodFights.com Arena, where the Governor sets up a speech about how he's failed the city and sets up Merle to take the fall as a 'terrorist', saying he is responsible for letting the terrorists in for the attack.

Problem is, Daryl gets added into the mix, too, and all of Woodbury calls for their heads.

And that's it.  That's the mid-season finale.  Damn this mid-season finale bulls**t.

Anyway, enough of that.  We'll see you in February.

======

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuester.  His latest zombie story, The Fall of Austin, tells the story of military, police, convicts, and citizens of the Texas capitol as they deal with the zpoc.  It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com