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 - RECAP: Late Wild Speculation and 'Infected' notes

EPISODE 2 GETS BRUTAL
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

As we got into week 2, my weekend got busy before I had a chance to do some 'Wild Speculation'.  Good thing my buddy and fellow Permuted Press author R Thomas Riley, writer of If God Doesn't Show, pitched in before the show.  Here's what he predicted would go down:

--  So we're one episode into season 4. How was it, an incremental improvement over last season. We're still at the prison, though.
1) we're gonna see what's left of Woodbury and how those survivors are going to interact with the core group
2) obviously the walker virus has jumped species, not an original idea, granted, but it definitely expands the danger
3) Carl isn't a boy anymore and he's going to clash with his father and the rest of the group in the coming issues.
4) as the group gets bigger, definitely expect Rick to want to break away because he misses the Ricktatorship days  --

Not a bad prediction for the next show and the rest of the season.  Here's some notes from 'Infected'.

ARE THE WRITERS OF 'THE WALKING DEAD' READING WAYNE SIMMONS OR JACKIE DRUGA BOOKS?

It was kind of funny to see some of the people in the prison developing 'flu-like symptoms' on the onset of the killer bug everyone might be getting.  It immediately reminded me of the outstanding zombie horror title Flu by Wayne Simmons that takes place in Ireland.  There's even another zombie-themed book with a  sickness-first theme called 'The Flu' by Jackie Druga from Permuted Press.

Look who is ahead of the curve!  Both are highly recommended and were doing 'flu' based zombie horror before flu-based zombie horror was cool.
LOOKS LIKE THAT WHOLE BLOOD-BORNE PATHOGEN/BODILY FLUIDS THING IS THE NEW HOTNESS

Not like blood-borne pathogens are anything new, but it seems like they've been emphasized this episode.  The pig blood splashing on Rick made me really, really nervous.

There's been lots and lots of kissing, too, sharing some saliva.  Now I don't anticipate any kind of 28 Weeks Later craziness, but its time to take some time out and not make out anymore.  I'm going to have to follow up on some predictions with the 'Wild Speculation' later this week.

We'll see how this continues to build next week.  See you then.

Need some more Zombie Horror?  These books are chock full of great zombie horror and excellent story-telling.  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: #TheWalkingDead recap 'Welcome to the Tombs'

by Bowie Ibarra

What an asshole

Well, we were all calling for it.  And we got it.  One of the main characters from the show didn't make it out alive.  Neither did a bunch of random people.

Anyway, lets get to the big finish of 'The Walking Dead - Welcome to the Tombs' Season 3 finale.

ANDREA'S TORTURE CHAMBER UPDATE

Governor is ready to kill Andrea, but he's not going to do it himself.  No.  He won't sully his hands in Andrea's blood.  He'll let Milton do it.  But Milton refuses, so the Governor stabs him in the belly to let him bleed to death.  Then, when he turns, he'll kill Andrea.

What the Governor doesn't know, however, is that Milton left a pair of pliers for Andrea to use to twist off the chains on the cuff.  He encourages her to do it as fast as possible.

Naturally, Andrea drags her feet on the whole situation.

THE BATTLE OF THE PRISON

Tyrese and Sascha refuse to go on the mission to Woodbury and are greeted with bitter scowling and a weapon from the Governor.

The Governor has put a gun in the hand of all thirty of Woodbury's citizenry, and they go on the assault, trashing the front gate, the tower, and busting in unopposed.

As the ragtag band of citizens move on the prison, they notice the door is wide open.  In fact, the entire prison is unlocked.

Like the maniac he is, he still refuses to go back out and moves deeper into the catacombs.  In a dark hallway, Rick and Daryl launch a smoke-bomb/flash-bang attack, freaking the citizens of Woodbury the fuck out.  They bugger off and right out of the prison in fear, much to the Governor's dismay.

As they all run off with their tails between their legs, they are shot at as they exit the building and get in their vehicles and run off.  So much for the Governor's plans of vengeance.

As the Governor tries to get the people to regroup, the entire citizenry refuses to go back on the attack.  So the governor mows them down.  All of them.  He even pops them in the head as they lay on the ground.  One citizen hid under a body, an classic genocidal survival tactic, and gets off because the Governor ran out of bullets.

The Governor drives off into the wasteland with his two trusted death squad members.

PRISON FALLOUT

So, this kid scrambled in fear into the woods where Carl, Hershcel, and Michone were hiding.  Carl pulls a gun on the kid and tells him to drop his weapon.  The kid hesitates to put his gun down, and Carl makes the executive decision to put down the non-compliant kid.

When Carl gets back, Herschel tells Rick the news.  When Rick tries to get the details about what went down, Carl puts his dad in check by saying he did what he had to do.  Carl had seen too much death in the past as a result of not acting in the moment to neutralize a dangerous element, and he tells his dad just that before running him off like some kind of underling.

And in a symbolic moment, his dad's badge falls off his shirt, thus becoming something completely different than the image of his father.

ANDREA

Rick, Daryl, and Michone go on a guerilla mission against Woodbury, but soon find the massacre of the people of Woodbury.  They also find the woman who was saved.

They make her help them get into Woodbury to find Andrea.  The woman signals to Tyrese to let them in and they do.

When they discover the place Andrea was in, they discover she had been bit before she had a chance to put Milton down.  Her decision not to act only days before not to kill the Governor when she had the chance has now been cashed out with her life.

Suddenly, Carl's philosophy makes the most sense in the zombie apocalypse.

They take her body to bury back at the prison.  They also take the women and children who did not go on the attack of Woodbury.

More mouths to feed as we go into the next season.

==========

ZombieBloodFights.com would like to take a moment and thank the following people for their participation in this season's 'Walking Dead' Blog entries.

Thanks to:
Army Ed
Thomas, the VW Tech Guy
Jackie Druga
R Thomas Riley
Gareth Wood
DL Snell
Micheal Gardner

You guys are the best.  Thank you.

Please, if you enjoyed this blog, look them up on Amazon.com.

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

Need more 'Walking Dead' Season 3 recap and review?  Check out my buddy Jason Thorson recap over at Ravenous Monster here.

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

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest book, 'The Cruel Fate of Dr. Brewster' McGill' is a weird western tale of snake oil, Aztec Magic, and the dead rising from the grave to attack the living.  It is available in Kindle and paperback from Amazon.com.

If you are a blogger and enjoyed the blog, please follow me.

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: 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.

===========

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: '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.

 

======

 

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.

===========

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.

===========

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: 'I Ain't a Judas' #WalkingDead Wild Speculation

by Bowie Ibarra

Welcome back, folks.  ZombieBloodFights.com is back with another entry of Wild Speculation.

Last week, Army Ed hit the nail on the head about the Dixon brothers relationship.  Let's see what Army Ed and other zombie apocalypse enthusiasts have to say about the upcoming episode, 'I Ain't No Judas'.

C. DULANEY, author of the zombie horror series, The Road Less Traveled

                My predictions for next week’s episode are just common sense, I think. First, there’s going to be an altercation between Merle and somebody. Who? Pick one. I’m sure they’ll all want to smack him in the mouth at some point during the show. Then again, we might get to see a new and improved Merle. Daryl stood up to him, which might make the older brother reconsider many things. One being his habit of letting his mouth fly open before his brain has time to think.

Second, Rick-N-Gang will start fortifying. They need to prepare for an attack they should know is coming, after what happened at the end of last week’s episode. To do that, they need to get out there and find those weak spots in and around the prison. But, to do that, they’re going to need to pull themselves up by their boot straps and stow the drama. Although I understand what’s going on with Rick, and really can’t blame the guy, he needs to put his vacation in Crazytown on hold. At least until the Governor is dealt with. The group will pull together, see what needs done for their security, and get started on it. Which leads me to…

Number three. They’re going to need supplies. Namely, ammunition. From the looks of things, they’re in bad shape in the ammo department, especially after wasting so much during the shootout in the end of the last episode. This means a road trip. Which also means whoever goes out is going to have to be extremely cautious and sneaky. It would be pretty easy for the Governor to have snipers in position to take out anyone who leaves the prison.

That’s it. Now go and enjoy the show.

JACQUELINE DRUGA, author of the Permuted Press title 'The Flu'

Just as I uttered the words, “This was a waste of my time” to my daughter …. The episode sucked me in.

My speculations for next week’s episode: Merle is back with the group. Yes. They need him and he has to display another round of heroism for the viewers to cheer him on like me. Look for that to happen. Another Merle hero moment. Let’s watch for Rick to finally make a mental snap to reality courtesy of his son and go out seeking the governor. Don’t look for Andrea to stay with our prison group. She sees promise in Woodbury.

My fear is the baby. Walking Dead has proven a few things. If you rarely have dialogue and suddenly you are featured a lot in the first five minutes … you die. If you are an African American man… you die. (For some reason they can’t process more than one main black character nor can they allow for him to live or stay. WTH?) and finally they foreshadow in the first ten minutes what is going to happen. Poorly foreshadow, it’s evident.

It was said, “Walkers are in the prison and the Governor is on his way.’ Remember when that was said. Well, Uh, did no one but me notice that Maggie left the baby alone in the prison? If the foreshadowing about the governor came true, what about the walkers in the prison. Hopefully she secured the baby, but I think the baby is gone when they get back. The motivator for Rick and Carl.

ARMY ED, ZombieBloodFights.com Weapons and Strategy advisor

My biggest WTF moment was the Governor not closing the deal with the prison.  The Governor and his death squad catches the prison off-guard, split up and vulnerable, knocks down two sets of defenses in the gates, has Rick and his friends up against the ropes, and he doesn't close the deal?

We'll have to see the return of Tyrese group soon.  I don't think they left the prison, so they're somewhere inside its labyrinthine confines somewhere.  Tyrese and his friend has been ready to play ball with Rick's team, but his friends have held them back.  I sense Tyrese making a move against the two dissenters to prove his loyalty to Rick, maybe even by killing the dissenters if the time was right.

Previews have already indicated that Andrea is going to visit the prison, but its not going to be for a reunion.  Andrea's in The Governor's pocket and that's where she's going to stay, since the Governor has provided empowerment to her, even though he's going to play her like a puppet on a string.

This whole 'Phantom Lori' hallucinations have got me thinking the 'Zombie Lori' theory from ZombieBloodFights.com might play out.  Rick is going to come face-to-face with her and have to put her down.  The moment that occurs, he'll have his closure and be able to focus on the task at hand, which might be moving against Woodbury.

Merle is going to keep his shit together.  Since he sees his brothers emotional and social growth and ability to leave him, Merle's pragmatic enough to know he can't go out alone.  In a preview for an upcoming show, Merle states to Hercshel that when the Governor comes back, the Governor's hit list, in order, will be Merle, then Michone and Daryl.  Next, everyone else, then Rick, in order to force Rick to watch it all fall apart. 

So the last thing Merle wants is to be kicked out, because Daryl won't back his play anymore.  R

Truth is, I'd rather have Merle around because he doesn't play the victim and he makes hard decisions.  Let's face it, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  With that said, he's going to have to mend fences with Glenn, Maggie, and Michone, and bury the hatchet with Rick.  Merle's presence will be a good source of tension and make for some good TV.

THOMAS,THE VW TECH GUY

Andrea drove the truck and infiltrated the prison.  I believe Andrea volunteered for the job to get into the prison and see her friends again.  I'm in the camp that Andrea really wants to get back with her friends and used her affection for the Governor to get the spot for the assault.

BOWIE IBARRA, author of the ZombieBloodFights.com library

I agree with Army Ed.  What was the point of the Governor catching the WD crew with their pants down, completely vulnerable and split up, and then bailing?

I think the Governor played it that way to spark the WD crew to make a move, which many, including Herschel, have seen as foolish.  Yank the chain of the prison to take them out of home-field advantage.

Glenn, who wanted so desperately to go on the offensive, is going to go on his own, forcing the hand of Rick and the other team members.  It's just not going to pay off like they'd hoped, and Rick and the Governor are going to face off.

====

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: #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.

=====

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.