The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series developed for television by Frank Darabont. It is based on the comic book series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.

The series stars Andrew Lincoln as sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes who wakes up after being in a coma to find the world dominated by "walkers", resembling the zombies of George A. Romero's horror movies. He sets out to find his family and other survivors along the way. The Walking Dead premiered on October 31, 2010 on the cable television channel AMC in the United States. Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes which premiered on October 16, 2011. Two episodes into the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season. AMC renewed the series for a fourth season.

The series has been well received by critics, and has received many award nominations, including a Writers Guild of America Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series Drama. The series has also attained strong Nielsen ratings, beating various records for a cable series, including receiving 9 million viewers for its season two finale to become the most-watched basic cable drama telecast in history.

Series Overview
Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead tells the story of a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.[14]  The first season mostly takes place in the Atlanta metropolitan area and then the surrounding countryside of northern Georgia in the second and third seasons, as the survivors search for a safe haven away from the shuffling hordes of predatory "walkers" or "biters" (as the zombies are referred to in the show), who devour any living thing they catch, and whose bite is infectious to humans. The plot focuses primarily on the dilemmas the group faces as they struggle to maintain their humanity during the day-to-day challenges of surviving in a hostile world. This includes battling the zombie hordes; coping with casualties; and dealing with predatory human survivors, dangerous in their own right. The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a sheriff's deputy before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the walking zombies, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that the structures of society have collapsed.

Season 1 (2010)
The series begins with sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes' being wounded in a shootout with armed criminals. He awakens weeks later from a coma in an abandoned and badly damaged hospital. Upon leaving, Rick discovers a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies (or "walkers", as they are often referred to in-show). Rick also discovers his wife and son are missing, and he encounters two survivors — Morgan Jones and his son Duane — who explain the situation to him. Acting on a rumor the two had heard, he arms himself and begins a perilous journey to Atlanta, Georgia, where the CDC is said to have set up a quarantined safe-zone in the city. Upon reaching Atlanta, he soon discovers the city has instead been overrun by walkers.

A few miles outside the city, Rick's wife Lori and son Carl have been hiding from the walkers with Shane Walsh, Rick's partner and best friend, who has fallen in love with Lori. They have established a camp with a small group of fellow survivors. After being rescued from Atlanta by members of the group and reunited with Lori and Carl, Rick assumes command with Shane. A band of walkers eventually attacks the camp and kills several people. Most of the survivors flee to seek aid from the CDC, one family sets off on their own to find their relatives, and Jim — who sustained a walker's bite — was left on the road, at his request.

In the CDC, all but one staff member, Dr. Edwin Jenner, have either fled or committed suicide. Dr. Jenner explains that his research into the infection has not yielded a cure, and he has not been in contact with anyone for a long while. Lack of fuel for the emergency generators soon initiates the building's safety protocols, which will trigger an explosion designed to destroy the facility and prevent the escape of deadly diseases. Jenner and Jacqui, a member of Rick's group, decide to stay and end their struggle. Dr. Jenner whispers something into Rick's ear, and the group escapes just as the CDC is incinerated in the explosion.

Season 2 (2011–12)
The second season begins with Rick and his group of survivors escaping the CDC. They decide Fort Benning will be their next destination. Along the way, they encounter a traffic jam of abandoned vehicles on Interstate 85. The group loots several vehicles but is forced to hide under them as a large herd of walkers approaches. A walker chases Carol's daughter, Sophia, out from her hiding spot and, with another walker, pursues her into the woods. Rick finds her but loses her again after drawing off the walkers. During the search for Sophia, a hunter named Otis accidentally shoots Carl. To get help for him, Otis leads Rick and Shane to a large, isolated farm owned by a veterinarian named Hershel Greene, then helps Shane look for medical supplies at the local high school. After getting them, Shane injures his leg and sacrifices Otis to the walkers so he can get away. The survivors then move to the farm while Carl recovers, trying to coexist with Hershel's family, but dangerous secrets and disagreements over leadership cause tensions to rise. Lori is revealed to be pregnant (she is not sure whether Rick or Shane is the father), and Glenn builds a romantic relationship with Maggie, Hershel's eldest daughter. Glenn also discovers the barn is full of walkers, some of whom are Hershel's family members. After Shane releases the walkers to be exterminated, Sophia emerges from the barn, as a walker, and Rick reluctantly shoots her.

Hershel disappears to grieve for his family. Rick and Glenn find him drinking at a local tavern, where they meet two other survivors. The situation rapidly turns sour, and Rick kills the two men in a gunfight. The dead men's group quickly finds and opens fire on Rick, Hershel, and Glenn at the bar. The noise attracts a large herd of walkers, and one of the attackers, Randall, is injured and left behind. Rick and the others take him back to the farm, where they realize Randall is likely to reveal the farm's location to his former group. As Rick and the others deliberate about what to do with Randall, a walker fatally wounds Dale, forcing Daryl to put him out of his misery. The group later conducts a search for Randall, whom Shane had secretly released and murdered in the woods. Daryl and Glenn find Randall — as a walker — and kill him. Daryl concludes that Randall died from a broken neck (rather than a walker's bite or scratch) and subsequently reanimated.

Meanwhile, Shane and Rick confront each other — the former having planned the fake search so he could murder Rick. Rick gets the upper hand and stabs Shane in the torso, killing him. Carl arrives just in time to see Shane reanimate as a walker and shoots him down. The gunshot attracts a large herd of other walkers, who quickly overrun the property. In the ensuing battle and escape, Jimmy and Patricia are devoured, and Andrea is left behind. Andrea survives on her own and is later rescued by a hooded woman accompanied by chained, armless walkers. The remaining survivors regroup but are forced to make camp when their vehicles run low on gasoline. After hearing of Randall's fate, Rick finally reveals what Jenner whispered to him at the CDC: every survivor is infected with the walker virus. As the group questions Rick's leadership later that night, a large prison looms in a pan out of the final scene.

Season 3 (2012–13)
The third season begins several months after the group escaped the farm, and Lori is in the final days of her pregnancy. The group stumbles upon an overrun prison and sets about converting it into their new home. While trying to clear the prison of walkers and searching the place for supplies, Hershel is bitten in the ankle by a walker, and Rick is forced to amputate his lower leg to prevent the bite from causing a systemic infection. They soon find several surviving inmates who have been trapped in the cafeteria. While Rick, Daryl and T-Dog help clear a separate cell block for the inmates to live in, most of the prisoners are killed, allowing the remainder — Axel and Oscar — to join Rick's group. A walker breakout later splits everyone up: T-Dog is bitten in the struggle and sacrifices himself to save Carol, while Lori goes into labor and insists that Maggie perform an emergency c-section to save the baby. The operation kills Lori, and Carl is forced to shoot her to prevent reanimation. After several days of mourning, Carl and Rick name the baby Judith.

Meanwhile, Michonne and Andrea are taken to the town of Woodbury, a safe haven from the walkers. They meet The Governor, the town's leader, and learn that Merle Dixon — Daryl's older brother — has taken refuge there as well. Michonne is immediately suspicious of The Governor and the settlement and decides to leave, but Andrea refuses to go with her. Merle is ordered to hunt down Michonne but only manages to wound her; he subsequently captures Maggie and Glenn while they are out scavenging. Michonne, who witnessed the abduction, eventually arrives at the prison and then guides Rick, Daryl, and Oscar back to Woodbury on a rescue mission. The team saves the couple, but Oscar is killed, and Daryl is captured. Michonne stays briefly and attempts to slay The Governor; she kills his undead daughter Penny (whom The Governor had kept chained in a back room closet in his apartment) and stabs him in the eye with some broken glass during a scuffle. In the aftermath, The Governor calls an assembly and publicly accuses Merle of treason, reuniting him with Daryl in front of the angry mob. Rick and Maggie come back and rescue them, but after regrouping outside of town, Daryl decides to leave with Merle, as Rick won't allow Merle to join their group.

Back at the prison, Carl meets another band of survivors — led by Tyreese and his sister Sasha — and shelters them. Rick returns, but while speaking to the newcomers, he hallucinates and sees Lori, causing his sanity to crack in front of everyone. He expels Tyreese's group, which finds sanctuary in Woodbury. The Governor and a small team attack the prison the next day, killing Axel and breaching the outer fence before retreating. Merle and Daryl, having decided to rejoin Rick's group, return and help him fight off attacking walkers. Rick and Carl, with Michonne in tow, return to the Grimes' hometown to gather weapons. There, Rick finds Morgan again and learns Duane was killed by his reanimated mother, whom Morgan couldn't bring himself to put down. Instead of joining Rick, Morgan chooses to stay behind.

Andrea arranges a meeting between Rick and The Governor, which results in The Governor's declaring a truce if Michonne is handed over to him, though secretly he plans to slaughter the prison group anyway. Andrea discovers the plot and attempts to escape to the prison, but The Governor captures her. Merle learns of the deal and, doubting Rick's willingness to follow through, kidnaps Michonne on his own. Merle and Michonne talk, and Merle has a change of heart and releases her. He goes on to foil The Governor's planned ambush and is killed. Daryl then finds Merle reanimated as a walker and is forced to kill him.

The Governor stabs his former advisor Milton and leaves him locked in a room with Andrea, to die and reanimate. He then leads an assault on the prison, but Rick's group stages an ambush and repels the attack. When the frightened Woodbury soldiers suggest leaving the prison alone, The Governor guns most of them down. Rick, Daryl and Michonne find Karen — the massacre's sole survivor — on their way to Woodbury to finish off The Governor; Karen convinces Tyreese and Sasha to allow them in when they arrive. They then find Andrea, who had killed the zombified Milton but not before he bit her on her shoulder. Andrea tells the group that no one can make it along, and they need to stand by each other. Andrea asks Rick for his pistol to kill herself before she turns, which he does. Andrea uses Rick's pistol to commit suicide with Michonne by her side. The season ends with Rick's group returning to the prison along with the remaining Woodbury survivors, while The Governor's whereabouts remain unknown.

Season 4 (2013–14)
AMC announced on December 21, 2012 that The Walking Dead had been renewed for a fourth season. Scott Gimple will replace Glen Mazzara as the series' showrunner for the season, which will premiere on October 13, 2013 and consist of 16 episodes. David Morrissey is set to reprise his role as The Governor, despite his initial one-season contract. Chad Coleman (Tyreese), Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha), and Emily Kinney (Beth Greene) will return as series regulars in season 4, and Melissa Ponzio (Karen) will return in a recurring role. Larry Gilliard, Jr. will join the cast in a regular role as Bob Stookey, a former Army medic.

Days after the Governor shot down his army, the prison is now home to Woodbury survivors and survivors found by the group. Rick Grimes has started farming. The group forms a council of Hershel Greene, Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, and Sasha. Glenn struggles thinking that Maggie is pregnant. Carl discovers that Carol has been teaching the children how to use weapons. Tyreese and Karen are revealed to have a relationship. Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese, Sasha, Glenn, Bob Stookey, and Zach are attacked by walkers, leading to Zach getting killed. Patrick dies of a sickness, spread by birds and pigs. Patrick turns and attacks the cell block. In the cell block, Ryan Samuels dies, due to getting bit. Ryan asks Carol to look after his daughters, Lizzie and Mika. Lizzie and Mika say goodbye to there father, as he dies, Carol then stabs Ryan to prevent reanimation. Carol looks after Lizzie and Mika for now on. Tyreese stumbles upon two burned bodies, Karen and David. Tyreese shows Rick, Carol, and Daryl the burned bodies, where Tyreese is angry so he fights Rick, leading to Rick having a few broken fingers. Glenn, Sasha, and Lizzie are revealed to be sick so they are put in a cell block with other sick survivors. Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese, and Bob find the medicine and head back. The group discovers that someone is feeding rats at the prison. Carol tells Rick that she killed Karen and David. Rick and Carol go on a run, where Rick tells Carol that she wasn't aloud to stay at the prison anymore. Daryl, Michonne, Bob, and Tyreese return with the medicine saving the sick. Rick gives Carl his gun back. The Governor watches Rick and Carl from the woods.

The Governor meets a family of a father David, his two daughters, Lilly and Tara, and Lilly's daughter Meghan. Meghan reminds The Governor of his daughter Penny who Michonne had killed in season 3. David dies, so the Governor along with Lilly, Tara, and Meghan leave. The group comes acrossed some walkers, which chase them, leading to the Governor and Meghan falling into a pit of walkers. They then come acrossed Caesar Martinez, a man who was the Governor's right hand man in Woodbury. Caesar takes the four back to his camp. The Governor decides he wants the prison, so he kills Caesar Martinez and Pete. The Governor takes leadership and tells the group that they are taking the prison, after he kidnapped Hershel and Michonne for hostages. Rick tells Daryl about Carol being left, which makes Daryl upset. Tyreese shows Rick and Daryl a rat nailed to wood. The Governor has his group shoot at the prison. Rick then tries to reason with the Governor so he won't hurt Michonne or Hershel. The Governor decapatates Hershel with Michonne's katana. The Governor's Miltia and the prison survivors then shoot at eachother. Meanwhile, Meghan is bitten by a walker at the camp. Tara complains to her girlfriend Alisha, saying that they shouldn't be fighting. Maggie takes Glenn on the bus and looks for Beth. Lizzie convinces Mika, Luke, and Molly to defend themselves, so Lizzie shoots Alisha and a member of The Governor's Miltia, saving Tyreese. Lilly shows up with dead Meghan, who the Governor shoots in the head. The bus leaves. Rick fights the Governor, leading to Michonne stabbing him with her katana and then Lilly shooting him. Daryl and Beth head off together. Bob is shot and he leaves with Maggie and Sasha. Rick and Carl come acrossed a baby carriage, filled with blood. Rick and Carl leave the prison with Rick saying "Don't look back, just keep walking."

Carl and an injured Rick take shelter in a house. Rick passes out, so Carl leads walkers away from the house and kills them. Carl comes back to the house and tells Rick "I would be fine if you died." Carl thinks Rick has died and can't shoot him. Rick is still alive and Carl tells him that he is scared. Michonne finds Rick and Carl. Daryl and Beth discover the dead bodies of children from the prison, Luke and Molly, leading to Beth breaking down. Judith is revealed to be alive, as she is with Tyreese, Lizzie, and Mika. Tyreese leaves the two girls with Judith, to go save some survivors who are screaming. Lizzie tries to quiet a crying Judith, by covering her mouth, Lizzie becomes so focused that she almost suffocates Judith. Tyreese tries to save the survivors, but they are all bitten. Carol then returns to Tyreese with the three girls. Meanwhile, Maggie plans to look for Glenn on the bus. Maggie, Bob, and Sasha look on the bus and discover that Glenn is not on the bus full of walkers. Glenn is revealed to be alive at the prison. Glenn discovers Tara, a young girl from the Governor's Militia. Glenn Takes Tara with him, Glenn then passes out, leading to them being found by Sgt. Abraham Ford, a woman Rosita, and a scientist Eugene. Carl and Michonne go on a run to get supplies. Meanwhile, Rick hides from a group of bad men in the house. Michonne tells Carl about her son Andre. Rick, Carl, and Michonne run away from the house and head for Terminus like other survivors. Beth and Daryl head out to get Beth a drink. Beth and Daryl discover a house, where Daryl reveals Beth to his past. Daryl and Beth then light the house on fire. Maggie leaves Sasha and Bob to look for Glenn. Sasha finds Maggie and they meet up with Bob, heading to Terminus. Beth discovers that Daryl has feelings for her. Walkers invade the house, seperating Daryl and Beth. Beth leaves Daryl behind in a car. Daryl then meets the group that Rick came acrossed, lead by Joe. Glenn, Tara, Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita head for Terminus to look for Maggie. Carol, Tyreese, Lizzie, Mika, and Judith find a Grove, where they stay. Mika finds Lizzie feeding a walker a rat. Mika and Lizzie run as walkers chase after them, Mika is caught, but Lizzie saves her. Tyreese, Carol, Lizzie, and Mika shoot the walkers. Carol and Tyreese come acrossed Lizzie holding a bloody knife above the dead body of Mika, "don't worry she'll come back, I didn't hurt her brain." Tyreese reveals to Carol that Lizzie was feeding the walkers at the prison. Carol takes Lizzie out to the woods, tells her to look at the flowers, and shoots her in the head. Carol and Tyreese bury there bodies. Carol tells Tyreese that she killed Karen and David, inwhich Tyreese forgives her. Carol, Tyreese, and Judith leave the Grove, heading for Terminus. Eugene reveals that he likes Tara, but she tells him that she likes girls. Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene seperate from Glenn and Tara. Tara's leg gets caught in the tunnel, until Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene save them with Maggie, Sasha, and Bob who they found and took to Glenn. Abraham, Glenn, and the others arrive at Terminus, where they meet Mary. Rick, Carl, and Michonne are attacked by Joe and his group, when Daryl tries to stop them, they beat him too. Rick fights back, when seeing Carl getting hurt, Rick bites Joe's neck out and the group kills the rest of the group. Rick, Michonne, Carl, and Daryl arrive at Terminus where they meet Gareth. Rick and his group pull weapons on Terminus, when Rick discovers they have Glenn's clock, which Hershel gave to him. Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Daryl are put in a boxcar, where they find Glenn, Maggie, Bob, Sasha, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, and Tara. Rick informs the group "they're screwing with the wrong people."

Main Characters

 * Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Rick was a police officer in King County, Georgia. Rick is the husband of Lori and the father of Carl and Judith. Rick is the leader of the main group. Rick was a man who was shot and woke up in an undead world, where he looked for his missing wife and son.
 * Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh, Shane was a police officer and Rick's best friend. When the outbreak started, Shane had an affair with Rick's wife Lori. Shane took Lori and Carl to the Atlanta camp, where he was the leader, until Rick showed up. Shane was stabbed by Rick and shot by Carl as a walker.
 * Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes, Lori is the wife of Rick and the mother of Carl and Judith. When the outbreak started, Lori and her son headed off with Shane to the Atlanta camp. Lori died, while giving birth to Judith.
 * Laurie Holden as Andrea, Andrea is the older sister of Amy. Andrea wanted to show the others that woman can be as tough as the guys. Andrea was seperated from Rick's group, where she was saved by Michonne, where they came acrossed Woodbury. Andrea was bitten by a walker and had to shot herself before reanimation.
 * Jeffrey DeMunn as Dale Horvath, Dale is the old man who owned the rv at the Atlanta camp. Dale died, when he was disemblowed by a walker and he was shot by Daryl, out of mercy.
 * Steven Yeun as Glenn, Glenn is Rick's go to town guy. Glenn began to have a relationship with Hershel's daughter, Maggie.
 * Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes, Carl is Rick and Lori's son.
 * Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Daryl is Merle's younger anti-hero brother. Daryl is skilled with a crossbow.
 * Danai Gurira as Michonne, Michonne is the mysterious woman who weilds a katana and carries walkers around with her.
 * Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Carol is the meek wife of an abusive husband, after her daughter's death, Carol started to have a relationship with Daryl Dixon.
 * David Morrissey as The Governor, Governor is the evil leader of Woodbury.
 * Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, Maggie is Glenn's girlfriend.
 * Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene, Hershel is the farmer who helped Carl, when he was shot.
 * Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon, Merle is Daryl's older brother, who is rude and racist.

Supporting Characters

 * Emily Kinney as Beth Greene, Beth is Hershel's youngest daughter, who often takes care of Judith.
 * Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese, Tyreese is Sasha's older brother who was damaged due to her girlfriend's death.
 * Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha, Sasha is Tyreese's younger sister and Bob's love intrest.
 * Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Bob Stookey, Bob is a recovering achloic who likes Sasha.
 * Michael Cudlitz as Abraham Ford, Abraham is a former Sgt, who is focused on keeping Eugene safe, to save the world.
 * Christian Serratos as Rosita, Rosita is Abraham's small girlfriend.
 * Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter, Eugene is the scientist who knows what caused the outbreak.
 * IronE Singleton as Theodore Douglas, Theodore is also know as T-Dog.
 * Madison Lintz as Sophia Peletier, Sophia is Carol's daughter and Carl's best friend, who went missing and was found by the survivors in Hershel's barn as a walker.
 * Brighton Sharbino as Lizzie Samuels, Lizzie is a mentally unstable girl, who looks up to Carol and thinks that the walkers are just "different."
 * Kyla Kenedy as Mika Samuels, Mika is the sweet little girl who is the younger sister of Lizzie.