Blu-ray Review: Robust Set For Third Season of AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’

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CHICAGO – Brutal. That’s the word for the third season of “The Walking Dead.” It’s just brutal. Like the second season of the mega-hit show, the third sagged a bit in the middle (although not as deeply as the neverending Shane-Dale debates of chapter 2) and the finale was a bit disappointing, but the unpredictability of the season kept viewers on their toes and ratings high. With the producer’s willingness to sacrifice any character (and several major ones die this year), it became a show that you couldn’t DVR. You had to watch it live or risk having it ruined by Twitter. If you somehow stayed unspoiled, you can now catch up with a robust five-disc set for the incredibly popular show.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

As for transfers, the 16 episodes look excellent, mastered in the same video quality as when it aired and upgraded in audio quality. Special features are also plentiful, including audio commentaries on multiple episodes, deleted scenes, and featurettes. It’s a set designed for fans of the show, of which there are many.

As for quality of the program, few shows have ever ridden a critical rollercoaster for this viewer as much as “The Walking Dead”. The second half of season two and first half of season three (all of which aired in 2012) was strong enough to get the program a spot in my top ten. However, the show spun its wheels a bit in its return of season three in 2013, not quite sure what to do with the character of The Governor and failing to resolve his arc in a sastifying way. It’s still damn good TV and this Blu-ray set reminds one of that fact just before the October 13th premiere of season four. I know I’ll be there. You probably will be too.

The Walking Dead: Season Three was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 27, 2013
Photo credit: Anchor Bay

Synopsis:
In this uncertain world, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors must not only fight the dead, but also face a whole new fear: the living. In this 16 episode season, the series Entertainment Weekly called the “greatest thriller ever produced for television”, Rick and his fellow survivors continue to seek refuge in a desolate and post-apocalyptic world and soon discover that there are greater forces to fear than just the walking dead. The struggle to survive has never been so perilous. This season also introduces new characters, including the Governor (David Morrissey) and fan-favorite Michonne (Danai Gurira), along with her zombie pets.

Special Features:
o Audio Commentaries on Episodes 4, 5, 8, 9 and 15
o Rising Son
o Evil Eye
o Gone, But Not Forgotten
o Heart Of A Warrior
o Michonne vs. The Governor
o Safety Behind Bars
o Making The Dead
o Guts And Glory
o Deleted Scenes

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com