If there’s one thing Americans love, it’s the zombie apocalypse. I don’t know why, really. Although some people think that it would be cool to blow the heads off the undead and attempt to survive in a brutal post-apocalyptic landscape, most people would get their fat asses either gnawed on by zombies or shot by a survivalist looking for supplies. The harsh reality is that most people wouldn’t survive the zombie apocalypse, but we can keep dreaming that we’re the exception – we’re all Rick from The Walking Dead.
This month is National Preparedness Month, and the Department of Homeland Security is capitalizing on the never-ending zombie craze to make people start thinking about what they would do in the event of a disaster.
According to the AP, DHS is urging citizens to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. “The Zombies are coming!” they say.
Except they’re not. At least not right now. DHS’s message is that if you’re prepared for a zombie attack, you’ll likely be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack. That’s because all of those events have something in common – the need for shelter, food, water, etc. DHS wants emergency planners across the country to use the “zombie attack” trope to get people into the disaster preparedness mindset.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that a government organization has mentioned the z word to citizens. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control actually acknowledged zombies and released their own zombie preparedness guide.
Here’s what the CDC says would happen, on a governmental response level:
If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine).
It’s likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas (I will be volunteering the young nameless disease detectives for the field work).
The Ricktatorship has its work cut out come season three of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Following the eventful second-season finale that saw Hershel’s farm go up in flames and Rick and company hit the road in search of a new home, the not-so-merry band of survivors will have to prepare for a massive battle if they plan to set up shop at the prison.
Hershel (Scott Wilson), now out of the relative safety of the farm, is in for quite a rude awakening, noting that “Christ promised a resurrection in mind … I just thought he had something different in mind.”
Showrunner Glen Mazzara recently told THR that this season, everyone — including Hershel and his daughter Beth — will feel a need to be a “valuable part of the team” and contribute. “If I don’t get this done, if I don’t kill that walker, that walker may kill someone else,” he said. “So everybody bonds together for the good of the group. They all have each other’s backs.”
“The pace seems very different this year and I think it’s just a lot more suspenseful, it’s lot more intense than it was last year,” he added.
Check out the clip below, exclusive to The Hollywood Reporter, to see what awaits Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Hershel and the group at the prison.
10 SECOND TEASER CLIPS
When season 1 of The Walking Dead came to a close, fans were left unsure of where the series was headed. After heavily deviating from the comic book’s canon, the producers of the show made it very apparent they were on their own track.
With season 3, however, fans know the show is working towards some really exciting territory, and are about to experience storylines that more closely mirror Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel. Characters like Michonne and the Governor – fan favorites we’d been hoping would get thrown in the mix – are now being brought to life, and figuring heavily into this forthcoming season.
To help get fans prepared for the show’s return this October, a new TV spot has been released. While it’s extremely light on…well, anything, it does tease a suspenseful season 3 for Rick Grimes. In it, Rick appears to be scoping out an enclosed space, perhaps in an abandoned house, and what he finds cannot possibly be good:
We know that after establishing his role as leader of the group (Ricktatorship?) in the season 2 finale, Grimes and his band of survivors will be making their way to the prison – a key location in the comics – but how they will get there is unclear. And then, once they discover the seemingly abandoned prison, it’s going to be interesting to see what the group discovers inside its walls.
Obviously, as has been shown in a few set photos from The Walking Dead season 3, there will be zombies, but how some of the series’ new characters will come into play – including those that were created specifically for the show – hasn’t been detailed. It’s already been teased that a major character will not survive season 3, but as we learned last season, there’s never just one death.
Along with the introduction of Michonne and the Governor, season 3 will also reintroduce audiences to the character of Merle Dixon, whom last we saw in some pretty dire straits. Towards the tail end of season 2, some hints were delivered that suggested Merle was alive; since then, the casting of Michael Rooker and a new magazine cover confirm it.
There are plenty of surprises in store for viewers of The Walking Dead season 3; however, this time there also are a few expected places the series appears to be headed towards. Those looking to know more can anticipate additional details, and more TV spots, as we near the season’s premiere.
The Walking Dead begins season 3 on October 14th at 9pm on AMC.
This week’s Entertainment Weekly offers up a sneak peek of season 3 of The Walking Dead. The issue features four different collector covers highlighting season 3 cast members, plus eight pages inside are devoted to the show. There are a couple spoilers revealed in interviews with producers and cast members. Some of the spoilers have been previously revealed elsewhere and some of the spoilers are brand new, but we’ve compiled five of the biggest spoilers below.
5. Lori Grimes Has Self-Hatred – When season 2 ended, Lori Grimes was pregnant and had just learned that her husband Rick Grimes had killed her former lover Shane. Apparently, both issues are going to weigh heavily on Lori, and she will experience a lot of self hatred. Sarah Wayne Callies, who plays Lori Grimes, is quoted as saying, “Lori feels horrible because good people are now putting themselves in danger and taking on her share of the work to protect her. I think it’s impossible to overestimate the amount of self-hatred going on in Lori’s head right now.”
4. Merle Dixon Is A Woodbury Hero – It’s already been revealed that Merle Dixon would be returning for season 3 of The Walking Dead, but EW offers up some details on exactly how Merle will return. Apparently, The Governor will start off a celebration by announcing a good old fashioned pig picking, and Merle will show up carrying a boar on a stick. And the townspeople appreciate the importance of a good hunter, as they chant “Merley! Merley!”
3. Milton Will Be A New Character – There is at least one brand new character being created just for the TV show. Dallas Roberts of The Good Wife and Rubicon will play a character called Miltion, who is a pseudo-scientist. Milton will not be a trained scientist, but he will be studying the behavior of the walkers in an attempt to find a solution to them.
2. Penny Might Show Up – In the comic books, The Governor kept his zombie niece Penny leashed in his apartment, and he fed her human body parts. While The Governor on The Walking Dead TV show will be somewhat different than The Governor in the comic book, producer Glen Mazzara had a very interesting response when EW asked about Penny. Mazarra said, “There are key moments in the comic book that we felt were very important to adapt into the series. I don’t want to give anything away, but our version of the Governor is recognizable to comic book fans.”
1. Other Survivors In The Prison – It turns out that Rick and his group are not alone in the prison, and we’re not just talking about zombies. According to a quote from Glen Mazzara, “The group will come to discover that there are other survivors within that prison.” However, it’s not revealed if the other survivors will be former convicts or an entirely different faction.
Walking Dead Season 3 Spoiler Guide: New Characters & “Incredible Danger”
Now that The Walking Dead is getting its own preview weekend on AMC (July 7 – 8), we thought it might be time for an updated spoiler guide to Season 3. As wepreviously reported,word from the Senoia, Georgia set was that the focus next season will be on the so-called “zombie sanctuary.” Most comic book fans know it as the prison where Rick Grimes and his new band of followers first attempt to take shelter after he kills Shane and declares an autocracy.
What do we know so far?
First look: Michonne. Fan favorite Michonne first appeared in the final moments of the Season 2 finale, when a hooded figure leading armless zombies on chains came across Andrea in the woods. Click here to see a photo of Michonne’s angry face as she wields a tatana sword.
Ricky’s got a gun. We’re not ones to fall in love with dictators, but thissneak peek photo of Rick covered in dirt and sweat, sporting longer hair and pointing a gun in our face, is enough to make us change our ways.
The Governor. Most TWD fans are already looking forward to The Governor’s appearance at the prison, but for those of us who haven’t read the comic books, it should interest you to know that he is “the ultimate villain,” according to one TWD site. “He will bring pain and suffering to the Grimes family and Rick will regret the day that they ever crossed paths.” David Morrissey, a relative unknown, will play the scary-lookingpart. He will “first attack once Rick and the gang try to take refuge in the prison,” reports Best Movies Ever News.
Two new characters. Over at BMEN, an AMC source spills about Harold, a “studious and fastidious” forty-something man who “is the polar opposite of Shane and more in line with Dale.” So he’s a bit of a wise softie. Also new is Manuel, a thirty-something Hispanic man: “a working class survivor, he is confident, physically skilled, a leader when necessary, capable, and smart. Has a terrific sense of humor where you wouldn’t expect one.”
Jimmy & T-Dog may not be long for this world. Finally! Maybe we should be more sentimental about BMEN’s news from an AMC source advising, “[Don’t] expect T-Bone to last long.” But poor IronE Singleton has been playing third wheel to the whole show ever since the Season 1 finale. Time to stop. And Jimmy, we hardly knew ye, so it’s nice to hear that you’ll “get a little wandering around the farm and RV screen time,” but you’re a zombie now. Let’s move on.
Maggie’s here to stay.TVLine reported in March that Lauren Cohan, who plays Hershel’s most enterprising and toughest daughter Maggie, has been promoted to series regular. Which is good, because the first time we met her, she was saving Andrea’s life. She’s a good egg.
Behind-the-scenes Season 3 footage! We saved the best for last. AMC recently released this behind-the-scenes video (below) from the set of the Season 3 premiere episode. Everyone’s covered in dirt and blood, and the prison tunnels look dark and claustrophobic. Norman Reedus (Daryl) teases that “people start losing their minds … love blossoms.” And the adorably accented Andrew Lincoln (Rick) promises a “darker, harder, faster, deeper” and “incredibly dangerous” return. Sign us up!
Video: The Walking Dead Season 3 Sneak Peek: Behind the Scenes (VIDEO)
The Walking Dead Season 3 Preview Weekend airs on Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8, beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT on AMC.
Here at What Culture we consider ourselves to be experts in many different things. Sure we have massive brains filled with the latest gaming news, movie tidbits and comic book geekery but did you know that we’re also the leading experts on surviving a zombie apocalypse? Darn tooting we are! In fact, if the Government called upon us to protect you lovely people from having your brains eaten by your dead grandma we’d know exactly what to do. So it seems only fair that we share this information with you – our dear readers – just in case we’re a bit busy helping the Governments of the world sort out their living dead problems.
So let’s begin with the basics.
1. How Likely is A Zombie Outbreak
According to the BBC, researchers in Canada concluded that unless a Zombie outbreak was dealt with quickly and aggressively it would in fact lead to the downfall of civilisation. You see, people have actually been funded to look into this kind of ‘eventuallity’ under the pretence that the idea of an outbreak of Zombieism works in much the same way as any other alien infection and thus the research can help prepare for such a real life scenario. Personally we think this is all part of the Government’s attempts to keep Joe Public in the dark. Research is being undertaken to prepare for Zombies, like it or not.
If you’re still unsure about the reality of Zombies then just take a look at nature and you’ll see that such infections already exist within the animal world. Take Toxoplasmosa Gondii for example. It lives inside the body of the common Rat, but the only place it can bread is inside the intestines of a Cat so it takes over the brain of Mr Rat and makes him get himself eaten. The parasite actually programmes the Rat, much like a similar parasite could programme the human brain. In fact over half the world’s population is infected by this little bugger already. What if it were to evolve? Scary thought, hu?
Need more examples? How about Haiti, home of the term Zombie. People there were infected with an acute neurotoxin that actually wiped the memories of the victims, left them in a barely conscious state and caused them to shuffle around performing basic daily tasks such as eating. There are books and documentaries on this – and we don’t mean ones called Zombie Flesheaters. And if you’re STILL not convinced then have a look at the symptoms of Mad Cow’s Disease – muscle spasms, dementia, rage, changes in gait – it’s all there in black and white for the sceptics out there. All that’s keeping us safe at the moment is the fact that none of the aforementioned causes have taken hold … yet.
2. Know Your Zombies
Like with most things there are different types of Zombie. As we haven’t been face to face with any as of yet it’s safe to assume that any of the weird shit you’ve seen on TV or in a video game could actually be true. However, tradition dictates a certain type of Zombie – at least in the first instance. Who knows if they can evolve or adapt over time?
Here’s what we do know:
1. Zombies can be both the reanimated corpses of the already dead OR any living thing that has been bitten and thus transformed.
2. Zombies are slow. Any notion that they may be able to run should be disregarded. Sure, if you’ve just been turned then you may have use of your full leg muscles a while but rigor mortis reaches maximum stiffness after 12 hours, so beyond that we should assume the creature cannot run.
3. The brain of a Zombie is not entirely dead. It continues to operate at 0.5%. No Zombie will ever win a pub quiz then – but they are brighter than most of the people who go on Jeremy Kyle’s TV show.
4. The primary weapons of a Zombie are it’s hands/claws and it’s teeth. You’re not likely to change sides if you get scratched but a bite will damn sure bring about a sudden case of death. Well, more like a slow agonising case actually.
5. The original cause of a Zombie plague grossly affects how us humans can be turned. For example, if the cause is airborne then you might become a Zombie just by breathing. Likewise the original Zombies may just be reanimated corpses and you could be turned by a bite – the transference of saliva which carries a parasite etc. Or in some cases you may already be carrying whatever it is that turns you (like in The Walking Dead) and when you die you will become a member of the undead without ever coming into contact with one. Let’s just hope that if/when Zombies walk the Earth the only way for you to be turned is by a bite. At least that gives you more of a fighting chance at survival.
If there’s one thing Americans love, it’s the zombie apocalypse. I don’t know why, really. Although some people think that it would be cool to blow the heads off the undead and attempt to survive in a brutal post-apocalyptic landscape, most people would get their fat asses either gnawed on by zombies or shot by a survivalist looking for supplies. The harsh reality is that most people wouldn’t survive the zombie apocalypse, but we can keep dreaming that we’re the exception – we’re all Rick from The Walking Dead.
