Pope Twitter Commercial

Last night during the sixth episode of the sixth season of AMC's The Walking Dead, there was a commercial featuring the Holy Father, Pope Francis. I was surprised as were many viewers. Here is the commercial:

@jackomo Hi! We'd like to spotlight your Tweet in official Twitter TV and marketing materials. Reply #yes or #no to let us know if OK!

— Twitter Notify (@TwitterNotify) October 19, 2015

Apparently Twitter has been asking specific Twitter users for permission to use their tweets. While some of the images are not flattering and I am not sure if they got permission from the Pope, I think this commercial shows how much the Papacy has penetrated the world and gotten the attention of it.  Before, Popes were looked upon as archaic caricatures of an old world.  Now, Pope Francis with his humble personality and colloquial way of speaking has befriended the world and the world him. I think this is a perfect opportunity for Pope Francis to evangelize and plant the seeds of faith in the world which has loosen its hard soil to him.   I hope the Pope takes the opportunity.

Did Glenn Really Die on The Walking Dead?

WARNING: POST WILL CONTAIN GRAPHIC AND "SPOILER" CONTENT. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Last night The Walking Dead fans experienced a scene that shattered their hearts. Fan favorite "Glenn Rhee," a nerdy young adult character in the comic book series as well as its television counterpart was apparently killed off. Glenn became a fan favorite due to his lovable charm and transition from a cowardly kid to a natural leader.  While escaping a horde of walkers (zombies), he and another character named Nicholas get trapped in an alley. Glenn had a run-in with this character who in the season 5 finale even tried to kill him. However, in this scene last night Nicholas seems to zone out due to anxiety. He looks at Glenn saying "thank you" and then shoots himself in the head. However while doing so, he brings down Glenn in the process. Both land among the horde of walkers.  All we see is Glenn with a look of panic while screaming inaudibly as the walkers are tearing guts apart and ingesting them.  We do not see if it is Nicholas' remains that are being torn apart or Glenn's abdominal.

This is what has left many fans wondering if in fact Glenn died. While it seems Glenn did die since he fell into the horde, I have a theory that he may be in fact still alive.  Here are the reasons why:

1) In the episode "Guts" in season one. Glenn and Rick used the intestines of a walker they dismembered and smeared them on their person.  This was done to mask their natural body odor using the decaying flesh odor from the walker whose intestines they smeared on themselves. Being that Nicholas landed on Glenn, his odor and that of the walkers who crouched down to eat his remains may have masked Glenn's body odor making him invisible to all the walkers.  Walkers have poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell according to a tweet sent by AMC in 2010 who confirmed this.  Therefore, if Glenn's body odor is masked by Nicholas' remains and that of walkers over him, then he may "wait it out" underneath until the walkers tire of eating Nicholas and walk away.

Zombie Rule #6: Zombies have poor eyesight but they do have a strong sense of smell. #TheWalkingDead

— The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) September 24, 2010

2) In last night's episode, while on a walkie talkie, Glenn calls Rick a "dumbass" which is reminiscent of when they first met in the pilot episode when Rick got trapped in a tank surrounded by walkers.  The fact that he called Rick that may have been a clue that Glenn himself may be caught in a similar predicament.  Moreover, the overhead shot of Glenn surrounded by walkers is the same one used when Rick was surrounded by walkers in the tank. Since Rick survived that incident, most likely Glenn will as well.  See the comparison of scenes here:

3) Glenn may have gone under the dumpster while the walkers were occupied eating Nicholas' remains.  There is ample room for Glenn to slither under, see the red arrow here below:

Also, if you look carefully at the scene starting at about 1:52 on the time frame, you can see Glenn's bloody face moving upwards as if he is slithering his way under the dumpster.






Therefore it seems Glenn is in fact still alive an may have gone under the dumpster.  The scene was angled in such a way in order to make it seem as if he was being torn apart.  In reality, he would have gone into shock if such an event did happen.  Instead, he looks terrified out of his wits and screaming in disbelief.  Moreover, in the comic book version, Glenn is killed by Negan using his bat "Lucille" in issue 100.

So these are the clues I saw that may indicate that Glenn is in fact not death.  If he is dead, then the walkers had a great meal of Nicholas and Glenn served as a fortune cookie (pun intended). :)



UPDATE: November 22, 2015

I was correct!  Glenn was, in fact, alive under Nicholas' remains and crawled under the garbage bin as the walkers were distracted!

Fear The Walking Dead

Last year, it was announced that a new spinoff of The Walking Dead drama program was in production. Many wondered what the storyline would be and if it would be as successful as the original.  The premier was set for August 23 with much anticipation.  It's name would be "Fear The Walking Dead."  The show would take place in Los Angeles, California before the outbreak of the virus that causes the dead to reanimate (possibly the flu shot).

The show has just aired and it did not disappoint.  While the play of scene was a bit slow, the show kept the audience interested.  It was very cinematic and felt like an episode of CSI or Law and Order while at the same time having a suspense to it that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  As the storyline progressed, we begin to see the outbreak taking hold. The main character so far is Nick, played by British actor Frank Dillane. He is a young druggie who hangs out at an abandoned church building injecting drugs.  While sleeping there, he wakes up to find his female friend eating another druggy. She notices him and goes after him.  Nick then runs for his life out onto the street where he is hit by a car.  He wakes in the hospital with his parents looking on.  Nick and his family have a broken relationship.

He manages to escape the hospital trying to make sense of what he saw at the abandoned church building. Meanwhile, his parents go to his friend's house Calvin looking for him. His parents work at a school. While at the school, Nick's mom notices another student named Tobias with a knife.  He takes him to her office and interrogates him as to why he had the weapon.  Tobias informs her that he thinks something big is going on in regards to the reports of people attacking others.    Nick contacts Calvin who is played by Keith Powers of "Straight Outta Compton" and sets up a meeting at a diner.  While this is going on, Nick's parents are driving on a freeway where traffic is held up.  They hear gunshots and leave.  Back at the school, they see the news report of what happened on the freeway.  A man is apparently in an accident and being given medical treatment when he grabs the paramedic and bites him on the neck. The man is hit and pushed, but keep walking towards the police who shoot him causing him to fall to his knees.  However, despite the many rounds shot into him, he gets back up until shot in the head.  The media broadcasts this via helicopter video shots and it causes panic.  Schools are let out early and there is a sense that something is about to happen.

Meanwhile, Calvin and Nick meet up and Calvin seems upset.  He tells Nick that his parents were looking for him and said that cannot happen.  Apparently, it was Calvin who was selling or providing drugs to Nick.  When we first see Calvin, he looks like a very handsome, clean-cut African-American; however, we learn in this diner scene that he is a low-key drug dealer.
Calvin takes Nick to a secluded area and goes to the trunk of his car.  He opens the passenger door and asks Nick to come out.  This is when Nick notices a gun.  Calvin is about to execute him but Nick grabs him and they struggle.

During the scuffle, Nick shoots Calvin in the chest killing him.  Nick calls his parents who meet him near the area and he tells them what happened.  They go to see Calvin's body, but it is not there, only his car remained.  As they were going back out through a tunnel, they see Calvin walking in a mangled state.  The parents exit their vehicle to see him thinking Calvin is just hurt, and Nick yells at them to stop, but they cannot hear him.  Calvin launches at NIck's mom biting her on the arm.  She had long sleeves so I assume she did not get an injury from the bite.  Nick then back up the car and hits Calvin who flies and slams on the concrete.  Within a few seconds, Calvin stands up again and walks towards Nick in the truck.  Nick then presses the gas and hits Calvin again carrying him towards the end of the tunnel and launching him where he crashes with force feet away.  Nick and his parents go to see Calvin's body and see him still moving his head with his jaw smashed in.

The show was actually pretty good.  As I stated before, it was a bit slow but keeps your attention.  We are gradually told the story of how the outbreak began. However, we are still not told what exactly cause it.  Was it a virus, bacteria or perhaps even the drugs Calvin gave Nick?  We will hopefully find out. This show will be a big hit just like the original series.  It will bring in the old audience who read the comics as well as a new one.  Both groups will want to get a new experience because this show is something they cannot anticipate since it is a whole new storyline.

The acting was great.  I even congratulated "Calvin" Keith Powers who messaged me back.

.@Sacerdotus thank you.

— Keith Powers (@KeithTPowers) August 24, 2015

I am looking forward to this show as well as the 6th season of the original The Walking Dead AMC series.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Today's readings deal with Faith and the Resurrection.

The first reading is from the prophet Ezekiel and tells us of how God brings life to those in the grave. God says that He will raise the dead of Israel and bring them back to their land.  Because of this, they will know that He is God.  He then promises that He will put His spirit in them. This is an allusion to the resurrection of Christ. As we know, Jesus was crucified, died and was buried.  However, He rose from the dead. We read in Matthew 27:50-54 how the dead walked out of their graves and entered Jerusalem. This event must have been frightening for those who witnessed it. However, it was not a scary scene like in "The Walking Dead" series. This event was foreshadowed in the first reading where God says that He will raise the dead of Israel and because of this the people will know that He is God.  Ironically, in Matthew 27:54, the centurion and those with him said, "Truly this man was God's son." God is the one who restores life to us both spiritually and physically.  

This brings us to the responsorial psalm which begins with a cry out of the depths to God.  It is a prayer asking God for mercy, redemption and renewal. When we sin, our spiritual lives slowly die. There is nothing worse than a spiritual death.  The human being becomes immoral, not knowing right from wrong.

He or she is lost in darkness and because of this, begins to fall not knowing where he or she is going. The Psalm reminds us that God is the one who saves us.  He is the one who brings us out of the depths of the spiritual grave.  We must trust in Him.

The second reading from Romans tells us that we cannot truly please God if we are in the flesh, or in sin. It is only in living in the Spirit that we truly please God because we are restored with God's grace.  St. Paul makes it clear that if we do not have the Spirit of Christ, then we do not belong to Him.  When we sin, we die spiritually and physically.  This is why St. Paul tells us that the "body is dead because of sin."  Because of sin, we are open to all kinds of ailments and diseases.  Original sin damaged creation and all things exist without the perfection it had prior to the fall of Adam and Eve.  Christ will restore our lives to what they were supposed to be.  He rose from the dead and will give life to our bodies and entire existence as well.

Finally, the Gospel tells us about Lazarus who is the brother of Mary who anointed Jesus with perfumed oil as well as Martha. Lazarus is extremely ill; basically at the point of death.  Jesus is told of the illness and replies that the illness Lazarus is going through is not to end in death but will serve as an example of the glory of God.  In other words, Christ was telling them that He will be using this opportunity to show God's glory via a miracle.

Jesus then plans to go back to Judea where He had some problems with the people.  The disciples advise Jesus not to go because the people will stone Him. Jesus then reminds them that those who walk in light do not stumble basically reminding them that He will be safe.  Then He tells them that Lazarus is "asleep" and He will awaken Him.  They thought He was referring to sleep, but Christ was referring to the fact that Lazarus had passed away.  Jesus knew this despite not being at Lazarus' home.  When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had already been buried for four days. Martha and Mary met with Jesus and Martha voiced her frustration to Him telling Him that if He had been there that Lazarus would still be alive.

Nevertheless, she still has faith that whatever Christ asks of God will be granted.  Martha believes in the final resurrection on the last day and Jesus replies saying that He is the resurrection and the life and that those who believe in Him even if they die will live.  Christ then asks Martha if she believes Him and she replies, "Yes, Lord" showing her deep faith. Martha then calls Mary to tell her that Jesus is there and is asking for her.

Mary approaches Christ and falls to His feet voicing her frustrations as well just like Martha did. Next we see Jesus showing His human side.  Despite being the Son of God and the second person of the Blessed Trinity, He becomes "perturbed and deeply troubled" when He sees Mary crying and the Jews who were there crying as well.  He then asks to be taken to where they had laid the remains of Lazarus and they take Him.

Once again we see Jesus shows His humanity. He begins to cry as well.  Here we have God crying. The Jews present ask Jesus "could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?  The people are complaining as well just like Mary and Martha did. Jesus is perturbed again we read, but goes to the tomb to see Lazarus' body. Martha tries to stop Jesus saying that there will be a stench because the body has been there for four days. Jesus reminds her that God will show His glory via the death of Lazarus and calls out "Lazarus, come out!"  The dead corpse once lying in state comes to life and walks out. Imagine the scene for a moment. A man is dead for four days and all of a sudden walks out still wrapped in bands like a mummy of sorts.  Had it been me witnessing this, I probably would have run faster than the cartoon character "Road Runner" and would have been screaming like Mariah Carey!

However, the scene should not bring fright.  It was not a scene of a zombie movie or "The Walking Dead" series.  Lazarus woke from his sleep as Christ said he would.  This Gospel shows not only that Christ is God and that God has power over life and death, but also shows Christ's humanity and genuine love. We also see how the people get frustrated that Jesus did not act quickly in either preventing Lazarus from dying or raising him from the dead.

How many times do we get frustrated when we pray for something and God does not grant it right away or perhaps not in the way we wanted?  This is a natural reaction because we still do not see the full picture.  We are like little impatient kids who feel that waiting just one minute is like a lifetime, so we get frustrated. Our doubts grow just like atheists who see children suffering in the world and quickly declare God as non-existent or uncaring.  Those who let this impatience get the best of them eventually doubt and fall into atheism believing God to not exist.  We must not be like this.

Like Martha and Mary we must have faith. Christ understand us. He shares our joys and pains as we read in the Gospel how He wept despite being God who can do anything.  God does care. He understands what we go through everyday. This is what is unique about the "God of Christianity" as atheists and academics describe Him.  The "God of Christianity" IS GOD. He is not a distant deity who demands sacrifices and does not interact with the people.  Christ is with each of us and shares with us our joys and our pains. The Gospel today is preparing us for Easter Sunday where Christ Himself rises from the dead. Death is something we all suffer. It is hard to get over the death of anyone, family or friend. However, it is our faith in Christ who is the resurrection and life that keeps us focused and of sound mind. We cry and are sad yes, this is a normal human response that even Jesus went through. However, we relax and know that death is not the end. Jesus is the resurrection and the life and will bring back to life those who believed in Him as St. Paul tells us in the second reading.  






Readings:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040614.cfm

Fifth Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 34

Reading 1EZ 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord GOD: 
O my people, I will open your graves 
and have you rise from them, 
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD, 
when I open your graves and have you rise from them, 
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live, 
and I will settle you upon your land; 
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm PS 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R/ (7) With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication. 
R/ With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered. 
R/ With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.
R/ With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R/ With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Reading 2 ROM 8:8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; 
on the contrary, you are in the spirit, 
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, 
although the body is dead because of sin, 
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, 
the one who raised Christ from the dead 
will give life to your mortal bodies also, 
through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Gospel JN 11:1-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, 
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil 
and dried his feet with her hair; 
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying, 
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, 
but is for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, 
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, 
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him, 
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, 
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, 
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles, 
because the light is not in him.” 
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death, 
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. 
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe. 
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, 
“Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus 
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary 
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life; 
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, 
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this, 
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, 
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village, 
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her 
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her, 
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, 
she fell at his feet and said to him, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, 
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, 
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, 
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man 
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, 
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; 
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe 
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; 
but because of the crowd here I have said this, 
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, 
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands, 
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

Or JN 11:3-7, 20-27, 33B-45

The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, 
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, 
but is for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, 
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, 
“Let us go back to Judea.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus 
had already been in the tomb for four days.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him; 
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life; 
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, 
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, 
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, 
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man 
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, 
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; 
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe 
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said, 
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; 
but because of the crowd here I have said this, 
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, 
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands, 
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Walking Dead

In 2010 a new television program appeared on the network AMC.  The Walking Dead - originally a comic book series - made its way to the big screen.

The comic book and show focuses on a group of survivors in a zombie apocalyptic world.  A virus is spreading around causing dead corpses to reanimate and feed off living things.  Because of this, the series presents a lot of violence of gore.  However, the show also has many philosophical themes within its story line.

In the first season,  the main character Rick Grimes finds himself in a world where zombies have taken over.  After being shot while performing his duties as a law enforcement officer.  Grimes is hospitalized and is in a  coma of sort.  He wakes from the coma only to see the hospital and neighborhood look like a war zone.   He then encounters his first zombie or "walker" in the form of a half torso dragging itself on a park.  Horrified and confused, he goes to his home to find that everyone had left.  He then finds a man and his son who cares for him.  As the story line moves forward, he eventually finds his wife and son as well as a group of survivors.  His best friend Shane is there and apparently lied to his wife saying that Rick was dead in order to begin a sexual relationship with her.  Shane and Rick's wife have an affair during this time.  Throughout this season we see the theme of survival, suicide as a means to escape life's troubles.

As the group tries to survive, a horde attacks them killing some.  They move on and head to the CDC in hopes of finding help.  They instead find a scientist who lost hope in finding a cure.  He was the only one left and saw his attempt to find a cure futile.  At first he is reluctant in letting Rick's group enter but then lets them in only to hold them there as the CDC's anti-contamination system which causes the entire compound to explode begins counting down after fuel runs low.  The scientists offers this death as an easy way out.  Instead of living out in the world where zombies can attack, he offered a form of "mercy killing."

In the second season, we see Philosophical and Moral issues presented such as what makes a human person or living soul.  Abortion and contraception are also presented.  Despite the character Lori bearing a child that is probably Shane's and at first wanting to abort it, she keeps the child.  This is interesting because if the world has literally ended as the characters knew it, why have more kids?

God is also questioned.  Rick wonders why God would allow the world to succumb to "the Walking Dead."  Hershel, a veterinarian and farmer who is deeply Christian attempts to explain God's mystery, but eventually he himself begins to doubt later on in the season.

As the second season develops, we see characters begin to lose their humanity.  Shane, Rick's best friend becomes this maniac who only thinks of survival.  Eventually, Rick goes survival mode as well, but retains his right conscience.  He ends up killing Shane after Shane led him into the woods to kill him.  The farm in which they have been living in is over run by "walkers" and they have to flee.  Two of the group are killed, one is lost and the others run for their lives.  Rick, his son and Herhsel return to the highway where the second season began and wait to see if the others return to the same stop.  Hershel makes an interesting but funny comment:

"I can't profess to understand God's plan, Christ promised the resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had something a little different in mind."

The group eventually reunites and wander in the forest.  The one who was lost, Andrea, comes across a mysterious lady named Michonne who has 2 arm less and jaw less walkers and a katana sword.  They become friends and in the third season come across a barricaded small town called "Woodbury" after being captured by Merle, who was in the first season as the brother of Daryl and who was left cuffed to a pipe.  He had to amputate his own hand in order to free himself.  This town is headed by a man who goes by the title "governor."

Meanwhile, Rick and his group come across a prison.  They begin to clear it out, but Hershel is bitten and Rick amputates his lower leg in order to prevent the acceleration of the infection.  While in the forest, Rick informs the group that the doctor at the CDC told him that every one has the infection.  They are the "Walking Dead," so to speak.  People will turn into zombies when they die even if they never came into contact with a zombie.

As the third season moves forward, T-dogg is bitten on the shoulder and risks his life to save Carol.  He is devoured by two zombies in a corridor of the prison.  Lori, Rick's wife goes into labor and is about to die.  Carl, her son shoots her in order to prevent her from becoming a walker upon death.  Rick learns of this and loses his mental faculties.  He begins to take his anger out on zombies and other members.  Rick goes to the basement to view Lori's body and to his surprise finds that a walker devoured her remains.  He then begins to hallucinate by hearing a dead phone ring.  He answers and hears the voices of members of the group who have died, including Shane and Lori.

Towards the end of the season, Glenn and his girl friend Maggie are captured by Merle.  Glenn is severely beaten and left to fight a walker with his arms restrained.  He defeats the walker and tries to escape only to run into the group from the small town.  During this time, Andrea begins a love affair with the governor.  Michonne is suspicious of him and leaves.  She sees the kidnapping of Glenn and Maggie and finds the prison and tells Rick and the rest of the group.  Rick plans a rescue plan.  He attacks the town and rescues Glenn and Maggie.  Daryl gets capture eventually after trying to find his brother Merle.

The Walking Dead is a great program, not meant for children, but good for teens and adults.  It presents a whole array of issues dealing with Philosophy, Religion and Morality.