Penny Thoughts ‘13—The Walking Dead, season 3 (2012-2013) ****

TV-14, 16 45-min. episodes

Creators: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman (graphic novels), Tony Moore (graphic novels), Charlie Adlard (graphic novels)

Directors: Ernest Dickerson, Bill Gierhart, Guy Ferland, Gregory Nicotero, Dan Attias, Daniel Sackheim, Lesli Linka Glatter, Seith Mann, Tricia Brock, David Boyd, Stefan Schwartz

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, Glen Mazzara, Nichole Beattie, Evan T. Reilly, Sang Kyu Kim, Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Frank Renzulli, Ryan C. Coleman

Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Steve Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Emily Kenny, Scott Wilson, Michael Rooker, David Morrisey, Dallas Roberts

Guest starring: Irone Singleton, Lew Temple, Theodus Crane, Nick Gomez, Markice Moore, Vincent Ward, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Alexa Nikolas, Lawrence Kao, Chad L. Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green, Donzaleigh Abernathy, Tyler Chase, Daniel Thomas May, Melissa Ponzio, Travis Love, Lennie James, Jon Bernthal

Season three of the AMC phenomenon series “The Walking Dead” is the longest and most devastating yet. Is this what we would come to during the zombie apocalypse? Probably more likely than we’d like to admit.

A long winter has passed since season two, unseen here. That was one of the many points of controversy with the season. Some people would’ve liked to see what happened during those six months or so. What did Andrea and the new warrior woman Michonne go through during those months? How did the main group survive the winter without the shelter of the farmhouse (or the prison that it seems from the final shot of season 2 was only a few miles away)? From the things that were said, it was a harder, more character dampening time than any we’ve seen on air.

And then we were introduced to the town of Woodbury and it’s patriarch the Governor. There was no doubt in the audience’s mind that this was a bad man right from the start, despite his charming, manipulative approach. So why did Andrea fall for his dog and pony show hook line and sinker? I suppose that’s a mixed metaphor, but Andrea enraged many into making such argumentative mistakes with her choices this season. Of course, we all needed another good guy to hate after Lori was surprisingly scratched from the cast list so early in the season. So many people were disposed of this season, which went a good ways to explain why so many characters were also introduced. But what everyone really wanted was for Morgan to get over his psychosis and finally join Rick in the safe haven that was promised.

Of course, if this season proved anything, it’s that there is no longer anything that can truly be called a safe haven. The Governor can build a township, but not without his lies and deception and self-serving motivations. Rick can run his own leadership to the brink of insanity. Even the boy, Carl, looks like he’s heading down a very dangerous path in the end. Do you trust anyone in this post-apocalyptic nightmare? What happens to you if you don’t? And does any of this really have anything to do with a zombie apocalypse? Or is this just a giant microscope placed up against the greater nature of our own humanity? Perhaps, it’s the zombies who are the lucky ones.