I must say that I am still in awe of last night's episode of The Walking Dead.  Not because of the awesome kills, or what Michonne brings to the table, oh no.  The highlight reel last night, was the Governor.  

But for me it went beyond just the fact that after being a fan of the comic for so many years that I finally get to see him in the flesh if you will, for me the performance was key.  

It's damn important, that's for sure, especially with such an iconic role as this.  I say that simply because the wrong person in a role can utterly change the feel of a film or a show.  A great example is the debacle that was Hannibal and the changing of the guard from Jodie Foster to Julianne Moore.  Granted there are other problems with the film, but its biggest is that Foster was Clarice Starling and no one else would do.

That was exactly how I felt about the Governor when they announced his arrival on the show, and while I trust in the folks that run The Walking Dead there was still that glint of worry as to who would play this character and what they would bring to the table.  The wrong actor would mean disaster, and that's unacceptable for someone almost as important as Rick Grimes.   Suffice it to say that after watching the show last night, the end result actually exceeded my expectation.  

Sure David Morrissey doesn't have the fu manchu and jet black hair that the Gov did in the comics, but I don't care.  Mister Morrissey made the character his own, and that's the most impressive part, he made me uncomfortable watching him on screen.  

Throughout the show last night, the subtle performance that David put on my TV left me with chills.  While he flashed a lovely smile and said all the right things, you could see the fire building in his eyes waiting to be unleashed.  Go back and watch and you'll see what I mean.  Anyone who challenged him, or had something a little sharper to say, his eyes instantly lit up with rage.  You can see the internal fight to restrain himself, even in the way he replies.  

But what impressed me the most, were the final moments of the show.  Without a word to be spoken, David brought out exactly what we wanted from the Governor; absolute madness.  Those last five minutes in his private study left me utterly terrified.   Not because of what we saw in the room, but because of the look on the Governor's face.  The eyes gone wild, the jaw clenched with confusion, rage and terror.  This is a man on the verge of snapping, and we are all going to be witness to the fire storm that will arrive when he finally decides to let loose.  

What we have on our hands here folks is a complete and utter monster and I'm not sure that there will be another walker on this show that will ever disturb me as much as what we are about to see in David Morrissey's portrayal of the Governor.  Welcome to Woodbury everyone, I don't think we are going to enjoy our stay.  

The time has come at last, after months of waiting, the living dead will take over our television screens once again as The Walking Dead returns for another season. 

But before we can settle in and enjoy an evening of guts, gore, action and drama, we here at Girls of Geek continue our zombie countdown by bringing you a recap of the Second Season. Make sure you swing back by here at the season premiere airs for our usual recap and breakdown of the best show on television. 

Episode One:  "What Lies Ahead"
Following the events at the Centers for Disease Control the group takes a moment to regroup before deciding that Fort Benning is now their new destination as they abandon Atlanta for good.   But their journey comes to a halt when they discover a blockade of steel on the highway. 

It gives the survivors a chance to resupply from whatever they can find, before a massive herd of walkers passes through.  While many of the group manage to escape undetected, Andrea has to dispatch a stray walker and Sophia is chased into the woods by two more.  Rick dispatches the walkers that pursue her, but in the process loses Sophia.   The search for the little girl begins, but disaster strikes again when Carl is shot in the middle of the forest.  

Episode Two:  "Bloodletting"
The man responsible for accidentally shooting Carl, Otis directs Rick to a farm owned by a man named Hershel to save Carl's life.   

Hershel is indeed able to help young Carl, to an extent.  The bullet has caused a fair amount of damage, and the supplies at the farm are not adequate enough for surgery. 

With Rick donating blood constantly to keep his son alive, the task falls to Shane and Otis to sneak into a local rescue station and bring home the equipment necessary for surgery.  The plan is to get in and get out as quickly as possible, but the walking dead discover the presence of food, and quickly trap Shane and Otis, leaving Carl's life in the balance.  

Episode Three:  "Save the Last One" 
Time continues to run out for Carl as Otis and Shane now do their best to plan their escape from the rescue station.  As they do Hershel lets Rick and Lori know that they must operate soon, with or without the gear, the risk being that without the equipment, Carl's chances diminish.   As the parents decide, the hunt for Sophia continues, to no avail.  

Rick and Lori decide that the surgery must go on regardless, but seconds before it begins, Shane returns with the equipment but without Otis, who apparently gave his life to make sure that Shane returned with the proper equipment.

The surgery is a success and Carl will live, but Shane has lied to the group, it turns out that in order to make it back alive, he injured Otis and left him behind as food for the living dead. Giving Shane the moments he needed to survive, but changing him forever.  

Episode Four:  "Cherokee Rose"
As Carl recovers, the group is able to relax for a short period of time, except for Daryl who decides that with Rick and Shane out of commission for a short time he must lead the charge in finding Sophia.  The act gives Carol the hope she desperately needs after Daryl finds minor clues to Sophia's survival.   

In need of medication to continue to heal the injured, Glenn and Maggie head into town for supplies, a simple run that allows for a romantic encounter between them.  This run however has bigger implications as since Gleen has been given an important task from Lori, one that puts him in a moral quandary as he must now keep it quiet that Lori asked for a pregnancy test.  To complicate matters further, Lori discovers that the test is positive.   

Episode Five:  "Chupacabra"  
Tension begins to build on the farm as Hershel is displeased at the group's disregard for the rules he has set forth.  Tension also continues to grow within the group, as since Glenn knows now that Lori is pregnant and Shane is beginning to question the logic of a prolonged search for Sophia.  

But while others bicker, Daryl is steadfast is find Sophia and continues venturing out, at times on horseback.  During one sweep the horse is spooked, bucking Daryl and leaving him injured.  The daze from the pain leads Daryl to see hallucinations of his brother mocking him.  These "visions" ultimately save his life as he awakens in time to fend off roving walkers and escape.  But his return to the farm ends in disaster when Andrea mistakes him for a walker and nearly kills him.  

In order to relieve the tension, Lori and Carol prepare a dinner wherein Maggie and Glenn attempt to arrange another night of passion.  Maggie leaves the location of their rendezvous up to him but his suggestion leaves her in panic.   Glenn has chosen the barn and arrives before Maggie, only to discover it is full of walkers.    

Episode Six:  "Secrets"  
Glenn's burden about carrying two secrets begins to boil over when he accidentally reveals the walkers in the barn and Lori's baby to Dale.  But before these issues can come to the attention of the group, there is a bigger problem at hand; Hershel wants everyone off of the farm as soon as they are physically able.   

Rick does his best  to try and figure out a way to keep the group on the farm as Lori sends Glenn back into town for another supply run.   He brings back morning after pills for Lori as since she intends to terminate the pregnancy.  Rick discovers the empty wrappers and confronts Lori.  She reveals to him that she threw up the pills before opening up about two important secrets, her pregnancy, and her affair with Shane. 

Episode Seven:  "Pretty Much Dead Already"
Glenn reveals to the group the threat that awaits them in the barn, leaving Rick as the middleman to calm down Shane, as since Shane is ready to wipe out every walker in the barn.   In an attempt to put the group in Hershel's good graces and keep them on the farm, Rick asks permission to clear the living dead from the farm.  

It turns out that Hershel has a belief that the walkers are nothing more than people with an incurable disease and that they should be treated as patients.  Rick does his best to go along with it, even going so far to help Hershel rescue walkers trapped in the mud.   While he is out, Shane confronts Lori about the pregnancy, claiming that he is the father.  Lori denies this, deeply upsetting Shane.  His anger is further pushed to the breaking point when Dale confronts Shane about his role in Otis' death.   

Everything comes to a head when Rick returns with the walkers in tow, and Shane snaps at the sight.  He immediately makes the decision to kill all the living dead in the barn, and opens it.  Faced with the walkers coming right for them, Rick's group guns them down.  When it seems the threat is over, one last walker emerges from the barn, Sophia.   Everyone is stunned and unable to react. Except for Rick, who puts down the creature that was once a little girl.  

Episode Eight:  "Nebraska" 
In the aftermath of the shootout, Hershel demands that the group leave the farm immediately.  But not before the group bury the dead, including Sophia.   Rick of course wants to talk Hershel into letting them stay, but he may not get the chance, as since Hershel has gone missing.  

Rick, Glenn find Hershel drowning his sorrows in a bottle of booze at the local bar.  It takes some effort but Rick is able to persuade Hershel to return home, but not before a pair of men enter the bar. Rick is skeptical of the two men, who continue to do their best to get information from Rick regarding the farm.  The situation quickly deteriorates and Rick is left with no choice, but to kill the two men. 

Episode Nine:  "Triggerfinger"
It turns that the two men Rick killed, were not alone.  Their friends have come looking for their comrades and it instantly leads to a shootout.   The noise attracts the living dead forcing the stand off to end, but not before Rick and his group must save the life of Randall who is badly injured in the firefight.  

Rick and Glenn bring Randall back to the farm, where Hershel brings him back to health.  But while they were gone, Dale has confronted Lori about Shane and his wild behavior.  She takes the talk to heart and reveals to Rick the suspicion that Shane may have killed Otis and that he may be a bigger danger to the group than they know.  

Episode Ten:  "18 Miles Out" 
Rick and Shane have hit the road, with Randall in tow.  The plan is to take him eighteen miles out from the farm and turn him loose to fend for himself.  Along the way Rick confronts Shane about everything and at last gets the answers he needs.   But the brief moment of peace instantly degrades when they find a place to drop off Randall and he reveals to them that he knows Maggie and Hershel.  

With him potentially knowing the location of the farm, Rick and Shane argue over how to deal with Randall.  Shane believes that they should execute him, Rick wants to take him back.  This disagreement and all the tension that has built up from their struggle for leadership of the group, boils over and the two men break out into blows.  But their fight escalates into something terrifying when it gets the attention of walkers.  It actually gives Rick an opportunity to abandon Shane but he does everything he can to save his friend and Randall.  They manage to escape and Rick does his best one more time to talk sense into Shane.   Rick seems to believe he has finally reached him with this act, but it's obvious that Shane is simply biding his time.  

Episode Eleven:  "Judge, Jury and Executioner" 
The debate has begun at the farm.  Do they execute Randall, or do they let him go?   As the options are laid out on the table, Carl heads out into the woods, despite his mother's instructions.   Along the way he discovers a walker trapped in the mud, toying with it until it frees one leg momentarily.  

It is a good enough scare to get Carl home, where the decision has been made, Randall is to die.  Dale protests the decision in incredible fashion, pointing out that what this group truly needs to survive, is its humanity.  He wants no part of this and leaves, and when Carl encourages his father to finish Randall off, Rick has a change of heart.   

But before Dale can hear the good news, the walker that Carl left behind has at last freed himself and falls upon Dale.  He fights valiantly, but his effort is all for naught when the walker manages to eviscerate Dale.  The group arrives in time to say their goodbyes, before putting him out of his misery.  

Episode Twelve:  "Better Angels"
The threat of more walkers arriving on the farm has become apparent as more of them appear on the property, putting plans in motion to get everyone into the house.  In an effort to uphold the memory of Dale and his ideals Rick decides that Randall is to be released after all.

It is a plan that Shane does not agree with, and he betrays Rick by taking Randall into the woods and murdering him in cold blood.  In order to cover his tracks he hides his weapon and makes it appear that Randall got the jump on him and managed to escape.   With nothing to show them otherwise, Rick believes Shane and enlists Glenn and Daryl to join them on a search for the missing Randall.   

The two search parties split up.  Daryl and Glenn discover Randall has turned into a walker, yet they do not find any bites on his body, something unheard of.  Meanwhile Shane has lured Rick far from the farm, and Rick has figured it out that Shane plans to murder him.   He does his best to talk some sense into his old friend and for a moment Shane relents, giving Rick just enough time to kill him.  As Shane takes his final breath, Rick points that he was left with no choice, that Shane made all of this happen.   

Ready to return back to the farm house, Carl stumbles upon the scene and as Rick tries to explain, raises a gun.  Stunned, Rick tries to talk sense into Carl, but has no idea that behind him, Shane has returned from death and is making his way toward father and son.  Carl makes amends for letting one walker slip through his hands and puts down Shane.   But the gunshot has attracted the attention of a massive herd, and they are now headed toward the farm.  

Episode Thirteen:  "Beside the Dying Fire"
The worst case scenario has come at last.  A massive herd, one that has been picking up one stray walker after another, has found the farm and there is no way to fight them off.   But Hershel has no plans of leaving home, and instantly goes on the defense.  

The group does their best to buy Hershel time before getting out themselves, but even a simple escape proves tricky.  The group is split apart as the living dead swarm the farm, and in the confusion Andrea is left behind and the survivors are clueless as to the fate of anyone in the group.   Eventually a majority of the group manages to come together, meeting at the location where they had hoped Sophia would have returned to so long ago.   Andrea however, is left to her own devices, low on ammo and energy until a mysterious sword-wielding hooded stranger with two walker slaves manages to save her life.  

The rest of the group does not manage to make it far before fuel runs low and they do their best to find a place to camp.   It is here that Rick expresses his desire to find a place they can fortify and he also reveals to Lori what happened to Shane, a confession that appears to disgust her, despite her own involvement in the matter.   Rick also reveals to the group why Randall and Shane returned from death without being bitten, before the CDC was turned into ashes Doctor Jenner let Rick know that everyone is infected, and upon death will return to life.   

This revelation damages Rick's credibility with the group,  and as they continue to question him, Rick at last snaps.  He points out all that he has done for the group, and that those who no longer wish to stay are free to go, but if they stay he is in charge and will make all the decisions.   The group says nothing.  As they prepare to get some sleep, it is revealed that in the distance the fortified facility that Rick wishes to find is nearly within his grasp.  For bathed in the moonlight is the distinct outline of a prison.  

In just a few days, AMC will bring the most popular show on cable television back to the small screen, and if you're a horror fan like so many of us here at Girls of Geek, it is going to be an excruciating wait for the Season Premiere of The Walking Dead.

So as we continue our countdown to the show, it would probably be helpful to refresh everyone's memory as to how we have arrived to this point in the story, which means that Girls of Geek is proud to bring to you, a complete recap of the show so far, starting today with the First Season.

Episode One: "Days Gone Bye"
Following a violent shoot out, Police Officer Rick Grimes finds himself injured and hospitalized.  Due to the severity of his injuries, Rick slips into a coma, but when he at last awakens he finds himself alone and confused in a world where everyone seems to have disappeared.   

It turns out that the world has fallen into a cataclysmic event, the dead have returned to life and they hunger for the living.   Desperate to find his family, Rick finds the company of a pair of survivors who let him know that it is likely Rick's wife Lori and his son Carl made their way to Atlanta, forcing Rick to out into this hostile new world and toward Atlanta, never knowing that his wife and son are alive and well and that the city itself is now swarming with living death.  

Episode Two:  "Guts"
Trapped in walker infested Atlanta, Rick finds a ray of hope when he is directed to safety by another set of survivors.  This group however is unique, as since they have returned to the city to gather supplies for the remainder of their small community just outside of the city. But the walkers surround them and more  are comng, and they must find a way home fast.

It forces Rick to put together a wild plan that will allow him to walk amongst the creatures in the hopes of getting everyone out of the city, and back to safety.   While this bold and ambitious plan will rescue most of the group, one will be left behind, handcuffed and alone in a city of the dead.

Episode Three:  Tell It to the Frogs
The group returns to the camp where Rick meets new friends and is at last reunited with his family and the best friend who saved them, Shane.   Unfortunately, Rick is unaware of the relationship between Lori and Shane that ends the moment he reappears.   A sense of safety returns for the group of survivors, but Rick is haunted by leaving behind Merle Dixon, brother of Daryl.   

He decides that the best plan of action is to not leave a man behind.  Not to mention that back in Atlanta, a bag of much needed weapons and ammunition await the group.  Despite Lori's misgivings, Rick heads back to the city with a few of the others, but the search for Merle is only beginning, for upon return to the building where they left him, there is only a severed hand that once belonged to Merle.  

Episode Four:  "Vatos"
The search is on for both Merle Dixon and the lost bag of weapons and ammo.  But these simple tasks quickly become complicated when the trail goes cold for Merle and a rival group of survivors make a run at the guns, forcing an altercation that leaves two men out of place.   

Glenn is now held captive by these mysterious survivors while one of their members is now in the care of Rick's team.  Ready to rescue Glenn with extreme force, Rick discovers these men are merely trying to protect the abandoned residents of a retirement home, and Rick opts to help their defense by giving them a few of the guns before heading back.   But upon their return to camp, they find only terror, for the walking dead have found their sanctuary, and lives have been lost.  

Episode Five:  "Wildfire"
The group does its best to pick up the pieces after the devastating attack by the living dead.  Andrea mourns the loss of her baby sister as Rick and Shane begin to discuss abandoning camp, knowing full well that this location is no longer safe.  Shane and Rick begin the debate as to whether they should head for Fort Benning or the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.  


After much debate, the C.D.C. wins out in the hope that they may find answers, safety or a cure.
They abandon camp and begin their journey but along the way they lose another, Jim.  Jim was bitten in the attack and as the hours progress his health continues to deteriorate, death will soon follow, and then resurrection.  Per his wishes, the group leaves him on the side of the road where he can die and return in peace before at last reaching their destination.  But they only find a sealed and apparently abandoned facility and the walkers are closing in.  Rick however sees a glimmer of hope when a security camera comes to life, and he quickly begs for help.  His plea is answered as the doors to the Centers for Disease Control, slide open.     

Episode Six:  "TS-19"
Breathing room at last for Rick Grimes, his family and newfound friends as Doctor Edwin Jenner provides them with shelter beneath Atlanta.  The good doctor does his best to educate the group on what so far has happened to the world and what they know about the horrible plague ravaging the planet.  

But the truth is, Jenner knows little if anything at all, and his information only reinforces the fact that there seems to be no hope for the future.   To make matters worse, Jenner has neglected to inform their group that their newfound safe haven is actually a death trap.  With the generator's fuel exhausted, the facility is about to destroy itself in a massive explosion to destroy the many viruses and bacteria stored there.  Jenner points out their deaths will be painless and Andrea accepts this fate, having lost her will to live without her family.  Rick and the majority of the group however, convince Jenner they deserve a fighting chance.  But before they leave, the doctor takes a moment to whisper something shocking into Rick's ear, but there is no time to ponder, there is only time for action.   

As Rick heads topside to escape, Dale manages to convince Andrea to live, and they re join the group mere moments before the Centers for Disease Control is destroyed, leaving the group on the road and in search of a safe heaven once again.