Recently, a number of big American shows have returned with their respective seasons. Once Upon A Time has really hit the ground running with its 2nd season while dexter is as good as it's ever been. One show which has really changed the game is The Walking Dead. This is a show which has been abit of funny one over the past couple of seasons. Season 1 was superb but lacked something. It was only 6 episodes long, which was kinda enough. It had plenty of zombie action while also having the time to focus on the human element. Season 2 took it down a notch as the group settled at Hershels farm. Many within the tv critic community have dubbed it as a post apocalyptic Emmerdale Farm. It had shocks, sure. It was too slow though and gave the impression that there were genuine sanctuaries within this world that had gone to hell. The moment it turned was (ironically) when Shane turned. That in turn led to the farm getting overrun forcing our survivors onto the road.
This season began 3 months later with the survivors still on the road. They soon found the prison and set about clearing it out. Andrea meanwhile has found herself in a heavily defended town called Woodbury. Fans of the comic book will be loving this 3rd season. The Prison and Woodbury are both iconic settings within the comic book universe. The Governor (the man in charge at Woodbury) and Michone (Andrea came across her after getting split from the group) are also two hugely ionic characters in the comic. The great thing about this show though is that it only really uses its source material as a base. It would've been so easy to follow the comic story line to the T. It would've kept the the hardcore cult fan base happy while having enough about it to keep the rest of us hooked. In deviating away from the source material, the writers have done a very smart thing as it means that even the hardcore amongst us are often surprised.
This season has been the most surprising yet, despite the presence of the most iconic features from the comic book. In the comic book the prison is a place of safety where the walkers are kept at bay outside of the prison compound. It's a place where our group live for some time before they are forced back onto the road. The governor is a genuine madman, an evil psychopath of the highest order. On screen, he is more of a thinker, more of a manipulator. You can see the man he may eventually become but he is very much a psycho in the making. The one thing that needs to be noted as regards to the comic book is that that universe is based in a different reality. The tv show is a reality that we can maybe relate to more, even though it's a reality few of us can really imagine and it is that which is the genius behind the show.
So, onto this season and how the group has evolved. This season picks up 6 months after the end of season 2. In that time the group have moved around and got through winter as best they can. Andrea has been experiencing life away from the group who think she's dead. From the off we can see how the group had evolved in the way they go about the dispatching of walkers. Now they are more of a unit, more disciplined. They opt for the silent kills and make use of ambush techniques. They also know when to make a quick exit. They are a more together group too, no doubt in part due to the absence of Shane. I will actually take a moment to talk about Shane because for the first 2 seasons he was a pretty integral part of the show. Cult fans of the comic book will have known his days were numbered as he dies in issue six! For fans of the show though who aren't familiar with the comic book, his death will have come as a bit of a shock, especially so soon after Dale's death. Although his presence is still being felt in regards to Rick and Lori's marriage, his absence is pretty much unnoticed. That is yet more testament to the fantastic writing as you get the feeling that any character could die and the show could carry on. That feeling that anyone could die has certainly not been eased by the first 4 episodes, especially episode 4 and it's episode 4 that I'm going to talk about now.
T-Dog has been criminally underused throughout The Walking Dead. His imminent death has been the subject of speculation since the 1st season finale as he was essentially a spectator throughout season 2. His self sacrifice to protect Carol was a fitting end for the character although by the end of the episode, his death was quickly forgotten. Another character who's death has been widely expected is Lori. Many people will have cheered in the 2nd episode when it looked like Hershel had turned and attacked her. This cheer will have quickly turned into a groan when it turned out he was just hugging her. For some reason she had been hated by the majority of viewers. Saying that, she redeemed herself when she died in the way she died.
In the comic book, she dies in a shoot out when the prison falls. In the Tv show, she died in childbirth in a harrowing hark back to the Pre-modern era of child birth. Insisting that Maggie perform a caesarean to save her child she gave an emotional speech to her young son Carl. In the end It fell to Carl to shoot his mother in the head before she came back as a Walker, something that will surely affect the character for the remainder of the show. Ricks reaction when he realised what had happened was unbelievably heart wrenching. I've been impressed with Andrew Lincolns portrayal of Rick on numerous occasions throughout the show. His portrayal of a father who had just found out his wife had died then that his son had had to shoot her in the head was absolute brilliance of the highest calibre that should earn him an award or two.
Of course, with the events at the Prison, as well as the addition of The Governor, it would be easy to overlook a major cast returnee. Merle was a guest character back in season 1. He ended up handcuffed to the top of a roof, courtesy of Rick, after being racist towards T Dog. When the group went back to rescue him he had gone, leaving behind his severed hand. Despite a brief dream appearance last season he was presumed gone
forever. He is back now though having been taken on by The Governor and his reunion with Daryl (his brother, now Ricks right hand man) is surely only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see where Daryl's allegiances lie then. It will also be interesting to see the confrontation between Rick and Merle.
With this first 4 episodes packing so much in, it will be interesting to see where the season goes from here. We have maybe been spoiled somewhat and surely there has to be some respite. That may come from the mid-season hiatus which is a couple of weeks away although I'm sure that we'll be left with the mother of all cliffhangers!
Last year one of my favourite shows was Once Upon A Time. It had the right amount of mystery and drama with a nice amount of humour thrown in. It also had memorable characters which is so important to a successful show. You can have the best story in the world but if you don't have the characters to carry that story then you don't have a very good show.
This 2nd season of Once Upon A Time has really hi the ground running in my opinion. In the first 7 episodes we've met Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Captain Hook, The Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, Lancelot and (perhaps bizarrely) Dr Frankenstein. We've also seen Emma and Snow White/Mary Margaret transported to fairy tale land, found out that Rumplestiltskin was the 'Crocodile' who took Hooks hand and found out what came of Jack the Giantkiller. It has certainly been an interesting first quarter to season 2.
First I'll delve abit more into the new characters we have met. Mulan and Sleeping beauty were introduced to us in the first episode. Mulan is very much the warrior although her past is still very much a mystery. I think it may be linked in with Jack and the Beanstalk and the Giants. With the Giant (Jorge Garcia) coming back at some point, may it be in a Mulan-centric episode? Sleeping Beauty is perhaps a little annoying. I liked Sarah Bolger as Princess Mary in The Tudors but she comes across as a little annoying in Once. Saying that, next to Snow White it's nice to have a different take on the role of a fairy tale princess. Lancelot was different to what I expected. Being English myself, I was perhaps a little disappointed that Lancelot was given an American accent. The story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table is one of our most famous and enduring legends and I personally didn't like it being given the Americanised treatment. Saying that, the character actually came across rather well. He hinted at a troubled history so I have no doubt that we'll see him again. 
My favourite of the new arrivals has to be Killian Jones, otherwise known as the infamous Captain Hook. His arrival in Once was hinted at in the various teaser trailers before the start of the season and it certainly has not disappointed. His origin story was linked in with a Rumple-centric episode with Rumple being revealed as the 'Crocodile' who took Hooks hand. This has provided us with a great revenge story as Hook is desperate to get to Storybrooke to kill Rumplestiltskin! This has already brought him into contact with Emma and Snow and his dynamic with Emma is brilliant. The most bizarre new character is someone who we actually met in Season 1. Dr Whales identity has been a closely guarded secret and was something that was heavily discussed on the various forums. He was the Whale in Pinnochio, Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Bellfire (Rumplestiltskins Son) and The White Rabbit. In the end (timed perfectly with Halloween) he turned out to be Dr Frankenstein. Now this annoyed me a bit but I can understand his inclusion in the show. To most people, Once is a show about fairy tales. Ultimately though it is a show about stories and this stretch beyond fairy tales. The writers have already said that they want the likes of The Wizzard of Oz, Mary Poppins and Sherlock Holmes to make an appearance so why not Dr Frankenstein. In my eyes it's the Horror element as well as the other characters we may now meet. If we've got Frankenstein, why not Dracula or The Wolfman or even The Mummy. Criticisms aside, it was nice to finally find out who Dr Whale was and he actually played the part well.
Now onto the Story side of the show. The season begins at the moment Season 1 ended, with the arrival of magic to Storybrooke. I liked the fact that the 'flashback' we saw, of Sleeping Beauty being awoken, was actually a 'flash-sideways'. It provided a neat twist to start the season on. This shows main strength has been its ability to refresh and reinvent the stories we all know. I loved the Beauty and the Beast episode from season 1 for example. I loved how the beast was actually Rumplestiltskin. This season has kept up the standard and I loved the Rumplestiltskin/Captain Hook origin episode. It is great how the writers aren't afraid to take liberties with these centuries old tales, story's that are ingrained in our minds from childhood. It works though and I love it. Not many writers could get away with it, that is for sure.
Despite the many new things we learn about the show one thing remind constant, it's themes. The opening scene in the pilot set the main theme for the entire show with Snow White being awoken by true loves kiss. True love continues in Season 2 with Rumplestiltskins relationship with Bella, Snow and Charming being parted again, Reginna and the dead stable boy and Emma and Henry's father. Another ongoing theme is that of heroes and villains. In season 1 we had Rumple and Regina. Rumple seems to be mellowing abit as his relationship with Bella progresses while Regina is undergoing her redemption. That leaves the door open for two more protagonists and so enter Cora and Hook. Cora will be the main baddie, I'm sure of it. With her being Reginas mother (and as rumoured, The Queen of Hearts) it should be exciting to see her in Storybrooke at some point. Hook is definitely playing Rumplestiltskins role. Like Rumple, he is firmly in it for himself and his 'side' still hasn't been properly revealed yet. I kinda hope he comes good but I don't think that that would be in keeping with his character.
So there you have it, my first review of Once Upon A Time of season 2. I'll review it again in the new year as the season gains momentum.
