Will You Watch Syfy's Post-Apocalypse Survival Show Z Nation?

Imitation is said to be the greatest form of flattery. With that being said, the Syfy channel has jumped on the very successful bandwagon of The Walking Dead. They have created their own 13-episode horror/drama post-apocalypse zombie survival series entitled, Z Nation.

The series is produced by The Asylum, makers of Sharknado. More than likely, it will be a very low budget production with their signature over the top cheeky humor, which is a vast difference from the emotional roll-coaster of the Walking Dead. 

Speaking of production value, in the first season of TWD they received an initial budget of $3.4 million per episode. From the beginning, The Walking Dead strived for an authentic look through a variety of locations, dynamic movie quality special effects and masterful innovative makeup.

Z Nation takes place three years after a zombie induced virus has leveled the country. A team of regular guys turned heroes of the world, have to transport the only known survivor with healed over zombie bites from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab awaits his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best and only hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all. Ooh ominous. 

 

The primary cast includes Harold Perrineau from Best Man's Holiday, Lost and Oz, Tom Everett Scott from Beauty and the Beast and Southland and DJ Qualls from Road Trip and Supernatural.

Z Nation premieres Friday, September 12th, at 10Pm but if you are interested in checking it out sooner, Syfy released a trailer. Enjoy

 

Walking Dead Comic Con Panel Discussion with Cast and Crew

If you missed San Diego Comic Con  here's a video of the panel discussion with the cast and crew of the Walking Dead.

The panel featured: showrunner Scott Gimple, executive producers Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert and stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus,, Melissa McBride, Chad Coleman and Michael Cudlitz. 

If you still haven't seen the newest preview trailer or you want to see it again click here. Enjoy!

Must See - New Trailer of Season 5 Premiere

This past weekend, the Walking Dead cast members, attended the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con to debut a brand-new trailer from Season 5. 

This nearly three minute long preview is jammed pack with action, intensity and many more details about the group's dicey ordeal. If you're anything like me, you'll watch this trailer a few times. 

As I previously stated Robert Kirkman, has teased viewers by saying one of the main characters WILL DIE this upcoming season. Many people are speculating that more than one lead character will die. That boggles my mind. I'm not ready to lose more than one of my beloved group members. The trailer certainly gives you a lot to grasp but Kirkman promises that all the questions will be answered in the season premiere. 

As I watch the trailer, my mind is bombarded with even more questions and possible theories. Take a look at the clip and let me know what you think?

The Walking Dead Premiere Is Daryl in Trouble?

While on a call with Entertainment Weekly Radio SiriusXM channel, Robert Kirkman (comic book writer and executive producer/creator of The Walking Dead) talked about what we can expect in the Season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead. 

He made it quite clear that we will get answers to all our questions, especially understanding about the people of Terminus and if they are indeed cannibals. He confirmed the group definitely gets out of boxcar A through ingenuity, creativity and somewhat savageness. 

 

“There’s a lot going on with Terminus,” says Kirkmam. “In our premiere episode of season 5 we’re going to give a ton of answers of who the people of Terminus are, what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, what’s going on with them. And by the end of that episode you’re going to have a much better understanding of what’s going on with them and why they’re so important to the show. Oh, and Daryl dies.”

I’m sure he threw that last part in just to mess with us, but this newly released photo still is bothersome. 

If you're in need for a Walker fix. Don't forget to check out Inside The Walking Dead: Walker University, tonight Tues., July 15th at 10pm est.

Thoughts on The Walking Dead Sneak Preview of Ep 501

Sunday night on Talking Dead if you haven't already heard, a trailer of Season 5 was aired. If you haven't watched it you can view it below. 

During an on set interview by Chris Hardwick's with Lauren Cohan (aka Maggie Greene) she states, "You'll see members of the group you didn't know were bad ass get to be bad ass." I think we should all brace ourselves and expect a very action packed, disturbingly bloody premiere like no other that we have witnessed before on this show. 

The preview clip focused on Carol and Tyreese as they traveled to Terminus with baby Judith in tow. You can see the back of the Terminus sign in the beginning of the clip. Also if you remember, just before Rick, Michonne and Carl reunited with Daryl they saw a herd of Walkers attacking a screaming man in the field. Based on this scene, I'm thinking Carol and Tyreese should approach Terminus shortly after Rick's group.

Remember both Rick, Michonne and Carl were staying in a house for a couple of days, as did Carol and Tyresse when they had all the kids. Unlike Glen and Maggie, who were on a constant search for each other and covered more ground quickly. Carol and Tyreese timeline seem to be in sync with Rick's group instead of Glen's group (who arrived first).

I'm thinking Carol and Tyreese may hear the gunfire/witness the capture of Rick's group or be accepted into Terminus as a member and later find out the fate of the others. Subsequently, they will be instrumental in the group's freedom. What do you think? Do you think Carol and Tyreese will be trapped as well or do you think they will be the catalyst for the group's escape?

To hold us over until the premiere, AMC has scheduled two additional behind the scenes shows. If you're interested in learning how the show coordinates stunts, weapon uses and explosions don’t miss Inside The Walking Dead tonight, Tuesday July 8th at 10pm est. 

Next week another episode Walker University, this special will show how extras transition to on-set Walkers in the series. We'll see the behind the scene choreography on walking, moving and vocalizing as a Walker and the motivation behind each zombie. If interested, tune in Tuesday July 15th at 10pm est.

Sneak Peek of The Walking Dead Season 5

In case you didn't know, I'm just as hungry for the return of The Waking Dead as you. My usual drill is to troll the internet looking for info about our favorite show in hopes that it holds me over until the premiere. 

Through my research I have come across a lot of chatter about Season 5 and especially episode 501. The opening episode will deliver some hard hitting action at a rapid speed.  

If you didn't know, AMC has kicked off a Walking Dead marathon today Friday July 4th with Season One. They will continue airing all 4 Seasons until the anxiously awaiting Talking Dead Preview Special on Sunday July 6th at 9pm est. We will finally get a glimpse of the upcoming season in just a matter of days so hang tight. But until then, here's the cast and crew chatting about the upcoming season. 

The Waiting is Brutal FOUR More Months Left

If you're like me you are counting the days or should I say months down to the start of the new season of The Walking Dead. I can't believe we still have a four month wait, the show returns in October. There has been talk that a trailer will be released some time in July (fingers crossed).

 

In a recent Produced By panel appearance at a Producers Guild event, someone asked “Walking Dead” producer David Alpert how he feels about working with "pre-existing" material and the challenges of adapting a long-lasting, successful comic book for television material for the series. 

According to Alpert, using Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead comic series as a template for the show has laid the ground work for many more seasons to come.“I happen to love working from source material, specifically because we have a pretty good idea of what season 10 is gonna be,” Alpert said. “We know where season 11 and 12… we have benchmarks and milestones for those seasons if we’re lucky enough to get there.”

Given the show’s exceptional ratings, The Walking Dead won’t go anywhere as long as the audience continues to grow and watch. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the AMC will keep it around for a very long time. I realize there is nothing I can write my fellow Dead Lovers that will make the wait more durable. So I'm guessing you are a bit starved by now and possibly looking at old episodes. Here's a video of the cast talking about the upcoming season. I hope this takes some of the sting away Cast Chat Enjoy!

The Walking Dead - Terminus Come for Sanctuary - Stay as a Meal

Walking Dead comic book fans and Telltale game series players suspected that Terminus had human ribs on the menu. But seeing decaying carcass of human remains tossed aside, like a turkey the day after Thanksgiving was shocking. Note: These remains look like something a butcher would throw out, cut with proficiency.
I believe Terminus is a remix of the two groups found in both the game and comic book. A group known as The Hunters were a roving band of cannibals. They appeared in Fear the Hunters storyline in the comics. They stalked, trapped and slowly killed other survivors for meat. Keep in mind, in this world you can't just kill people for food without them turning into Walkers. The Hunters would cut limbs off, tourniquet the wound and use the meat immediately. They always had fresh meat.

The second cannibalistic group resided on a Dairy Farm, led by Brenda St John. Her character appeared in Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead: Season One episode, Starved For Help. Like
Mary, Brenda appears to be a kindly older woman who is very welcoming to strangers. Her family lured survivors to their farm, similar to all the signage leading survivors to the welcoming doors of Terminus. Where Mary stands grilling slabs of meat.

Do you remember this guy?

Tryesse tried to help him on the railroad tracks. His dying words to Carol and Tyresse was "There's a safe place to bring the children. Trust me please ...follow the tracks." He sounded like a commercial for the place. Why was the man so infatic for them to go there? Could it be those men were scouts to lead unsuspecting people to the grill? 

I think we'll find that Terminus is probably a little bit like both groups. But they all have one thing in common ... a belief that everything taste the same with ketchup. If you are interested - I wrote an article on a news story about cannibalism in South Africa entitled Human Meat Burger. Fiction is not as far away off reality as you may think.

Rick the Fearless Leader is Back

Watching the season finale of The Walking Dead was a bittersweet experience. After my thirst to find out how the season was going to end was quenched, the reality of the seven month hiatus became quite real.

This season Rick struggled with the lost of his daughter, the group and mostly the prison. I say mostly the prison because it offered a security that pales to anything else since the onset of the zombie apocalypse. The group became comfortable at the prison and let their guard down from the Governor. This one act set the course of the events of season 4. 

When Rick and Carl fled the burning Walker overrun prison, he was batter and weak. Carl had lost respect and trust in his father's judgement. He blamed Rick for the lost of his entire world. I think it's safe to say Rick doubted his leadership abilities as well.

Rick's only focus is keeping Carl safe. Because of that, he taps into a part of himself that I don't think he knew he possessed. This entire season all the characters were pushed to the brink and only the strong survived.

When you have nothing to lose ...you will do anything. 

Rick morphed into a true gladiator when he unleashed the warrior within and ripped Joe's jugular open with a single bite. In the face of unavoidable brutality, Rick has not lost his humanity, it's just been altered. In fact, he found the necessary drive within to motivate himself Daryl, Michonne and I'm sure the rest of the captured group (who seem discouraged by their situation).

Despite Carl's traumatic encounter with the attempted rape, he was still frighten by his father's actions in order to keep him safe. We forget sometimes that Carl is a boy and he has deep felt fears as all children possess. But the loving

relationship with Michonne (his mother figure and best friend) allowed him to cling to her for the emotional support and nurturing needed for him to feel safe again. Through her loving and insightful words, Carl gained understanding and reignited his respect and devotion for his father. 

For Rick, reconnecting with part of the group brings inspiration and propels him with the drive to be the great leader they need. He has never been stronger and more willing to do anything to keep his group alive. Season 5 promises to show us Rick at his very best.

Check out this video released by AMC behind the scene of episode 16

 

The Walking Dead Insight from the Cast on Ep 15 "Us"

If you are like me you are anxiously awaiting Sunday's finale of the Walking Dead. The official show description states: "Many paths collide; Rick faces sheer brutality; the group struggles to survive."

That description makes me really wonder about Rick, Michonne and Carl safety.  Will Daryl be alright with this ban of ruffians he is currently with? I'm guessing things will be very intense on this finale and I hope they all survive.

I came across this video released by AMC and I thought you may be interested in hearing the perspective of the cast.

Enjoy

The Walking Dead Terminus sanctuary for all ...Really?

Sunday night’s episode of the Walking Dead gave us the much anticipated reunion of Maggie and Glenn. This was one of the most heart warming moments that we have seen in this otherwise chaotic world. 

The warm feeling continued as our weary group of survivors Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Bob, Tara, Eugene, Abraham and Rosita enter the so-called “sanctuary for all”. From the outside of this brick and mortar building, things looks very peaceful and welcoming but the strangely innocuous, unguarded, unlocked entrance to Terminus is perplexing.

Despite its serene entry with Sunflowers, various vegetable gardens, Palm trees and a friendly woman named Mary (the welcoming committee) no one in their right mind should trust any of this for a minute. But our beloved group seemingly does, they are tired and suffering from shell shocked after the prison escape. 

They just need a place to sit still, think and hopefully connect with others from the group. There's one interestingly strange coincidence that you may not have noticed, there is an odd resemblance with the destroyed painting of the woman with the long braid. 

Remember in episode 11 "Claimed" Michonne found the portrait inside an abandon house. The plain dressed woman in the painting looks strangely like a younger version of Mary.

We don’t know much about Terminus because the name isn’t used in The Walking Dead comic book series. The only information that we do know are those residing in Terminus want survivors to come to their facility. The obvious indicators are the blatant signs all along the railroad tracks with directions on how to find their location.

In episode 3 "Isolation”, Daryl, Michonne, Bob and Tyreese while driving in search of medical supplies, when a voice on the radio startles them. The voice says, “Sanctuary. Those who arrive survive.” While the name “Terminus” was not used in the broadcast, this is the same slogan that appears on the signs for Terminus.

In episode 10 “Inmates” Tyreese, Carol and the kids were told by a dying man, “There’s a place up the tracks. It’s safe. You can take the children there. Trust me. Leave. Follow the tracks.” Tyreese just tried to save the man from Walkers. How would he know it’s safe? Was he a resident of Terminus? If so, what was he doing roaming around the countryside?

The push to encourage survivors to go to Terminus makes the likelihood of something deeply insidious a real possibility. You have to ask, why would a protected group actively seek people to come to their sanctuary? Shouldn't they be leery of new comers? 

Trust is earned and building trust in this world does not come easily, food and supplies are limited, undesirable survivors roaming around ready to rob and kill is a real threat. Given all this, why would a group risk their resources and safety unless they are a bigger danger to fear? 

  2 Sneak Preview of Sunday's The Walking Dead Finale Episode 16 "A"