Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead tells the story of a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Most of the story takes place in the Atlanta metropolitan area and then the surrounding countryside of northern Georgia, as the survivors search for a safe haven away from the shuffling hordes of predatory "walkers" or "biters" (as the zombies are referred to in the show), who devour any living thing they catch, and whose bite is infectious to humans. The plot is focused primarily on the dilemmas the group faces as they struggle to balance their humanity with their survival against the zombie horde, and later, how they cope with members being killed and deal with other human survivors they encounter, many of whom are dangerous and predatory themselves.
The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a sheriff's deputy before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the walking zombies, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that the structures of society have collapsed.
Season 1 (2010)
Main article: The Walking Dead (season 1)
The series begins with sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes being wounded in a shootout with armed criminals. He then wakes up weeks later from a coma in an abandoned and badly damaged hospital. Upon leaving, Rick discovers a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies (or "walkers", as they are often referred to in-show). Rick also discovers his wife and son are missing, and encounters two survivors — Morgan and his son Duane — who explain the situation to him. Acting on a rumor that the two had heard, he arms himself and begins a perilous journey to Atlanta, Georgia, where the CDC is said to have set up a quarantined safe-zone in the city. Upon reaching Atlanta, he soon discovers the city has instead been overrun by the walkers.
A few miles outside the city, Rick's wife Lori and son Carl have been hiding from the walkers with Shane Walsh, Rick's partner and best friend, who has fallen in love with Lori. They have established a camp with a small group of fellow survivors. After being rescued from Atlanta by members of the group and reunited with Lori and Carl, Rick assumes command with Shane. A band of walkers eventually attacks the camp and kills several people. The remainder flee to seek aid from the CDC.
In the CDC, all but one staff member, Dr. Edwin Jenner, have either fled or committed suicide. Dr. Jenner explains that his research into the infection has not yielded a cure, and he has not been in contact with anyone for a long while. Lack of fuel for the emergency generators soon initiates the building's safety protocols, which will trigger an explosion designed to destroy the facility and prevent the escape of deadly diseases. Jenner and Jacqui, a member of Rick's group, decide to stay and end their struggle. Dr. Jenner whispers something into Rick's ear, and the group escapes just as the CDC is incinerated in the explosion.
Season 2 (2011–12)
Main article: The Walking Dead (season 2)
The second season begins with Rick and his group of survivors' escaping the CDC. They decide that Fort Benning will be their next destination. Along the way, they encounter a traffic jam of abandoned vehicles on Interstate 85. The group loots several vehicles but is forced to hide under them as a large herd of walkers approaches. A walker chases Carol's daughter, Sophia, out from her hiding spot and, with another walker, pursues her into the woods. Rick finds her but loses her again after drawing off the walkers. While searching for Sophia, a hunter named Otis accidentally shoots Carl. To get help for him, Otis leads Rick and Shane to a large, isolated farm owned by a veterinarian named Hershel Greene, then helps Shane look for medical supplies; after getting them, Shane hurts his leg and sacrifices Otis to the walkers so he can get away. The survivors then move to the farm while Carl recovers, trying to coexist with Hershel's family, but dangerous secrets and disagreements over leadership cause tensions to rise. Lori is revealed to be pregnant (she is not sure whether Rick or Shane is the father), and Glenn builds a romantic relationship with Maggie, Hershel's eldest daughter. Glenn also discovers that the barn is full of walkers, some of whom are Hershel's family members. After Shane releases the walkers to be exterminated, Sophia appears as one of them and Rick reluctantly shoots her.
Hershel disappears to grieve for his family and is found by Rick and Glenn drinking at a local tavern, where they meet two other survivors. The situation rapidly turns sour and Rick kills the two men in a gunfight. The dead men's group quickly finds and opens fire on Rick, Hershel, and Glenn at the bar. The noise attracts a large herd of walkers, and one of the attackers, Randall, is injured and left behind. Rick and the others take him back to the farm, where they realize Randall is likely to reveal the farm's location to his former group. As Rick and the others deliberate on what to do with Randall, a walker fatally wounds Dale, forcing Daryl to euthanize him. The group later conducts a search for Randall, whom Shane had secretly released and murdered in the woods. Daryl and Glenn find him — as a walker — and kill him. Daryl concludes that a broken neck caused Randall's death and subsequent reanimation, rather than a walker's bite or scratch. Meanwhile, Shane and Rick confront each other — the former having planned the fake search so he could murder Rick. Rick gets the upper hand and stabs Shane in the torso, killing him. Carl arrives just in time to see Shane revive as a walker, and shoots him down.
The gunshot attracts a large herd of other walkers, who quickly overrun the property. In the ensuing battle and escape, Jimmy and Patricia are devoured, and Andrea is left behind. Andrea survives on her own, and is later rescued by a hooded woman accompanied by chained, armless walkers. The remaining survivors regroup but are forced to make camp due to lack of gasoline. After hearing of Randall's fate, Rick finally reveals what Jenner whispered to him at the CDC: every survivor is infected with the walker virus. As the group questions Rick's leadership later that night, a large prison looms in a pan out of the final scene.
Season 3 (2012–13)
Main article: The Walking Dead (season 3)
The third season begins several months after the group escaped the farm: Lori is in the final days of her pregnancy, during which they stumble upon an overrun prison that they begin converting into their new home. While searching the place for supplies, Hershel is bitten by a walker and Rick is forced to amputate his leg. They soon find several surviving inmates who have been trapped inside. While Rick, Daryl and T-Dog help clear a separate cell block for them to live in, most of the inmates are killed, allowing the remainder — Axel and Oscar — to join the group. A walker breakout later splits everyone up. T-Dog is bitten in the struggle and sacrifices himself to save Carol. Lori goes into labor and insists that Maggie perform an emergency Caesarean section to save the baby. The operation kills Lori, and Carl is forced to shoot her to prevent reanimation. After several days of mourning, Carl and Rick name the baby Judith.
Meanwhile, Michonne and Andrea are taken to the town of Woodbury, a safe haven from the walkers. They meet the Governor, the town's leader, and learn that Merle Dixon — Daryl's older brother — has taken refuge there as well. Michonne is immediately suspicious of the Governor and the settlement and decides to leave, but Andrea refuses to go with her. Merle is ordered to hunt down Michonne, but only manages to wound her; he subsequently captures Maggie and Glenn while they are out scavenging. Michonne, who witnessed their abduction, eventually arrives at the prison, then guides Rick, Daryl, and Oscar back to Woodbury on a rescue mission. The team saves the couple, but Oscar is killed and Daryl is captured. Michonne stays briefly and attempts to slay the Governor, only to kill his undead daughter Penny (whom the Governor had kept chained in a back room of his apartment) and stab him in the eye with some broken glass during a scuffle. In the aftermath, the Governor calls an assembly and publicly accuses Merle of treason, reuniting him with Daryl in front of the angry mob. Rick and Maggie come back and rescue them, but after regrouping outside of town Daryl decides to leave with Merle.
Back at the prison, Carl meets another band of survivors — led by Tyreese — and allows them to take shelter. Rick returns, but while speaking to the newcomers he hallucinates and sees Lori, causing his sanity to crack in front of everyone; Tyreese's group is expelled soon after. The Governor and a small team attacks the prison the next day, killing Axel and breaching the outer fence before retreating. Merle and Daryl, having decided to rejoin the group, return and help. Rick goes back to his hometown to gather weapons, where he finds Morgan again — Duane having been killed by his reanimated mother. Morgan, instead of joining Rick, chooses to stay behind. Andrea arranges a meeting between Rick and the Governor, which only results in both parties preparing for war. Disillusioned, Andrea attempts an escape for the prison, but is recaptured by the Governor.
Season 4 (2013–14)
It was announced on December 21, 2012 that The Walking Dead has been renewed for a fourth season. Scott Gimple will replace Glen Mazzara as the series' showrunner for the season. The season will premiere in October 2013 and consist of 16 episodes.
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