After the thrilling mid-season finale of “The Walking Dead,” millions of viewers  have been desperately awaiting the arrival of the second half of the season, which premieres tonight. So far, the third season has exceeded all expectations. The emotional deaths of Lori and Penny ,and the intense mystery regarding the kidnapping of Maggie and Glenn have made this season stand out from the inconsistent first two seasons.

Season three not only introduced new characters, but it also brought back old ones.  Merle Dixon was a malicious man who at the end of the first season was handcuffed to the roof of a building and left to die. When members of his group came back for him, his hand was the only thing left. Merle’s puzzling escape left many viewers wondering if he would return or not.  His anticipated return in season three as the Governor’s second in command shocked most viewers, who expected that he was dead (Typically — when a character’s hiatus is as long as the season itself, one expects the worst).

Andrea made her return in the third season with the mysterious woman, Michonne. Their friendship surprised many.  The introduction of Michonne’s character brings a sense of mystery to the show. Her background is unclear and so are her intentions as she is constantly suspicious of the Governor.

The addition of Tyreese and his crew  introduces a new aspect of the comic book that the show is based on. In the comic book, Tyreese and his crew become main characters so their addition to the show should be substantial.

The biggest addition to the show thus far in the season, has been the introduction of Woodbury and the Governor. The “town” of Woodbury shows that even during the apocalypse, people can work together to live a somewhat normal life. Like all other towns, Woodbury has its problems, centering around the fact that the Governor collects walkers’ heads.

This season was full of many dramatic, tear jerking moments — Lori’s death being the most memorable of all. Everything seemed to be going great for the group, until the prison was overrun by walkers. While seeking safety, Lori went into labor and she experienced problems with her pregnancy. Not trained to deliver a baby, but knowing something was wrong, Maggie was forced to kill Lori by cutting open her stomach to save the baby’s life. Since any dead human turns into a zombie, Carl was forced to shoot his own mother in arguably one of the darkest moments of the show throughout the three seasons.

In the mid-season finale, Michonne also killed the Governor’s walker daughter. Throughout the season, the Governor had saved his walker daughter and treated her as if she was human. His daughter meant everything to him, and when Michonne killed her, the Governor went into complete shock. The Governor and Michonne fought and the Governor was stabbed in the eye.

All that fans have been left with is a 60 second trailer for the next episode. Though the trailer may not have revealed a lot about the rest of the season, it definitely proved that it is worth the wait.

Trailer : http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/on-air-promo-lead-me-home-the-walking-dead