The mid-season finale of The Walking Dead aired Monday and it certainly didn’t disappoint the millions of DEAD-icated fans worldwide.

Season 6 is a hand-in-hand follow-on from season 5 where we were left thinking this could be the place to settle down. There’s nothing new from the start. The "Atlanta Five” have found refuge in the eco-friendly, self-sufficient estate of Alexandria. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his team have been stuck in the day from hell and the entire first part of this season has essentially been based around a 36 hour period.

The Alexandrian community have been stagnated in a pre-appocolyptic time. Nice, generous and seemingly normal people who have remained relatively sane after the global collapse of society. There’s strong fortification, weapons stash, food and power but a constant and growing threat from the outside has been adding pressure on the residents and it comes in many forms. 

There are more “Walkers” in this season than any other. The makeup is mind-blowing, the digital special effects real and a twisting storyline which had me crawling back to the safest corner of the lounge.

Given the show is based on the monster hit comic book series of the same name, the story line does sync on occasion with its paperback brother however we see that a little more here in season 6 part 1.

One of the most feared characters in the comic has been drip fed to us this season, Negan. He’s ruthless, has a dedicated and brutal army of henchmen and carries a baseball bat called “Lucile”. Don’t be fooled by the sweet name, she’s a Louisville Slugger wrapped in barbed wire and often used to keep people in line. Although we haven’t met him yet, we’ve met his upper management who show a few escapees of his encampment what happens when they don’t tow the line. This is no doubt the precursor to season 6 part 2’s storyline and could well drag on to season 7 - which by the way, AMC signed the deal the creator Robert Kirkman just last month.

Having religiously followed this series from day one and now reading the comics (something I haven’t done for 30 years) this show just seems to keep getting better and while there a small number of people venting their dislike at the mid-season finale the majority, like me, yelled at the TV for more. 

I’ve watched this episode several times and each time it held me in suspense and gave shock value. It is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Here’s a quick recap:

• The entire town is now overrun with thousands of walkers due to the bell/clock tower taking a fall on the fence and destroying it in part.
• A pregnant Maggie is stranded on a rickety old platform with hundreds of walkers wanting to eat her (and the baby). Glenn is looking on from afar.
• Jessie's (Rick’s love interest) two sons Ron and Sam, Ron tries to kill Carl, Sam has become mentally unstable and is about to freak out at the worst possible moment.
• Deanna gets bit and meets her ultimate fate; and probably the most intense scene of all….
• Morgan v Carol. Morgan has the “Alpha Wolf” locked up, Carol wants him dead BUT! “All life is precious” according to Morgan and a nail biting battle ensues.

I was lucky enough to interview the actor behind one of scariest characters seen on this show and an integral part in the scene just mentioned, Benedict Samuel. An Aussie actor who starred in The Beautiful Lie on the ABC and played the role as “Hammer" on Home and Away.

You can see the interview here. 

If, like me you can’t get enough of THE WALKING DEAD, there’s a podcast for Aussie fans here.

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