25 Days of Christmas - Day 20: Television Midseason Hiatus a.k.a. the Suckiest Part of the Holidays

I always look forward to Fall Premiere season for television networks. You finally get the answers that have been bothering you from April and May when the shows had their season finales. You're wondering how the cliffhangers turn out and whether certain characters stay together or if a certain favorite character survives. Love the network television season! I hate the midseason hiatus during the holiday season. This has become a ratings grabber for networks the past few seasons. They're all actually using the term MIDSEASON FINALE because they know more people will tune in if they heavily advertise the last episode before the holiday as a "finale." Nice try network execs.

I hate that my holiday season is blighted by the fact that all my favorite shows are gone for a whole month. Generally, these shows always end on some sort of cliffhanger that makes the waiting all the more difficult. The longest wait that I have? The Walking Dead. That damn show isn't coming back until February! What the eff in the name of all that is good and holy?! I have to wait more than two months to find out what happens to Darryl and Merle?! Not amused...

While I understand that television programming during the holidays is dominated by Christmas-themed shows and specials, that's not a good enough excuse. The networks don't showcase theses programs every single night. The episodes they'll be airing in January after the holidays are over have already been filmed. Due to the holidays, the cast and crew of these shows don't film any new episodes during this hiatus. Which means that after they air the last of the episodes they filmed BEFORE Christmas, there will be yet another hiatus this one even longer in some cases. Grey's Anatomy is quite famous for having more than one hiatus during their season as a means of stretching the episodes out until May Sweeps.

Considering how mine and other viewers displeasure at these television hiatuses matters very little to studio heads, I'm pretty much wasting my breath. This is merely my means of voicing an opinion of how my holidays are generally tainted by the lack of my favorite shows. *sad face*

31 Days of Halloween - Day 14: The Walking Dead Season 3 premiere

Yes, yes, YESSSS!!!! If you haven't figured it out, I'm over the moon that Walking Dead is back again (especially since I get to watch it in HD on my brand-new LED flatscreen. Thanks to my stepdad for the wonderful birthday gift!) This season is already gearing up to be better than the last. SPOILERS below so I suggest you turn away now if you have been living under a rock unable to see the premiere.

We pick up several months after the events of the season 2 finale. Lori Grimes is still preggo and ready to drop that baby any moment. Rick is dragging the group from place to place frantically looking for somewhere safe they can hunker down in more permanently when the time comes for Lori to have the baby. We finally see the prison, which will be the main setting of this season. Good God that place is creepy and depressing. It also seems that my worst fears have been confirmed and the writers are hinting at a Daryl/Carol pairing. Oh FFS no! The interaction between them was just awkward with Carol going "oh this spot is romantic, want to screw around?" Nothing against the actress that plays Carol, but she's one of the most unsexy female characters on the show and that line's delivery was completely unbelievable. Gross, now I have to go bleach my brain.

I was most proud of Carl, Rick and Lori's son. He's grown up quite a bit since the start of the show. He went from being a spoiled brat to turning into a young man who can finally handle himself. I like the way Rick trusts him and we get to see Carl utilizing his gun skills to take out walkers left and right. With Carl pulling his weight finally and the desperate situation the survivors are in, the group seems to be working together much better now. Even Carol has come around to appreciating what Rick has done for them all, which is a complete 180 from her opinion of him last season.

Walkers in riot gear? How awesome is that?! There are other survivors in the prison? Uh oh. I smell trouble. Never trust a felon that's been locked up without any females that weren't of the undead variety.

Why oh why are we losing Hershell this early in the season?! He didn't bite the big one until much later in the comics! That was the biggest shock of the episode.

And finally... MICHONNE!!! The most bad ass black female character in TV history! Seriously, I yelped when she made her appearance on screen in all her katana-wielding glory. I am hoping for lots of screen time for her this season.

Would you really want to square off with this woman?!

We also get an idea of what Andrea has been up to all these months since being separated from Rick's group. She's been taking lessons from Michonne in the art of kicking walker ass and taking names. I'd hate to be the one to tell her that her f*ck buddy Shane is dead. To be a fly on the wall for THAT conversation!

This Season of The Walking Dead: Are they gearing up for a Daryl/Carol pairing?

Ew, just ew. If this happens, I'm going to be pissed.

Good God I hope not. If you can remember season 2 of The Walking Dead, you may have noticed the growing closeness between Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier after her daughter Sophia went missing. Initially, I thought this mini-storyline was a good thing. Daryl shows a much softer side to his character. He's not as harsh and anti-social and he clearly is starting to care for the group. Carol manages to bring out the compassionate part of Daryl's personality, previously unseen in season 1. I will admit that she's been very good for him. However, I don't trust Carol.

At the end of the season 2 finale, Carol is seen encouraging Daryl to leave Rick and the group and to go off on their own. Carol further states that she "wants a man of honor." She clearly sees Daryl as a strong alpha male that can protect her, but not mistreat her the way her husband did. Daryl's loyalty to Rick is stronger than any platonic feelings he may have for Carol, but that didn't stop her from attempting to manipulate him into taking over leadership of the group or chucking the group aside entirely and setting off as a duo. The way she's latched onto Daryl is worrisome. Her behavior towards the end of last season made me question if she truly cares for Daryl or is just using him as a means to survive. She still blames Rick for her idiot daughter wandering off and getting bitten by a walker. Never mind the fact that her daughter was old enough to find her way back and didn't HAVE to run off into the woods away from the group when that walker came after her. Nope, it's ALLLLL Rick's fault. Since she's feeling resentful towards Rick, she no longer sees him fit to lead their group. There wasn't much choice for a replacement after Rick. Shane went batshit crazy and then is killed by Rick, Glenn is too weak (and also very loyal to Rick), Dale was too old and was fatally disemboweled by a walker, T-Dog is just... well, there but almost a waste of a character. That just leaves the good ole boy Daryl.

I think this new season will see the group splintering apart even more and further questioning Rick's  leadership. Especially after the big reveal at the end of the season 2 finale over the truth about the zombie apocalypse. Also, let's not forget Rick's breakdown and his declaration that the group is "no longer a democracy." We've seen Rick's struggle to lead and keep not just his own family alive but everyone else as well. The entire group is already doubting Rick can continue on with Maggie also trying to convince Glenn to leave Rick and everyone else and go off with her. Granted, I don't see Maggie being as conniving as Carol. I think it will be interesting to see how far Carol takes her machinations to convince Daryl to do her bidding. Assuming they continue their storylines in that direction. Word is, Daryl's brother, Merle will be making a reappearance, presumably working with the Governor. If that's the case, then we will see Daryl being pulled in two directions plenty this season: his love for his brother butting heads with his loyalty to Rick. I'm excited to see some more internal conflict with Daryl's character.

Season 3 of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday, October 14th at 9pm EST on AMC.