Walking Dead Death Pool

To contact us Click HERE
The third season of AMC's The Walking Dead starts in just a few hours, and there have been promises of many deaths  of characters we already know this season.  This has to happen to keep the plot moving forward; if you're a survival series that ignored the inherent drama of not surviving, then you're not doing your job.  So I thought I'd lay odds on who might not make it out alive. 

A caveat:  I am up to date on the comic book series, which has long since left the prison.  However, there have been significant changes from the story of the comic book series to the story of the television series; most notably that Dale doesn't die until after he and Andrea have had a significant and successful relationship.  The prison arc and the story of The Governor was one of my favorite stories of the series.

Them That Are Safe

This is Rick's story--plain and simple.  While I could see a shocking twist taking him out, it would be storytelling malpractice and I would be out.   Rick needs to suffer and I have no doubt that he will, but he won't be dying.  He's the survivor. 

Likewise, now that we have fully blended Rick's group with the family from Hershel's farm, one of them definitely get a pass out.  Maggie is the one.  Lauren Cohan was quite the find last season and as one of the better performers on the show, she survives for a while.  Again, I am sure that she is going to suffer.

Michonne is a brand new character and one that fans of the comics are salivating over.  She lives no matter what.

The only other person guaranteed to make it out alive is Darryl.  Darryl and his brother Merle are the only successful creations made specifically for the TV show (sorry T-Dog), and they are headed to a conflict of significant proportions later this season.  A conflict that will cause Darryl to make a stand for what he believes, to protect/avenge those he cares about

The Long Shots

Andrea is a fan favorite character and Laurie Holden is doing the best work of her career.  The only thing that keeps her out of the Them That Are Safe group is that she is a Frank Darabont loyalist.  The series creator left under difficult circumstances at the beginning of the second season, and Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale) left with him.  While Holden has been involved in nearly every Darabont project since they first worked together, I would hope that she would not ask to be let go as DeMunn reportedly did.  Plus she is our way into Woodbury (home of The Governor) and to Michonne who is the most successful of the comic book characters.  Death Odds:  50 to 1

The show is many things, but I don't think they will run the social-political risk of killing off T-Dog.  Yes, they are bringing in another black actor (Danai Gurira plays Michonne) but I don't think they can kill all of the minority characters.  Also, T-Dog is the only male person who when faced with the binary fight or flight decision chooses flight almost every time.  That's an important concern that needs a voice.  True the producers choose to silence and minimize the voice far too often, but that is what it is.  Death Odds:  40 to 1

The Wouldn't Be Surpriseds

Carol's importance to the overall story is somewhat lessened now that Sofia is dead.  In the comic, she is desperate to feel connected and loved, which doesn't seem to be any sort of focus for the television series.  That said she is the strongest tie Darryl has to Rick's group.  If she were to be eliminated, Darryl could easily go to the other side.  I think she will be the person that glues Darryl to Rick's group and forces him to make a stand against Merle and the Governor.  She could do that either alive or dead, with fantastic dramatic moments coming from either scenario.   Death Odds:  15 to 1

In the books, Hershel doesn't live long past his farm.  It's a very Grandpa Joad kind of thing.  However, without the reasoned experience of Dale in the television series, another important shading for philosophical debates is gone.  Hershel may get a stay of execution simply because there needs to be a voice of reason.  His death would affect Maggie greatly.  Death Odds:  12 to 1

Even though he is undoubtedly the second lead of the comic book series, I don't know how long Carl is for the television world.  The plot of the first two seasons passed in a fairly short narrative time frame, yet Chandler Riggs aged two years.  There is no amount of cinemagic that will keep that boy from growing.  Either there will be a lot more time jumps like in tonight's premiere or the boy is doomed.  Killing him would certainly prove difficult for Rick and Lori.  Death Odds:  8 to 1

Glenn is everyone's favorite comic character, but he has never really connected on the TV show.  It's not that Steven Yeun is a bad actor; it's just that the producers haven't known hat to do with him.  No single death would affect both Maggie and Rick more.  Death Odds:  5 to 1

Beth is Maggie's sister.  The fact that I felt the necessity to write that sentence indicates the overall lack of importance of the character.  Maggie would obviously be affected by the loss of Beth and so would Hershel.  In the comics she has the most haunting death of any of the minor characters, but now that her boyfriend has already been killed they are obviously not going down that path (the young lovers end up killing themselves in a mutual suicide pact that says more about the loss of hope than any other death).  There is another plot that is prison centric that needs to have a victim, and I believe Beth is the most likely to fall prey here if the writers decide to follow that path.  Death Odds:  3 to 1

There is no more universally loathed TV character in the series than Lori.  Fans hate her.  I think that may be the only thing that saves her life.  The producers do not want to give the fans everything they expect/want.  Her death in the comic book series is the pivotal moment, but I think there is more drama to be mined between her and Rick if Carl dies.  Still, it would be hard to back away from the guaranteed drama that comes from killing the female lead of the series.  Death Odds:  3 to 1

Even Money

Merle and The Governor are not long for this world at all.  Merle will be killed by his brother Darryl, and Rick will kill The Governor avenging the death of someone close to him (either Lori, Glenn or Carl).