The Walking Dead season 2

Survivors seek refuge on a farm as tensions and secrets emerge.

The second season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, aired from October 16, 2011, to March 18, 2012, consisting of 13 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont and based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, the season won Best Television Presentation at the 38th Saturn Awards and an Emmy for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup. Its finale was the highest-rated episode of the series up to that point and the most viewed original series episode in AMC history until the third season premiere.

Quick Facts

Season number: 2
Showrunner: Glen Mazzara
Network: AMC
First aired: 16 October 2011
Last aired: 18 March 2012
Episodes: 13

Facts from the source article.

Production

After the first season aired, Deadline Hollywood reported that Frank Darabont had let go the entire writing staff and planned to use only freelance writers for the second season. Robert Kirkman stated the changes would not affect production. In February 2011, Glen Mazzara, who wrote the first season episode "Wildfire", was hired as a writer and executive producer and assembled a staff of five more writers. At C2E2, cast members confirmed shooting would begin on June 1, 2011, and that Darabont would write the season premiere.

Stephen King was speculated to write an episode. The writing staff ultimately included Kirkman, Darabont, Mazzara, Scott M. Gimple, Evan Reilly, Angela Kang, and freelance writer David Leslie Johnson. Four new actors joined: Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Otis, and Michael Zegen as Randall. A preview aired during the Breaking Bad season four premiere on July 17, 2011, and a full trailer debuted at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2011.

In July 2011, Darabont stepped down as showrunner, with Glen Mazzara succeeding him. The Hollywood Reporter later reported Darabont was fired due to budget issues and strained relations with AMC executives. The premiere aired in an extended 90-minute slot. After seven episodes, the series went on hiatus, returning on February 12, 2012, for the final six episodes concluding on March 18, 2012.

Cast

The second season features eight actors in opening credits, all returning from the first season. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride were promoted from recurring status; McBride is credited as "Also starring" but is a series regular. Andrew Lincoln plays Rick Grimes, a former sheriff's deputy and group leader. Jon Bernthal portrays Shane Walsh, Rick's former deputy and rival. Sarah Wayne Callies plays Lori Grimes, Rick's wife. Laurie Holden plays Andrea, a former civil rights attorney who becomes a sharpshooter. Jeffrey DeMunn plays Dale Horvath, the group's moral compass. Steven Yeun plays Glenn Rhee, a former pizza delivery boy. Chandler Riggs plays Carl Grimes, Rick and Lori's son. Norman Reedus plays Daryl Dixon, a hunter and tracker. Melissa McBride plays Carol Peletier, a former domestic abuse victim.

Reception

The second season received positive reviews. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 80 out of 100 based on 22 critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 80% with an average rating of 8.05 out of 10 based on 24 reviews; the critical consensus states the season fleshes out characters while maintaining tension and gore. Linda Stasi of the New York Post wrote that the show is better than ever.

Robert Bianco of USA Today praised the direction, noting edge-of-your-chair tension and honest human interactions. Some critics were less enthused midway through. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly described the season as a nighttime soap with occasional zombies, adding it had not been dramatic enough. Nate Rawlings of Time criticized the pacing as brutally slow.

After the finale, Scott Wampler of Collider described the second half as far more intense and better written despite water-treading in the first half. Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant emphasized that the last half succeeded in unshackling from intermittent monotony. The season received three Primetime Creative Arts Emmy nominations, winning Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for the episode "What Lies Ahead", and receiving nominations for Outstanding Sound Editing and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for "Beside the Dying Fire".

Home media releases

The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on August 28, 2012, in region 2 on August 27, 2012, and in region 4 on June 20, 2012. Special features include eleven featurettes, six audio commentaries for episodes "What Lies Ahead", "Pretty Much Dead Already", "Nebraska", "Judge, Jury, Executioner", and "Beside the Dying Fire", the six-part webisode series The Walking Dead: Torn Apart with optional commentary by Greg Nicotero, and 30 minutes of deleted scenes across eight episodes with optional commentary by Glen Mazzara. A limited edition Blu-ray packaging features a zombie head with a screwdriver in the eye socket, designed by Greg Nicotero and sculpted by McFarlane Toys.