The Walking Dead: Ranking All 9 Seasons From Worst To Best

Considering how much time has passed by us and how heavily the show has changed, it's easy to forget just how hyped up the third season's arrival was back in 2012. The season premiere, "Seed," really put a brick on the gas pedal and never really let up, with Rick and the group having hardened up in the months that had passed since season two ended only to find a new sanctuary in the prison.

From Rick killing Tomas and delivering his iconic "s**t happens" line in "Sick" to the shocking deaths of Lori and T-Dog in "Killer Within" to Glenn and Maggie being put through hell at Woodbury when they were captured, the first half of the season was laser-focused. Even better, the second half maintained course as The Governor set his sights on the prison, we caught up with Morgan in the ever-popular episode "Clear," and even Merle Dixon found redemption in the excellent "This Sorrowful Life."

Throughout the season, we also met Michonne, Tyreese, and Sasha, got to witness great acting across the board, including David Morrissey, and generally watched the show grow more confident in itself. Sadly, it didn't stick the landing with the anticlimactic finale that was "Welcome to the Tombs," and Andrea's characterization (and death) proved to be a sore spot for many fans, but as a whole, the season was quite solid, balancing action and drama in a well-paced package that truly solidified the show's pop culture status that had been forming over its first two years.