At the recent Television Critics Association press tour AMC announced that the episode order for the third season of their popular post-apocalyptic horror-drama The Walking Dead has been increased to 16, as opposed to 13 for the second season. They also released the poster for the show’s mid-season premiere next month.

You can check out the poster, featuring a stark and powerful shot of the show’s main character Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), and a press release here below.

The poster image is a likely reference to the chilling final moments of the recent mid-season finale. Without spoiling it for you if you haven’t been watching the show, it shows Rick, whose leadership of the group had been in question through the first half of the season due to his son almost dying from an accidental gunshot wound, forced to make a hard choice that no one else could.

The Walking Dead returns on Sunday February 12, 2012.

Press Release

Season two of the critically acclaimed global hit series continues to deliver the strongest telecasts for any drama in basic cable history against Adults 18-49, as well as, top international pay-TV ratings on Fox International Channels’ (FIC) major markets. “The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. Glen Mazzara serves as series’ showrunner and executive producer. Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and Frank Darabont are executive producers with Greg Nicotero as co-executive producer.

“The Walking Dead” has received rave reviews from countless critics, both domestic and international, who heralded the series as “above all else, ‘The Walking Dead’ hasn’t lost the most important ingredient in its strangely successful recipe: it’s thrilling” (The Hollywood Reporter), “…with Dead’s riveting cast of characters, the personal dynamics are almost as potent as the gory thrills” (Us Weekly), “‘The Walking Dead’ is a feast. Dig in.” (The Guardian, UK), “It doesn’t even take three minutes to realize that this series is setting standards” (Der Tagesspiegel, Germany).

“The Walking Dead” secured a 2010 Golden Globe(R) nomination for Best Television Series – Drama and won the 2011 Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup. The series tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.

Poster

[Source: Superhero Hype]