TV's reigning ratings champ kicked off its midseason run on Sunday night, facing an unfamiliar foe: the Olympics. For the first time in its four-season run, AMC's The Walking Dead went head-to-head against the games and it lost no steam facing the stiff competition.

AMC saw the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead deliver whopping 15.8 million viewers. That comes in just a hair shy of the fall's record 16.1 million viewers.

And while it may not have outperformed the Olympics in total viewers, it did win the night among adults 18-49. The Walking Dead matched its previous series high with 10.4 million in the key demo. That amounts to a 8.3 rating in the targeted demo. The Olympics have a 6.9 rating ahead of final returns.

Tyreese was filming tonight in Senoia (woodbury), so it looks like he will be introduced in the finale. He is being played by Chad Coleman.

There’s a new character added,” says Kirkman of episode 8. “A big deal fan favorite from the comic book is introduced into the show in this episode, so be on the lookout for that.

Q: Last year you told us how eager you were for Carol to get to use a weapon against a walker. Now that she's a veteran, has it been everything you hoped it would be?

A: It's everything I hoped for and a lot more. The psychology of it is interesting. My first zombie kill, at the fence, with a crowbar, it was so weird to put one down, that was the first time for me as an actor. It was kind of heart-breaking; I mean you know you have to do it, but always there's this thought in the back of your mind like this is supposed to be somebody.

Q: Did you do any training to get in fighting shape for these scenes?

A: There wasn't really practice, it was just getting acquainted with the gun, getting used to if there was any kind of kickback or anything. The difficult thing is if you're putting down the walker with any kind of instrument in your hands -- like the crowbar, or a machete -- it has to be so precise, you don't want to actually hurt anybody. The actors who play the walkers often can't see much, but we practice those moves lots of times before we do it. Last season I smacked one of the zombies' hands with a plank of wood, and I was petrified. But she was OK!

Q: Everyone talks about how hard the conditions are on set. How has this season stacked up?

A: Being in the prison as much as we have been is a relief from the heat, but at the same time, being outside like we were on the farm was nice. I guess I like being miserable; it just plays into what's going on. We're hot, we're miserable and we're sweaty.

Q: The chemistry between Carol and Daryl is pretty evident now. How do you and Norman Reedus get along off-camera?

A: I love my scenes with Norman. He is such a fun guy to be around and he throws in some great stuff. He's always unpredictable and organic. It really is something that's evolved. We had a great sit down in Season 2, and we were talking about our own lives. He gets me and I get him and I feel like Carol and Daryl are sort of the same way.

Q: You spent a couple episodes this season presumed dead. What did you do with your time off from the set?

A: I actually like to go to the set and hang out and watch everybody. When you're acting in a scene, you're focused on doing the scene. You can't break character and go, "Oh my God, I love what you're doing"! But these are such great actors and I love to go see them perform. I was there when Rick broke down. They did it many times, and it was so beautiful every time and a little different. I was there when Sarah had the baby and Maggie delivered it and Carl put her down. It's wonderful to watch and makes me proud. It inspires me to see these incredible performances.

Q: What have been some of your favorite moments for Carol this season?

A: I love the scene where Daryl finds Carol, in the cell. It was funny we were joking about making sure that he would be able to pick me up, and I told him that I lost four pounds just so he could pick me up. He was like, "What are you saying?" I was like, "Nothing, Carol is supposed to be dehydrated and tired!"

The Hollywood Reporter: That's totally Lori on the other end of that phone line, right?
Robert Kirkman: (Laughs.) There are certain hints to certain storylines that you can get from the comic book series. I'm not going to reveal one way or another, but there's a chance that if you have taken the time to go out and buy the comics, you may have a leg up on the television show. But I'm not going to say anything.

THR: I think you just did! Can we expect this to continue?
Kirkman: He's definitely not in a good place. This is a guy who has had the weight of this entire world on his shoulders for a very long time, and what we've witnessed in this last episode and the one before it is his breaking point. And now that he's broken, it's a question of whether or not he comes back from that or if he continues to go down the dark path. That's what we'll be seeing moving forward.

THR: Is Carol really dead? Did the group find her body? Lori's grave is still open as if they're going to stick her body in it. Daryl sticks a Cherokee rose -- the same flower he gave to Carol when they were searching for Sophia -- on the grave
Kirkman: That implies that they believe that she's dead. We would never do a thing where, "Oh, they found her body and they buried it, and we didn't make that clear." They definitely have not found her body but have very good reason to believe she's dead because everything that has happened implies that she is in fact dead. Whether or not they are going to find her body or they're going to find a zombie Carol or they're going to find Carol alive, that is definitely a storyline that we'll be dealing with moving forward.

THR: What do the tallies in the Governor's journal represent? What about the names?
Kirkman: That's definitely going to be a mystery for now, so we'll just have to see. There's definitely something going on there. The guy is keeping a notebook for some reason, and what that reason is right now remains to be seen.

THR: The Governor's daughter Penny is a zombie! How convinced is he that Milton will be able to find a cure?
Kirkman: That's really the answer as to why he puts so much stock in Milton (Dallas Roberts). He is desperately clinging to Penny despite her status of being a zombie, and he's got this guy who's saying, "Look, there are certain things about these creatures that we don't necessarily know, and I'm going to study and find out more things about them." The Governor is certainly hopeful that there will be some kind of thing discovered that tells them that that is in fact still his daughter and he hasn't lost her. But who knows where that'll go or what his reaction will be when he gets the news.

THR: Why is he keeping Penny a secret?
Kirkman: He's an intelligent person, and the idea of keeping a zombie in the closet is going to be somewhat strange for a community to take. That news is not going to go over well in a community with that large of a group. So I think it's very wise of them to keep that as under wraps as he can.

THR: Is Michonne totally free of Woodbury now that she's left of her own accord?
Kirkman: I would say that this is a very dangerous show. The thought of her leaving and being completely safe doesn't seem to fit in my mind with how things are going. If I were you, I would pay attention in the next episode.

THR: Could someone from Woodbury could go out and bring her back in?
Kirkman: (Laughs) You'll just have to see.

THR: Andrea opts to stay in the community but quickly learns that Michonne was more right than she gave her credit for when she sees the Governor's gladiator fights. Are they really staged? What will she do with this information?
Kirkman: That's a very jarring and bizarre thing to go from this idealistic community of peace and solitude to seeing this very bizarre way of letting off steam and this very bizarre form of entertainment. It's very primal, and it kind of goes back to older human civilizations and calls back to ways we used to do things. It's definitely staged and something that is done for entertainment. Whether it remains that way throughout the season remains to be seen, but this is something that Woodbury has established and that Andrea is somewhat uncomfortable with. She's found that thing that does make her think twice and go, "Hey, wait a minute, maybe there was something to what Michonne was saying." What she does with this knowledge is something we'll find out going forward.

THR: Is she beginning to regret her decision to stay?
Kirkman: I don't know if I'd necessarily say that. She definitely believes the Governor and is taking what he says it at face value; on the surface, anyone would believe that guy -- he is charismatic and has established something remarkable in this world, so she would be enchanted by him. It's her relationship with him that is helping her maintain her belief in Woodbury. But there are definitely conflicting emotions at work here now.

THR: Milton, who with his walker-bite-proof jacket, seems to object to the gladiator battles. Is that just because it takes up their valuable resources, or is there more to it?
Kirkman: They have a very complicated relationship. I'm sure it's a resource thing, but there also might be more to it. I don't think Milton is someone who is necessarily in need of entertainment to occupy his mind, so he doesn't get the need for those gladiator fights. Maybe it's just that, or maybe there's something more bubbling under the surface.

THR: Merle (Michael Rooker) is the hotshot of Woodbury thanks to his winning ways in the gladiator fights. Will he use that to up his stature with Andrea?
Kirkman: It's definitely something that we'll be going back to from time to time this season. I think it looks cool; it's a cool moment, it's neat stuff so it's not something we're not going to see again. How frequently we see it will be something you'll just have to find out when you watch the show.

THR: Daryl has stepped up to help lead the group while Rick is dealing with the fallout of losing Lori, and at the same time, he shows his sensitive side holding the baby and mourning Carol. Is this a role he'll stay in?
Kirkman: He's definitely stepping up and taking on that role in Rick's absence, and that's something that he's very capable of doing. Whether or not that's something that he wants to do, we'll see. We've seen that Daryl is a character who, while he is very capable, is someone who is not exactly looking for a lot of responsibility. So I don't necessarily see it going that way, but Daryl is an extremely versatile character, and there's a lot of depth to that guy. The fact that he is so caring and is such a compassionate person just by being such a total badass, he definitely will make a good leader. But whether or not we go in that direction remains to be seen.

THR: Carl's attempt at names for his little sister was sweet tribute to everyone the group has lost. How soon will the baby have a name besides "Little Ass Kicker"?
Kirkman: Carl (Chandler Riggs) is, in a very strong way, dealing with what's happened. He's trying to move forward. But it's also a checklist to a certain extent. This is what this boy has seen. This is what has gotten him to this point, so it's just to go back and remind people about the extraordinary circumstances that this kid is living through.

Titan Magazines and Skybound’s premier issue of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine, based on Robert Kirkman’s Eisner Award-winning comic book series, best-selling graphic novels and Emmy-winning AMC television series, hits newsstands and digital platforms on October 23.

This 100-page issue features an inside look at the TV show, comics and everything in-between: The Walking Dead creator/writer Robert Kirkman reveals what’s coming up next on the TV show, which broke basic cable records again with the season three premiere, and how the shocking events of issue #100 of The Walking Dead Comic will affect Rick and our favorite survivors; an exclusive interview with Danai Gurira, who plays the iconic character “Michonne”; an exclusive prologue to the new Walking Dead book, The Road to Woodbury, about the rise of Philip Blake aka The Governor written by Jay Bonansinga and Robert Kirkman; behind-the-scenes set visit report; executive producer/showrunner Glen Mazzara tells us why he’s so excited about season three; plus, all the latest news, revelations and tips for fans of the entire The Walking Dead universe.

The first issue debuted at this year’s New York Comic-Con with a special NYCC variant cover, and an additional nine variant covers are released tomorrow: a newsstand cover featuring “Michonne”; an alternative art cover by The Walking Dead comic artist, Charlie Adlard and colored by The Walking Dead comic colorist Cliff Rathburn; seven retail variant covers with stores Comickaze, Forbidden Planet, Midtown Comics, Redd Skull Comics, Ultimate Comics, Ultimate Treasures and Wade’s Comic Madness, each featuring art by Adlard and Rathburn.

Discussing what fans can expect from the magazine, Robert Kirkman, creator/writer of The Walking Dead, says, “We’ll be talking about what’s coming up on the TV show, we’ll fill you in on what to expect from the comic and you’ll hear from all the talented people who work on all the various Walking Dead projects. This magazine is going to rock!”

The magazine will also be available to read on the iPad, Nook and Kindle Fire starting tomorrow, giving Walking Dead fans an exciting alternative to the print edition and a high quality digital reading experience. Just search ‘The Walking Dead Magazine’ on your device’s newsstand or app store.

The magazine is currently offering fans an exclusive FREE The Walking Dead T-Shirt (not available in stores) with new print subscriptions. For more information on this subscription offer and other offers in your territory, visit the magazine website, www.TitanMagazines.com/WalkingDead. Readers can also join the magazine on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WalkingDeadMag and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/WalkingDeadMagazine to keep up to date with news and special offers and www.Skybound.com, the source for all news on The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman and all Skybound titles.

The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine issue #1 will be available on newsstands and comic book stores in the U.S. on October 23, in the U.K. on November 8 and Australia & New Zealand on December 18. Digital editions will be available globally on the iPad, Nook and Kindle Fire from October 23.

Contact Details Of Stores With Variant Covers:
Comickaze Comics, San Diego, CA – www.comickazeonline.webs.com
Forbidden Planet, London, U.K. – www.forbiddenplanet.com
Midtown Comics, New York, NY – www.midtowncomics.com
Redd Skull Comics, Calgary, Canada – www.reddskull.com
Ultimate Comics, Durham, NC – www.ultimatecomics.com
Ultimate Treasures, 11240 Village Lane Clinton, MI 49236-9595
Wade’s Comic Madness, Levittown, PA – www.comicmadness.com

For more information on The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine visit:
http://titanmagazine...e-walking-dead/