One of the best things about this season is they are telling better stories; like someone mentioned, it's a series and so they can take time to let things develop. As the middle to end of season two got so freaking slow and "soap opera-like", the last two episodes really rocked. I like that they are going in slightly different directions from the comics, which definitely can drag on and on and on etc. Probably 20 issues of the comic from this same time frame of Prison/Woodbury to what comes after that is so repetitious it makes GL's writing seem eloquent LOL

the mid season finale is in a couple weeks then it starts back up in either Feb or Mar next year with the back 8 episodes.