Watercooler Pick
Walking Dead – The World Beyond
- Series
- Where to Find It: AMC+
- Rating: TV-MA
- Release Date: 2020
- Seasons: 1
- Episodes : 12
- Length: One hour
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Yes, it’s another Walking Dead spinoff. Yes, it seems AMC is determined to milk that zombie cow for all she’s worth. But what are the differences that set this one apart from the others? For one thing, the overall theme is more hopeful and forward looking. Which is appropriate, given its focus on the next generation of survivors.
The show takes place 10 years after the zombie outbreak. Groups of survivors have settled down in the relative safety of protected communities, but the dead still roam freely outside the walls. When two sisters learn that their father may be in trouble a long way from home, they set out on a cross-country journey along with some friends to track him down. These teens have no memory of a pre-apocalyptic society, but still long to find their place in the world, such as it is.
It may not feel entirely fresh to diehard fans of the franchise, but what is basically a dystopian YA novel come to life will draw in new fans. It centers around a theme that has some resonance today: deciding between the safety of home and the uncertainty of the world beyond.
As Variety’s Daniel D’Addario calls it, “there’s a willingness to reinvent, to genuinely probe a corner of the universe previously untouched, that makes this series feel serious in its intent and, for fans of the forerunning series, well worth checking out.”
The timing & relation to other series in the franchise:
The rescheduling scramble this spring affected the air dates of all of the Walking Dead shows and keeping up with the changes hasn’t been easy. So here’s where everything stands right now: World Beyond, billed as a “two season limited event,” will begin its first 10-episode season on Oct. 4, following the season 10 finale of The Walking Dead (both were originally slated to air last April).
Then, on Oct. 11, Fear the Walking Dead, returns with the premiere of its sixth season. A third spinoff, featuring fan favorites Daryl and Carol, is due in 2023. So even with the show that started it all ending with season 11, it doesn’t look like the franchise is dying out any time soon (see what we did there?).
This one will appeal to the edgier, 16+ YA crowd and their parents, and of course the wider apocalyptic fan base.
Where to find it: AMC+ Now available on Apple and Amazon Channels
Cindy White
