Posted in: AMC, Fear The Walking Dead, Opinion, Preview, Trailer, TV, TV, Walking Dead | Tagged: amc, fear the walking dead, FTWD, opinion, TWD, walking dead, world beyond

This The Walking Dead Universe-Free Sunday Night Got Me Thinking

So it's Sunday night, there's no "Walking Dead" on, and it feels kinda weird. Not gonna lie, it's felt like I've been covering The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead: World Beyond for the past 87 Sundays. Just to be clear? That's not a bad thing. Far from it. In fact, after spending weeks praising, criticizing, processing, specualting, prognosticating & analyzing (and every other "ing"-ending word that fits) every word and every scene in an attempt to sew together a better understanding of where all of these narrative threads are leading, I get to take a breather and do a little appreciating.

Look, it's not easy be a fan of the TWD universe. We're never lacking in people who stopped watching with the third season or stopped watching because their favorite character died who never hesitate to tell you the show "sucks" and "should've been canceled by now" and how they "can't get why you still watch." To those folks, I offer a very humble and lower-cased "f**k you" because none of us owe you any explanation. Sorry you stopped being interested in the directions that the universe has taken. Enjoy what geek interests you embrace knowing that I have no interest in telling you how what you love probably "sucks," too. You're not a part of this conversation anymore. And for those who keep bringing up same-day ratings as proof of the franchise's waning popularity? I would like to introduce you to the concepts of "delayed viewing," "using a franchise to sell your streaming service," and "global streaming strengths." The TWD universe continues to score well on global streaming charts even during its off-seasons, and AMC Networks appears to be pretty happy with what the shows have done for AMC+.

Okay, enough of that. I said this was about "appreciating" so let's get back to it and let me start off by being blunt. I never thought the TWD universe would be where it's at today. I had no clue what The Walking Dead would do after Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes was shuffled off to the big screen on that CRM helicopter during the middle of the ninth season. Back around the fourth season, I wrote how Fear the Walking Dead needed to either right the ship, get canceled, or shift to an anthology series. And by the third episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, I was nervous that the series would only be seen as "just some spinoff side project trying to hook in younger viewers." Holy s**t was I glad to be oh so wrong.

Because Angela Kang taught me what "In Angela Kang, We Trust" truly meant, revigorating TWD by widening the spotlight to give once-supporting characters the chance to shine with a diverse ensemble that felt the most reflective of society as it ever has. Because Fear TWD's Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg gave Lennie James the chance to deliver a deeper and more complex take on Morgan Jones as they reinvented how shows can utilize an anthology format to present epic tales that still feel intimate. And did we mention they're brining Kim Dickens's Madison back? And TWD: World Beyond's Matthew Negrete had the audacity make us feel for characters in only two seasons the way we felt about others for five or more. And because the newest spinoff always struck me as the kind of show that would go out in style, they drop an atomic bomb-level post-credits scene that not only connected back to the very early days of the TWD and potentially changed everything we thought we knew the TWD universe, but also laid the foundation for the kind of global conspiracy thriller that the franchise feels ready for.

Of course, they didn't do it alone. With an impressive list of names giving award-winning performances day in and day out, writers & directors continually challenging viewers expectations, and production crews working long hours and rough weather conditions to make sure the magic makes it to screens on time. And then there's TWD Universe Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple, who I'm not sure gets mentioned enough in these conversations and that's sad because without a guiding hand that's always thinking "big picture" and looking for the next new thing to excite the fandom, we wouldn't be where we're at. We have a Carol (Melissa McBride) & Daryl (Norman Reedus) spinoff on the way along with Tales of the Walking Dead, an anthology series tailor-made to blow open the doors to the TWD universe even more. And that's not even taking into account any surprise projects that have yet to be announced.

Remember those Rick Grimes films? They're more in play now than ever before, and while we're not looking to jump the gun or play our hand too early? Let's just say that if we see Fear TWD and TWD line up their timelines, I might start predicting an "Avengers: Endgame"-like face-off with CRM with a line-up of heroes too impressive for me to list without my head exploding. All of that (along with all of the non-screen-related TWD business) runs through Gimple. And while I might not always agree with every decision or opinion he might have, there is no doubt that he (like the others I listed and hundreds more) have the best interest of "The Walking Dead" in mind. So to Robert Kirkman, Gimple, Kang, Chambliss, Goldberg, Negrete, the cast, directors, writers, and production teams, and everyone else? Thank you.

Now do me a favor? Can someone talk to AMC about keeping the series finale of The Walking Dead from going out early on AMC+? It's going to be a spoiler nightmare.

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