The only reason 'The Walking Dead' fans should watch the new spinoff is to learn more about the mysterious group that took Rick Grimes
- AMC's third "Walking Dead" series, "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," premieres October 4.
- It's by no means bad, but it's not terribly good either.
- The show follows two sisters who leave the comfort of their cozy community in search of their scientist father.
- It's not clear what the point is for this limited-two season series other than a potential bridge to fill time until the long-awaited Rick Grimes movie comes.
It's pretty obvious why "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" is just a limited two-season series.
It's not fantastic.
Insider has previewed the first two episodes of the new "Walking Dead" spinoff. Though it's not terrible, it's difficult to see why this series, centered around teens growing up in the zombie apocalypse, needed to be a full show.
That's not easy to say. I've been invested in this universe since 2010 and a fan of the flagship more and more in recent years when it did the impossible and carried on successfully without its protagonist.
And while there are some interesting characters on "World Beyond," I'd be lying if I didn't say this new show feels like a placeholder until the first Rick Grimes movie(s) comes along at some point.
What you need to know: The show takes place 10 years into the zombie apocalypse and follows the first generation of kids growing up in this 'new normal'
The show follows sisters Iris (Aliyah Royale) and Hope (Alexa Mansour) who have never known life beyond the walls of their Campus Colony community. It's one of three communities that make up the Civic Republic Military (CRM), the mysterious group that carried Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) away from "TWD" in 2018 on a helicopter with their logo.
We learn Iris and Hope's father is an important scientist doing secret work for the CRM in an undisclosed location. When he gets a message to the girls that his life may be in danger, they decide to take matters into their own hands by venturing out into the unknown to find him along with two others, Elton (Nicolas Cantu) and Silas (Hal Cumpston).
Why you should even care: This show will likely lead directly into the Rick Grimes film(s). Otherwise, Nico Tortorella is the best part of the series.
Let's get real. You're not watching this show for the four lead kids. You're not watching it for Julia Ormond's mysterious, and possibly shady, leader Elizabeth (no matter how much you may enjoy her performance on the premiere).
You're probably watching this show because the characters wear the symbol that was seen on the helicopter that took Rick on season nine of "TWD." It's been months since "TWD" fans have received any sort of hint at what happened to Rick and we're hungry for any little carrot AMC wants to dangle.
Don't plan on hearing Grimes' name here (yet anyway). But since the show has a limited two-year run, it seems safe to presume the show will lead into the trilogy that was first announced back in November 2018. (That's what one of the stars teased to me last November when I visited the set of "World Beyond.")
When you're not impatiently waiting for anything that may tell us more about the CRM, "Younger" star Nico Tortorella is the stand-out here. After originally auditioning for a lead role on "Fear TWD," Tortorella finally gets to shine as Felix, the head of security detail at the Campus Colony, who sets out in search of the girls he considers family when he notices they've gone after their father.
The show's use of flashbacks sets this show apart from the previous two "TWD" series. So far, each episode moves between the past and present for different characters, an easily digestible format that fans of "Lost" will recognize.
Overall: 'World Beyond' feels like 'TWD' homework fans need to complete in preparation for the Rick Grimes movie
We're now three shows into "The Walking Dead Universe" and it's easy to wonder if AMC's apocalyptic world is beginning to feel too drawn-out without enough new and interesting material.
On the first two episodes of "World Beyond," we watch teens stumble and struggle to kill zombies. I understand that these teens are facing the dead for the first time, but a decade into this universe, fans have seen this happen before — we don't need to be told the basics of killing a zombie.
After "TWD" and "Fear TWD," AMC should give fans something different. No one wants to watch something just to discover clues about an off-screen character's whereabouts.
At this point, the only way this show will make a statement is if it pulls a "Rogue One" by the end of its two seasons and kills off its entire cast for some greater good. The first two episodes set up this potential end from the start. The group discusses the importance of making their lives mean something. The leader of the mission, Iris, ominously says she doesn't know if their mission will even succeed.
If they all die by the series' end, but it means they miraculously bring us to Rick Grimes, that alone may make getting through the next two seasons of this show worth it. Time will tell.
"The Walking Dead: World Beyond" premieres Sunday, October 4 at 10 p.m. after the season 10 finale of "TWD." You can watch a trailer below.