There’s No Better Time For New Fans To Get Into The Walking Dead
The cinematic universe that spawned from the AMC series The Walking Dead has ballooned into seven television series, totaling more than 300 episodes. For someone that has never seen an episode, or who might have stopped following any one of the many shows some time ago, tuning into the latest saga might lead them to think that they have a lot of catching up to do. But the showrunner for the upcoming The Ones Who Live has let it be known that none of the previous entries will be required watching to be able to enjoy the new series.
The Set Up For The Ones Who Live
The Ones Who Live premiered over the weekend. The six-episode series stars two characters familiar to fans of the original series, Rick Grimes and Michonne, played by Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira. The Walking Dead episode “What We Become” ends with Michonne parting company from the group and leaving on a mission to find their former leader.
Regardless Of Set-Up, The Showrunner Says No Homework Is Necessary
With The Ones Who Live featuring two of the main characters from The Walking Dead, it might be surprising that you never had to follow along with the original show or any of its many spinoffs. Scott M. Gimple, who serves as executive producer of the new series, said in a recent interview that the shows are all produced in such a way that you don’t need to follow all of them to understand what is going on. Gimple further says that with The Ones Who Live, it’s not even necessary to have ever seen an episode of the series that it spun from.
While you might not need to watch anything before The Ones Who Live, invested fans may find it satisfying to look back. The new series will follow two of the original show’s most popular characters in an independent setting, making it a fun experience to go back and watch The Walking Dead afterward so you can get an explanation of their back stories.
The World Beyond
While Gimple might say you don’t have to watch any other series, EW suggests that before viewing The Ones Who Live, it’s recommended you check out The Walking Dead: World Beyond. The show’s two seasons center on the Civic Republic Military — the group that is holding Rick Grimes captive.
Maybe Not Mandatory, But Still Fun
Gimple may insist that even The Walking Dead: World Beyond isn’t required viewing to follow and love The Ones Who Live, but new fans will find the rabbit hole that has become The Walking Dead one that is as exciting as it is deep, and one that can be approached by tuning in to any one of the seven shows for a first look.
The Rest Of The Walking Dead Universe
Other series that launched from The Walking Dead are Tales of the Walking Dead, Dead City, and Daryl Dixon. More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe is currently in development, but with no established release date as of this writing.
The Ones Who Live also stars Terry O’Quinn, Craig Tate, Lesley-Ann Brandt, and Alexandra Lopez Galan.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
