Some disappointing news for fans that thought "The Walking Dead" spinoff show "Fear The Walking Dead" would separate itself from its predecessor: there still won't be any answers about how the zombie virus actually started.
"Fear The Walking Dead" has been billed as a (sort of) prequel to "The Walking Dead" so viewers were hoping to get more information regarding the initial zombie virus outbreak. The early phases of the virus and societal breakdown would make for fascinating examinations of human nature but producer and comic creator Robert Kirkman revealed that there are no plans to delve into "Patient Zero."
During a NAB panel with AMC President Charlie Collier and actor Steven Yeun (Glenn), Kirkman expressed his disapproval for "fixing" or "learning the cause" of the outbreak because he finds those story lines hackneyed. Instead, this companion series will center on the struggles of the characters. In other words, it's "The Walking Dead" 2.0. Yawn.
The more and more we hear about the new series the more it sounds like recycled material. Kirkman noted that the spinoff "pays homage" to the original but teased that "it's possible that the people that we're following in the show are maybe a little bit more deadly in certain ways." What does that even mean?
Glazing over the complicated aspects of the virus outbreak would require actual writing and plot development, something Kirkman and those behind "Fear The Walking Dead" don't seem terribly interested in doing. That's a shame because "The Walking Dead" has slowly evolved from a show more brain dead than the zombies it parades to one of the most entertaining series on TV. Fans would have likely been fine if its companion was a little lighter on the action and heavier on grounded inspection of this major catalyst. It would have set it apart from "The Walking Dead." Alas, we don't always get what we want.
"Fear The Walking Dead" will premiere sometime this summer.
