Few comic books have inspired as many stories as The living Dead (TWD), written by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. The unforgivable and brutal universe where the outbreak of Walkers (the zombies in this universe) took place bears too much resemblance to the real world to be purely entertaining.
The television show based on the comic book does not focus on the zombie apocalypse, but on the people trying to survive. This story shows some of humanity’s worst traits and the idea that even in such a scenario, if everyone got together and tried to solve the problem, the majority of people would rather fight amongst themselves.
The show aired in 2010 and brought back the popularity of zombie stories. This has a lot to do with the emotional core of the characters, which are the core of the show. After 11 seasons, in November 2022, the last episode of TWD aired, shutting down longtime fans. However, that wasn’t the end of this fictional universe as there are several spin-off shows for viewers to enjoy. The last released is Stories of the walking dead.
Here’s how the new spin-off series connects to this grand universe and every other show that’s part of it. As well as what is to come in this ever-expanding fictional world.
The Walking Dead Universe
It cannot be downplayed how successful The living Dead has been since it aired. It all started when Rick (Andrew Lincoln), a comatose cop, woke up in a world overrun by zombies. He then sets out to find his wife and son as he tries to survive. Since then, there have been several spin-off shows set in the same universe that tackle different elements of the zombie apocalypse with new sets of characters, as well as bringing some of the original show back to the screen.
The first spin-off series was Fear the walking dead, which aired in 2015. The show takes place in Los Angeles (unlike the original, which is in Atlanta) at the time when the zombie apocalypse happened, which fans didn’t get to see because Rick was in a coma during it. The eighth season, set to premiere this year, has been confirmed to be the last. Than The Walking Dead: World Beyond premiered in 2017. Set in Nebraska 10 years after the apocalypse, it focuses on the teens who are the first to come of age in this scenario. It’s over after two seasons.
The next spin-off show to be released was Stories of the walking dead. However, AMC has also released several web series set in the same universe. The network explored different situations with both familiar characters and new ones in this series. The differences web series Are: Torn Apart, Cold Storage, Red Machete, The Oath, Fear, Flight 462, Passage, The Althea Tapes, And Dead in the water.
Stories of the walking dead
August last year, Stories of the walking dead premiered. The standalone anthology series has six episodes and is set in the same universe as TWD. It’s the one that feels the most different from the original series. Because of its structure, each episode is its own story that doesn’t correlate with the others, it can dive into different genres while still staying true to the overall theme of apocalypse survival. It’s also why the viewer can watch this show without watching the others – even if they’re going to miss a few Easter eggs.
There are connections between the new spin-off and the original show. It was a surprise to fans that there weren’t that many already well-known characters in the anthology series, as several actors stated that they would return as their characters. However, Dee (Samantha Morton), a character from the original show and one of the antagonists, appears in the anthology series. There is also a geographic connection to the original show. As in the first episode, they are close to Commonwealth (where the characters in the final season of TWD).
Stories of the walking dead can play with timelines and different locations. For example, the first one takes place a year after the zombies took over, while there is another one that takes place several years after the outbreak. Many speculate that the writers are testing ideas for new spin-off ideas with these episodes, which makes sense given the nature of the series.
The universe is getting bigger
Fans of TWD can rest assured Stories of the walking dead is actually not the last episode to be made of the world of the Walkers. Three more series have been announced. Rick and Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) spin-off series is still awaiting a name announcement and will be released this year. The Walking Dead: Dead City will be a six-episode series starring Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan). And The Walking Dead: Daryll Dixon, featuring one of the most beloved characters played by Norman Reedus. All of these characters are from the original series.
With an already vast universe, The living Dead only seems to grow. One reassuring thing for fans is that they don’t have to fear never seeing the world or their favorite characters again, especially with the creator of TWD talk about a possible second season for Stories of the walking dead. While there’s no confirmation on a second season, one thing’s for sure: there’s a lot in store.