After eight seasons and a year sinceThe Walking Deadcame to a close, the parent series' first spinoff,Fear the Walking Dead, is finally done. The show went on a long and winding journey, starting as a prequel following Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) and her family in the earlier days of the zombie apocalypse before jumping forward to run concurrently with the main series, introducing Morgan (Lennie James) into the fold. Now, AMC is moving on to the show’s many other series, includingthe upcomingThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, but the showrunners teased it may not be time to say goodbye toFear’s characters.
Ian B. GoldbergandAndrew Chamblissrecently spoke to Screen Rantabout the future of these characters afterthe two-part series finale, “The Road Ahead,” which they co-wrote. In the interview, they revealed that they formulated the ending around leaving the doors open for individual players to be explored further. Whether that means porting them overto other ongoing serieslikeDaryl Dixon,Dead City, or the aforementionedThe Ones Who Live, or giving them their own series, however, is unknown. The pair firmly put the ball in AMC’s court regarding what to do withFear’s survivors, with Goldberg saying:
“That’s really more of a question for [executive producer] Scott Gimple and AMC. You’ve seen the finale, so these characters' stories are constructed in such a way that they live on, there is more story to tell. They are going their separate ways, but they’re all carrying the weight of Madison’s and Alicia’s legacy. And there is certainly a lot more story to tell there, so, we’ll see, I guess is the answer. But our goal was to just bring Fear to a satisfying conclusion, and to leave open the possibility of more storytelling should the powers that be decide that they want more.”
ConsideringFearis only dwarfed in length by the original series, the showhad a ton of time to build up its own worldwithinthe widerWalking Deaduniversewhile also giving characters from its predecessor more room to breathe. For Goldberg and Chambliss, a spinoff then feels like a natural progression to keep digging deeper. The pair already have a few ideas about who they would like to flesh out if given the chance. “I want to see a Daniel and Skidmark spinoff,” Chambliss added, chuckling at the idea of followingRubén Blades’s fatherly survivor and his cat. “Like a Turner and Hooch, but Daniel and Skidmark.” Goldberg, meanwhile, wanted to look back on the life ofGarret Dillahunt’s character. “Oh, a prequel series with John Dorie at Humbug’s Gulch and how he navigated the apocalypse before meeting June.”
There’s no shortage of characters to tap for stories from theRobert KirkmanandDave Erickson-created zombie series. At its end, the series also featured the talents ofColman Domingo,Danay Garcia,Karen David,Austin Amelio,Jenna Elfman, andChristine Evangelista, among others. Following his departureduring the Season 8 midseason finale, James, for one, teased the possibility of Morgan reuniting with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) or any of the other survivors in their respective spinoffs toEntertainment Weekly. As the showrunners said, the future of these characters is up to AMC and the individual actors if they’re interested in exploring the apocalypse further.
All episodes ofFear the Walking Deadare now available on AMC+. Readour review of the second half of Season 8 herefor what to expect from the show’s conclusion. Stay tuned here at Collider for more asThe Walking Deaduniverse continues to expand.
Fear the Walking Dead
Living in the same universe as The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead is a gritty drama that explores the onset of the undead apocalypse through the lens of a fractured family. Set in a city where people come to escape, shield secrets, and bury their pasts, a mysterious outbreak threatens to disrupt what little stability high school guidance counselor Madison Clark and English teacher Travis Manawa have managed to assemble. The everyday pressure of blending two families while dealing with resentful, escapist, and strung out children takes a back seat when society begins to break down. A forced evolution, a necessary survival of the fittest takes hold, and our dysfunctional family must either reinvent themselves or embrace their darker histories.
