As most of you know my favorite all time television series is, and always shall be The Walking Dead. Now at it’s tenth season, it was announced a few weeks ago that the series is going to end with season 11. While I was saddened at that news, I also have to admit that I think it’s a good thing. I will be the last to deny the fact that even though I still love the show, it’s not as good anymore as it was in the beginning. But having said that, ever since new showrunner Angela Kang took over the series with season 9, things have definitely gotten back to form, despite the departure of the show’s biggest character Rick Grimes. But even though the main series is about to sink into it’s undead grave, it doesn’t mean we have heard the last of the Walking Dead though. Three movies that will feature the return of our beloved hero are in development. The spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead is still going strong, and there are going to be three new shows that will feature different aspects of the post apocalyptic world. One of these is World Beyond and has premiered last week. It’s a show that has gathered some negative buzz even before it started, because of a trailer that didn’t look all too promising.

Why exactly was that and was that critism justified? The trailer showed that this new series would focus on a bunch of teenage kids, and had a really different vibe to it than the other two shows. People quickly dismissed this as a trend of the current times, where movies and shows seem to put a heavy emphasis on female characters that are politically correct so to speak. It was also compared to the CW shows such as Supergirl and Batwoman, that also feature many of these elements. Now, when it comes to the Walking Dead I can’t deny that I’m a little bit biased. I simply love all aspects of that entire franchise which means I can also be a little bit less objective. I’m not one of those fans though that simply says that everything is good even if it isn’t. Having watched the first episode of this new series, I’m going to try and give you an objective spoiler free first impression of The Walking Dead World Beyond. Let’s first start with the storyline, before we dive into the actual review. The new show takes place 10 years after the initial outbreak. According to most of the articles I’ve found that means it’s set around the time of season 10 of the main show. People here though still have the belief that things might turn around and are even working on a cure for the zombie virus.

The main characters of the series are teenagers, with the focus on two stephsisters Iris and Hope. They live in a community that might be called pretty luxurious, considering the current state of the world. Iris is the optimistic sister and has a positive outlook on life. Her father has recently departed their community and is working for a mysterious organisation called the Civil Republic. Hope however is the opposite, and is convinced these are the endtimes. She has a very hard time trusting people, and this goes double for their supposed allies the Civil Republic. When they receive a secret message from their father that he might be in serious trouble, this mistrust turns into real fear. Both sisters, together with two of their friends set out into the dangerous world on a mission to try and find their father and rescue him. This first episode is clearly a set up of things to come. It establishes it’s characters, the world, and introduces most of the story elements. I’m going to be honest by saying that I don’t quite yet know what to make of this one so far. For one thing, this first episode was incredibly slow.

The tension and horror elements that are a huge part of the Walking Dead’s appeal, were at least for the moment, pretty much non existent. It’s also quite obvious that this show is aiming for a teenage audience. That doesn’t mean it’s kid’s stuff mind you, but right from the beginning you simply get a different vibe than you are used to. Most of it’s characters, right now that is, also aren’t really appealing. That said, this is a pilot, so as is usually the case we also have to get used to everyone. As you noticed I did say most of the characters, as there are two exceptions. One of these is Hope. I like her feisty spirit, and kick ass mentality. The first moment I laid eyes on her I knew I was going to like her. I think she will probably be my favorite character of the show, but we’ll see. The other one is Elizabeth, played by veteran actress Julia Ormond, who is part of the mysterious Civil Republic. She had an edge of danger to her the moment she appears on screen. It’s not entirely clear yet if she is going to be a villain yet, but well, let’s just say chances are pretty good on that. Hope’s sister Iris is a bit too morally upstanding for my tastes, which makes her well, a bit boring. The rest of the teenage cast, has so far had relatively little screentime, so not much can be said about them yet.

World Beyond promises to shed more light on the organisation that has taken away Rick Grimes, and this is one of the things that drew me into this series. I found my attention span wavering during this first episode, which is usually a bad sign. But, and this is a big but, certain things happen near the end of this pilot, that made me excited. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that the way things are set up at the conclusion of this premiere episode, it has the potential to become quite interesting indeed. It’s a shame that people judge something these days based purely on a trailer. Is this a good show at the moment? No, I will be the last to deny that fact. But people, let’s be fair this is the first episode for a new show, and how many series have started off poorly only to grow into something amazing? If that’s going to happen with this one as well, is something I’m not sure of yet. As mentioned certain things have been set up that have at least the potential to make this a good show. At the same time, there is also some doubt if that’s going to happen with this one. I do like the fact that they are trying something different with this series, and you have to give the creators some points for that. Either way I’m going to give this one a chance, and will of course give a full review for this show at the end of it’s first season. So over to you! Have you seen it yet? Do you intend to watch it? Let’s talk in the comments! I’ll leave you guys with a trailer for the show.
Well Phil and I watched half of the first episode last evening, but couldn’t get through the whole of it, I think it’s just too teenagey for us old’uns. Also couldn’t get a handle on the timeline in comparison with TWD.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah…but then you did miss the best part. As I said, certain things are set in motion at the end, that I think might still turn this into a worthwhile series. But I will reserve judgement until I have seen the next episode. I agree though…as I said this first episode was very, very slow. It’s set 10 years since the initial outbreak, so that means it takes place before the main series. We’ll see how this turns out, but for a pilot, this certainly could have been better, and I think a lot of people will be turned off by this really slow start.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I shall wait for your review of the series and may go back to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So this is 10 yrs after the initial breakout, how long til TWD years start?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I honestly had to a little research for that and it turns out I was wrong😅 Yes…it’s set ten years after the initial outbreak. But apparently this means it’s taking place during the current season 10 of the main show🤔 At least…that’s what it says in most articles that I have so far been able to find about the series. Well…that means I might have to update this post a bit, but I will wait a bit more until I find some more evidence for this 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
That makes more sense. We will be watching TWD tonight, the last episode of the last season, at last!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! I know…I have yet to see season 10 in it’s entirety, but that’s because it wasn’t released here yet. The good news is: it’s on Netflix tomorrow, so guess I’m going to be bingewatching very soon! 😀😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm. I have quite a bit of catching up to do with TWD, but this looks worth checking out.🤔
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, honestly I don’t know yet with this one😅 The first episode as mentioned was really slow, but the end set up some cool things that make the show interesting, so I do have high hope it might turn into something good. Fingers crossed🤞😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll wait and see what you think after a few more episodes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Despite loving the original Walking Dead (well once) I was happy to see and end in sight but why, why did they immediately announce the spin-off? Way to take away any tension concerning those particular characters. They frustrate me sometimes how they shoot themselves in the foot!
I can take or leave the new show but I have to admit I’m interested in the theories that they may wrap this into the Rick stuff by the end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I know what you mean with that. It’s like they end it, but then they really don’t because of the fact that well…it still continues, in kind of a warped way. We’ll see how it goes😊
As for the new show, yeah that’s the reason I’m watching it. So far this initial episode left me lukewarm for it, but as mentioned the end did a good job of creating an interesting set up, so I’m hoping it might turn around and be good 😀🤞
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember watching the very first WD episode live on tv. I couldn’t wait. However, I did stop watching during season 7 (The season of The Bat) lol – Just too triggering for me… As for this new, World Beyond – I think it could be cool if it really ties together the main series (like where Rick went). But like I said I stopped watching, and I don’t think I’ll try to get back into it at this point.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember the first time I saw that episode with the season of the bat. I can’t remember a single time on tv where I was in such total shock as with that episode. It was crazy, disgusting and tense all wrapped together. It was also a turning point for the show, as from there things went downhill, and the rest of the season and season 8 were admittedly the weakest ones of the show. That said, season 9 really is a return to form. Angela Kang, the new showrunner really did a great job, and made it feel almost like the old Walking Dead again. I have yet to see season 10, but that will be available for me tomorrow so I’m hoping she will continue her good run. All I can say is it’s well worth checking in again😀
As for this new show…it has potential, but at the moment it’s a coin toss whether it will be good or not. 🤞😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad Season 9 was a return to form with Kang at the helm. That def makes me more inclined to check back in, and start there. We shall see..
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it really is a good point to start rewatching because it honestly does feel kind of like a reboot for the series at that point😊
LikeLike
What I still would like to know is how the apocalypse began. What happened? To turn everyone into zombies. Have they ever addressed that in the later seasons?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well….no real origin no, but the spin off series Fear the Walking Dead does start in the beginning of the outbreak, and especially in the first few episodes really did a great job of telling that origin. Sadly the slower approach of it, didn’t stick right with fans (I wasn’t one of them as I loved it), and that’s why they turned it around and made it more like the main series. It’s good as well, but I honestly really liked the way it started😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yeah, totally forgot about Fear The Walking Dead. Ok Also good to know. Thanks!🧟♂️🧟♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
This one, unfortunately, is DOA for me. I’ve not watched any of the Walking Dead and really don’t plan to. I’ve no doubt much of the series is fantastic, but not being overly excited about zombies while also not being much of a series watcher kind of puts a damper on this one for me. I’ll enjoy a stray movie every now and then (Train to Busan, etc), but a long zombie series? Nope. I do love your passion for it, though, and how even with that passion you’re giving a well rounded review with positives and negatives. I’ve really enjoyed Julia Ormand in some movie roles I’ve seen her in, so I could see her possibly adding something to this series. I’m keeping my fingers crossed this gets better and you end up enjoyed it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fair enough😀 The reason I love this show is not for the zombies though, but for the characters. It’s really a very character driven series, which is what makes it so good. At this point though with 10 seasons it’s become a real time investment were you to start it now, so definitely understand that😀
Julia Ormond really is still a great actress, and I’m very glad that she is a part of this new show. It will be very interesting to see what her character will be like 😀Thank you!😊
LikeLike
The only thing I know about TWD is that some of the characters were put on Magic the Gathering cards and caused a HUGE uproar among mtg fans. I don’t play any more but man, I would have been pissed too.
I think the last long tv show I watched in real time was Lost. Ahhh, good times…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really? Now that was a bit of information that I have never heard of. I used to love playing Magic the Gathering. But then Mr. Suitcase came along and the game became a question of who has the most money. Real shame as it was a truly fun game. But I had never heard about this story up till now.
Ah yes Lost…..good times indeed! Loved that show! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, WotC has been releasing old cards, with new art, directly to the public through a series of releases called secret lairs. Direct to the consumer, on an open window of about 24hrs or 1 week, depending. And they don’t do it world wide. It has a lot of people pretty upset.
This all has just happened within the last week too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh…talk about horrible marketing. That truly does sound very annoying and I really understand how people could be upset about something like that 😔
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have never seen TWD, but I’ve heard it’s lost some steam. But I’m glad fans will still be able to experience the world in other forms for a while.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Admittedly it has. The first six seasons were incredible, but it lost steam in 7 and 8. Luckily right now with the show’s new front runner it is much better again!😀 I’m excited to see how the show is going to end and what the new series will bring us 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Walking Dead wasn’t a show I got really into, but my fiance loves it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, fair enough, I guess it really isn’t for everyone. For me it’s my alltime favorite series 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://matt-in-the-hat.com/2020/10/05/mystery-blogger-award-by-animated-observations/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never seen this one but then again it was never on a TV channel I had access to. I hate it when
a series run too long and tarnish their reputation. A zombie apocalypse might sound like something with endless scope but there is also a reason zombie films aren’t 3 hours long!
Glad you enjoy it though and continue to have fun with it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well…that’s the thing: the walking dead is of course based on a very long running (and highly succesful) comic book, and the reason it is so succesful is because it takes a very different approach to zombie apocalypse than the usual movies/books. That’s the true reason I enjoy it so much! 😀
Granted the show has had it’s ups and downs, but after ten years I’m still a fan, and probably always will be 😀
LikeLike
Aha, now I see my lost profile pic from match.com, last of your images, where did you get it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤔 I found it in the white box that was under the sock drawer beneath the ironing board. I almost destroyed it by accident, but I was glad that I was able to save it 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
This isn’t meant as a criticism, but would you mind tidying some of your laundry off the floor? I might be brings guests in at the weekend….
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤔🤔🤔 But…I did that so you could iron some more. This is just me being helpful you know? 🤔🤔😀😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok, but there shouldn’t be half-eaten meals on plates in the wardrobe? I’m just saying, you could do a little more around the house…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have just vacuumed the house, restocked the fridge, wiped the windows, cleaned up the dishes, mopped up the toilets, and made up the bed. Can I now get back to my ironing please?🤔😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d admit I’m not a fan of the Walking Dead (sorry 😂), the pace was always too slow for my liking. Plus there are way too many episodes! Haha. That said, I’m still curious to see how this turns out. Looking forward to your review when you do finish the season! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, fair enough, it’s certainly not a show for everyone, so no worries 😊
This one I’m curious for myself, as I have no idea where it will go. As far as pilots go, this was really a bad start, but I was hopeful because of the end that it may yet turn into something cool. We’ll see how it goes. 😀
LikeLike
I could only read so far because of spoilers but I will admit the last few seasons of TWD have been a slog but series 9 improved a bit. I will be watching this and eventually catching up on FTWD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, season 7 and 8 definitely were a step down, but with season 9 things finally improved again, and began to feel like the old Walking Dead😀 I’ll be interested in seeing how everything is going to be wrapped up, and hopefully things are going to end on a good note. We’ll see. As for FTWD…I still have some catching up to do on that myself as well😀😀 Hope you will enjoy the watch!😀
LikeLike
Dear God, your favourite show is The Walking Dead?
Admittedly it started well (though I’ll never forgive what they did to that poor horse) but when the zombies lost any fear factor and instead the show became a soap opera for the (mostly terrible) actors to mope around in, it lost me, frankly. After stubbornly sticking with it year in, year out, I finally bailed in season eight. I’ll never understand what anyone in sees in it, and I doubt we’ll ever see any of those movies with how AMC seem to be running the franchise to ruin. I did watch World Beyond last week, and it was lousy to me- turning TWD into a teen show? Frack me, In Season One those kids would be chewed to bits within thirty minutes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol😂 Well, luckily we all have different tastes because else the world would really become a boring place😂
That said, yes I love this show, and I will always love it. But granted it’s not the show it was anymore when it started out. Season 9 though is definitely a step back in the right direction, especially with the new showrunner breathing some fresh air into these undead corpses😂
As for World Beyond, I’m not sure about that one myself either yet. As I mentioned in the post for now it was just way too slow to my tastes with mostly forgettable characters. But…things can still turn around. I never judge any show, whether it’s this one or something else based on just one episode. Especially a new show😊
We’ll see how it goes. But yeah I can see how the Walking Dead in general isn’t for everyone, so no worries 😀
LikeLike
I just do not think any of them will be able to draw in like TWD did. i know they were trying to keep it close to the comic book or even exact but after a few of the best were killed off aka Glen being one, it seemed to go down from there. was it the writer’s? The Producers? i don’t know. i just wish Rick could have had a scene where it woke and a couple of the seasons were just nightmares. lol. Thank you for the insight on the new though. I was curious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Naw, the original series will always be the best, no denying that. But I do have to say that the with season 9 the original Walking Dead series is back to form, and it’s really good again! With the 11th season being the last one, I’m interested to see how they are going to end the story.
As for the new series, I will wait and see what happens, and do a full review for it, when it’s completed😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
For sure! But I cannot wait to read your review. They are always great and give us the down low on what is. 🙂 Thank you so much for that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to applaud you for being optimistic about this show and believing that it can pull off the impossible by the end of the show. At least, I hope it does for your sake! I look forward to seeing if anything improves from what sounds like a relatively mediocre pilot episode that clearly had a much younger target audience though. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts on this one, my friend. How long did they plan to make this first season again? 😮
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well…I saw the second episode on friday (they release them one episode a week) and things certainly improved as I expected. Okay, it’s not even close to being on the level of the main series, but at least things are picking up. This show is going to have just two seasons. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t exactly know yet how long the seasons are going to be. But they have already mapped it out as far as I know. So even if it’s doing well, two seasons are it.
But we’ll see…I’m at least enjoying it enough to continue watching, and I’m especially interested in seeing what ties it will have to Rick😀
LikeLike
Wow I can’t belong there are 11 seasons of The Walking Dead! I watched only a few episodes but got scared haha I’m glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, yeah it’s a long running series, but the 11th season will be the final one, and then it’s curtain call😊 It’s been a really enjoyable ride, but all things come to an end 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person