From the return of Rick and Michonne to the reteaming of Daryl and Carol, right here’s what it’s essential to know concerning the state of AMC’s zombie apocalypse.
The Strolling Useless is lifeless. Lengthy reside The Strolling Useless!
Regardless of the flagship collection airing its last episode in November 2022, the Strolling Useless franchise stays alive and effectively within the type of a litany of various spinoff exhibits. There are a number of variations of The Strolling Useless in some type of energetic standing, whereas phrase persists that there are different entries within the collection based mostly on Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s award-winning comedian books nonetheless within the works. For now, right here’s the lineup of what’s on proper now, what’s developing and what’s been introduced.
This story initially posted October 2023 and will likely be up to date.
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‘The Strolling Useless: Daryl Dixon’ and ‘The E book of Carol’
Initially, the Norman Reedus-led spinoff The Strolling Useless: Daryl Dixon was presupposed to co-star Melissa McBride as Carol, the veritable Sarah Connor of the Strolling Useless universe. As a substitute, McBride took time away from the world of the walkers, sitting out of the primary season of Daryl Dixon, save for cameo contributions. Now, not solely is she again for season two, she’s introduced her very personal identify to the title, as AMC formally introduced the collection’ second 12 months underneath the subtitle, The E book of Carol.
The primary season of Daryl Dixon adopted — you guessed it — Daryl Dixon, venturing from America all the best way to France. The collection leaned into Parisian iconography, together with a battle scene set beside the Eiffel Tower, in addition to a wise use of the Paris Catacombs to delineate this nook of the zombie apocalypse from its American counterpart. Season two’s E book of Carol sees Carol enter the combo, ostensibly to convey Daryl house, but additionally more likely to wind up on myriad European jaunts along with her post-apocalypse bestie. (They’ve friendship bracelets. It’s cute!) The second season filmed in Europe as a part of an settlement between the AMC and SAG-AFTRA, and premieres Sept. 29, 2024. And the collection has already been renewed for a 3rd season — with each of them on board — and set to movie in Spain.
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‘The Strolling Useless: Useless Metropolis’ Season 2
AMC took a giant swing with its first main Strolling Useless successor. Okay, might have phrased that higher, contemplating it’s the present starring baseball bat-wielding dangerous man (reformed) Negan, performed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and “The Widow” Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan). Archenemies turned reluctant allies, the first season of The Strolling Useless: Useless Metropolis targeted on Negan and Maggie journeying throughout Manhattan in a bid to save lots of Maggie’s son from a deranged enemy generally known as The Croat (Zeljko Ivanek, including yet one more scenery-chewing villain to his spectacular rolodex).
Useless Metropolis was proof of idea that extra life existed throughout the Strolling Useless universe following the flagship’s ending. Not solely did the drastic change of location serve the collection effectively (even when native New Yorkers might inform simply how a lot was shot throughout the Hudson River in New Jersey), however the resetting of two acquainted faces with historical historical past between them proved a worthy approach into a brand new story with previous roots. The collection was renewed for a second season in July 2023, with a premiere deliberate for spring 2025.
When selling the present’s return at New York Comedian Con, the celebrities and creatives teased what awaits fan-favorite characters Maggie (Cohan) and Negan (Morgan) as they navigate a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. “After we got here to do season 11, we knew the [original] present would both go on for 4 extra years and we might basically take over the previous present, or we might go and do that new present, and that might be in New York,” Cohan stated of the seeds of Useless Metropolis. “They got here to us each about doing like a Negan present and a Maggie present after which I feel Scott was like, ‘What concerning the two of y’all? All of us thought that that made probably the most sense as a result of these are two characters that you’d by no means anticipate to even be in the identical room, a lot much less go and do a by-product and need to spend actual time collectively.”
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‘The Strolling Useless: The Ones Who Dwell’
Alternately generally known as The Strolling Useless: TOWeL (if not by everybody, actually on my own and my Strolling Useless podcast colleagues), The Ones Who Dwell facilities the long-awaited reunion between two of probably the most pivotal gamers in all the franchise: Rick Grimes and Michonne, the long-lost lovers performed by Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira. Initially designed as a collection of function movies, Rick and Michonne’s story was retooled for a restricted collection format and launched in February 2024. The ending (learn spoilers right here) begged the query: the place does the franchise go from right here?
Set after Michonne’s season 10 choice to go away her group and discover her presumed-dead husband Rick, The Ones Who Dwell takes its identify from an adage the central characters used to hold one another afloat through the darkest days of The Strolling Useless. They’ve their work minimize out for them in their very own restricted collection, with the arrival of tv veteran Terry O’Quinn stepping in as an antagonist named Beale. Moreover, Pollyanna McIntosh returns as Jadis, the character who saved Rick’s life and exited him from the present again in season 9; in returning for The Ones Who Dwell, Jadis turns into one in all solely three most important characters who has appeared in three completely different Strolling Useless spinoffs, having additionally appeared in The Strolling Useless: World Past. The opposite character she ties with? None aside from Rick himself, in addition to the co-star of one other energetic Strolling Useless collection…
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‘Worry the Strolling Useless’: The Last Season
After eight seasons, the Strolling Useless franchise’s first spinoff aired six last episodes in 2023 to convey Worry the Strolling Useless to a detailed. The primary half of season eight noticed the departure of Morgan Jones, performed by franchise veteran Lennie James throughout each Worry and the flagship Strolling Useless. Together with his story concluded, the ultimate six Worry installments caused an finish the story of Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), the collection’ authentic protagonist, seemingly killed off in season 4, solely to return on the finish of season seven.
In these last episodes, Madison takes the highlight, with a possibility to shut the curtain on the character from co-creator and authentic Worry showrunner Dave Erickson’s first three seasons: Madison; daughter Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey), whose destiny remained in flux after departing the collection in season seven); Daniel Salazar (Ruben Blades), one in all Madison’s solely remaining day one allies; and Victor Strand (Colman Domingo), conspicuously absent within the last run to date, following a tough pivot towards supervillain standing in season seven.
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‘Tales of the Strolling Useless’ and ‘Extra Tales From the Strolling Useless Universe’
Anthology collection Tales of the Strolling Useless supplied among the greatest tales set inside AMC’s zombie universe in years. However the six standalone episodes, airing from August by means of September 2022, have but to obtain any follow-up motion. With that stated, AMC has introduced a collection of shorts tentatively (and type of amazingly) titled Extra Tales From the Strolling Useless Universe, successfully borrowing the identical premise (and many of the similar title) as Tales. There’s presently no phrase on when to anticipate these shorts, but when one in all these episodes doesn’t contain the alternate Strolling Useless universe by which Rick Grimes will get a lightsaber and battles aliens (true story), what are we even doing right here?