Entertaining, but not for fans of ‘The Walking Dead’: That’s why the new spin-off of ‘TWD’ is disappointing
Andreas Rivera
February 19, 2023 10:48 am
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4 min read
After a long wait, ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’ is now airing in Germany. But can the spin-off keep up with the original series?
After ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’, AMC has launched its third spin-off of ‘The Walking Dead’ with ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’. The six-part anthology series aired in the USA in August 2022, and in Germany, it began streaming on MagentaTV on February 19, 2023. We were given the opportunity to view all six episodes in advance and will share our thoughts on whether this new zombie title was able to impress us.
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You can get a first impression of ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’ from the official trailer:”
Tales of The Walking Dead shows a good approach, but…
As a self-proclaimed fan of ‘The Walking Dead’, I always look forward to new titles from the horror franchise. So, of course, I was excited for ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’. The trailer already looked promising with plenty of biters, action-packed drama, and profound destinies – at least that’s what it seemed in the almost 100 seconds.
It pains me to say this, but not one of the three expected points came true in my eyes. All six stories lacked undead and the plot and storytelling felt predictable and half-hearted to me.
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Despite my disappointment, I still have to commend the basic idea of ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’. Those in charge tried something new in the ‘TWD’ universe. Each episode lets traits of a different genre shine through, from comedy to adventure to horror, and everything is there – but unfortunately, it seems indecisively implemented for the most part. In my opinion, nothing half and nothing whole came of it.
This is completely out of place and has nothing to do with ‘The Walking Dead
I fell for the zombie hype at the tender age of 16, so ‘The Walking Dead’ has accompanied me through what are probably the most important stages of my life. What was even worse for me was the realization that you don’t even have to have seen the main series to follow ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’. Even the third episode entitled ‘Dee’, which provides the backstory of Whisperers leader Alpha (Samantha Morton), can stand on its own.
In my view, ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’ has nothing to do with ‘The Walking Dead’ except, perhaps, for the fact that the undead are still not named zombies. For me, the six stories lack added value, and some of the characters seem completely out of place in the ‘TWD’ world. The design doesn’t even remind me of the parent series.
The second episode entitled ‘Blair/Gina’ was the absolute low point for me. An employee and her hated boss find themselves caught in an endless loop, repeating the same deadly scenario over and over again. From the third round at the latest, the characters’ reactions seem illogical and annoying. The episode tries to be funny but overshoots the target several times with numerous exaggerations while leaving opportunities in other places.
Zombie series without charm?
Admittedly, I didn’t enjoy the other five episodes, but they weren’t so bad to watch. The top-class cast, consisting of Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Danny Ramirez (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”), and Daniella Pineda (“Jurassic World: Dominion”), even provided some acting highlights.
However, I consistently missed the beginning and ending points. You’re thrown wildly into the action, and before you get your bearings, half the episode is almost over. I don’t really have a problem with open endings, but the stories don’t even begin to suggest a direction in which the storylines could develop. Often, I felt left behind in nothing.
Nevertheless, if you can overlook the fact that “Tales of The Walking Dead” completely ignores the circumstances of the original series, it could be quite an entertaining zombie series for many viewers. But unfortunately, I can’t do that, and I think many longtime fans will feel the same way. That’s why the anthology title will unfortunately never be more than what it is for me: one of many, many zombie series that is neither innovative nor can it capture the charm of “The Walking Dead”.
If you want to see “Tales of The Walking Dead” for yourself, you can now stream the anthology series on MagentaTV.
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