Alas, while they have been moderately successful with Fear the Walking Dead, their latest attempt, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, can only be described as a complete failure.
I consider the Walking Dead universe absolutely amazing, in terms of both the kinds of tales told and the great characters that populate it, so I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to watch more of those stories . . . so long as they're told well.
Unfortunately, World Beyond is riddled with implausible plot points that leave the viewer frustrated and bewildered.
We're introduced to several new characters from a community that looks pretty safe and well established. They have made contact with a couple other communities, the larger and richer of which is shrouded in secrecy -- as far as its geographical location -- and it would seem to be the same community hinted at in both The Walking Dead (the helicopter that whisked Rick Grimes away) and Fear the Walking Dead (the helicopter and pilot/soldier with whom Al made contact).
Its obvious powerful influence and guarded secrecy clearly make for interesting storytelling, but they are hardly explored. After the first episode, whose shocking ending leaves you wanting more, a ragtag group of four teenagers takes off on foot to look for the father of the two girls.
From then on, it's episode after episode of boredom.
The series is set ten years after the appearance of the virus, implying that it's all happening long after Rick Grimes first woke up from his coma to find a world that's utterly changed. But it doesn't take long to calculate that at least 8 years have passed since then (just think of Judith's age), so if this is 10 years later, things should be pretty similar.
And yet, for some reason, there are virtually zero walkers out there . . . except when someone is already in trouble, of course. This is good news for the quartet, however, because not one of them seems to have any clue about how to survive in a world beset by zombies, despite seemingly having grown up in such a world and supposedly received training in fighting and survival. Little Judith would give them a run for their money, and these are almost adults now.
Don't even get me started on the characters' suddenly flipping personalities (I'm referring to Iris and Hope here), or poor Elton who has to deliver pearls of wisdom like a man four times his age (I feel for Nicolas Cantu, who manages to come across as believable at least). And who honestly would take off on a trip like that with a wildcard like Silas?
Julia Ormond, seemingly the villain, is naturally great, but we see so little of her through the season it's really just a tease. Annet Mahendru plays her duplicitous daughter to great effect, along with a good (and swoon-inducing) Nico Tortorella.
Fortunately, the series is billed as a "two season limited event," so I guess I'll sit through the second half, hoping that a lot more is revealed about this secret community, but I, for one, am ready to move beyond this dull "world."
Grade - Season 1: 3
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