Static Media
Who can forget the sensation that “The Walking Dead” caused when it first premiered on cable in 2010? This zombie apocalypse series, crafted by Frank Darabont, was an immediate hit with its gritty, small-scale tales from the end of the world. Based on a long-running comic book series by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, the show was destined for greatness. However, even the earliest fans could not have predicted the enormous success the franchise would eventually achieve.
While the “Walking Dead” franchise may not consistently draw in massive audience numbers these days, it does provide a wide array of stories within the universe of the original show. With a total of seven shows to its name (plus webisodes), the “Walking Dead” universe has grown at a rate that outpaces even the walkers in a city hit by the Wildfire Virus. While not all “Walking Dead” series are hits, the franchise deserves credit for its impressive expansion. (For comparison, another popular genre franchise, “Star Trek,” took nearly half a century to develop seven different shows.) If you decide to embark on the journey of watching every “Walking Dead” show from the beginning, there are a couple of respectable methods to do so.
The release order
Gene Page/AMC
The most straightforward way to watch the “Walking Dead” shows is in the order they were released, starting with the original AMC series featuring Andrew Lincoln. “The Walking Dead” spans 11 seasons, giving you 177 episodes to enjoy if you only watch this show. The challenge of watching in release order arises when you reach season 6. This is when the first spinoff show, “Fear The Walking Dead,” set on the west coast, debuted. Characters from one show sometimes appear in the other in the later seasons of “The Walking Dead,” so for a comprehensive viewing experience, you might want to alternate between the shows from that point forward. However, if you opt to watch all of the original series before starting “Fear The Walking Dead,” you won’t be completely lost.
The next show in the same post-apocalyptic setting is “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” which centers around a group of kids who were born into the apocalypse and are unaware of life beyond their sanctuary, the Nebraska State University campus. The show got mixed reviews, as did the fourth “Walking Dead” series, the anthology “Tales of the Walking Dead.” These series paved the way for a new generation of “Walking Dead” shows that emerged after the conclusion of the original series. The three latest shows in the saga spotlight specific characters from the original series, featuring semi-reformed killer Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and widow Maggie (Lauren Cohan) in “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” fan-favorite Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) in “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” and long-separated couple Rick (Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) in “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.”
The inaugural seasons of each of these series aired almost back-to-back after the conclusion of the original show, and more are on the way, including a second season of Daryl’s show centered around Carol. If you want to watch each “Walking Dead” show in the order they were initially released and experienced by fans, keep in mind the following order: “Walking Dead,” “Fear,” “World Beyond,” “Tales,” “Dead City,” “Daryl,” and “Ones Who Live.” There’s likely an easy-to-remember acronym hidden in there somewhere.
Chronological order
AMC
Watching the “Walking Dead” series in chronological order according to the timeline of the show’s universe can be a bit more challenging, mainly because the franchise enjoys messing with chronology and delivering long-awaited flashback storylines in some of its best episodes. If you’re trying to do this, it’s important to note that some shows –- including the first one –- feature storylines from across the “Walking Dead” timeline, rewarding viewers for watching them in release order even if it’s not strictly chronological. If you choose to sort this out on an episode level, your best resource is likely this incredibly detailed timeline created by a dedicated Reddit user.
Generally speaking, the initial seasons of “Fear The Walking Dead” occur early in the apocalypse timeline, with most of season 1 depicting the period when Rick is in a coma in the “Walking Dead” pilot. This positions that show as a sort of prequel, making it the first to watch if you want a chronological experience of the franchise. Next is “The Walking Dead,” with “World Beyond” intersecting with its ninth season. “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live” occurs five years after Rick’s departure from the original series, with the story really ramping up around 2022. Meanwhile, “Daryl Dixon” seems to be set around the time it aired (2023), while “Dead City” fast forwards to 2029.
You might have noticed that “Tales From the Walking Dead” isn’t included here. That’s because the anthology show jumps around the universe’s timeline from episode to episode. You can always spoil the show by looking up the premise of each episode to figure out where they fit in the chronology, or you can simply watch it after you’ve seen most, if not all, of “The Walking Dead”; it features appearances from characters who show up in season 9 of the original show. So, in terms of chronology, your best bet is to start with the first few seasons of “Fear The Walking Dead,” then watch “The Walking Dead,” watching “Tales” and “World Beyond” near the end of that viewing experience. Wrap it up with the first seasons of “The Ones Who Live,” “Daryl Dixon,” and “Dead City,” in that order.
Optional: with webisodes
AMC
To further complicate things, there were also webisode miniseries released in conjunction with the first two shows in the franchise. Some of these are excellent and some aren’t, but they can be enjoyed in either chronological or release order. If you’re aiming for the release order experience, it’s worth noting that “Torn Apart” was released simultaneously with season 2 of “The Walking Dead,” while “Cold Storage” coincided with season 3. “The Oath” complements season 4 of the show, while “Red Machete” ran for two years, alongside seasons 8 and 9 of the show.
At the same time, “Flight 462” was released alongside season 1 of “Fear The Walking Dead,” while “Passage” was paired with season 2. Season 5 featured the digital tie-in series “The Althea Tapes,” while “Dead in the Water” aired during season 7. Like “Tales From The Walking Dead,” these semi-independent stories often take place at different points in the franchise’s chronology. To watch them in chronological order, “Torn Apart” and “The Oath” should be watched before the first episode of “The Walking Dead” (although this strategy undermines some great moments in “Days Gone By,” so it’s not recommended for first-time viewers), while “Cold Storage” occurs slightly later. “Red Machine” is even later, and refers to events up through season 8 of “The Walking Dead.” Meanwhile, “Flight 462” complements “Fear The Walking Dead” 1×03, while the other three web series for that show occur where you’d expect them to given their release order –- just before seasons 3, 4, and 6, respectively.
Have you got all that? If not, then it’s probably best to discard all your confusing notes on franchise chronology and watch these shows as the AMC overlords intended: in the order they were released.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
