The Walking Dead: World Beyond is the latest series – and one of many to come - in the franchise. It is centered around a group of young adults living in a sheltered community, until they decide to venture outside of its walls.
The two main characters, Hope and Iris, want to find their father, a scientist who was recruited to work with the mysterious Civil Republic Military (CRM). And they are joined by two newfound friends who want to quench their curiosity about the world beyond, Silis and Elton. Hot on their tails, however, are two security officers, Felix and Huck, who are determined to protect these kids at all costs.
While the first episode debuted to criticism, with a much different tone than what The Walking Dead fans are used to, chances are that things are about to ramp up, as several aspects of episode one suggested.
The Mysterious CRM Might Be Doing Good
The CRM, the same group defined by the three-ringed symbol that was working with Jadis, effectively abducted Rick, and revealed itself to Althea on Fear the Walking Dead, is a central part of this show. And they are just as secretive.
They continue to recruit valuable people, as was the case with the protagonist's father. For what? No one knows except those who are there. But they frame it such that these people are helping find a cure, or at least a solution to build a better world.
The Mysterious CRM Might Have Nefarious Intentions
That said, the episode pointed to many reasons that the mysterious group could actually have bad intentions. And the equally mysterious leader Col. Elizabeth Kublek raises so many questions. Is she good? Bad?
The organization appeared to have blown the university to smithereens in the final few minutes of the episode. But then Col. Kublek made a remark that suggests she at least had a soft spot for the two main girls, Iris and Hope, who are desperate to find out where their father was taken and what he's doing.
The Virus Does Not Disappear Any Time Soon
The series is set 10 years after the apocalypse hit, focused on a group of teenagers who all grew up in this new world. Now in their late teens, they were just little kids when the world was turned upside down.
Technically, the timeline would be run concurrently to the other series for which it serves as a spin-off, including The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, since both have experienced significant time jumps. Nonetheless, it's clear there's no end in sight for the apocalypse.
The New Generation Calls Walkers Empties
Just like in current times, the younger generation has different names for things, people, and trends. Throughout The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, fans have learned that several communities, groups, and locations refer to the undead by different names.
For some, they are walkers. Others call them eaters, roamers, creepers, biters – the list goes on. With this group, their name of choice is empties.
There Are Kids Who Have Never Seen Herds
These kids have been seemingly sheltered in their own little protected community. So, while they see the odd walker now and then, including when their own loved ones turn, none of them have seen a herd the likes of what has become commonplace in the other shows.
This is almost definitely about to change as the shows progress. So, viewers will presumably get to see a whole new group of people experience a herd of walkers heading toward them for the first time. And these are young, impressionable adults who literally have no idea what's in store.
Some Semblance Of Pre-Apocalypse Normalcy Exists
Set at a university, it appears that there's some semblance of normalcy in parts of the world. Kids go to school, choose classes, do homework, and strive to achieve their best. And they also hold party, make friends, and get up to trouble.
There are still those typical cliques, the outcasts, popular kids, overachievers, and rebels. It's almost like nothing has changed but for the evil that lurks outside of their walls.
Certain States Band Together
As if this location's own versions of Alexandria, Hilltop, The Kingdom, and Oceanside, states, which continue to be referred to by their pre-apocalypse names, have apparently banded together in a unified fashion to fight the new world.
The show is set in Nebraska, which has apparently formed an alliance with Portland as well as the Civil Republic Military. What this all means and the significance of this powerful three, remains to be seen.
It's Called "The Night The Sky Fell"
When looking back on history, there are names assigned to major events of all kinds, from World War II, to Pearl Harbour, Y2K, and the Watergate Scandal. In this series, the fateful day that the world as everyone knew it came to an end and the dead rose up to feast on flesh has been come to be known as "The Night the Sky Fell."
For these kids, the reason they refer to it as such is that a plane crashed down from the sky while they were trying to get away from the zombies. And thus, it was like the sky fell down upon them, effectively raining zombies.
There Will Be Emotional Conflict
Fans expect that the show will feature plenty of emotional conflict . But the very first episode already sets up for a big reveal to come. In flashbacks, viewers see how Iris and Hope were separated, the latter ended up with her mother. They came across a frantic pregnant woman who, in a panic, shot their mother. In angry retaliation, Hope picked up the gun and shot the woman.
Several years later, it turns out that the woman was the mother of Elton, a young university student who befriends the girls and joins them on their quest. Sooner or later, he'll figure out Hope killed his mother and unborn sister (and she that his mother killed hers). And things probably won't go well.
More Action Will Probably Kick Off In Episode Two
A lot of the criticism for episode one was that the pacing was far too slow: the episode was set in a seemingly normal suburbia, cut off from the real world where flesh-eating zombies were roaming the streets. Plus, the storyline seemed largely geared toward a younger audience – it's like Twilight meets Riverdale meets a toned-down version of The Walking Dead.
That said, the group of four young adults were about to embark on a major journey at the end of the episode, with the two security specialists, Felix and Huck, secretly following them. As they encounter things they've never seen before, chances are the series will begin to take on a more traditional Walking Dead feel.