Summary
AlthoughThe Walking Deadfranchise began with its eponymous 2010 show, there’s another series that is a better place to start when diving into this zombie world:Fear the Walking Dead.These days, a number of different TV shows make upThe Walking Deadfranchise. There have been spinoffs likeThe Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,andThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.Yet,for the first five years of the franchise, there was only one show:The Walking Dead.Regardless, the subsequentWalking Deadspinoffshave provided new places for audiences to start.
Fear the Walking Deadwas the very first spinoff ofThe Walking Dead,and in some ways, it was the most unusual. Premiering in 2015, the show delves into the first days of the zombie outbreak, when regular humans become victims ofThe Walking Dead’svicious zombies. For eight seasons, the show follows a group of survivors and their journey to find safety and companionship within a seemingly never-ending apocalypse. Eventually,Fear the Walking Deadintersects withThe Walking Dead,but strangely enough, the first few seasons are entirely independent of the original series.

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Fear The Walking Dead Ending Explained: All Returns, Twists & What Comes Next
Fear The Walking Dead ends with a literal and figurative bang, as season 8’s finale delivers twists, deaths, and the promise of hope for the future.
Fear the Walking Deadmay not be the first show released inThe Walking Deadfranchise, but it is still a solid place to start for those who are new to the series. Notably,Fear the Walking Deadcomes beforeThe Walking Deadchronologically, making it a great entry point for new viewers. By starting withFear the Walking Dead,viewers are able to see the apocalypse from the very beginning rather than in the middle. Therefore, rather than jumping around onThe Walking Deadtimeline, audiences are able to experience the zombie apocalypse as it unfolded.
Whereas otherThe Walking Deadspinoffs rely on previous knowledge of the show,Fear the Walking Deadis the ideal gateway for newcomers.
The best part of watchingFear the Walking Deadfirst is that newcomers do not need prior knowledge ofThe Walking Deadto watch. For the first few seasons,Fear the Walking Deadessentially functions as its own show, just set in the same universe. It deals with characters surviving through the apocalypse in a different corner ofThe Walking Dead’smap, allowing its story to stand on its own quite well. Whereas otherThe Walking Deadspinoffs are built on previous concepts and characters,Fear the Walking Deadis the ideal gateway for newcomers.
For those who are considering starting withFear the Walking Dead,the only thing to know is that the show begins to intersect withThe Walking Deadin season 4.While a prior knowledge ofThe Walking Deadis not necessary, it will provide more contextto certain characters' backstories and make particular moments a bit more meaningful. However, watchingThe Walking Deadbeforehand is definitely not required. In fact, audiences could watchThe Walking DeadafterFear the Walking Deadand would still enjoy the franchise.
Fear the Walking Dead
Cast
A prequel to AMC’s hit series, Fear the Walking Dead, follows new characters and explores the city of Los Angeles as the world transforms into the horrifying zombie apocalypse that changes the world forever. The first half of the series follows a found family that rebuilds who they are to adapt and survive the new world order. The second half follows Morgan Jones, a survivor from the original franchise who joins the original surviving cast members.