A Preview of ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that the living dead subgenre of horror has proven itself to be perhaps the most versatile and dynamic subgenre in storytelling. Simply because… it fits into every mold out there and it can tell every type of story and for proof… just look the subgenre’s body of work. Because not only will you find utterly terrifying stories filled with gore and viscera, thanks the hungry walking corpses that populate this universe, but you’ll also find philosophical musings on death and our world within the framework of these stories. Plus, the zombie fuses with any genre out there, since we’ve been treated to dramatic and moving moments courtesy of the zombie and its impact on man, and this is a creature that’s even inspired comedic romps and romantic comedies along the way as well.
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But what’s fascinating about the living dead and their contributions to the world of horror, is that there is one particular type of tale that no horror master or franchise has really toyed with regarding the zombie. Specifically, the anthology. Granted, they’ve popped up in anthology-based storytelling over the years, but the closest we’ve ever really come to an anthology style zombie story is Fear the Walking Dead. But even then, the connective tissue of the characters makes that a loose anthology at best, and a solid attempt to bring the zombie into this type of story. In fact, the work happening on that series is impactful enough… that AMC and The Walking Dead Universe’s Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple, decided that perhaps the time had come to move the living dead into the world of the anthology.

Enter… Tales of the Walking Dead, a brand-new, six-episode anthology series set in the TWDU that arrives on AMC and AMC+ on August 14, 2022, and we here at NTG thought it would be worthwhile to spotlight this bold new entry in the franchise, in a spoiler-free manner of course… because it is something special. For this really is the first-ever zombie anthology series. One that features a new story every week, set in a different part of this nightmarish world, complete with new characters and unique situations for them to experience, and that brings forth… a must watch series. In part because, you simply don’t know what the show is going to focus on week to week and that excitement alone makes this worth your while. But there is so much more to this series than just giving us fresh tales in the world of The Walking Dead, it’s the quality of the stories that truly makes this saga worthwhile.

Because this series, takes the opportunity to tell six vastly different stories. That examine bold concepts, that we simply haven’t seen in the TWDU before. Because you’ll find stories that are lighthearted and wild in nature, and some experiment with concepts that would never work in the framework of the other shows. Giving this series a newfound freedom to explore whatever it wishes to. Which sounds as though this show goes off the rails and leans heavy into experimentation but have no fear… the tenets of this franchise are there. For there are plenty of bleak, and powerful, and scary moments to be found here, alongside the show’s stellar commentary on the human condition and one episode, actually digs back into the age-old question that this franchise has toyed with often. In that, are we worth saving?

As to which one that is, you’ll just have to wait and see. Because we promised no spoilers here, and we mean it. Because this is a refreshing entry in The Walking Dead Universe that you need to experience. One that really does surprise and engage, and it also doesn’t hurt… that it is filled to the brim with huge names from the industry and they all turn in top-notch performances that sell every poignant moment in this saga both big and small, and of course, the best news of all… is that the wait for this dynamic new entry in this iconic franchise… is almost over. For Tales of the Walking Dead will debut on AMC on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST on AMC and AMC+. With the first two episodes streaming that same night on AMC+ and well, we here at NTG hope you give this show a look and join us for our usual morning after geek-out sessions as we all reflect upon an important moment in living dead history.

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