When it comes to long-lasting horror television, the undisputed king of the jungle (or whatever woodsy area) is definitely The Walking Dead franchise, which has been piling up bodies and spinoffs at AMC since October 2010. (FX’s American Horror Story, which arrived in 2011, is the clear silver medalist.) The threat of the undead is rearing its rotting head anew with The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which welcomes back Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira’s respective fan faves Rick and Michonne. They’ve come a long way, which is why we’re looking back at all the TWD spinoffs that have expanded this particular post-apocalypse.

It’s almost hard to believe TV viewers have been rallying for Team Family for nearly 15 years, and even longer for fans of Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore’s comic book series. So in honor of the remnants of the Ricktatorship, let’s hop on the back of an unbitten horse and ride through a timeline of spinoffs in the order of their arrival as we await even more upcoming Walking Dead shows.

Torn Apart And Other Web Series (2011-2017)

Nearly a year after The Walking Dead’s wildly successful debut on AMC, following the headline-making firing of co-developer Frank Darabont, executive producer and special effects mastermind Greg Nicotero delivered the first of four short-form webisode spinoffs that helped to expand the universe in bloody, bite-sized morsels. Check out all four of the Internet-based spinoffs below.

• Torn Apart (2011): The six-part project told the story of Hannah, perhaps better known as the "Bicycle Girl" walker from The Walking Dead's series premiere, whom Rick puts out of her undead misery.
• Cold Storage (2012): Criminal Minds vet Josh Stewart starred in this four-part micro-series about Atlanta survivors dealing with a sadistic former co-worker.
• The Oath (2013): This three-ep tale is essentially an origin story for the iconic "Don't Open, Dead Inside" message that has served as a go-to visual for The Walking Dead since the earliest days.
• Red Hatchet (2017-18): The fourth and final web-based spinoff (so far) shifted its release strategy to dropping its six installments across a six-month span as it gave viewers the story behind Rick Grimes' bladed weapon of choice.

It's interesting to think that these TWD spinoffs began in the early days of scripted projects made solely for streaming, with that word not yet taking over pop culture habits. The first three all aired before the November 2013 debut of Netflix's game-changing drama House of Cards.

Fear The Walking Dead (2015-2023)

Partially due to the success of its web series, AMC pushed forward in 2013 on a full-fledged spinoff series meant to initially put more focus on the earliest days of the outbreak that broke the world. Fear the Walking Dead’s west-coast apocalypse arrived in August 2015, initially fronted by the starring quartet of Kim Dickens, Alicia Debnam-Carey, Frank Dillane and Cliff Curtis. 

That lineup, as well as FTWD’s showrunner, went through quite a few changes in the first three prequelized years, with Season 4 serving as a soft reboot thanks to the arrivals of Walking Dead vet Lennie James as Morgan Jones and then-new showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, each of whom would remain with the spinoff until the conclusion of the eighth and final season. 

The later seasons also shifted the timeline forward so that the story was more or less concurrent with the flagship drama, with various connecting story elements such as the reunion between Austin Amelio and Christine Evangelista’s Dwight and Sherry, as well as the CRM group and their helicopters.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020-2021)

In 2019, the Walking Dead franchise’s Chief Content Officer Scott Gimple announced the next spinoff would be The Walking Dead: World Beyond, which brought a few changes to the spinoff mold. First, the storyline was largely focused on a group of teens who spent the bulk of the apocalypse in highly secured areas without the need for boosting their survival skills. Until the point when they did need such tactics, of course. 

With a larger focus on the CRM group, TWD: World Beyond was also unique for being conceived as a two-season story, rather than anything more extended. While not critically acclaimed, the series was lauded for its talented cast and for a few of the big reveals peppered throughout, such as the confirmation of faster and stronger walkers in different parts of the world. 

Tales Of The Walking Dead (2022)

Tales of the Walking Dead is something of a mega-expansion of the webisode spinoffs, in that it went the anthology route where each episode offers up new characters and chapters of the post-apocalypse, sometimes with important connections to the core story. The six-episode experiment was viewed as being uneven, but still celebrated for bringing a wider variety of familiar faces into this world, even if only for a single episode at a time, such as Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Olivia Munn, Anthony Edwards, Jesse T. Usher and more.

As well, Tales of the Walking Dead featured an entire episode focused on Samantha Morton in her pre-Alpha days as Dee, whose attempts to protect her daughter while aboard a steamboat turn murderous. It also shows viewers how she took over as leader of the Whisperers in the aftermath.

The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023-?)

In March 2022, many months before The Walking Dead was set to close out its eleventh and final season, AMC ordered up the then-titled spinoff Isle of the Dead, which sparked some ire for confirming so early that Lauren Cohen’s Maggie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan would survive the flagship’s run. With Eli Jorné as its showrunner, the project changed its official title later that same year to The Walking Dead: Dead City, with the island of Manhattan as the titular location. 

The spinoff debuted in June 2023 to some acclaim and some questions about Maggie and Negan’s continued relationship despite him being responsible for her biggest trauma. Sure enough, that connection will continue to sprout, as AMC ordered up Season 2 two days before the surprise-filled Season 1 finale.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023-?)

AMC and Scott Gimple first went to bat with the concept of a Daryl Dixon spinoff all the way back in September 2020, two years before the mothership show’s conclusion, with the idea at the time being that Norman Reedus would be joined by Melissa McBride as fellow fan-fave Carol. That idea stuck until McBride exited the project unexpectedly in April 2022, followed by a showrunner change and a new Daryl-centric title and story.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premiered at last in September 2023, three years after it was first announced, and largely won over critics with its change in locations and atmosphere. Before that premiere happened, though, AMC confirmed Season 2 was happening, and later confirmed McBride is officially back in the saddle for the subtitled season “The Book of Carol.” What’s more, Scott Gimple already spilled the beans in February 2024 that Season 3 is also on the way. 

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2023-?)

Ever since the first moments that followed Andrew Lincoln’s final episode of The Walking Dead proper back in 2018 during Season 9, fans have clamored for the comic book hero’s return to the small screen. That group demand only grew louder when Danai Gurira bowed out of the show as Michonne, and wishes were finally granted in July 2022 when Scott Gimple rocked the SDCC crowd with the confirmation of Lincoln and Gurira’s returns for what would eventually be titled The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

Criticisms were mixed in reviews the season’s episodes, but such opinions won’t stop this franchise’s fanbase from welcoming these two characters back with open arms. At this point, it’s unclear whether or not this spinoff will survive to a second season, but it’s highly likely.

Future Walking Dead Spinoffs

For many fans, the concept of a Rick and Michonne spinoff is the logical conclusion for The Walking Dead’s live-action universe, even with all the changes made from the comic book source material. But it likely won’t stop network execs from figuring out ways to keep the outbreak’s threat strong for many years to come. 

To date, however, the only potential future project of note would be a second anthologized season of one-off adventures. In April 2023, AMC gave a greenlight to the tentatively titled More Tales from the TWDU, with Scott Gimple overseeing the project’s six-episode plan. 

In February 2024, Gimple stoked the flames a bit harder by teasing his overarching dreams of merging the Walking Dead universe’s stories together, but it sounds like something that will take a lot of additional conversations and red tape before more news will be revealed. 

While waiting to see where the undead stories will go next, fans can find The Walking Dead streaming in full with a Netflix subscription.

Fear the Walking Dead has officially kicked off its eighth and final season in the 2023 TV schedule with the premiere that revealed the new status quo after the seven-year time jump that had been previewed. The premiere took the show into what could be a new era, despite only a limited number of episodes left. It also delivered some twists for Morgan, who has appeared across the Walking Dead franchise going back to the beginning of the original series. Actor Lennie James opened up about playing the character for over a decade, and why it’s “utterly ridiculous.”

Season 8 (with new episodes premiering on AMC and available streaming) in 2023 marks 13 years since Lennie James debuted as Morgan jones on The Walking Dead, and he has already been credited in more than 100 episodes of the franchise without being killed off. When he spoke with CinemaBlend earlier this year at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta, I asked the star about his experience playing Morgan’s unlikely survival story going back to the original show in 2010. He shared: 

As fans of The Walking Dead will remember, Morgan did indeed appear in the series premiere with no indication that he’d return after fulfilling his purpose of sending Rick to the next stage of his zombie apocalypse journey. He popped back up for a single episode of Season 3, made a few contributions in Season 5, and then started a longer run in Season 6. Frank Darabont developed the series, but was only on board as showrunner for the first season, so Lennie James only had one episode to work with him. The star continued addressing Morgan originally only having one episode:

Back in Season 1 (which we rank as the best of the whole series), there was no way that anybody could know that The Walking Dead would be so massive for AMC that it would expand to not only one spinoff, but several! Morgan didn’t make his Fear the Walking Dead debut until 2018, and has been a direct connection between the parent series and its first spinoff. Between that and how long Morgan has lasted without being killed off, he’s truly one of a kind in this franchise. 

Of course, there’s no saying what the future holds for Morgan in the eighth and final season of Fear the Walking Dead, and his streak of not being killed off despite – to quote Lennie James – ”ridiculous” odds against him could come to an end. For now, we can only wait, see, and hope that the future isn’t quite as bleak as it seemed in ways after the seven-year time jump. 

Keep tuning in to AMC on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of Fear the Walking Dead, and revisit earlier seasons of Lennie James as Morgan Jones with The Walking Dead’s spinoff available streaming with a Hulu subscription. Also, keep up on the upcoming Walking Dead TV shows and movies with our guide!

The loss of any young life is always tragic, and Hollywood unfortunately again experienced just such a tragedy this summer, with the death of actor Tyler Sanders at age 18. The young talent, who last appeared in an episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star in Season 3, was found dead June 16, but details at the time were scarce, as authorities investigated and awaited the coroner’s ruling. His death has now been ruled an accident, according to the autopsy report, which confirmed he died from the effects of fentanyl. 

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, Tyler Sanders died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, TMZ reports. The 18-year-old actor, who also appeared in a Season 3 episode of Fear the Walking Dead, had apparently texted a friend the night before his death, saying that he was using fentanyl. When Sanders didn’t answer subsequent phone calls from the friend, the police were called to perform a welfare check, and the teen’s body was found.

The medical examiner’s report revealed additional details about what was found in Tyler Sanders’ Los Angeles home, where he lived alone. Police said they found a plastic straw and white powder in the room where he died, as well as what appeared to be illicit drugs in the bathroom. Sanders was reportedly found unresponsive in bed.

The actor had no known medical problems, according to the report, though he did apparently struggle with substances including heroin, cocaine, LSD, mushrooms and Xanax. TMZ previously reported that at Tyler Sanders’ funeral in Houston, his father David Sanders told the crowd his son had died of a drug overdose. 

He apparently began battling depression around the time he filmed his part for the 9-1-1: Lone Star episode “Impulse Control,” with his father allegedly saying that his son thought his brain was wired to not feel happiness. 

Tyler Sanders got his first acting credits in 2015 on the sitcom JLW Academy. In addition to playing Brian in one episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star and his role as a young version of Sam Underwood’s Jake Otto on Fear the Walking Dead, he also played Logan Hawke on a 2018 episode of Nathan Fillion’s ABC drama The Rookie. 

In 2020 Sanders landed a starring role in Just Add Magic: Mystery City, a spinoff to the Amazon Prime Video family series Just Add Magic. His portrayal of Leo in the series garnered the actor a Daytime Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Principal Performance in a Children’s Program in 2021.

It’s tragic that we won’t get to see what else could have come from his career, after the official ruling of his accidental death. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Tyler Sanders, as they continue to grieve the loss of the young actor.

Although we live in a world dominated by streaming services like Netflix (where the DVD-by-mail is still an option), HBO Max, and Hulu, there are still a large number of people who enjoy watching movies on physical media, whether it be on DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K. Loaded with bonus features, featuring high-quality images that won’t deteriorate with a weak internet connection, and the ability to own a movie without it suddenly being removed from your preferred platform, the tried and true method of home entertainment is as relevant as ever.

That looks to continue to be the case in 2023, as there is a seemingly endless list of new DVD releases (as well as Blu-ray, 4K, and Digital) that bring some of the biggest 2022 movies and new TV shows from the past year to your home entertainment system. Here are all the latest movies and TV shows coming to home media this year…

January 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

The 2023 home release schedule doesn’t waste any time getting started, as a few of the biggest theatrical releases of 2022 will make their DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K debut the first month of the new year. Big-budget superhero flicks like Black Adam, Golden Globe-nominated dark comedy The Menu, and and the inspirational Till are just three of the high-profile titles set for release. Some of the biggest 2022 TV shows will also come to home media in January 2023, including Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 and the debut season of Star Trek: Prodigy.

January 2023 Movie Releases

Angry Neighbors - DVD - January 31 - Order it here
Black Adam - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - January 3 - Order it here
Bones and All - Blu-ray - January 31 - Order it here
Detective Knight: Redemption - DVD/Blu-ray - January 17 - Order it here
The Estate - DVD - January 10 - Order it here
The Friendship Game - DVD/Blu-ray - January 10 - Order it here
The Menu - Digital - January 3; DVD/Blu-ray - January 17 - Order it here
Mindcage - Blu-ray - January 24 - Order it here
On the Line - DVD - January 3 - Order it here
Piggy - DVD/Blu-ray - January 10 - Order it here
Poker Face - DVD/Blu-ray - January 10 - Order it here
Prey for the Devil - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - January 3 - Order it here
Rock Dog 3: Battle the Beat - January 24 - Order it here
She Said - DVD/Blu-ray - January 10 - Order it here
Speak No Evil - DVD - January 17 - Order it here
Spin Me Round - DVD/Blu-ray - January 17 - Order it here
The System - DVD/Blu-ray - January 3 - Order it here
Taurus - DVD/Blu-ray - January 31 - Order it here
Till - DVD/Blu-ray - January 17 - Order it here
Vesper - DVD/ Blu-ray - January 10 - Order it here
Violent Night - Digital - January 20; DVD/Blu-ray - January 24 - Order it here

January 2023 TV Releases

Chesapeake Shores Season 6 - DVD - January 3 - Order it here
Colosseum Season 1 - DVD - January 24 - Order it here
Dynasty - DVD - January 24
Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 - DVD/Blu-ray - January 10 - Order it here
The Man Who Fell to Earth Season 1 - DVD - January 10 - Order it here
My Life is Murder Season 3 - DVD - January 17 - Order it here
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - January 3 - Order it here 

February 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

As we wait for winter to come to an end, there will be plenty of ways to pass the waning days of the season in February 2023. The latest entry in the Detective Knight franchise featuring the recently-retired Bruce Willis is slated for a release late in the second month of the year. Pretty Little Liars Original Sin will also arrive on home media, and we can expect more TV releases to be announced as we get closer to February.

February 2023 Movie Releases

B'Twixt Now and Sunrise - Blu-ray - February 28 - Order it here
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - February 7 - Order it here
Christmas with the Campbells - DVD/Blu-ray - February 14 - Order it here
Detective Knight: Independence - DVD/Blu-ray - February 28 - Order it here
Devotion - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - February 28 - Order it here
Empire of Light - DVD/Blu-ray - February 14 - Order it here
The Fabelmans - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - February 14 - Order it here
God's Country - DVD/Blu-ray - February 28 - Order it here
High Expectations - DVD - February 28 - Order it here
House Party - DVD/Blu-ray - February 14 - Order it here
The Inspection - DVD/Blu-ray - February 21 - Order it here
Legion of Superheroes - Blu-ray/4K - February 7
Little Dixie - DVD - February 28 - Order it here
Nocebo - DVD/Blu-ray - February 21 - Order it here
The Old Way - DVD/Blu-ray - February 21 - Order it here
The Price We Pay - DVD/Blu-ray - February 17 - Order it here
Rogue Agent - DVD - February 7 - Order it here
Running the Bases - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - February 21 - Order it here
Savage Salvation - DVD/Blu-ray - February 14 - Order it here
Spoiler Alert - DVD/Blu-ray - February 7 - Order it here
Strange World - DVD/Blu-ray - February 14 - Order it here
Swallowed - VOD/Digital - February 14
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody - DVD/Blu-ray - February 28 - Order it here

February 2023 TV Releases

American Gigolo Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - February 14 - Order it here
Joe Pickett Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - February 7 - Order it here
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Season 1 - DVD - February 28 - Order it here 
Resident Alien Season 2 - DVD - February 28 - Order it here
Station Eleven - DVD/Blu-ray - February 21 - Order it here

March 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Following its August 2022 theatrical debut, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will land on Blu-ray in mid-March, the same day Puppet Master: Doktor Death brings the latest installment of the iconic horror franchise to DVD players around the world.

March 2023 Movie Releases

Alice, Darling - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
All Quiet on the Western Front - 4K - March 28 - Order it here
The Apology - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
Batman: Doom That Came to Gotham - Blu-ray/4K - March 28 - Order it here
Babylon - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - March 21 - Order it here
Christmas Bloody Christmas - DVD/Blu-ray - March 7 - Order it here
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero - Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
Glorious - DVD - March 14 - Order it here
Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist - DVD/Blu-ray - March 21 - Order it here
The Locksmith - Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
Lullaby - DVD/Blu-ray - March 21 - Order it here
A Man Called Otto - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
M3gan - DVD/Blu-ray - March 21 - Order it here
Missing - DVD/Blu-ray - March 28 - Order it here
Plane - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - March 28 - Order it here
Puppet Master: Doktor Death - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
Seriously Red - DVD/Blu-ray - March 21 - Order it here
The Son - DVD/Blu-ray - March 28 - Order it here
The Weapon - DVD - March 28 - Order it here
The Whale - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
Women Talking - DVD/Blu-ray - March 7 - Order it here

March 2023 TV Releases

Chucky Season 2 - DVD/Blu-ray - March 28 - Order it here
Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol Complete Series - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here
Frozen Planet II - DVD/4K - March 28 - Order it here
Gaslit: The Complete Limited Series - DVD - March 28 - Order it here
The Good Fight: The Final Season - DVD - March 14 - Order it here
Rick and Morty Season 6 - DVD/Blu-ray - March 28 - Order it here
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - March 21 - Order it here 
The Walking Dead Season 11 - DVD/Blu-ray - March 14 - Order it here

April 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Those who missed out on the theatrical releases of 2023 Academy Award nominees The Triangle of Sadness and Living will get their chance to watch both movies (as well as dozens of other new titles) from the comfort of their own homes come April.

April 2023 Movie Releases

Confess, Fletch - DVD/Blu-ray - April 4 - Order it here
Emily - DVD - April 18 - Order it here
Fear - DVD - April 25
Infinity Pool - DVD/Blu-ray - April 11 - Order it here
Invitation to a Murder - DVD - April 25 - Order it here
Jesus Revolution - DVD/Blu-ray - April 25 - Order it here
Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One - Blu-ray/4K - April 25 - Order it here
Kids vs. Aliens - DVD/Blu-ray - April 18 - Order it here
Living - DVD/Blu-ray - April 11 - Order it here
A Lot of Nothing - DVD/Blu-ray - April 11 - Order it here
Magic Mike's Last Dance - DVD/Blu-ray - April 18 - Order it here
Marlowe - DVD/Blu-ray - April 18 - Order it here
Maybe I Do - DVD/Blu-ray - April 18 - Order it here
Righteous Thieves - DVD/Blu-ray - April 18 - Order it here
Shazam! Fury of the Gods - Digital - April 7 - Order it here
Transfusion - DVD/Blu-ray - April 18 - Order it here
Triangle of Sadness - DVD/Blu-ray - April 25 - Order it here

April 2023 TV Releases

His Dark Materials Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray - April 25 - Order it here
South Park Season 25 - DVD/Blu-ray - April 4 - Order it here
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray - Order it here

May 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Those who missed out on early 2023 blockbusters like Creed III and Shazam: Fury of the Gods will finally get to check out those two sequels (and many other movies) in May 2023

May 2023 Movie Releases

65 - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 30 - Order it here
80 for Brady - DVD/Blu-ray - May 2 - Order it here
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 16 - Order it here
Assassin - DVD - May 30 - Order it here
Baby Ruby - DVD/Blu-ray - May 2 - Order it here
Champions - DVD/Blu-ray - May 2 - Order it here
Children of the Corn - DVD/Blu-ray - May 9 - Order it here
Creed III - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 23 - Order it here
Double Life - Digital - May 5
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 30 - Order it here
A Good Person - Blu-ray - May 30 - Order it here
Knock at the Cabin - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 9 - Order it here
Last Sentinel - DVD/Blu-ray - May 23 - Order it here
The Magic Flute - DVD/Blu-ray - May 16 - Order it here
Mojave Diamonds - DVD - May 30 - Order it here
Moving On - DVD/Blu-ray - May 16 - Order it here
Of an Age - Blu-ray - May 2 - Order it here
One Day as a Lion - DVD - May 16 - Order it here
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 16 - Order it here
The Quiet Girl - DVD - May 23 - Order it here
The Ritual Killer - DVD/Blu-ray - May 2 - Order it here
Shazam! Fury of the Gods - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - May 23 - Order it here
Supercell - DVD/Blu-ray - May 2 - Order it here
Unwelcome - DVD/Blu-ray - May 9 - Order it here
V/H/S 99 - DVD/Blu-ray - Order it here

May 2023 TV Releases

SEAL Team Season 6 - DVD - May 23 - Order it here
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - May 9 - Order it here

June 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Some of the biggest movies of the year come home in June 2023, including John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Speaking of which, that would make for one killer double-feature (or a cross-over).

June 2023 Movie Releases

Assassin Club - DVD/Blu-ray - June 6 - Order it here
Avatar: The Way of Water - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - June 20 - Order it here
Big George Foreman - DVD/Blu-ray - June 27 - Order it here
The Covenant - DVD/Blu-ray - June 20
Evil Dead Rise - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - June 27 - Order it here
Johnny & Clyde - DVD - June 27 - Order it here
John Wick: Chapter 4 - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - June 13 - Order it here
Mafia Mamma - DVD/Blu-ray - June 6 - Order it here
One Ranger - Blu-ray - June 13 - Order it here
Perfect Addiction - DVD - June 13 - Order it here
Polite Society - DVD/Blu-ray - June 20 - Order it here
The Pope's Exorcist - DVD/Blu-ray - June 13 - Order it here
Rare Objects - DVD - June 6 - Order it here
Renfield - DVD/Blu-ray - June 6 - Order it here
Sakra - DVD/Blu-ray - June 13 - Order it here
Skinamarink - DVD/Blu-ray - June 20 - Order it here
The Super Mario Bros. Movie - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - June 13 - Order it here
Survive - DVD/Blu-ray - June 20 - Order it here
Sweetwater - DVD/Blu-ray - June 13 - Order it here
The Man From Toronto - DVD/Blu-ray - June 13 - Order it here
The Tank - DVD/Blu-ray - June 27 - Order it here

June 2023 TV Releases

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 16 - DVD/Blu-ray - June 20 - Order it here
DC's Stargirl Season 3 - DVD - June 6 - Order it here
The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 - DVD - June 6 - Order it here
The L Word: Generation Q - Season 3 - DVD - June 6 - Order it here
La Brea Season 2 - DVD/Blu-ray - June 6 - Order it here
Mood - DVD - June 13 - Order it here
Quantum Leap Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - June 13 - Order it here
SkyMed Season 1 - DVD - June 6 - Order it here
Tulsa King Seaon 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - June 6

July 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

From slasher films to coming-of-age dramas and so much more, July 2023 will see some major home releases.

July 2023 Movie Releases

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. - DVD/Blu-ray - July 11 (Order it here)
Beau Is Afarid - DVD/Blu-ray - July 11 (Order it here)
Book Club: The Next Chapter - DVD/Blu-ray - July 11
Buddy Games: Spring Awakening - DVD - July 25 (Order it here)
Carmen - DVD/Blu-ray - July 11 (Order it here)
Corsage - DVD/Blu-ray - July 11 (Order it here)
The Flash - Digital - July 18
Fool's Paradise - DVD/Blu-ray - July 18 (Order it here)
God is a Bullet - Digital - July 11
Justice League: Warworld - Blu-ray/4K - July 25 (Order it here)
Kandahar - DVD/Blu-ray - July 18 (Order it here)
Knights of the Zodiac - DVD/Blu-ray - July 11 (Order it here)
Little Richard: I Am Everything - DVD/Blu-ray - July 18 (Order it here)
Love Again - DVD/Blu-ray - July 18 (Order it here)
Paint - DVD/Blu-ray - July 25 (Order it here)
Resident Evil: Death Island - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - July 25 (Order it here)
Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken - Digital - July 18
Scream VI - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - July 11 (Order it here)
Sisu - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - July 11 (Order it here)

July 2023 TV Releases

Ancient Aliens Season 17 - DVD - July 25 (Order it here)
Gangs of London Season 2 - Blu-ray - July 25 (Order it here)
The Last of Us - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - July 18 (Order it here)
Moonhaven - DVD/Blu-ray - July 18 (Order it here)
The Neighborhood Season 5 - DVD - July 25 (Order it here)
Walker Season 3 - DVD - July 11 (Order it here)
Your Honor Season 2 - July 18 (Order it here)

August 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Those who didn't get to see the multiverse-centric The Flash on the big screen earlier this summer will be able to check out Ezra Miller's high-intensity superhero movie now that the movie is coming to home video in August.

August 2023 Movie Releases

97 Minutes - DVD/Blu-ray - August 8
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster - DVD/Blu-ray - August 8
Babylon 5: The Road Home - Blu-ray/4K - August 15
BlackBerry - DVD - August 29
The Blackening - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - August 22
Confidential Informant - DVD/Blu-ray - August 15
Corner Office - Digital - August 4
Dead Man's Hand - DVD - August 22
From Black - DVD/Blu-ray - August 15
The Flash - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - August 29
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - August 1
Kill Shot - DVD/Blu-ray - August 15
The Machine - DVD/Blu-ray - August 15
Maggie Moore - DVD/Blu-ray - August 1
The Man from Rome - DVD - August 15
Monster High: The Movie - DVD - August 15
Nefarious - DVD/Blu-ray - August 15
No Hard Feelings - DVD/Blu-ray - August 29
River Wild - DVD/Blu-ray - August 1
Robots - DVD - August 15
Sanctuary - DVD - August 15
Sun Moon - DVD - August 8
The Wrath of Becky - DVD - August 8
Wrong Reasons - DVD/Blu-ray - August 15
You Hurt My Feelings - DVD/Blu-ray - August 22

August 2023 TV Releases

1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - August 8
Back to Life Season 1 - DVD - August 22
Blue Bloods Season 13 - DVD - August 29
Chicago Fire Season 11 - DVD - August 22
Chicago Med Season 8 - DVD - August 22
CSI-Vegas Season 2 - DVD - August 22
The Flash Season 9 - DVD/Blu-ray - August 29
Lincoln Lawyer Season 1 - Blu-ray - August 15
NCIS Season 12 - DVD - August 22
Smiling Friends Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - August 29

September 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

If you were one of the few people to miss out on Barbie when it dominated the box office as part of the Barbenheimer craze, you can change that in September, as the Margot Robbie movie makes its Digital debut.

September 2023 Movie Releases

Air - DVD/Blu-ray - September 12 - Order it here
Barbie - Digital - September 12
Biosphere - DVD/Blu-ray - September 19 - Order it here
Blue Beetle - Digitjyal - September 19
The Collective - DVD September 19 - Order it here
Elemental - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26
Insidious: The Red Door - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26 - Order it here
Joy Ride - DVD/Blu-ray - September 12 - Order it here
The Little Mermaid - DVD/Blu-ray - September 19
Past Lives - DVD/Blu-ray - September 19 - Order it here
Prisoner's Daughter - DVD/Blu-ray - September 19 - Order it here
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26 - Order it here
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - September 5 - Order it here
Strays - Digital - September 5 - Order it here
Sympathy for the Devil - DVD - September 26 - Order it here
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Digital - September 1 - Order it here
What's Love Got to Do With it? - DVD/Blu-ray - September 19 - Order it here

September 2023 TV Releases

Abbott Elementary Season 2 - DVD - September 12 - Order it here
Chicago P.D. Season 10 - DVD - September 12 - Order it here
Cobra Kai Season 5 - DVD - September 12 - Order it here
The Equalizer Season 3 - DVD - September 5
Fire Country Season 1 - DVD - September 19 - Order it here
George & Tammy Seaosn 1 - DVD - September 12
Harley Quinn Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 5 - Order it here
Interview with the Vampire Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26 - Order it here
Loki Season 1 - Blu-ray/4K - September 26 - Order it here
Mayfair Witches Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26 - Order it here
NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 - DVD - September 5 - Order it here
Pennyworth Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26 - Order it here
Poker Face Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 12 - Order it here
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 5
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 (Episodes 11 - 20) - DVD/Blu-ray - September 26 - Order it here
Succession Season 4 - DVD - September 12 - Order it here
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - September 26 - Order it here
The Walking Dead: Dead City Seaosn 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - September 12
Young Sheldon Season 6 - DVD - September 5 - Order it here

October 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

With October being the official Halloween season, expect to see some major horror releases throughout the month, including Talk to Me and Prey.

October 2023 Movie Releases

Animal Crackers - DVD/Blu-ray - October 3 - Order it here
Barbie - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - October 17 - Order it here
Blue Beetle - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - October 31 - Order it here
The Boogeyman - DVD/Blu-ray - October 10 - Order it here
Dive - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17
Golda - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
The Good Mother - DVD/Blu-ray - October 31 - Order it here
Haunted Mansion - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
The Haunting Lodge - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
The Hill - Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
Inside Man - DVD - October 17
Impuratus - DVD/Blu-ray - October 10 - Order it here
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Hunstmen Part Two - Blu-ray/4K - October 31
King of Killers - Blu-ray - October 10
Meg 2: The Trench - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - October 24 - Order it here
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - October 31 - Order it here
Mob Land - Blu-ray - October 3
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match - Blu-ray/4K - October 17 - Order it here
Jules - DVD/Blu-ray - October 10 - Order it here
Prey - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - October 3 - Order it here
Retribution - Blu-ray - October 31
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! - DVD - October 24 - Order it here
Shortcomings - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
Strays - DVD/Blu-ray - October 10 - Order it here
Talk to Me - Blu-ray/4K - October 3 - Order it here

October 2023 TV Releases

The Boys Season 3 - DVD/Blu-ray - October 24 - Order it here
The Crown Season 5 - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
Dark Winds Season 2 - DVD/Blu-ray - October 24 - Order it here
Fatal Attraction Season 1 - DVD - October 10 - Order it here
The Great Season 3 - DVD - October 24
The Mayor of Kingstown Season 2 - DVD - October 10
NCIS: Hawaii Season 2 - DVD - October 3
Nancy Drew Season 4 - DVD - October 31
Night Court Season 1 - DVD - October 17
Rabbit Hole Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
Titans Season 4 - DVD/Blu-ray - October 17 - Order it here
Wolfpack Season 1 - DVD - October 24 - Order it here
Yellowjackets Season 2 - DVD - October 10 - Order it here

November 2023 DVD/Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Fans of home media will be in good shape in November, as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer makes its long-awaited debut on 4K Blu-ray. But that's just one of the big movies coming out this month...

November 2023 Movie Releases

57 Seceonds - DVD - November 14 - Order it here
The Blind - DVD/Blu-ray - November 14 - Order it here
Desperation Road - Blu-ray - November 14 - Order it here
The Equalizer 3 - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 14 - Order it here
Expend4bles - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 21 - Order it here
Gran Turismo  - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 7 - Order it here
A Haunting in Venice - DVD/Blu-ray - November 28 - Order it here
Head Count - DVD - November 14 - Order it here
It Lives Inside - DVD/Blu-ray - November 7 - Order it here
The Miracle Club - DVD/Blu-ray - November 7 - Order it here
Muzzle - DVD - November 14 - Order it here
The Nun II - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 14 - Order it here
Oppenheimer - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 21 - Order it here
Saw X - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 21 - Order it here
Scrapper - DVD/Blu-ray - November 7 - Order it here
Shooting Stars - DVD - November 7 - Order it here
Sound of Freedom - DVD/Blu-ray - November 14 - Order it here
The Unknown Country - DVD/Blu-ray - November 21 - Order it here
Warhorse One - DVD/Blu-ray - November 7 - Order it here 

November 2023 TV Releases

Ancient Aliens Season 18 - DVD - Order it here
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Season 1 - DVD - November 7 - Order it here
For All Mankind Season 1 - Blu-ray - November 14 - Order it here
Joe Pickett Season 2 - DVD - November 7 - Order it here
Justified City Primeval Seaosn 1 - DVD/Blu-ray - November 14 - Order it here
Nancy Drew: The Final Season - DVD - November 14 - Order it here
Riverdale Season 7 - DVD - November 28 - Order it here
The Sandman Season 1 - DVD/Blu-ray/4K - November 28 - Order it here
South Park: The Streaming Wars - DVD/Blu-ray - November 7 - Order it here
WandaVision Season 1 - Blu-ray/4K - November 28
The White Lotus Season 2 - DVD - November 21 - Order it here

Expect to see dozens, if not hundreds, of titles to be added to the home release schedule as the weeks and months go by. If you’re looking for something to watch in the meantime, now would be a good time to check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 movie schedule as well as our rundown of all the 2023 TV premiere dates.

For the first time in a long time, it seems The Walking Dead franchise is slowing down on the 2026 television schedule. The blockbuster franchise, which kicked off (brace yourself) 16 years ago with the original show, has been churning out spinoffs ever since the first one, Fear the Walking Dead, launched in 2015. However, in 2026, it looks like there will just be two shows, and at least one of those is winding down.

The franchise has become legendary for its heartbreaking deaths, heroic characters, and gruesome scenes of zombies tearing people apart. That's when the people aren't doing the same to each other. Over the years, the AMC-based universe, which started as a modest comic book series, has expanded and expanded, until the last couple of years, when it has started contracting.

Here is what you can expect from the TWD universe in 2026 (and it's not a long list anymore).

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 (2026)

For a while, it seemed the only show that would definitely be returning in 2026 was The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3. Production began in late 2025, and all signs pointed to a release as early as summer. However, recently, there have been rumblings that it might not appear until 2027. In AMC's fourth-quarter financial report, released in February 2026, there was no mention of the show on its 2026 schedule. The show will definitely be back, but when that will be is a little up in the air.

The show, of course, follows the stories of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and their long and winding path to...friendship? It's an unlikely pairing, given the history of the two, but through two seasons, Maggie, especially, has softened towards Negan. Season 2 ended with them seemingly making a permanent peace (maybe?) Only time will tell, and when that time comes is anybody's guess at the moment.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 4 (2026)

The only other show still on the docket, currently, is The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Like Dead City, production has reportedly wrapped on what has proven to be the most popular of The Walking Dead spinoffs. In that same AMC financial report, Season 4 was included in its list of shows expected to be released in 2026, though a specific date (or even a window) has remained elusive. We'll be sure to update this space when an exact date is nailed down.

It's not really a surprise that this spinoff has proven to be the most enduring. It focuses on two of the most popular characters in the show's history, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). It's been a wild (motorcycle) ride that has spanned oceans and continents, and sadly for fans of the show, we do know that Season 4 will be the final season of the show, but hopes that Daryl and Carol could reunite with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) remain high.

More Tales of the Walking Dead (TBD)

In the interest of completeness, we're including More Tales of the Walking Dead here, though with very little information since it was first announced in 2023, and seemingly waning interest in the franchise, this show may be D.O.A. at this point.

Meant to be a follow-up to the 2022 mini-series Tales of the Walking Dead, the show would follow the anthology format of that show. As of now, it seems like this project is, at best, on the back burner.

Completed The Walking Dead Projects

After eleven seasons, all of which are available with a Netflix subscription, The Walking Dead came to an end, concluding with its emotional finale in 2022. With that ending came spinoffs, including other shows that have since ended, as well.

Also completed are Fear The Walking Dead, which ended in November 2023, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a two-season spinoff show that adds a lot of background information to the world, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, a miniseries about Rick and Michonne. There have been sporadic rumors over the years that The Ones Who Live could return, and showrunner Scott M. Gimple did tell The Direct that there could be a Season 2 of that series, so you never know.

If you want to check out all the shows, here’s how:

• Stream The Walking Dead on Netflix
• Stream Fear The Walking Dead on AMC+
• Stream The Walking Dead: World Beyond on AMC+
• Stream The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live on AMC+

It would probably never be a safe bet to count out the future of The Walking Dead franchise, but for now, at least, in late February of 2026, it does appear to be winding down. If anything changes and we get an exciting announcement of a new show (or shows), we'll be sure to update this, so keep checking back!

The news of a young person passing away after spending early years in the limelight is always heartbreaking, and now 18-year-old Tyler Sanders has died. The actor is credited with TV roles going back to 2015, and appeared on a number of beloved TV shows as well as a streaming series that earned him an Emmy nomination just last year. 

Tyler Sanders of 9-1-1: Lone Star, The Rookie, and Just Add Magic: Mystery City on Amazon Prime (to name just a few) died on Thursday, June 16, according to Deadline. The outlet cites Sanders' agent, Pedro Tapia, who confirmed the young actor's death and stated that it is currently under investigation. The agent also had a request on behalf of his loved ones:

Hopefully everybody will respect the request for privacy in this difficult time, following the loss of somebody so young and with such a "bright future" ahead of him. Details about Tyler Sanders' passing are scarce at the time of writing, but he was reportedly at his home in Los Angeles when he died.

Tyler Sanders' earliest television credit is in 2015 in the sitcom JLW Academy, and went on to appear in a number of shorts before landing a guest role on a high-profile TV show: Fear the Walking Dead, in 2017. In the popular and long-running spinoff of The Walking Dead, Sanders played the younger version of Jake Otto, a character played by Sam Underwood. In 2018, he came to broadcast television with a guest role in Nathan Fillion's The Rookie on ABC. 

Amazon Prime's Just Add Magic featured Sanders in one episode in 2019, which proved to be a major break for the young actor. He went on to star in the spinoff Just Add Magic: Mystery City in 2020, and he was nominated for Outstanding Principal Performance in a Children's Program at the 2021 Daytime Emmys. His most recent TV credit was as Brian in a 2022 episode of Fox's hit 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Tyler Sanders had an active social media presence with his Instagram account, with his most recent post going live on his account five days before news of his death. He shared a behind-the-scenes look at what turned out to be his final guest star role, featuring him along with 9-1-1: Lone Star stars Rob Lowe, Gina Torres, and more, while also promoting that the episode can be watched on Hulu: 

No details are currently available about the cause of Tyler Sanders' death, but his star was on the rise as an actor following his Emmy-nominated role in Just Add Magic: Mystery City and follow-up role on 9-1-1: Lone Star, which is a major hit on network television. Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with the family, friends, and loved ones of Tyler Sanders in this difficult time.

Spoilers below for Fear the Walking Dead’s penultimate Season 7 episode, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

While Fear the Walking Dead’s latest episode on AMC didn’t exactly end on a horse ride off into the sunset, its closing moments did indeed in just such a metaphorical way, with Alycia Debnam-Carey’s Alicia Clark heading out to find potential followers after all of the other protagonists set out in rafts. It was an act of self-sacrifice in a way, since it remained largely unclear why she hadn’t yet turned following her walker bite, and the actress confirmed after the episode aired that the installment “Amina” was indeed Alicia’s swan song. It was quite an emotional message, and one that drew responses from other FTWD vets, including Debnam-Carey’s fictional mom Kim Dickens.

Alicia’s fate certainly seemed to be set in stone this season, all things considered, though Kim Dickens’ return to Fear the Walking Dead had fans optimistic that she would be around when Madison Clark arrived anew. But Alycia Debnam-Carey’s farewell message on Instagram confirmed that won’t be the case. Here’s how she started things off:

When it comes to the talented and inspiring people she worked with over her seven seasons on Fear, Kim Dickens almost certainly ranks near the top of that list. And it was Dickens’ comment on Debnam-Carey’s post that really drove home the reality that the horror drama’s O.G. mother-daughter duo won’t be reuniting after all. 

Here's how Kim Dickens responded in a comment beneath her former co-star's post:

It’s not the most complicated response, and isn’t anywhere near as loaded with retrospect and sentiment as what Alycia Debnam-Carey had to say, but they hit just as hard all the same. If Debnam-Carey’s words buried the hope that the two long-separated characters would see each other one more time, then Dickens’ words were the flowers on that grave. As much as nothing within Fear the Walking Dead seems like a sure thing from one point to the next — I’m still mourning John Dorie Jr., y’all — I would have bet all kinds of money on Alicia and Madison having at least one more conversation before more permanent tragedy invaded these characters’ lives. 

Following her presumed death back in Season 4, Madison was at the heart of constant fan theories, and the confirmation that she would be returning in Season 7 (and for a series regular role in Season 8, no doubt) seemed like Fear the Walking Dead would give its fans and its characters something that’s been so highly requested for years. Theoretically, there’s still a minor chance that the mother and daughter could see each other once more when Season 8 arrives, assuming Alycia Debnam-Carey would decide to return for a cameo appearance, and also assuming Alicia lives long enough for it to happen.

But the way the actress put it in her social media post, I can’t help but think we’re all shit out of luck in that respect. As Debnam-Carey put it:

To be sure, it already appeared as if Alycia Debnam-Carey was heading for an exit, even without the bite, given the actress recently joined the Hulu series Saint X, in a bit of recasting. That said, it was unclear whether she would just be missing or dead when that news was announced, and I guess we know the answer to that now. Unless we don’t? Fear’s gonna do what Fear’s gonna do.

Check out Alycia Debnam-Carey's full post below.

Fear the Walking Dead will air its Season 7 finale on AMC on Sunday, June 5, at 9:00 p.m. Check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way soon. 

Spoilers for those who aren’t mostly caught up on things happening in Fear the Walking Dead’s seventh season, so be warned!

Given the more limited character scope that Fear the Walking Dead’s showrunners have infused episodes with in recent years, it usually isn’t so surprising when second-tier characters like Dwight and Sarah disappear for temporary stretches. But it remains a bit strange whenever the show’s biggest stars are nowhere to be found for weeks on end. Alycia Debnam-Carey’s Alicia Clark is quite familiar with such absences, and though Season 7 has worked her into the story on a more regular basis, with her survival itself a mystery at this point, it looks like the protagonist could be noticeably absent all over again by the time Season 8 starts up. 

It was revealed that Alycia Debnam-Carey has landed a starring role on the upcoming Hulu series Saint X, which recently made other headlines for the production shutting down after workers walked off in protest. The actress is taking over a role that has been vacated by the previously cast Victoria Pedretti, of The Haunting of Hill House fame. According to Deadline, Pedretti exited the in-development project over creative differences. 

Alycia Debnam-Carey joins Saint X as the character Emily, who’s described as being savvy and full of ambition, with a life that appears to be as precise and perfect as can be. To be expected, not all that shines is golden, and Emily’s world starts to shatter. In certain aspects, the character isn’t all that far off from Fear the Walking Dead’s Alicia, though Saint X doesn’t take place in a zombified post-apocalypse, and their respective ambitions are on entirely different wavelengths. But the point is, Debnam-Carey will likely be aces in the role. 

Now, just because Debnam-Carey landed a new TV show, it doesn’t necessitate the actress leaving Fear the Walking Dead permanently. Colman Domingo’s busy career, which includes the upcoming Color Purple remake is proof that the multi-project life is possible. However, scheduling issues appear likely to cause an issue in this particular case. 

Production on Saint X is scheduled to go on throughout the summer, while Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 is reportedly set to start filming in either June or July. So barring some production trickery, fans almost definitely won’t be seeing Alicia around when the new episodes start up again later this year. Which either means the showrunners are going to have to come up with some explanations for how to handle her absence — perhaps she could be temporarily written off in a manner similar to Maggie Grace’s Al — or it means they’ve already killed her off in an episode that’s yet to air this season. 

Sadly, the killing-her-off option is as probable as it’s ever been in this show. Having amputated her arm after being bitten by a walker, Alicia seems like she’s living on more borrowed time than most others in this universe (except for maybe Charlie). While it’s admirable that she is attempting to find a stable safe haven for other groups of protagonists, she doesn’t seem destined to make that goal work. And with Kim Dickens returning as Madison Clark in some capacity, the show wouldn’t necessarily need Alicia to still maintain its Clark family roots. 

But that’s all just speculation. For all I know, Fear the Walking Dead will pull off a Season 7 finale twist where it’s revealed every character in the show has been a figment of Alicia’s imagination this whole time, and that she’s the only person still alive. I mean, that’s slightly less likely, but still possible. 

Based on Alexis Schaitkin’s novel of the same name, Saint X will be a psychological drama whose narrative plays out across various timelines and through various character perspectives. After a young woman dies under mysterious circumstances during a vacation in the Caribbean, a ripple effect forms that affects not only the woman’s surviving sister, but anyone else attempting to learn the truth. 

Saint X obviously doesn’t have anything resembling a release date set just yet, but fans can catch Alycia Debnam-Carey in Fear the Walking Dead’s remaining Season 7 episodes, which air Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

Spoilers below for Fear the Walking Dead’s midseason premiere, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

While few steadfast Fear the Walking Dead viewers would likely argue against the idea that the show has under-utilized star Alycia Debnam-Carey in recent years, the AMC drama is thankfully (I think?) giving her character Alicia some outside-the-box storytelling when she’s around. The Season 7 spring premiere put viewers directly inside Alicia’s sweat-covered head and into her memories for some of its runtime, adding to the Padre mystery of it all. Along with introducing the unfortunately short-lived character Paul, the episode also continued its potential adjustment of canonical science regarding the walker-turning process. (Unless that all turns out to be speculative window-dressing, I guess.)

While “Follow Me” didn’t necessarily shake things up too much regarding Alicia’s survival status, it did drive home just how feverish and close to the edge of death she seemingly got before she broke through to the other side. Even though it was more akin to going too far to one side of a Pac-Man level and coming back around cyclically to the other side. And now Alicia is listening to her own voice in pursuit of becoming a self-fulfilling Padre prophecy, in the hopes of leading others to Season 7's "save haven" in the Tower, but while still seemingly suffering long-haul walker flu. By the end, I truly wondered if Paul was just a hallucination, and I'm not entirely convinced he wasn't. 

When Alycia Debnam-Carey and other Fear the Walking Dead stars spoke with press including CinemaBlend ahead of Episode 709’s debut, I asked what insights she could give into her character defying the odds and surviving everything she’s suffered in the past season or so. Understandably, the actress had to play it safe by keeping things vague, but still maintained the idea that there’s something mysterious going on with Alicia. In her words:

My first speculation-driven instinct regarding this situation is to think that the show is setting up some kind of quasi-immunity built up within Alicia's blood that would connect back to her mother Madison Clark, what with Kim Dickens returning at some point in the back half of the season. Of course, our first look at Madison’s return didn't seem to reveal any amputated body parts that would explain how she survived her presumed flaming ballpark death in Season 4 in ways that make this theorizing easier.

Even if it's not something directly connected to Madison, it's still a point of interest, and among the many questions that it has inspired, I have to wonder if hallucinatory dreaming is meant to be part of walkers' headspaces. In any case, Alycia Debnam-Carey continued, saying: 

With the assumption that Fear the Walking Dead has a gameplan in mind for how Alicia's story will play out by way of her being potentially long-term infected, and whether replicating that could be humanity's first big step in putting a stop to — or at least an obstacle in front of — walker-dom being the only outcome from being bitten. 

Of course, "Follow Me" may have offered another clue by way of Arno's survival at the episode's end, which also revealed that massive and uninviting pit of sun-soaked, radioactive walkers. The way Arno's hand looked, it appeared as if he suffered a bite at Paul's house or in the aftermath, and while he expressed a need to get it taken care of before certain death, I'm fairly certain he should have lopped that hand off immediately if it was in fact wounded by a walker's mouthy attack. Maybe they'll say he was hurt in another way that had nothing to do with the zombie that launched on him when he shot Paul. Or maybe Arno and Alicia share something in common by way of prolonged survival in the face of zombified infections. 

The Walking Dead: World Beyond did introduce the idea that there are indeed people out there readily working on a way to cure the threat of walkers and the like, even if nothing was so overwhelmingly successful on their end. So it makes as much sense as anything for Fear the Walking Dead to crack open a potential breakthrough simply by having Alicia Clark live long enough to be the hero. Too bad Al isn’t around anymore  to document her progress, or else we might know what's happening every time she passes out in the middle of the road.

We’ll have to wait for next week’s episode to see John Sr. and June back in action together, while likely not learning a whole lot more about Alicia’s current situation. But be sure to tune in to AMC every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. to see what’ll happen next. And check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are popping up soon! 

While many shows might have capped off their runs with a series of nuclear blasts wreaking havoc on the surrounding areas, Fear the Walking Dead used such disasters as building blocks to get to the current point in its storyline, with the now-villainous-again Strand as the King Bee in his Tower of privilege. However, the newest trailer for the back half of Season 7 (seen above) has ushered in the return of former star Kim Dickens as the long-missing and presumed-dead Madison Clark. Dun dun dunnn!

Kim Dickens was confirmed to be returning to Fear the Walking Dead after the Season 7 fall finale aired in December, at the same time AMC revealed that Season 8 was ordered up. And now we know what to expect when she first arrives later this year. Well, sort of, in the sense that we know she's not dead, and that she's not missing her entire face like one of the walkers elsewhere in the trailer. 

In the trailer, we don't really know where Madison is, or what she's been up to. She's first seen walking slowly and breathing using (presumably) an oxygen tank, which makes a bit of sense seeing as how the last time we saw her alive in Season 4, there were fires raging on top of all the walkers milling about. If she was in that area for a while, no doubt the smoke inhalation would have done a number on her lungs. 

But then there's a mysterious voice, seemingly belonging to the leader of whatever area she's in — could it be the location called Padre introduced in the Season 7 premiere? — basically telling her she no longer has an organic identity.

I will say, I kind of figured someone from one of the already introduced groups would be stumbling upon Madison at one point or another, the way most characters in the show reconnect. But instead, it looks like Kim Dickens' matriarch is possibly being held captive, and considering the voice is just now talking to her, one can easily infer she hasn't been in this place for very long. Has she been looking for Alicia and Nick? [Awkwardly tugs at collar.] Will be brainwashed or something now towhere she won't even know who Alicia is whenever they inevitably reunite? So many questions. 

Whatever happens, it'll be good to have Madison back after so many years of theorizing about whether she would return or not. And hopefully that story can fill whatever void is left by the absence of Maggie Grace's Al, who could return down the road, but won't be around in the near future.

Of course, the trailer for the back half of Season 7 is filled with much more than just Madison's return, considering that reveal happened after the main title card and premiere date. The well-edited preview contains a ton of walkers getting shanked, as well as proof that Daryl "Chill" Mitchell's Wendell is still around, hopefully meaning we'll get a reunion between him and Sarah before the season is over. 

Fear the Walking Dead will return to AMC for the back half of Season 7 on Sunday, April 17, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Until then, be sure to check out all the other new and returning shows on the way with our 2022 TV premiere schedule. 

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Fear the Walking Dead's third episode of Season 7, so be warned!

It's easy to believe that AMC will keep the Walking Dead franchise going for as long as humanly possible, with future plans already including one spinoff devoted to Norman Reedus’ Daryl and Melissa McBride’s Carol, and one anthologized spinoff with one-off episodes tapping into previously unexplored areas of the zombie apocalypse. It’s somewhat easy to understand why network execs are eager to keep those wheels spinning, since the three current horror dramas make up the core of AMC’s identity at this point outside of Breaking Bad’s perfecto spinoff Better Call Saul. So since there’s no end in sight, I’m making a plea for a Dead-adjacent spinoff that would excite me more than the two projects mentioned above: The John Sr. and June Show. 

Okay, yeah, that’s a terrible working title, but my basic point is that Fear the Walking Dead’s episode “Cindy Hawkins” proved with ease that Jenna Elfman’s June Dorie and Keith Carradine’s John Dorie Sr. deserve to be at the center of their own show. (With the massive assumption that John doesn’t do something impulsive that leads to his immediate death in any future Season 7 episodes.) Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg and their creative team have largely done a great job at expanding certain stories within character-specific episodes in recent seasons, and I feel like that’s best exemplified through installments focusing on the various Dorie family members, though Garret Dillahunt’s John Jr. was tragically killed off in Season 6.

Still, though, last season’s “The Key” put Dillahunt’s John Dorie Jr. in the middle of a methodical murder-mystery, and the episode was a standout across the entire series’ run. (And also sparked a “Give me a spinoff!” argument from yours truly.) While it wasn’t quite as gripping, “Cindy Hawkins” played out as a paranoid thriller that followed a frazzled and obsession-driven John Sr. attempting to bring justice to the one victim of John Glover’s Teddy that remained undiscovered by authorities. Only, it’s never exactly clear if John’s instincts are actually trustworthy or not, as he was forced into cold-turkey sobriety and was very obviously seeing hallucinations along the way. (A notion somewhat foreshadowed by the psychedelic grooves of The Mamas & the Papas in the earliest minutes.)

Even though the episode entirely wrapped up the whole Cindy Hawkins story, as her corpse was found hidden behind a wall of the bunker John and June were living in, it’s not as if that discovery closed the door on interesting narrative paths for the two characters to travel down in the future. The episode ended with the pair being “saved,” as it were, by Colman Domingo’s Victor Strand, who is destined for a potentially deadly faceoff with Lennie James’ Morgan by this season’s end. (Also, fuck Victor for his supercilious “Maybe later” response to John saying he’s “off the sauce.”) So after all that stuff happens, I’m sorta hoping John and June will get forced into a situation where they will need to splinter off from the rest of the protagonists in order to go on their own spinoff adventures.

Because while The Walking Dead’s Carol and Daryl have been fan-favorite characters for many years, that’s largely due to fans having followed them for eleven seasons now. We’ve seen Carol go through just about every kind of tragedy known to man, from the early-on deaths of Ed and Sophia to murdering Lizzie to Henry’s death to losing Connie, with a plethora of other moments sprinkled between. Meanwhile, fans have watched Daryl pull off countless badass moments (often with his illogical post-apocalyptic weapon-of-choice, the crossbow), as well as him getting captured numerous times by various lage villain groups, only to come out alive every time. Anyone who can go through an ugly cry like Daryl did over Merle and still come out ahead with audiences has definitely earned his or her place.  

But my point there is that Daryl and Carol have gone through the physical and emotional wringers on The Walking Dead, which makes it hard to think of what kinds of story beats their spinoff can introduce that won’t just be retreading past moments. On the flip side, however, Jenna Elfman’s seasons on Fear the Walking Dead haven’t explored June as a character nearly as much, in part due to the series’ transition into character-specific episodes. And the same goes for Keith Carradine’s John Sr. on a much larger scale, considering “Cindy Hawkins” was only his fourth episode. 

Sure, John Jr. is the link that ties June and John Sr. together, with the serial killer Teddy as the biggest lynchpin behind the elder John Dorie’s obsessions. But we still don’t know THAT many details about June’s past, since one of her character traits has long been “lie-based secrecy,” which was demonstrated in Episode 703 when she confessed to having made up stats about how long they should stay underground. So there’s lots to explore there. And the same goes for John, whose long life cannot be represented entirely by “the killer that got away.” Even though Fear the Walking Dead very rarely utilizes flashbacks to inform its narratives, dipping back into John and June’s pasts would be a great way to strike narrative balances between what they’d go through in the spinoff, and what they’d already been through before. 

It’ll definitely take more than just me hollering about a John and June spinoff to make it happen, and I admitteldy have 1% confidence that it could ever happen, considering The Walking Dead universe also still has to bring Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes back with his spinoff features, with even more unconfirmed spinoff ideas being tossed around behind the scenes with franchise overseer Scott Gimple. But how awesome would it be to see Rick and John Dorie Sr. bullshitting together about the good ol' days of pre-outbreak law enforcement? Oh, I guess that's a different idea altogether. 

Fans can keep up with Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 when it airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m., followed by new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. And check out our 2021 Fall TV schedule to see all the other new and returning shows yet to debut in the next two months.

Some spoilers below for Fear the Walking Dead’s Season 7 premiere, so be warned!

Fear the Walking Dead is no stranger to saying goodbye to certain characters, but it’s also a series that tends to make it pretty clear when someone is leaving the show. Usually by way of a horrifying death scene or...well, it’s almost always the death scene. Season 7’s premiere was entirely focused on the Tower-iffic evolution of Colman Domingo’s Victor Strand, as well as the connection Gus Halper’s short-lived Will had with Alicia, and so no other characters popped up during the episode. But the show’s creative team mysteriously went a bit further and completely removed one star’s name from the credits that follow the opening title sequence. So what happened to Maggie Grace?

Fans haven’t had eyes on Maggie Grace’s Althea since Season 6 Episode 11, titled “The Holding,” in which she struck off to send a warning about the nuke-happy serial killer Teddy to her CRM sweetheart Isabelle, as portrayed by Sydney Lemmon. Her voice came through in the Season 6 finale to alert others of helicopter help, so fans expected to see her again in Season 7, but the removal of her name from the credits is not normally a good sign of anything. 

So what’s the deal here? Given the particulars of the Walking Dead franchise as a whole, there are basically two assumptions that fans can make here.  

1. Althea Was Killed Off

Despite hearing her in the Season 6 finale, it’s not all that wild to consider that Althea might have been killed off in the nuclear blasts that killed off Teddy himself. (As well as the flip-flopping Dakota.) Or that she fell prey to irradiated walkers in the aftermath. Even though, again, this show is usually very up front about delivering ghoulish visuals for when main characters are killed off. (See: Garret Dillahunt’s John Dorie.) 

Oh, and then there’s the actual PROOF that Althea wasn’t killed off. AMC released images from upcoming episodes, and Maggie Grace is on full display in some of them. This could technically be flashback eps that could show her potentially dying at some point along the way, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, as things look like they’re happening in a post-fallout Texas. 

2. Maggie Grace Is No Longer Part Of The Regular Cast

The second option hearkens back to how The Walking Dead removed Steven Yeun’s name from its opening credits after the Glenn-gate episode in which it appeared that the fan-favorite character had been killed off by walkers, only for him to later return with the explanation that he’d slipped beneath a dumpster for safety.  Which was then followed relatively soon after by him getting his head bludgeoned by Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan. So is Maggie Grace’s absence in the credits foreshadowing that she will be killed off later on, after Althea appears in a minimal number of episodes?

It was a year ago in October 2020 when Maggie Grace revealed she’d had her first child with hubby Brent Bushnell. So by all means, the actress might have requested a more limited role in Season 7, and perhaps beyond, so that she could spend more time with her growing family. If that sounds less plausible, consider that the entire Rick Grimes debacle came into existence because Andrew Lincoln wanted to spend more time with his family in the UK. Better to raise a child outside of this environment than smack in the middle of it, Morgan and Grace...

This situation is also uniquely curious since Alycia Debnam-Carey’s name has remained prominent in the credits even though her character Alicia’s screentime seemingly bottomed out in Season 6, despite being an O.G. protagonist. Hell, even Colby Hollman’s name shows up each week, and it’s never a sure thing that Wes will have anything to do with a given episode. 

So what's the deal here, Fear the Walking Dead fans? Do we think Althea and Grace's days are numbered, or was this just an odd hiccup to see if viewers noticed? Hopefully we'll get answers sooner rather than later. 

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, ahead of new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Fear the Walking Dead's Season 7 premiere, so be warned!

With AMC's The Walking Dead having recently wrapped up the first third of its eleventh and final season, the network kept its zombified primetime schedule intact with the premiere of Fear the Walking Dead Season 7. Titled "The Beacon," the installment picked up several months after all the nuclear explosions that closed out Season 6, and focused almost entirely Victor Strand's current whereabouts, via the introduction of Gus Halper's short-lived character Will. And while it definitely checked all the usual boxes for a Fear opener, the episode also offered up plenty of ostensibly curious and confusing details that need addressing. 

Some of these are plot-related, some are situational to the characters, and while several of them could probably be explained with a fairly simple response — "That's just how things work in Fear the Walking Dead" — I certainly hope there are better answers as we head towards the inevitable Strand Vs. Morgan showdown. Now let's kick things off with some safety-wear confusion.

Where Did All These Gas Masks Come From?

Does everyone remember all the past Walking Dead franchise scenes where characters explore abandoned buildings, but instead of finding food, drinks and medical supplies, they just find giant trunks filled with working and dependable gas masks? Those obviously never happened, but it's clear that everyone in this universe had easy access to such gas masks prior to the nuclear fallout situation, and chose to keep the masks hidden from view for reasons yet unexplained. I know it's not THAT out there to conceive, but when we're talking about multiple unconnected groups having uniformly similar protective gear, it's quite the lucky coincidence that all those spare masks were available right when they were needed the most. I also need cartographic explanations for what areas are more dangerous than others, and why masks are abandoned in places that still seem dangerous, but that's a whole conversation unto itself.

Are Fear The Walking Dead's Horses Immune To Radiation?

How badass would it be to see a mask-wearing horse galloping over a hill and breaking through a fog? Turns out there aren't giant caches of horse-specific protective equipment in post-apocalyptic Texas — at least none the protagonists have stumbled upon yet — so one has to wonder how these characters have been riding around areas spiked with radiation without their four-legged transports seemingly suffering any consequences. There's something to be said about wildlife's ability to thrive in locations affected by fallout, but the shortened timeline here likely causes hiccups with that argument. Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe science is fully aware of the existence of radiation-immune super-horses.

Why Wasn't Will Already Using The Lighthouse As His Main Shelter?

Before we even learn his name, viewers are shown that Will wasn't living the most comfortable life, sleeping in vans and other non-luxurious settings. Later, he takes Strand to a totally safe lighthouse (which would presumably be located somewhere in the general vicinity of that nuclear submarine, but whatever), and explicitly points out its strengths as a shelter. Which means that lighthouse should have already been cleaned up and full of Will's shit when it was first shown in the episode. I guess the idea was that the walker he killed was the guy living up there, but there was probably space for more than just one person. (And if the idea was also that it was the first time Will had gone into that lighthouse, then he should not have become a total lighthouse savant later on.) 

Why Did Any Fear The Walking Dead Characters Stay In And Around Fallout Areas?

With the story picking up a few months after nuclear bombs went off, logic would dictate that Season 7 should have started off with every single character in new locations far, far away from any Texas areas adjacent to those affected by the bombs. It's not as if there's a lack of land and abandoned buildings out there in 100% safer areas. In Strand's case, the fact that he previously thought the Tower would get wrecked by the blast means that it's too effing close to truly messed up areas. (It also bugs me that they're growing their own vegetation, but I guess there are ways to make all that seem less worrisome.) But while Strand's set-up can be justified in part, it's bonkers to imagine people from outside that immediate area choosing to go to a spot far closer to fallout-laden areas. I guess promises of yoga and painting are powerful indeed. Still, though, that doesn't tap into explaining why Will and anyone else — I'm looking at you, new parents Morgan and Grace — is choosing to continue risking their lives within that sour-yellow haze instead of booking it for Louisiana or at least North Texas. 

Why Didn't We Learn More About Will Being Ousted From Alicia's Group?

Considering very few actions Will took during "The Beacon" made inarguably legitimate sense, I suppose it's not surprising that the information he gave Strand about his connection to Alicia was roughly 5% of what would actually be helpful in understanding anything. I understood in the moment that foreshadowing was on display when viewers learned that Will was booted from Alicia's group, but after Will died, it seemed far less important for that carrot of exposition to remain dangling in front of our faces beyond the Season 7 premiere, instead of being talked out right then. Will could return in flashback sequences, of course, which would definitely explain why this episode spent so much time focusing on what appeared to be a one-off character. But if that doesn't happen, and we just learn more about Will's story through second-hand info, blah. 

Why Did Alicia Leave Such A Cryptic Note?

As confused as I was by Alicia's wall painting, which required its own mutually exclusive sense of disbelief, the bigger mystery within that governmental location was the note left for Will, which merely featured the word "Padre" written in a bizarrely stylistic manner. Will had an idea of what it meant, but said he wasn't fully sure of what Alicia was talking about. So let's see here... We're clearly meant to believe that Alicia still had Will's back despite him not being in her group anymore, considering she left him a note in the first place. But rather than offering up a full message with details, she left behind something so cryptic Will himself didn't even understand it. Who is that even helping? She could have saved herself the trouble of finding an envelope and just painted "Padre" on the wall, too, for all the good it did. 

WTF Is Strand's Thought Process Behind The Beacon Drawing More Walkers?

Because the Walking Dead franchise has delivered nuanced villains in the past, I can more easily buy into Strand's "my way or no way" philosophy, especially when he appears to be offering his followers genuinely enviable lives. What kind of "bad guy" would do such things? And I even understand why he wants to keep Alicia away, despite his love for her, and why he chose to kill Will in the end. But after the giant attention-grabbing light was set up, Strand states that he didn't want Alicia to follow the light, and that the growing wall of walkers outside the Tower would stop her from making it. So if Strand is going into this with the knowledge that the outer perimeter will be swamped with walkers, what the hell is he trying to accomplish? There's presumably no way the Tower is set up to be self-sufficient for such extended stretches of time that supply runs aren't necessary, so setting up the walker wall just makes coming and going a hassle for literally everyone, regardless of what Alicia does with her life. 

Perhaps some of these questions would have been a little less striking had the episode not been so completely focused on Will and Strand. Giving characters standalone episodes like this is indeed one of the ways Fear the Walking Dead sticks out within the franchise, but viewers aren't usually wading through this much new world-building information in those episodes. And if it wasn't already clear that Episode 702 is honing in on Lennie James' Morgan and Karen David's Grace, I'd allow for the possibility that Fear the Walking Dead could explain away some of my Strand-centric confusion. Maybe Morgan will offer up a stoic, yet impassioned, reasoning for sticking around at the very least. 

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m., just ahead of new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Check out all the other big shows debuting in the 2021 Fall TV schedule as well!

While many TV shows might think of a nuclear disaster as an endgame idea, Fear the Walking Dead said "Hold my radioactive beer," with its bombshell of a Season 6 finale. And it looks like Season 7 will start off by making the aftermath a bit more personal than what city-scale catastrophes allow for, and it'll come in the form of an idealism-related enmity between Lennie James' Morgan Jones and Colman Domingo's Victor Strand, as indicated by the new trailer seen above.

For a while there, everything with Strand seemed to be hunky dory — not one of John Dorie's ancestors, to be sure — but after unexpectedly surviving the nuclear apocalypse set forth by John Glover's now-decimated serial killer Teddy, Strand has a new-ish outlook on life where he's decided to live as his true self, as opposed to the dependable leader others have tried to make him. Which basically means he's morphing back into an untrustworthy villain, but with the caveat that a lot of viewers will probably take the fan-favorite character's side in this debate, simply because Colman Domingo is a boss.

On the flip side is Morgan, who was similarly ready to reach the great beyond in Season 6 with Karen David's Grace. At least until they both heard the sounds of a crying baby, which snapped them back into "survive or nothing" mode. (And somehow didn't draw a billion walkers.) While Morgan doesn't always have his own best interests in mind, he's definitely known for protecting others, so it should be very interesting to see how his efforts clash with Strand's in the new season. And to see whether or not it involves the wrestling/boxing ring that pops up in the trailer.

There are, of course, lots of other mysterious and noteworthy things happening in the trailer in quick fashion beneath the increasingly stressful exchange between Strand and Morgan, which seemingly adds that much more importance to the two characters going into antagonistic mode for Season 7. Just in case anyone think that this is just a trailer conceit, and won't be a driving force behind the upcoming episodes, note that Fear the Walking Dead's newest key art imagery also plays into that particular feud.

Let's talk about a few other highlights from the Season 7 trailer. The shadows out on the outside of the nuclear submarine are reminiscent of the silhouette lovers that pop up in Watchmen. It's unclear if that half-hashtag symbol on the board holding the walkers back is important or not, but I'm betting it is. Morgan and Grace outside one of the CRM helicopters! Whoever this new villainous group is, they apparently take Dwight and Sherry hostage. But are the villains the ones wearing those bloody bandages on their faces, or are those other survivors? And what do they want? WHAT DO THEY WANT?

Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 is already set to premiere on AMC on Sunday, October 17, at 9:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to mark that down along with all the other big premieres hitting the 2021 Fall TV schedule soon.

Fear the Walking Dead wrapped up its sixth season in a massive way, putting its various character groupings through nuclear devastation. Season 7 is heading to AMC this fall, with the zombie drama's Comic-Con@Home panel revealing the premiere date will be on Sunday, October 17. The panel also gave fans a look at the first new footage from the new cult-free season, and the first one delivered an update on Morgan and Grace that addressed a major issue that has often been ignored within the Walking Dead franchise.

And what's that major issue? Screaming, hungry babies, of course. The first Season 7 video follows up on Morgan and Grace's big new story push from the Season 6 finale, when they discovered the now-orphaned Li'l Morgan, and the situation is one that 99.99% of new parents can relate to with much stress and aggravation. Basically, Morgan and Grace are trying to get some uncomfortable sleep in the midst of an upset baby's warbling cries, and it's not like there's a super-helpful room nearby specifically being used for hoarding baby formula and breast milk. So it stands to reason that Li'l Morgan will never stop crying...ever. Everrrrr.

The first Season 7 footage went live online just as the panel ended, so check it out below!

And while Fear the Walking Dead obviously did feature the same crying child in the Season 6 finale - it was indeed his cries that drew Morgan and Grace away from their suicidal plans - the Season 7 footage is one of the very rare moments in this franchise that directly tapped into how ever-present the concept of "blood-curdling wails" is where infants are concerned. In a ruined world that already makes it hard enough for grown-ass adults to scrape up a meal, things only gets more complicated when it comes to providing nourishment for far younger survivors.

I cannot TELL you how often I had concerns during The Walking Dead's earlier seasons that the characters must have been keeping Judith Grimes trapped in a soundproof box throughout most of her pre-school-age years, since her unending screams were never an issue for Rick or the many, many people who had to step in for babysitting duties over the years. It's hard enough to get an older child who understands directions to be quiet in the heat of an important moment, so the fact that Judith wasn't constantly crying herself into exhaustion is curious to put it lightly.

In the long run, I guess I'd rather deal with crying Fear the Walking Dead characters than having Fear the Walking Dead episodes turning me into a sobbing mess, so there you go. It's not quite clear yet what fans can expect to see from Colman Domingo's Victor Strand, who will be living his life to the fullest in Season 7, but I cannot imagine Li'l Morgan surviving very long in his presence, so here's hoping Morgan can tap into his deep reserve of patience to make that situation work.

Find out where it's all going when Fear the Walking Dead debuts Season 7 on AMC on Sunday, October 17, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to keep up with all the other 2021 Fall TV shows hitting the schedule soon, too!

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the Season 6 finale for Fear the Walking Dead!

Well, zombie fans, Fear the Walking Dead went and doubled down on its post-apocalyptic approach by filling the air with nuclear warheads during its Season 6 finale. While at least one major character was killed off by the destructive blasts, seemingly every main protagonist was still alive and breathing by the time the credits rolled, although that doesn't mean Season 7 will be all hunky-dory. For instance, things ended contentiously for Lennie James' Morgan and Karen David's Grace after finding Baby Morgan and his walker-fied mom, and it looks like Colman Domingo's Victor Strand will be leaning harder into his villainous instincts when the new episodes start.

As viewers will recall, Strand started the episode off feeling like a total shitheel for his feeble attempts to sacrifice Morgan while thwarting the nuclear missile's deployment, neither of which was successful. So when he arrived at the museum-esque lodgings of Omid Abtahi's new character Howard, he totally lied about his identity by using Morgan's name, and gave Howard other false impressions, believing their deaths were imminent. But after it was clear they weren't dead yet, Strand unleased a full confession on Howard about everything and introduced a far more cavalier attitude about trying to do things right.

Co-showrunner Ian Goldberg talked with EW about the Season 6 finale and spoke to the idea that surviving the current nuclear situation is going to reaffirm some of Strand's more selfish and villainous instincts in the future.

Whereas Morgan went from feeling suicidal with Grace to going right back into Dad Mode upon finding the infant whose birth kicked Season 6 off, Strand is apparently feeling another kind of way about what his future will be good for. And it sounds like he's going back to being the greedy and selfish egoist that was first introduced in Season 1. Ian Goldberg continued, saying:

To be sure, it's not like Strand has build up a bulky resume of heroic acts that would earn him any Most Virtuous Survivor awards, especially considering he spent a chunk of this season as an enforcer for Colby Minifie's antagonist Virginia. Sure, it was mostly a scheme to turn Virginia's group against her, but one that Strand mostly kept to himself and enacted for his own benefit as much as anyone else's. So it's not altogether surprising that he'll return to his most basic instincts in Season 7, but I like the idea that he'll at least be honest with himself about it while doing so.

When CinemaBlend spoke with Fear the Walking Dead co-executive producer Michael Satrazemis, who directed the Season 6 finale, I commented on Howard's subdued presence being a catalyst for Strand's admissions. But Satrazemis hinted at Strand's turn by saying it was surviving a nuclear explosion that really uncorked things.

If Strand's DNA is altered permanently, that could mean he's destined to remain on the villainous side of the moral spectrum until his final days. But maybe things won't be so bad, or maybe his final days are coming sooner than we might think. When I asked Michael Satrazemis about Omid Abtahi's Howard having a potential impact in Season 7, he gave a very ominous response before lauding the actor's work in the surprise guest spot.

Could it be that one of the explosions that viewers didn't see will have a major impact on Strand and/or Howard when Season 7 starts off? It seems likely that showing only some of the detonations was an intentional way to bridge the two seasons together, and it'll be interesting to see how destructive and deadly the next premiere will get later this year.

Fear the Walking Dead is currently on hiatus as fans wait for the impending Season 11 premiere of The Walking Dead, but viewers can relive the highs and lows of Season 6 at any time via the streaming service AMC+.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the Season 6 finale of Fear the Walking Dead, so be warned!

Even though fans have known for weeks that Fear the Walking Dead was gearing up for a potentially nuclear ending for Season 6, thanks to the deadly machinations of Teddy's "End Is the Beginning" cult, I still wasn't fully prepared for the finale to actually GO THERE. Only one of the missiles actually deployed, which is a depressing silver lining, but the one that did was equipped with ten warheads, and viewers saw some of the literally groundbreaking destruction that was caused by those that detonated. And we didn't even see all of the explosions, so Season 7 could definitely bring the boom when it starts up later this year.

CinemaBlend spoke with Fear the Walking Dead executive producer Michael Satrazemis, who directed the finale, titled "The Beginning," as well as the devastating installment "In Dreams" and others. We obviously talked about the nuclear catastrophe that capped things off, as well as two of the big 100% confirmed deaths that went down, so without any further ado, let's dive into this deadly dust storm.

How Fear The Walking Dead Went Totally Nuclear

To be expected, perhaps, Michael Satrazemis was held in disbelief for a while after learning where showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg wanted to take Teddy's storyline, and he continued to question the reality of the situation as it all came together. In his words:

With up to ten different warheads going off in up to ten different places, that meant a lot of thought had to go into where each and every main character would be during the explosions, and what their proximity would be to all of the detonations. Considering not everyone was lucky enough to end up in a nuclear bunker, distance is definitely a key factor in this outcome, and Michael Satrazemis said the creative team definitely did their homework to try and keep things as realistic as possible.

The relatively quiet and somber way "The Beginning" handled its catastrophic climax made the explosions all the more disturbing and doom-laden, as opposed to a more kinetic and pulse-pounding resolution. It instantly reminded me of the childhood nightmares I had after watching the nuked-out dream sequence in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and when I brought that up to Michael Satrazemis, he laughed and said that scene was definitely part of the inspiration for Fear's finale sequence.

Even after watching the episode a couple of times, I'm still shocked that Fear the Walking Dead raised the nuclear bar with its Season 6 finale, which is going to make the wait for Season 7 all the more patience-testing. Not that everyone's eventual fate is in question by the end of the episode.

Fear The Walking Dead Killed Off Dakota And Teddy

While all of Fear the Walking Dead's main protagonists made it through the finale safely enough - seemingly defying the poster-centric theory that pointed to Dwight's possible death - Zoe Colletti's allegiance-flipping Dakota and John Glover's murderous cult leader Teddy were not part of that lucky group. It would have been interesting if the show had spent more time with Dakota as Teddy's protégé, but that might have turned her into too much of a straightforward villain, rather than just someone completely broken and ruined by the apocalypse. And so their story ended together, with Dakota putting an end to Teddy's lies after realizing he was just leading taking advantage of her fleeting loyalty, and then succumbing to the nearest explosion.

Here's what Michael Satrazemis had to say about Fear the Walking Dead's latest fatalities:

Truths. While Dakota probably could have made a quick attempt at salvation by scrambling into the underground shelter, she appeared to have reached her limit with life's disappointments. Thus, there was something vaguely poetic about the character taking her horrific demise head-on, as much as I would have probably enjoyed seeing Jenna Elfman's June getting further revenge for the death of Garret Dillahunt's Dorie Jr. Or even seeing Keith Carradine's John Dorie Sr. taking Dakota out for being the one to kill his lifelong nemesis.

Below, Michael Satrazemis speaks to what her killing Teddy does for the character, and showers more praise on Zoe Colletti for handling Dakota's "high-speed arc" in Season 6 as well as she did.

And now begins the wait for Season 7 to arrive on AMC, though be sure and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more exclusives from Fear the Walking Dead's Season 6 finale, and definitely stay current with all the new and upcoming shows hitting the 2021 Summer TV schedule.

Major spoilers below for the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, so be warned if you haven't yet watched!

From the first episode of Season 6, Fear the Walking Dead was laying the groundwork for the eventual reveal of this season's big villainous group, even though audiences weren't introduced to John Glover's Teddy and his doomsday cult for another ten episodes. Now, with the debut of the episode "Mother," fans have finally been clued into what Teddy's end goal is for his group and for Alycia Debnam-Carey's Alicia, and we now know how that very first "End is the Beginning" reference ties into those all-important keys. At least, we might.

Now let's break down all the reveals from Fear the Walking Dead Episode 614 and what might happen next before Season 6 comes to a potentially explosive close. And know that we're taking all of the information that Teddy laid out with a big ol' grain of salt, considering he's a proven liar.

How Teddy's Big Plan Connects To The Keys

Teddy Maddox is clearly an expert at surviving, whether it be in prison or in more post-apocalyptic settings, but I have to wonder just how smart this dude really is after he seemingly revealed his cult's big plan to Alicia (and to Zoe Colletti's Dakota) despite her continuous efforts to prove how much she wanted to thwart his efforts. Truly genius villains don't ever reveal their plans until they've already been enacted - think Watchmen - but now we've all been made aware of what Teddy's been up to.

The key that Riley stole from Morgan's neck in this season's most depressing episode is part of a set that Teddy aims to use to launch a (presumably nuclear) missile from the same beached submarine in Galveston that showed up in the season premiere. While the cult has been doing a fairly solid job of murdering anyone who wasn't interested in joining their rankings, Teddy clearly has much bigger aims in mind if he wants to use a military missile to wipe people out.

But is Teddy's scope actually big enough? He's smart enough to realize that blowing up a single location with a single missile isn't enough to legitimately destroy what's left of humanity. Teddy has to know that there are other survivors elsewhere in the country and/or world, right? That fairly basic notion is part of what makes me think that the submarine in Galveston isn't really the most vital element in Teddy's plan, and that there might very well be more missiles at play here. Don't forget that the episode's title, "Mother," ties into Teddy's large-scale dishonesty by way of the stolen corpse - which he kissed on the face multiple times - that wasn't actually his mother's body. In the end, I do wonder if his admission to killing his mom and burying her on the family farm was the only honest thing he said in the entire episode.

What Teddy's Big Plan For Alicia Is

While it's 100% easier for me to consider this episode's reveals through the prism that Teddy is a big lying lunatic, I have to stick to the parameters laid out by the showrunners and the writing staff. So when "Mother" came to an end, Alicia was locked up inside a vault within an underground bunker beneath a gigantic hotel that appeared to have somehow gone without being raided and picked over at any point. Alicia is already well-versed in the notion that hotels can be a little too enclosed in a world ravaged by zombies, so she probably already had reservations about being there, and I assume those reservations ballooned once it became clear why Teddy brought her there.

Teddy locked Alicia up so that she would be a lone survivor, so to speak, after the missile attack. Meanwhile, he's setting up all of his other survivors to perish in the blast, under the guise that they're heading to a well-stocked new safe haven, with only a select few seemingly privy to the "truth," such as Nick Stahl's Riley.

While Teddy sees himself as the "end," he considers Alicia to be the beginning, because she has proven herself capable of doing what needs to be done without losing her grip on the concept of hope. Much in the same way viewers have faithfully held onto the idea that Alicia's mother Madison actually survived her self-sacrifice in Season 4, and that former star Kim Dickens will reappear one day. This episode was a lynchpin for more recent hopes, too, considering its title and the fact that Alicia reunited with other stadium survivors such as Sebastian Sozzi's Cole. Could Madison be the one to eventually save Alicia from Teddy's clutches? Probably not, since Morgan and June now have Keith Carradine's John Dorie Sr., who put Teddy in jail in the first place.

Dakota Just Keeps Showing Up To Ruin Stuff

The biggest storytelling wrinkle in "Mother" was Dakota's arrival, as that character has become a big annoying thorn in Fear the Walking Dead's paw. At some point after the whole "murdering John and then finding out Virginia is actually her mother" business, Dakota apparently stuck out on her own with the info Virginia had about Teddy's cult, and attempted to track Alicia down. But later, when Alicia threatened to take Teddy out, Dakota showed her true feelings and sided with the cult leader over Alicia. Or did she?

Similar to how I don't fully believe Teddy's plan is all about that one missile, I don't fully believe anything Dakota is doing or saying. On the one hand, I can believe that Dakota is indeed there to save Alicia, and that she only appeared to turncoat because she was aware the rest of Teddy's cult was nearby and would kill Alicia in the aftermath.

On the other hand, I can also totally buy into the idea that Dakota is just going to side with whatever group has the most attractive offer on the table. To the point where I think she would just as easily jump back on board with trying to save Alicia after learning that Teddy is aiming to blow everything else up. Dakota is absolutely on the opposite end of the self-sacrificing spectrum as Madison Clark, but that might be exactly what Alicia needs in order to survive this impending catastrophe.

Fear the Walking Dead has two episodes left to go in Season 6, airing Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET. So be sure to keep watching to see if Teddy's plan pans out while waiting for the 2021 Summer TV season to officially kick off.

General spoilers below for the entirety of Season 6, so be warned if you aren't all caught up!

Just about anyone who's been watching Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 would probably agree that this is both one of the most powerful and most depressing seasons yet from any show in the Dead-verse. So far, we've witnessed the death of a major hero in Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie, a major villain in Colby Minifie's Virginia, a major unknown in Grace's baby Athena, and it definitely seems like more lethal atrocities are coming soon by way of John Glover's cult leader Teddy. (Especially now that we know he's been a wacko serial killer pursued by Keith Carradine's John Dorie Sr. for around four decades.) And some fans think that Austin Amelio's Dwight is the next victim.

As fans wait for the final two episodes of Season 6, a particularly interesting theory is making waves regarding who will be the next major Fear the Walking Dead character to get killed off, and it all ties back to the the set of character posters AMC released to get fans hyped for the season premiere back in October 2020. The promotional images were all close-ups on the various characters, and the main distinctive difference between the lot was that certain characters had tears on their faces, while others did not. At the time when the images were released, the tear details didn't seem to mean much, but looking back, they may very well have served as a spoiler-filled key to all the big Season 6 deaths. Take a look at the post below:

To be clear, this Twitter user is not the original source of the Fear the Walking Dead poster theory, and the post doesn't include the poster of Karen David's Grace, who was also seen with a tear streaming down. Still, it gets the point across well enough, which is that the tears seen on the faces of Grace, Jenna Elfman's June, and Zoe Colletti's Dakota are very likely indicative of their mutually exclusive grief over losing those closest to them. While it's true that Dakota's love for her sister-mother Virginia had run cold by the time the latter got her head blown open, they had a long, mostly loving relationship that preceded the downfall, so it's not SO out of character for Dakota to cry about it. And I also understand that Grace technically didn't get to know her stillborn baby, the fantasy sequences in the episode "In Dreams" made her relationship with Athena feel genuine.

Which brings us to the odd woman out, as it were, with Christine Evangelista's Sherry as the only tearful character who hasn't yet suffered a really obvious personal tragedy on the level of a loved one's death. And what other character would possibly fit into those parameters beyond Dwight? Nobody, that's who. So if the poster theory does indeed hold water, Dwight had better do some hard and fast living in Episodes 615 and 616 before he gets set to that big renovated dam in the sky.

Had this theory been popularized earlier in Season 6, it might not have sparked such immediate assumptions that Dwight will be the next one to go, since Sherry spent their post-reunion period keeping him at bay and trying to work out her personal issues with Negan and Virginia. But now that they've clearly rekindled old feelings as a way of starting over, it just puts Dwight right in the show's crosshairs, whether we like it or not.

There's obviously a good chance that Dwight isn't going to get killed off before Season 6 wraps up, since poster tears are hardly concrete proof of anything. But then each of the other tear-marked posters wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. Which fate would you prefer? Let us know in the poll below!

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming three days early on AMC+. While this zombie drama will soon draw to a close, the 2021 Summer TV schedule will soon bring The Walking Dead proper back into the fold for Season 11.

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General spoilers below for Season 6 of Fear the Walking Dead, so be warned if you aren't caught up!

Following that unexpected union between Jenna Elfman's June and Keith Carradine's John Dorie Sr., Fear the Walking Dead is taking viewers back into the grip of doomsday cult leader Teddy, as played by John Glover. The next episode, titled "Mother," will center on Alycia Debnam-Carey's Alicia during her time learning from Teddy, and the first set of previews for the episode revealed that not only will Alicia cross paths with Zoe Colletti's Dakota during this time, but she'll also reunite with someone we haven't seen since Season 4.

A sneak peek for Episode 614 with Zoe Colletti features Alicia coming face-to-gun-barrel with the weapon held by Sebastian Sozzi's Cole, who was part of the group living at the baseball stadium where Kim Dickens' Madison first set up camp and then (seemingly) sacrificed herself in a massive fire in order to keep her children safe. While it's not quite clear what the situation with Cole is, his sudden reemergence after being presumed dead is certainly an intriguing turn of events.

While there are no guarantees that Cole's survival is indicative of anyone else's, the character's return serves as another dangling clue from Fear the Walking Dead's showrunners that Madison might indeed still be alive out there somewhere. It's a possibility that fans latched onto almost immediately, given that Madison's dead or walkerfied body was never seen on screen, and even if there hadn't been other potential hints during Season 5 and throughout Season 6 before Episode 614, the title "Mother" already had hopeful fans spinning the speculative hamster wheels, which was bolstered by Alicia bringing Madison up during her time so far with Teddy, Riley and the rest of the cult.

Let's also take into account the other ways in which Season 6 has brought important parent-child relationships to the forefront. Obviously that's the case with John Dorie Sr.'s arrival within the protagonist group, but Fear the Walking Dead also delivered a mightily powerful motherhood story with Karen David's Grace and how her pregnancy arc depressingly ended. And what about the complicated AF relationship between Dakota and Colby Minifie's now-dead Virginia, who raised her daughter to think they were sisters? Throw in Colby Hollman's Wes meeting his brother again after thinking he was dead, only to have to play a role in his death soon after, and it's undeniable that family is a key factor in Season 6. But will we get to see Kim Dickens' proper return?

Probably not, because that's just how things go. But check out the Fear the Walking Dead sneak peek below to judge for yourself how important Cole's return will be.

For one last morsel of a tease, the episode's synopsis does mention that Alicia will reunite "with old friends and must confront her past" if she stands a chance of escaping from Teddy and the the cult. I dunno that I'd use the word "confront" to refer to Alicia reuniting with Madison after all this time, but if the shoe fits...

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with just three episodes left to go in Season 6 before viewers will need to find more to watch in the 2021 Summer TV schedule while anticipating The Walking Dead's return with Season 11 later this summer.

Major spoilers below for Fear the Walking Dead's latest episode, "J.D.," so be warned if you haven't yet watched!

After delivering one of the biggest and most depressing shocks of its run in the form of John Dorie's death - to say nothing of everything involving Karen David's Grace - Fear the Walking Dead thankfully isn't done with Garret Dillahunt's character, or at least his family history. Deadwood and Madam Secretary vet Keith Carradine joined the post-apocalyptic drama in Episode 613 as John Dorie Sr., the former lawman who totally left his family behind due to a rampant obsession with catching John Glover's cult leader Teddy that started four decades prior to the show's current events.

Keith Carradine spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of "J.D." debuting on AMC, sharing how much he appreciates his new role, even if it wasn't exactly easy to take on a role that tied so deeply into Garret Dillahunt's John Jr. The actor also talked a bit about his character's decades-long history with Fear the Walking Dead's mysterious cult leader. So let's dive in without further ado.

On Playing The Father Of Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie Jr.

If you're going to bring someone with the acting pedigree that Keith Carradine has, the role needs to match up accordingly, and I think it was a perfect alignment of the stars for him to land on Fear the Walking Dead as John Dorie's absentee father. The actor is capable of being rude and dismissive while still maintaining a warmth and relatability that makes it easy to side with him even in situations where he's at odds with Jenna Elfman's June. (After all, she DID break into his RV and went through his shit.) So it was a pleasure to hear that Carradine was so pumped, though apprehensive, over landing the role and bringing John Dorie Sr.'s complicated story to life. In his words:

It's obviously a damned shame that viewers didn't get to watch Keith Carradine actually sharing the screen with Garret Dillahunt, which would have been narratively impossible, considering John Jr. was so young when his father bailed on the family. But in a way, that just makes his storyline all the more impactful, knowing that John Sr.'s obsessions (and Dakota's shitty impulses) destroyed our chances of seeing the two characters together as adults. Speaking of obsessions...

Oh John Dorie Sr.'s Connections With Cult Leader Teddy

Truth be told, had Keith Carradine's character only entered the story as a catalyst for June to reach some sort of closure over John Jr.'s death, I would have been completely good with it. So it was a huge bonus for Fear the Walking Dead's showrunners Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss to take the additional step of connecting John Sr. to Teddy and his "End is the Beginning" doomsday cult. It obviously sucks that Teddy played a part in splintering the Dorie family, but it makes Carradine's franchise future all the more appealing. According to the actor, fans should be excited to learn exactly why his character was so transfixed by Teddy.

While I have no idea where things are going, it sounds to me like Teddy was viewed as being extremely dangerous, and that he probably made some direct threats against John Sr.'s wife and son, causing him to sever all ties with them. (Although that theory might not hold water, since Teddy could have still harmed the others without John Sr. being around.) In any case, Keith Carradine talked about how interesting it is to him that while Teddy was the initial cause for John Sr. to become a loner, it's also Teddy that leads to John Jr. reconnecting with others to potentially take the killer down once and for all. In the actor's words:

With John Dorie Sr. now serving as more connective tissue between the protagonists and Teddy's cult, as well as the impetus for June being welcomed back into Morgan's camp, I can't wait to see where things go in the final three episodes of Season 6. Hopefully Alycia Debnam-Carey's Alicia hasn't been fully swayed by Teddy's teachings, and doesn't end up being responsible for John Sr.'s death in any way. (This show does have a way of asking viewers not to hate certain characters after they murder other well-liked characters.)

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to keep watching to see what happens next with John Sr. and Teddy. In the meantime, stay tuned for more exclusive Fear coverage ahead of the 2021 Summer TV season.

After having ruthlessly killed off Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie earlier in Season 6, Fear the Walking Dead has given Jenna Elfman's June a chance to get her revenge, for better or worse, and will soon give viewers a look at what post-John life is like for her, having been banned from Morgan's new community. It appears she won't be alone, though, with Deadwood and Dexter vet Keith Carradine joining the main storyline for at least one episode as a yet-to-be-named character. Having first popped up in the preview for Episode 613, Carradine's new character makes more of an impact in the exclusive clip above, even if June seems nonplussed by him.

The clip from the upcoming episode, which is curiously titled "J.D.," doesn't provide very much context for how June and Keith Carradine's character meet, but there's clearly quite a bit of tension already built up between them, with John Sr. blaming June for bursting into his life and gumming up "his investigation." Considering he's holding her at gunpoint and making her drive, it seems like she clearly pissed him off in a big way, although his tone makes him sound more like an angry friend or sibling than a real villain.

June apparently helped to offer Keith Carradine's character with his so-called investigation, leading to her getting behind the RV's wheel, but what can she do for him? He brings up an orchard, but I seriously doubt Carradine's new character is seeking out help in picking apples. So what is he doing exactly? Is he also going after the "End is the Beginning" doomsday cult? Or, heaven forbid, is he secretly part of that cult?

Considering Keith Carradine usually plays morally sound characters in movies and TV shows, rather than devious villains, I'm guessing he's not meant to be a serious threat to June. On the flip side, though, she might certainly be a threat to his health, at least if he's going to ride around with her sans seat belt while calling her names that she doesn't want to be called. I hope this dude is better at investigating than he is taking simple directions by people driving large vehicles.

It's a bit of a bummer that viewers don't get more information about Keith Carradine's character in this clip, but I guess the mystery is always part of the fun with the Dead universe. Consider Fear the Walking Dead delivered one of the most depressing hours of Dead TV ever with the conclusion of Grace's pregnancy arc, I can only hope Carradine is a hilarious breath of fresh air that can add more levity to Season 6.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with Keith Carradine joining the ensemble in Episode 613, "J.D." Here's hoping the actor isn't just making a one-and-done appearance, so that fans can go into the 2021 Summer TV season wondering what's coming next.

Major spoilers below for the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, so be warned!

Okay, so I went into the Fear the Walking Dead episode "In Dreams" with two preconceived notions unabashedly at the forefront of my mind: dream-based TV episodes usually feel like filler, and this series will never possibly wreck my emotional guts more than Jenna Elfman's June discovering Garret Dillahunt's John after he'd already gone into full walker mode. And yet somehow, even with the arguably unnecessary amnesia element thrown in there, Karen David's Grace made the dreams meaningful, and in the most gingerly brutal way that possibly crushed me even more than John's death. I'd slow-clap if it all wasn't so damned sad. (Well, except for seeing Salazar and Strand being all buddy-buddy.)

On the outset, so much credit goes to those who penned the episode, which is credited to co-showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, as well as writer Nazrin Choudhury. Because it continuously upended some expectations while justifiably matching up with others. For instance, it was almost immediately clear that Sahana Sprinivasan's Athena would be revealed as Grace's future-daughter. But instead of stretching that "mystery" out, the episode quickly addressed that after bringing in Lennie James' greyed-out Morgan, and focused more on Grace forming emotional connections with Athena, largely through Roy Orbison and cassettes.

Second, by rather blatantly setting up the idea so early on that Grace wouldn't survive Athena's birth, Fear the Walking Dead nearly shot itself in the foot there, since it made me jump to the conclusion that a twist was coming. I figured Grace would indeed live through the doctor-less delivery, and did not have much optimism for Athena's chances. But if I thought going into the episode's final act mentally prepared would do my emotional state any good, I was so very wrong.

Now is where I must heap some praise onto Fear the Walking Dead's cast, particularly Karen David and the devastatingly one-and-done performance from Sahana Sprinivasan. The actresses pulled off the nearly absurd trick of creating an authentic relationship between a stressed-out mother's consciousness and the unborn-teenaged version of said mother's offspring, while also adding more depth by bringing in the biological father's tragic end. And in a way that made it all the more heartbreaking once Athena's behavior started to loop and shattered the dreamy illusion.

I guess I can stop tiptoeing around that pummeling final sequence, which was shot just splendidly by director Michael E. Satrazemis. Following the altercation with Nick Stahl's Riley - more on that below - Grace popped on her headphones and experienced one of TV's quickest deliveries, but before that jokey thought could be fully processed, it was clear from Morgan's actions that Athena did not make it. And then my heart shattered as Grace kept asking Morgan what was wrong. And then all the oxygen in the room left once Morgan turned around, unable to hide the severity of the situation from his face. And then everything else in the room shattered when Grace embraced li'l Athena and laid out the most upsetting exposition possible:

As a father who wallows in pessimistic thoughts on a regular basis, I was perhaps an easier target than others for this conclusion to Grace's pregnancy arc. And I can see how some might think Fear the Walking Dead went a little overboard with this kind of a death story. By all means, if the episode had fallen into the painfully tropey waters that I was expecting from the start, I would be there for the cringing. But it was a well-designed journey through Grace's mind that gave Karen David the fully rounded episode that she deserved, and also introduced one of the most unexpectedly heart-wrenching deaths of the franchise.

But what happens now? In Morgan and Grace's mind, is Riley responsible for Athena's death by her having to dive out of the way to avoid his truck? (I want to take a second to appreciate that after Riley got stabbed in the chest, with Morgan presumably thinking in error that the dude was leaving forever, he immediately returned to get revenge, which is a villainous instinct I can get behind.) What could that key possibly open that it's worth all the death surrounding it? I'm hoping like hell it isn't just a meaningless MacGuffin, and that Riley takes it back to John Glover's Teddy and it leads to something awesome. Like Kim Dickens' Madison. Is that too much?

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, and when Season 6 is done, there will still be lots to look forward to in the 2021 Summer TV schedule.

When Fear the Walking Dead finally introduced its "End is the Beginning" group in full throughout Episode 611, "The Holding," the franchise tapped into a different flavor of villainy centering around John Glover's Teddy. As a cult-y leader, Teddy is like the "cool" weed-toking science professor who also huffs god-knows-what-in-a-can when no one is looking. His philosophy won over the likes of his second banana Riley (Nick Stahl) and plenty of other people who may or may not have just wanted to avoid being murdered. And now, Alycia Debnam-Carey's Alicia is the lone protagonist still in his presence after staying behind to save the rest.

For a press event going into the back half of Season 6, Alycia Debnam-Carey was asked about her storyline with Teddy and his group, and her answer indicated that Alicia will turn a new corner in her character development after her experiences with Teddy. In her words:

Let's just dance around playing devil's advocate right quick. While the easy assumption to make here is that Alicia triumphantly walk away from Teddy, Riley and all the other the only things left moving are the flames on their charred bodies. Because hey, it's Alicia, whose pockets of sympathy are buoyed by her tolerance for bullshit. But considering we're talking about a cult here, and considering Teddy has already learned about Madison's existence and nuggets of their mother-daughter relationship, what if he's gaining the fuel he needs to legitimately pull Alicia into his snake charming ways?

To be fair, Alicia has come to terms with Alexa Nisenson's Charlie having killed Frank Dillane's Nick, and they're basically friends now. But that's not who she spent most of her time talking about while inside Teddy's underground compound. She talked about Madison. So there's at least a small chance in this concrete hell that Teddy could latch Madison onto his "life is death is life" claptrap in such a way that Alicia willingly postpones her eventual rampage. Sometimes it's easier to lay your mental woes out on strangers, so maybe she can get some kind of comfort from this frazzle-headed dink before turning him into fertilizer.

I think we all know what the best form of emotional therapy would be for Alicia right now: a warm and fuzzy flashback sequence featuring a new scene with Kim Dickens as Madison. Fans have been hoping for the show to reveal that her sacrificial act in Season 4 didn't actually kill her, and that she's still around out there somewhere, similar to how Wes' brother wasn't dead like he thought. However, even if showrunners Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss don't go that route, I do hope we can at least get a Madison flashback sequence.

While Fear the Walking Dead's Nick Stahl couldn't give away any big spoilers about what the future will look like for Teddy's group and its impact on Alicia, here's what he could tease about future episodes when I recently spoke with him.

As vague as vague can be, but that probably means Stahl's Riley will cause some kind of trouble in Episode 612, "In Dreams," with Karen David's pregnant AF Grace at the center of that installment's tale. It's sure to be another humdinger of a Fear the Walking Dead episode airing Sunday night on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Major spoilers below for Fear the Walking Dead's latest episode, so be warned!

Despite Fear the Walking Dead shifting away from the anthological episodic approach that made the first batch of episodes so distinct and acclaimed, I'm still convinced Season 6 is the zombie drama's best run yet. Episode 11, "The Holding," definitely kept those views intact with its long-awaited introduction to the villainous "End Is The Beginning" group and its bearded leader Teddy, as portrayed by Smallville vet John Glover. Like some of the best antagonists in the Dead franchise, this cult-esque group isn't 100% evil, even if it's fueled by ideas that initially sound totally batshit.

Ahead of Episode 11 hitting AMC and its streaming service AMC+, CinemaBlend spoke with new Fear the Walking Dead recruit Nick Stahl, of Carnivale and Terminator 3 fame. Here's what he told me when I asked for his first impressions about the new group:

Considering how much set-up went into this episode-long introduction, I was quite relieved that even though Alicia did her best to fuck the underground group's world up, they were definitely proven to be more than a one-and-done threat by the end of the episode. Now let's dive deeper into their overall philosophy!

Why Teddy's Group Is "Somewhat Attractive" To Nick Stahl

Even though Fear the Walking Dead viewers weren't privy to much information about the new group ahead of "The Holding" airing, fans know what the deal is when it comes to large groups of characters who appear to be doing just fine in the post-apocalypse. Since, you know, nobody is doing just fine in the post-apocalypse. So while Nick Stahl's Riley, Chinaza Uche's Derek and the other new characters do not appear to be either total villains or victims at first glance, that obviously gets upended as the story moves forward. But even still, nobody's coming across as a total monster, and that dubious balance played a lot into how Stahl approached the wrong from an acting standpoint. In his words:

I'm sure most of the people reading this, and the majority of Fear the Walking Dead fans in general, would like to believe they'd keep to virtuous high roads in times of chaos and panic. We'd all love to be the Johns and the Junes of the world - or at least the not-dead versions - and there definitely would be a lot of people just like that out there if the world ever fell to a zombie outbreak. But there would absolutely also be groups just like Teddy's, where well-minded survival instincts become overtly tainted with various forms of mental degradation, to the point where you have a room full of deluded people staring at a flora-covered walker as if it's Christ on a cross.

Still, the reason why groups like that are successful is partly because their leaders often do sincerely have members' best wishes in mind, at least at first. To that end, Nick Stahl says this is basically the case with Teddy's second banana Riley, and he also pointed out how Teddy's group compares to similar real-life groups by way of its recruitment process. In his words:

When first learning about the underground group, it wouldn't be outlandish to compare the grow-work-survive ethic to that of a traditional commune. And for the most part, Nick Stahl's Riley doesn't exactly seem like he's trying to lie or fool Alicia's group upon their arrival, and it's mostly after the show's protagonists start dismantling the group's settlement and ideals that Riley and others become more threatening. Of course, it all sounds a lot more suspect after the room full of walkers is discovered, and after learning they were indeed responsible for Tank Town's destruction.

Why Teddy Has So Many Followers

I don't want to make any petty generalizations here, but I think we can all agree that John Glover's Teddy looks like he just woke up from leading a cult of Rip Van Winkle cosplayers. So while I think he definitely looks and acts the part quite naturally, it's mildly astonishing that Teddy convinced so many people to stick around instead of calling him a kook and going on about their post-apocalyptic days. Of course, Teddy's underground accomplishments have far more to do with his thoughts than his wild eyes and bushy facial hair. Below, Nick Stahl explains what makes Teddy such a good leader.

Nick Stahl really does hit the nail on the head with that explanation.The biggest draw-in factor for these group members likely isn't the hot food, the concrete living situation or the sense of community - not that any of those hurt - but rather Teddy's way of making the concept of death less intense and harrowing. In the end, that might very well be what people want the most, and if it comes wrapped in double-speak and hippie-leaning mantras, so be it.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, and we're hoping to see a lot more from Rubén Blades' Daniel Salazar getting his mind right while settling down in Lawton with Colman Domingo's Victor Strand, since that's not a combination that seems destined for peace and tranquility. And I'm also highly curious whether Alicia's multiple references to her mom are any indication that Kim Dickens' Madison Clark will somehow still make a return.

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Admittedly, you can't (or, at least, shouldn't) get too attached to anyone on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. The zombie-filled post-apocalyptic spin-off series follows The Walking Dead's lead when it comes to killing or detaching from its lead characters over the course of the narrative, which has caused a number of actors to leave the series prior to its eventual series finale. When it comes to Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, and Elizabeth Rodriguez, among other main characters, their tenure on the popular genre series was ultimately short-lived, and they've since moved on to different projects. But what are these former Fear the Walking Dead cast members doing now? Let's find out!

Kim Dickens (Madison Clark)

As Madison Clark, a smart, controlling guidance counselor, Kim Dickens played the protagonist on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead in the show's first four seasons. Away from this series, Dickens is known for playing Joanie Stubbs in HBO's Deadwood, Kate Baldwin in Netflix's House of Cards, Shelby Saracen in NBC's Friday Night Lights, and Janette Desautel in HBO's Treme. Furthermore, the actress's other notable television credits include Lost, Sons of Anarchy, Brairpatch, White Collar, Numb3rs, and Spin City.

Additionally, on the big screen, Kim Dickens led Truth or Consequences, N.M., Zero Effect, and Mercury Rising. She also played Sarah Kennedy in Hollow Man, Detective Rhonda Boney in Gone Girl, and Jill Naylor in Thank You For Smoking. Furthermore, Dickens can be seen in The Gift, House of Sand and Fog, The Blind Side, Footloose (2011), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and The Highwaymen. Most recently, Dickens provided a brief supporting turn in Robin Wright's feature directorial debut, Land. Currently, the actress is filming the mystery crime drama, The Good Nurse.

Cliff Curtis (Travis Manawa)

In the role of Travis Manawa, a resolute high school teacher and Madison's fiancé, Cliff Curtis was in the main cast of Fear the Walking Dead for three seasons. Outside of this series, Curtis is known for his performances as Porourangi in Whale Rider, Fire Lord Ozai in The Last Airbender, Pablo Escobar in Blow, Jesus Christ in Risen, and Sheikh Fadlallah in The Insider. Additionally, he was seen in Sunshine, Bringing Out the Dead, The Fountain, Live Free or Die Hard, and The Dark Horse. Additionally, Curtis appeared in Colombiana, 10,000 BC, The Meg, The Piano, Once Were Warriors, and Three Kings.

Most recently, Cliff Curtis provided supporting turns in Doctor Sleep and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Additionally, outside of film, the television actor played a lead role in NBC's Trauma, and he starred in ABC's Missing. Additionally, his other television credits include Gang Related, Body of Proof, Traffic, and City Life. Next, Curtis will star in Lisa Joy's original sci-fi thriller, Reminiscence, which will arrive on August 27th, 2021. Moreover, he will prominently appear in James Cameron's long-awaited Avatar sequels.

Frank Dillane (Nicholas “Nick” Clark)

Playing the part of Nick Clark, a selfless recovering heroin addict, Frank Dillane appears in the first four seasons of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. Most notably, Dillane was seen as Young Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. His other film credits include In the Heart of the Sea, Papadopoulos & Sons, Welcome to Sarajevo, and Astral. Additionally, on TV, Dillane played the part of Shugs in Netflix's Sense8.

Most recently, Frank Dillane was seen in Viena and the Fantomes and How to Build a Girl. Next, the actor will appear in the latest season of Starz's The Girlfriend Experience. Additionally, Dillane will star in Apple TV+'s upcoming miniseries, The Essex Serpent.

Mercedes Mason (Ofelia Salazar)

As Ofelia Salazar, Daniel's very capable daughter, Mercedes Mason played one of the main characters in Fear the Walking Dead for the first three seasons. Previously, Mason played the part of DEA Agent Talia Del Campo in a recurring role in NCIS: Los Angeles. Additionally, the actress was seen in 666 Park Avenue and The Finder. Elsewhere, Mason appeared in Chuck, Californication, How to Get Away with Murder, and, more recently, The L Word: Generation Q. Away from TV, she starred in Quarantine 2: Terminal. Furthermore, Mason provided supporting turns in The Break-Up, Generation Education, Sniper: Legacy, Slightly Single in L.A., and Ana Maria in Novela Land.

Currently, Mercedes Mason plays Captain Zoe Andersen in ABC's The Rookie. Outside of television, Mason was recently seen in Love by Drowning and What the Night Can Do.

Elizabeth Rodriguez (Elizabeth “Liza” Ortiz)

In the role of Liza Ortiz, a caring, strict-minded nursing student, Elizabeth Rodriguez played one of the main characters in Fear the Walking Dead's first season. Most notably, Rodriguez is known for her performance as Aleida Diaz in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black. She was also Tony-nominated for her lead part in Broadway's The Motherfucker With the Hat in 2011. Rodriguez's other TV credits include All My Children, Grimm, Shameless, Chance, Power, and ER. She's also seen in Oz, The Shield, Prime Suspect, and Devious Maids. Currently, Rodriguez reprises her role as Paz Valdes in Starz's Power Book II: Ghost. Furthermore, she is heard in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Outside of television, Elizabeth Rodriguez is best known for playing Gabriela in Logan. Also, the actress played supporting roles in Miami Vice, Side Effects, The Drop, Fresh, and Skate Kitchen. Additionally, her other film credits include Dead Presidents, Glass Chin, and All Things Fall Apart. Next, Rodriguez will be seen in Tonight at Noon, We Are Gathered Here Today, The Latin from Manhattan, and the short film, I Was a Stranger.

Lorenzo James Henrie (Chris Manawa)

Playing the part of Chris Manawa, Travis and Liza's rebellious teen son, Lorenzo James Henrie appeared in the first two seasons of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. Outside of this series, Hernie had supporting roles in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Arizona Summer, and Star Trek (2009). His other movie credits include Almost Kings, Warrior Road, Riding 79, and Only Mine. Additionally, on television, Henrie played Jeffrey Turner in The WB's 7th Heaven and Gabe Reyes in ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Also, the actor made guest star appearances in Cold Case, CSI: Miami, Malcolm in the Middle, and Kevin Can Wait. Furthermore, Henrie can be seen in episodes of Ghosts Whisperer, Wanted, and LAX.

Most recently, Lorenzo James Henrie appeared in last year's dramedy, This is the Year. Next, the TV actor is signed on to produce the new fantasy film, A Tale Dark and Grimm.

The sixth season of Fear the Walking Dead is currently airing on AMC. You can stream the previous seasons on Hulu here.

Major spoilers below for the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, so be warned!

With the episode "Handle with Care," Fear the Walking Dead dropped an unexpected doozy on Rubén Blades' Daniel Salazar, revealing the resident badass to be suffering from legitimate mental issues after having faked memory loss throughout the anthologized first half of Season 6. In true fashion for the AMC zombie drama, Salazar's reveal didn't come quietly and clandestinely, but in a way where he unwittingly seemed to do everything possible to put literally everyone around him in dire jeopardy. And you better believe the actor is just as curious and intrigued by his character's twist as fans no doubt are.

CinemaBlend spoke with Fear the Walking Dead star Rubén Blades ahead of the time-jumping "Handle with Care" debuting on AMC, and he spoke at length about taking the usually confident and cocksure Salazar to such a vulnerable place. As well, Blades shared just how suspicious he is about the episode-ending offer made by Colman Domingo's Victor Strand. Let's dive into that mind-shifting mayhem below.

How Rubén Blades Feels About Salazar's Memory Twist

In no ranked order of fucked-upped-ness, Rubén Blades' Salazar sabotaged Grace and Charlie's escape, stole the community's entire armory, and allowed walkers to breach the outer walls. While his intentions in each case were on the level in one sense, there was clearly a breakdown at some point in Salazar's mental circuitry, flipping him from being an essential soldier to a potential powder keg. For the actor, it was important to first understand why this was even happening to Salazar at this point. According to Blades:

More than most Fear the Walking Dead characters, Daniel Salazar has experienced an abundance of violent, traumatic and life-changing moments that are depressingly front-loaded by the deaths of his wife Griselda and daughter Ophelia (portrayed respectively by Patricia Reyes Spindola and Mercedes Mason). Salazar's story took a mysterious turn after he learned of Ophelia's death in Season 3, when he went AWOL following the dam's explosion, but returned in Season 5 as a somewhat more chilled-out, cat-loving dude, though it was clear he went through a particularly rough patch during his time away from the other protagonists. But now, it wasn't renewed agony causing Salazar to retreat mentally, but rather a well-earned sense of peace and calm after John's brutal death (and Virginia's) that sent him askew.

Rubén Blades further explained how parts of Salazar's past laid the groundwork for his current situation, while also acknowledging other characters being seeded with doubt.

As suspect as it is for anyone to posit genuine memory problems after publicly faking them for an extended stint, surely Fear the Walking Dead's survivors know that Daniel Salazar is smart enough to know how dumb it would be to fake that. He's definitely aware of how ridiculous it would look to double-up on the faux amnesia, and I seriously doubt his pride would accept others seeing him as an intentional self-saboteur. To that end, Rubén Blades talked about how Salazar's exit was also partially fueled by not wanting to be seen in a lesser-than light by Morgan and the other survivors.

Of course, getting the fuck out of there at this point means tagging along with Strand, Sherry and that merry band of marauders. And even though Salazar may be going through some thangs, that doesn't mean he's automatically 100% on Strand's side.

Why Ruben Blades Is Super Suspicious Of Strand's Offer To Salazar

When Daniel Salazar attempted to make an exit to handle some self therapy, Colman Domingo's Victor Strand offered him the olive branch to travel with them to Lawton, which viewers haven't seen since before Virginia was gloriously capped by June. So while there's a more obvious and necessary reason for Salazar to accept the offer, Rubén Blades confirmed that his character is going into this with only the vaguest amount of trust in Strand, considering the events that coincided with Salazar's mental lapses. In his words:

I can't imagine that many viewers were quick to take Strand at his word during the episode. Even though Salazar's trust issues with Strand over the weapons appeared to be misguided - and I still have some glued-down doubts about all that - he was still too quick to make excuses for the explosion. It's very easy to believe that Strand wants Salazar in Lawton to keep a close eye on him as much as he wants Salazar to get better, as it were. (And Strand is fully aware that the post-apocalypse has a way of making sick characters better.)

In the same vein, Rubén Blades hints that Salazar was probably agreeable about Strand's offer largely so that he could scope out what the situation is in Lawton with all those ex-Rangers and formerly masked quasi-villains.

I hadn't really considered Strand having ulterior motives specifically against Morgan, but it's certainly possible. As much as fans love Colman Domingo's performance as the ego-driven leader, he has rarely (if ever) put someone else's needs completely above his own. And even in those cases, there's always some kind of advantage for him to reap. So what's it going to be this time?

Find out when Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, and stay tuned for more inside info from my chat with Rubén Blades.

Major spoilers below for Fear the Walking Dead's latest episode, so be warned!

One week after delivering the most depressing episode imaginable, in which Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie was unceremoniously shot and killed by Zoe Colletti's murderous Dakota, Fear the Walking Dead thankfully brought some real justice to Dakota and Colby Minifie's Virginia in the form of Jenna Elfman's vengeful widow June, with a side-helping of Colman Domingo's army-building Victor Strand.

"Things Left To Do" was meant to serve as Season 6's spring premiere, but COVID-related delays forced the producers to open the back half of the season with 608's "The Door." And it's easy to understand why they wanted this particular episode to kick off the back half of the season, considering June definitely changed up Fear the Walking Dead's narrative scope moving forward. Now let's take a deeper dive to look at what actually happened.

How Morgan And Strand Got Their Revenge On Virginia And Dakota

The episode started off by taking viewers right back into emotional headspaces, with June burying post-walker John's body. She wasn't even responsible for Virginia's early mental or physical woes in the episode, either. First, Virginia got bamboozled by both Morgan, who aired out her lies about Janis' death, and Strand, who revealed he'd secretly turned the bulk of her followers against her. Strand is also the character who put a bullet in Virginia after she pulled her gun on him, so it's good that he got to bring some pain to her after having to suffer through life as one of her henchmen.

The third form of reckoning that Virginia has to go through involved the big secret she'd been keeping from everyone this entire time: Dakota isn't her sister at all, but actually her daughter. Understanding that her death was likely imminent, Virginia requested to die without having to open that familial can of worms with Dakota. And she had to go through a minute or two standing (and screaming) at death's door while Morgan held her at axe-point. But Morgan came to the resolution that killing her would just put them all on Virginia's level. Instead, he wanted to twist the proverbial knife.

Specifically, Morgan forced Virginia into confessing to Dakota their true relationship, and I'm happy I'll never have to have that kind of conversation with anyone, because yikes. It was pretty awks for all the understandable reasons, especially with Dakota starting off the convo by wanting Virginia's death. All of the wind was taken out of Dakota's sails upon hearing about her true origin story, and it devolved into an emotional mess. But that mess was capped off by Morgan taking a stand and declaring that they would keep Virginia alive so that she would live with her sins and atrocities. That notion didn't sit well with Sherry and the masked marauders, of course, but they had to go along with it. Of course, they didn't have to stay angry for very long...

How June Got Her Own Revenge On Virginia And Dakota

Just in case anyone forgot that June MFing Dorie was part of this episode, she made one hell of a return in the third act. She arrived at Morgan's safe haven with several other protagonists such as Karen David's Grace and Ruben Blades' Daniel, and was present for his big speech about non-lethal punishments and whatnot. And while she didn't look super-pleased by everything he was saying, she didn't look like she was set to burn his ideals to the ground, either.

But something clearly clicked in June after that, in part due to John's final letter to her, because she inevitably chose to go against Morgan's wishes. What's more, she did so after going through the process of taking the bullet out of Virginia's arm and changing her dressing, meaning she was likely weighing her options up until the very second she decided to go through with it, with "it" being "shooting Virginia right through her dumb head."

Because for all the bullshit that June had put up with from Virginia, it was inevitably the villain's dishonesty that sealed her fate. Had she been honest about knowing why Dakota killed John, June might have spared her life and allowed her and Dakota to leave the settlement, never to be heard from again. Instead, June dropped Virginia with one shot, and left her open-eyed corpse for Dakota to discover in horror.

Then, in ultimate badass fashion, June donned John's hat and walked out of the dam, passing Morgan's axe that was meant to represent an era of non-violence. Even though she wasn't walking directly into the sunset, it was still easily one of the most excellent Fear the Walking Dead endings that we've seen yet. Making it all the more enjoyable is that it's not at all clear what will happen next with June, who doesn't really have any further ties with the main group after John's death, assuming she's no longer interested in being friendly with everyone. Maybe we'll see her showing up on The Walking Dead Season 11? Stranger things have happened.

So it doesn't look like we'll be finding out about Virginia's possible connections to any other characters in the Walking Dead-verse, but perhaps something similar could happen with Dakota. Or maybe Dakota will just die a lonely, sad death herself in the coming weeks, similar to the long death that befell Dwight and Sherry's relationship. Be sure to find out when Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Major spoilers below for the midseason premiere of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, so be warned!

Well, Fear the Walking Dead fans, the AMC zombie drama depressingly went all the way to the dark side kicking off the back half of Season 6 by shockingly killing off Garret Dillahunt's mentally shattered John Dorie just as he was seemingly becoming convinced to join Morgan's cause. Having made it beyond those suicidal moments that kicked off "The Door," John proved his hero status once again by helping Lennie James' Morgan and Zoe Colletti's Dakota, only for the latter to shoot John and push him to a watery death.

The Walker John reveal kicked off one of Fear the Walking Dead's most heartbreaking scenes yet, and I was both ecstatic and mournful to talk to star Garret Dillahunt about John's big death episode. Since John didn't really get a chance to verbally react much after that point, I asked the actor for his thoughts about that unexpected death, and how he thought his character would feel about Dakota's heinous and selfish actions.

Indeed, even beyond being a live-saver on the regular, John was the kind of person you'd call instead of your parents when you got busted for getting too smashed in a Taco Bell parking lot, or the kind of guy who would find the cherished item you thought you'd lost forever. Generally an A+ dude, despite his lack of self-confidence. Which is obviously a giant part of why John's death is so hard to watch and comprehend, even beyond how big of an asset he was in the post-apocalypse.

Making things all the more depressing is the fact that John's self-exile leading up to the midseason premiere meant he didn't get a chance to reunite with Jenna Elfman's June one last time, at least not while still living and breathing. I asked Garret Dillahunt how he thought John felt about dying before he saw her again, and if he thought John felt guilty about having left June and Colby Minifie's Virginia behind in the first place.

Fear the Walking Dead really twisted that knife, too, by putting John at death's door a couple of times in the episode before pulling him back, only for that late-episode reveal of his walker-fied body. It was clearly worse for June than for audiences, but since we're real and she isn't, I feel like my sympathy is in the right place. While John didn't get any kind of closure, Garret Dillahunt was happy that June experienced a concrete conclusion in that sense. In his words:

As humbled an actor as there is in the world of movies and television, Garret Dillahunt apologized each time I commented on how sad the episode and John's death were, and he sounded as sincere as he did at any other point in our chat. While he's obviously coming at the death from a different point of view than audiences are, he is definitely aware of how much the fanbase is on John's side, and hopes that everyone can move on without taking it too hard.

When I asked how long John's death had been in the creative pipeline, Garret Dillahunt didn't give too specific a response, mainly just implying that he was aware John's death was going down for a time before that episode's script was delivered to the cast. Here's how the actor put it:

John's death episode gave Garret Dillahunt even more stress than just making him say farewell to the character, too. As it turns out, Fear the Walking Dead was nearly finished filming "The Door" when production had to shut down due to the COVID pandemic, which is why the episode flipped from being the midseason finale to becoming the spring premiere. So the actors had to bottle up those characters' emotions for more than six months before coming back to film the remainder of the episode.

How will June respond to John's death when Fear the Walking Dead returns for the episode that was originally planned to be the spring premiere? Find out next Sunday night on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Fear the Walking Dead fans have been waiting since before Thanksgiving to learn what happens next with the zombie drama's core survivors, but we should have all been more careful about what we wished for. The back half of Season 6 is set to show up on AMC on April 11, and it immediately kicks off with a very dark moment featuring Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie nearly taking himself out of the equation via Scrabble-adjacent suicide.

Check out the exclusive clip.

I can't recall many times in the Walking Dead franchise's existence where the opening minutes made me want to push my TV over as I dash away screaming, but the idea of not seeing John Dorie for months on end, only to have him put a bullet in his head immediately, is enough to send me running. It wouldn't be quite as impactful if the actor and scene weren't so effective themselves, which is to be expected from Garret Dillahunt, especially as one of this show's emotional anchors. But for real, he nearly convinced me that he would do it, despite my innate TV suspicions telling me it would be a little too wild for Fear to kill somebody off in such a manner.

Thankfully, the sharpshooting character didn't actually pull the trigger, and he's able to survive at least through the opening credit sequence. But what after that for ol' John Dorie? What happens next with those Scrabble letters and their ominous messaging? Hopefully John gets to reunite with June and apologize for leaving like a lunk, while also still convincing June to get the hell away from Virginia and the Rangers. Might as well dream big if we're dreaming at all.

I think we can all agree that the walker who creeps up out of the water and disrupts John's suicidal intentions is the GOAT of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 so far. Obviously it was written in there specifically for that purpose, but I never look a gift zombie in the mouth. (I don't really look at zombie's mouths in any capacity if we're being honest.) Now we just need to see how John reconnects with Morgan, and what causes their dust-up.

With the pandemic having forced production hiatuses across Hollywood and beyond last year, Fear the Walking Dead was in the midst of filming Episode 8 when they had to shut everything down for a few months. Which is why the AMC drama had to bow out on a somewhat bizarre note with Episode 607 and Ed the Taxidermist. (And Grace's return!) But does that mean viewers will be getting a double dose of purposefully jarring episodes with a pseudo-finale and pseudo-premiere airing back to back like that? There's only one way to find out. Well, that and checking Wikipedia after both episodes have aired.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday. nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET. Here's hoping we won't be holding any fictional character vigils later that night.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 last left viewers dangling before the AMC series could air Episode 608 as its intended midseason finale, as the cast and crew were in the midst of filming it when everything shut down due to the pandemic. Thankfully, the zombie drama returns soon to clue fans in on where things are heading for Lennie James' Morgan, Colman Domingo's Strand, Alycia Debnam-Carter's Alicia and the other survivors. And for fans like me who are definitely wondering what's up with the now-estranged Garret Dillahunt and Jenna Elfman's John and June Dorie, the actress shed a little light (or darkness) on the matter.

Jenna Elfman and the majority of her Fear the Walking Dead co-stars spoke with CinemaBlend and other press outlets ahead of Season 6B kicking off on AMC, and here's what she had to say when I asked her to tease what fans can expect from John and June in the back half of the season. In her words:

So there are obviously a few things to break out of that answer. For one, Jenna Elfman almost always delivers a master class in how to discuss Fear the Walking Dead's core themes and character values, and she consistently sounds authentic and off-the-cuff, as opposed to some of the static, pre-planned answers that actors and creatives can sometimes deliver for spoiler-heavy TV shows. But for as informative as this answer was on a psychological micro level, it sort of drove a wide curve around the point at hand on the macro scale.

The second thing to take away from Jenna Elfman's insight is that not only did she dodge talking about June and John as a single entity, she didn't even talk about her own character at all. So what does THAT mean? The obvious go-to guess is that June or John is going to get killed off at some point in the next nine episodes. Considering Elfman doesn't talk about June at all, does that make her the more likely victim?

Of course, when viewed from another angle, it's possible that Jenna Elfman was roundabout referring to an outcome where John and June don't reunite for the rest of the season, with one or both choosing to permanently leave the group. If anyone would, it'd definitely be John, considering June's refusal to leave Virginia's settlement is what sent him out on his own in the first place. Granted, we know Garret Dillahunt's John will be around in Fear the Walking Dead's upcoming episodes, as he was seen in the trailer getting both friendly and not-so-friendly with Lennie James' Morgan. Will Morgan be able to make John change his tune?

The most optimistic interpretation of Jenna Elfman's words would be that Episode 608 immediately starts up with John and June meeting back up and spending the entire episode smooching and hugging and being all-around sweet and adorable. So that she wouldn't have anything to really talk about that wouldn't automatically spoil the goods. Granted, one should never expect the most optimistic interpretation of anything in the Dead universe, but still we trudge on just the same.

Check out the latest preview video below for the back half of Fear the Walking Dead.

Hopefully with more long-missing characters returning to the fray, Fear the Walking Dead returns to AMC for more Season 6 episodes on Sunday, April 11, at 9:00 p.m.

Since 2020, we've unfortunately seen production delays for many of our most anticipated movies and TV shows, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear The Walking Dead was one of those unfortunate circumstances where production had to be halted for a time to allow for COVID-19 restrictions. The first half of Season 6 ended in November, and fans have been anxiously awaiting the return of the drama within the apocalyptic world.

However, the long wait will soon be over, as the back-half of Fear The Walking Dead Season 6 will be returning to our TV screens quite soon. With plenty of info to go off of and several storylines continuing, this is what we know about what to expect when the new episodes drop.

Fear The Walking Dead Will Be Returning In April

While it does feel like ages away, Fear The Walking Dead will be returning back to our TV screens on April 11, 2021, at the standard time of 9:00 p.m. on Sundays, and will run until June of 2021.

This isn’t the first time that there has been this big of a gap between the episodes of a Walking Dead show, as the original The Walking Dead had to push off the premiere of the season 10 finale until October 2020 – and even then after that, they’re adding on an additional six episodes, so it’s clear that The Walking Dead team on both shows are trying to make up for the big space in-between episodes.

There Will Be Three New Characters Added

According to Hypable, Fear The Walking Dead will be adding three new characters in the second half of Season 6. These new characters will be played by John Glover (known for The Good Wife), Nick Stahl (known for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) and Keith Carradine (Dexter, Fargo).

Who exactly these actors will be playing, however, remains unknown, but they will surely be adding that same amount of drama viewers can expect from Fear The Walking Dead.

Fear The Walking Dead Season 6’s Second Half Will Have Nine Episodes

While most seasons have been split up into eight and eight, Fear The Walking Dead will be taking a different turn this time around besides their format change back when the season premiered. Per AMC, Fear The Walking Dead will be releasing nine episodes once the second half premieres, bringing the total for the season at 16 episodes like normal.

At least COVID-19 didn’t take that away from us.

Morgan Doesn’t Seem To Be Changing Anytime Soon

According to the official synopsis that has been released by AMC for the upcoming second half of Fear The Walking Dead Season 6, Morgon does not seem to be changing his ways anytime soon. Per the synopsis:

From this, we can clearly see that Morgan is not backing down anytime soon, and neither is Virginia, so it seems that we could expect plenty of bloodshed in this second half. However, even so, the odds are still pretty stacked against Morgan, as Virginia controls a whole army of rangers, vehicles, and oil fields that power those vehicles. It would be quite surprising to see Morgan somehow pull this one off.

But hey, this was once good-guy Morgan who didn’t kill anything and looked forward to a brighter future, and now here he is as someone completely different. Anything can happen.

The Second Half Will Be Full Of Heartbreaks

According to the chief content officer of The Walking Dead franchise, Scott M. Gimple tweeted out not that long ago, saying that the second half of the season will be filled with “shocks, scares, heartbreaks, and revelations.”

This doesn’t sound that much different from what the show experiences on a daily basis, however, considering each The Walking Dead show has always seemed to have the same amount of heartbreaks and revelations as it does seasons prior. I’d say just keep that box of tissues nearby as fans of these shows always do because no matter what, at some point, we are going to need them.

Since Season 7 has already been ordered for the show and is slated to premiere in 2021, there’s surely going to be some deaths and some drama that pushes the story forward. Fans can only wait and see what type of heartbreaks are going to occur. Let’s just all collectively hope that it’s not Morgan.

That Cryptic Symbol Will Be Answered

Throughout Season 6, there has been this strange cryptic symbol, with the words 'The End is the Beginning,' that has kept popping up, spray-painted by these new strangers of the show that we don’t know that much about. However, it seems that those questions might get answers really soon.

When talking to Comicbook.com, Fear The Walking Dead showrunner Andrew Chambliss said that this group that hasn’t made much of an appearance yet is going to come out – and soon.

With how much civil war has been happening between both Morgan and Virginia’s group, it’s not shocking that a new foe is going to emerge and make life a little more difficult for the survivors.

Watch The Fear The Walking Dead Season 6 Trailer

If you want to tune in and see the sneak peeks that have come out recently to show off the second half of the show, check out the trailer here.

Personally, I’m excited for these new villains – I think all the survivors need a nice wake-up call to unite again once more. What are you excited about in the next episodes of Fear The Walking Dead?

AMC's Fear the Walking Dead has experienced a bit of a second wind with Season 6, which has arguably been the horror drama's most acclaimed season to date. The sectioned-off storytelling really meshed well this time around with the overall narrative, and the cast has been as solid as ever. With the first half of the season having wrapped with Episode 7 and the return of Karen David's Grace, Fear the Walking Dead has released the first big trailer for the back nine episodes, and it's a doozy.

As you can see from the video above, all kinds of excitement is on the way for all the major Fear the Walking Dead characters, with our eyes being particularly drawn to the super-dramatic confrontation between Garret Dillahunt's John and Lennie James' Morgan. The two characters are quite possibly Fear's biggest peacekeepers, and yet John appears ready to rip Morgan's face from his body in the Season 6 trailer.

After Morgan defends himself from John's shoves, John screams that something major that Morgan did was most definitely not his choice to make. It's obviously not clear what that choice was, but it definitely has something to do with John's decision to move forward with his plans to leave and escape from Virginia's clutches. Morgan likely got June involved, and that's not something John is willing to take lightly. But then we see John and Morgan side by side later in the trailer, so either they made up quickly, or the inciting incident got brought up after they reconnected.

And then we have Rubén Blades' Daniel Salazar, who was previously shown to be faking memory loss as a hairdresser in Virginia's camp. Viewers knew he was only faking after he came clean to Morgan, but it looks like someone else will discover his long-con ruse when Fear the Walking Dead returns. It appears to be Colby Minifie's Virginia holding the gun to his head, which doesn't seem like it'll end well for Daniel. Not that I think the show will kill him off completely, especially with this kind of a hard tease, but he'll at least be suffering for a bit.

Let's quickly run through all the other big and interesting moments that popped in Fear the Walking Dead's Season 6 trailer. Somebody's getting buried. Morgan finds a vehicle. John hits a literal dead end. Lucy and Grace are in some kind of a lineup, though we can only assume that'll end slightly less morosely than Negan's introduction on The Walking Dead proper. Maggie Grace's Al and Austin Amelio's Dwight are still partnered up together following Dwight's latest split with Christine Evangelista's Sherry. Of course, it's obviously worth noting that her masked group shows up in the new trailer, so it's possible they'll reconnect once again for something more permanent. Or not.

The biggest moment in the rest of the trailer – at least beyond Dakota potentially being on the chopping block driving through that crowd of zombies – is the first look at new co-star John Glover's character, whom Alycia Debnam-Carter's Alicia calls the "king of the crazies." But who are these crazies that he's reigning over? I mean, besides any number of survivors in this universe. We might as well start the theory train that this dude has some kind of information about Madison's survival.

Fear the Walking Dead will return to AMC for more Season 6 episodes at some point in 2021, though the exact date has yet to be announced.

For a show in a franchise that gets much mileage out of killing off main characters in shocking ways, Fear the Walking Dead has for years been tiptoeing a thin and fine line when it comes to the current fate of Kim Dickens' Madison Clark. Viewers will no doubt remember back in Season 4, when Madison was revealed to have (seemingly) sacrificed herself at the stadium so that Alicia, Nick and others could escape the huge horde. Ever since, fans have speculated that she's still alive out there, and Fear the Walking Dead's showrunners have yet to actually deny that.

Walking Dead and Fear fans are used to show creatives playing coy with narrative details, and the idea of "never say never" when it comes to wild character returns. But as opposed to the flimsiness of past rumors that Corey Hawkins' Heath could return, it actually does sound like Fear the Walking Dead's showrunners Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss have legitimate plans for Madison in the pipeline. But do they actually have such plans, or is this all just one big post-apocalyptic gaslighting display?

First, here's how Ian Goldberg responded to ComicBook.com when asked if Madison was still out there, and if she was possibly the mystery savior responsible for Morgan's survival.

And now below, check out what the showrunner duo told Insider when asked about Madison's potential return (possibly by flashback), and whether or not she's actually dead.

Clearly, Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg are devious robots whose power is derived from the hopeful confusion of television audiences everywhere! Well, okay, it's probably stretching things, since they'd probably have to get some of their power from electrical sources. In any case, the point is that Fear the Walking Dead has yet to give fans a sense of closure with Madison's storyline, and I can't imagine any hardcore viewers are going to just suddenly stop wondering about her just because we've met another 50 characters in the meantime. Perhaps if Sons of Anarchy and Deadwood vet Kim Dickens wasn't so beloved as a person, it would be easier to let go, but it's not happening.

So neither showrunner is willing to say whether or not Madison is still walking among the living, but they aren't exactly denying that she could be the person responsible for saving Morgan's life after he was left for dead by Virginia. They only speak in vague knowables, such as the idea that Morgan doesn't specifically know who the person is. It's going to be very interesting to see how that all plays out, Madison or no Madison.

The topic of Madison's possible return has obviously come up before, but never more strongly than in Season 5, when Alicia herself started to fall into those same belief patterns after finding a series of painted trees that seemed to be promoting her mother's wisdom. Unfortunately Madison-lovers, those painted trees were the work of Colby Hollman's Wes and his spray-painting talents.

Even if Madison IS still alive out there, there are no guarantees that she would easily cross paths with Alicia, Strand, June or Salazar again. Granted, Fear the Walking Dead has proven time and again that people definitely do just randomly run into each other out there in the open world, but it always comes with a grain of TV salt.

Even if Kim Dickens doesn't ever return to Fear the Walking Dead, that's STILL not definitive proof that we'll never see her again. The Dead-verse is likely expanding in the future to incorporate the Tales of the Walking Dead anthology series, which is geared to tell standalone stories featuring new characters, dead characters, and presumably characters whose fates remain mysterious. Unless, of course, the powers that be decide to give Madison Clark her own film series similar to the plans for Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes. Which probably won't happen, but all expectations are on the table with this show.

Fear the Walking Dead is currently on winter hiatus as the crew works on getting the back nine episodes filmed. Viewers can expect to see the show returning to AMC at some point in early 2021, likely in February or March. While waiting, don't forget to check out the two-part Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 1 finale on Sunday, November 29, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. Bookmark our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring TV rundown to see all the new and returning shows on the way.

Spoilers below for the Fear the Walking Dead midseason finale, so be warned!

For the first 35 minutes of its Season 6 mid-year finale, Fear the Walking Dead delivered a super-chilling standalone premise in which Alycia Debnam-Carey's Alicia and Zoe Colletti's Dakota (and Alexa Nisenson's Charlie, to an extent) were trapped in a hunting lodge with a socially functioning lunatic taxidermist. That situation resulted in one of the spinoff's coolest-looking walker attacks yet (which factored in lots of antlers), setting up a gear-shift that brought Morgan, Strand and others into the narrative mix. Oh yeah, and we finally learned what happened to Karen David's long-lost Grace!

Bizarrely enough, this was the first episode of Season 6 in which Alicia and Lennie James' Morgan crossed paths, as she was totally unaware that he survived the wounds he suffered in the Season 5 finale. (It was extremely coincidental that everyone happened upon that hunting lodge, but that's neither here nor there.) It was perfect timing on one hand, with Morgan able to tell Alicia about his new hideaway where Maggie Grace's Al and Austin Amelio's Dwight are currently holed up. But Strand's arrival was less timely, and led to a brief standoff, since he did not want to stray from his original plan. Then, in the final scene, viewers learned about Grace's whereabouts and Virginia's newest plan, so let's dive into those topics.

What Happened To Grace?

Technically, "Damage from the Inside" didn't detail everything that Grace experienced after fans last saw her in Season 5. However, we do know that she has been held captive by Colby Minifie's Virginia for an undetermined amount of time. It's clear that Virginia is treating Grace less harshly than she would other prisoners, considering the latter has a comfortable-looking bed and a book to read, but that's not the only difference here.

Grace's cell, so to speak, is not set up in any kind of a public jailhouse, and is instead quite hidden. One has to go through a locked and guarded fence gate, and then has to find the actual door, which was blocked by a large set of shelves. Keeping mum about Grace's whereabouts was apparently quite important to Virginia, who has been keeping the pregnant woman around as her big secret weapon to use against Morgan if the time ever came. And the time has most definitely arrived.

It's unknown if Grace has had any other roles in Virginia's communities, but it's highly unlikely, since news of her presence would spread around and eventually reach Morgan's ears. It's also unknown if Grace was involved with saving Morgan's life after he was shot, but that also seems unlikely given what transpired with Morgan in the Season 6 premiere. But we can presumably expect more answers to come when new episode arrive in 2021.

What Is Virginia's New Plan?

Rarely has a Fear the Walking Dead character been more uncomfortable than Strand was when he had to tell Virginia that her sister Dakota sided with Alicia and Morgan. Once she made sure Strand was on her side – though he technically isn't, it's still unclear when he will decide to break away from her influence – Virginia made the next step in her big plan quite clear: Strand needs to round up all the Gulch traitors and bring them back to her.

Virginia's choice of action will be interesting to watch when Fear the Walking Dead returns, considering part of her anger is invested in her own sister Dakota opting to double-cross her in favor of the other survivors. (Dakota's decision was of course influenced by Virginia having killed their parents, though we have yet to learn major details about that part of the villain's backstory.) So Virginia will no doubt want to redirect that anger against Morgan and the rest, even though she already hates Morgan as much as she possibly can. Is it possible she will succeed in killing him off before Season 7 gets here?

Probably not, considering it was hinted at in the episode that Alicia and others are willing to work with the spray-paint group (and presumably any other Virginia-opposing groups) as a way to strike at Virginia. If Morgan, Dakota and others are able to team up with those remaining group members to form a larger offensive, that could do a lot more damage to the antagonists than Strand's "take them down from within" plan. Of course, there are no guarantees that everyone will get along very well, and I'm willing to bet there will be several more large-scale conflicts to come.

For now, Fear the Walking Dead has wrapped up the first half of Season 6, while AMC will spend its post-Thanksgiving weekend airing the two-part season finale of The Walking Dead: World Beyond on Sunday, November 29, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what new and returning shows are on the way during FTWD's hiatus, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring premiere guide.

Spoiler warning for those who haven't yet watched the latest episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

Given its alt-timeline, The Walking Dead and its various spinoffs understandably haven't been the most likely places to see televised product placement. That's all changing now, however. For those who wondered why in the world a bottle of Mountain Dew made such a blatant appearance in the early minutes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, it's all thanks to a new marketing push between AMC Networks and PepsiCo. So expect to see more of those kinds of moments in Dead universe's future.

How The Walking Dead: World Beyond Referenced Mountain Dew

"Truth or Dare" largely hinged on a particularly dark military secret being kept by Annet Mahendru's Huck, but the episode also gave her moments of levity and bonding with other characters. Early on, she surprised Nico Tortorella's Felix by sharing with him an unopened bottle of Mountain Dew whose packaging put it around 2010. And that was before the booze came out, too.

Felix was unsurprisingly excited about getting a chance to drink a soda that had gone extinct with the rest of the world, and even questioned its legitimacy. He copped that he will "never stop missing these," and that he used to drink Mountain Dew "like water" back before everything went to hell. Clearly, this was a moment aimed directly at viewers who also miss drinking sugary sodas while fending off the undead, and both PepsiCo and AMC are hoping that the visual reference results in more Mountain Dew being bought in stores.

Also of note was a moment when characters were passing a convenience store, and an older Mountain Dew advertisement could be seen. According to Variety, company employees helped to dig back into their marketing archives both for the bottle design and the 1960s-era signage.

What To Expect From The Walking Dead And PepsiCo In The Future

AMC Networks' senior vice president of integrated marketing Kim Granito stated that bringing that kind of product placement is something the team loved bringing to the live-action series. As well, she noted that those kinds of products will need "authentic" reasons for their appearances, presumably aiming to curb viewers' worries that the Walking Dead shows will start to bow down to the advertising gods. Realistically speaking, though, it's unclear how the shows will bring in other products in ways that don't involve someone finding [fill in the blank] on a scavenging run. I guess if the group would find an abandoned Gatorade factory to stay in one night or something...

Here's how Nicole Portwood, PepsiCo's vice president of marketing for Mountain Dew, put it to Variety.

Considering how much Morgan has loved talking about his peanut butter protein bars in the past, it probably wouldn't be too hard to make him an avid fan of Mountain Dew in future episodes of Fear the Walking Dead. It will probably be somewhat jarring for viewers when those moments occur, considering AMC has only set up on major advertising tie-in within The Walking Dead itself. That involved characters using a green Hyundai Tuscon within episodes as a getaway car, but not much beyond that. As such, it's a pretty big deal for PepsiCo, even though Walking Dead's hold on pop culture is nowhere near what it was during its peak.

Mountain Dew's history with AMC didn't start with just this episode, though. Fans might remember back in 2017 when AMC released the Dew-infused augmented reality app that allowed users to witness walkers in real time. It's reported that in 2019 alone, PepsiCo spent over $69 million on advertising across both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead.

Mountain Dew gave the world one of the best moments of 2020, and while I'll cop to this not exactly being a year full of "best" moments, it was still amazing. I'm talking, of course, about the soda's Super Bowl commercial featuring Bryan Cranston in full Shining mode, which is still a good time to watch. (Cranston is also no stranger to AMC, of course.)

With or without soft drinks on tap, The Walking Dead: World Beyond airs Sunday nights on AMC around 9:00 p.m. ET, right after new episodes of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6. While waiting to see what happens next in this expanding world, head to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring rundown to see what new and returning shows are on the way.

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead!

With the sixth episode of its sixth season, Fear the Walking Dead pulled its character-specific focus in on Jenna Elfman's June and her dauntless efforts to make the world a better place with her medical skillset. Even, as it turned out, at the expense of her most important relationship with Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie. The episode basically worked like an "Event Episode" of a medical drama like Grey's Anatomy or ER, with a major disaster testing everyone's physical and mental mettle.

Given the stress involved, "Bury Her Next to Jasper's Leg" featured quite a few wild character choices and reactions to situations that we have to talk about. The most understandable reaction in the episode? Sarah's genuinely touching response to Daryl Mitchell's return as her brother Wendell, which Mo Collins nailed three times over. Now let's get into the weirder moments!

Paige Taking Herself Out

Fear the Walking Dead's cold open is where the episode title's Jasper came up, and it also featured a compressed roller coaster of choices for the short-lived rebel Paige. Injured and in slight danger, Ellen Locy's Paige is outed by Virginia as being part of the "End is the Beginning" group, plays innocent, gets snappy, takes one of the Pioneers' guns, makes an ominous threat, and finally blows her own head off to avoid going back with Virginia. It was pretty solid foreshadowing to how the group played into the episode's big inciting incident, which is still something of a question mark, as well as dodging Virginia's torturous interrogation tactics.

June Trying To Save Malcolm

It's a zombie apocalypse, June, just like it has been for quite a while now. Clearly it sucks to lose a patient, but let's act like we've been here before. That said, jeebus cripes, Malcolm turned into a walker with WTF speed, so it isn't all on June.

Virginia Torturing Wes

As a villain with a vengeance, Virginia's decision-making skills are on a narrower path than most. But even she had to realize how goddamned stupid it was to carry on an interrogation session in the middle of such an explosive situation. As if she couldn't have painfully extracted information from Wes while transporting him to a different location. In the long run, I don't think she would have saved very much time by taking him and leaving, but it's the principle!

Virginia's Reaction To Being Bitten

For a franchise that hangs so much of its drama on people dying and getting bitten, there have been relatively few scenes in which characters are allowed to react to their potential doom with full-on panicked dread. If I would be writing this show, literally every episode would feature at least one character saying "No..no..no, no! No! No!" So Virginia's reaction itself wasn't as wild as it being utilized in the first place.

June Saving Virginia's Life

Yes, I understand June has a kind and moral soul that was wooed by the idea of getting a hospital, but she could have just started a hospital with Virginia dead. It would not have been too hard to kill Virginia so that she turned into a walker, which would allow June a self-defense excuse to give to Virginia's loyal followers. It would have been complicated, sure, but certainly not as complicated as having to justify allowing Virginia's dictatorship to continue, or losing John.

John Driving Off Without June

While there's wiggle room for John to be taking a detour to pick something up before catching back up with the truck, the worried look on his face made it pretty clear that he opted to make his escape without June by his side. I mean, he also made it very, very clear earlier that he wanted to get away from Virginia's communities no matter what, but June has obviously been his anchor, and he straight up lied to her so hard. Maybe he can go start up that spinoff idea that I'd be super-interested in.

So are the "End Is the Beginning" members only interested in taking out Virginia's communities, or do they have secondary motives? Are any of these people in cahoots with Lauren Cohan's Maggie and Jayne Atkinson's Georgie from The Walking Dead? Does John actually think he can possibly stay away from June for longer than, like, two episodes? So many questions, so much oil wasted.

New episodes of Fear the Walking Dead air Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, followed by new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. While waiting to see what will happen next, keep current with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see the biggest shows still on the way.

Spoilers below for the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, titled "Honey," so be warned.

Just as Fear the Walking Dead fans had gotten comfortable with the happy resolution for Dwight's years-long search to find Sherry, this week's nickname-eponymous episode came along and disrupted the pair's status quo all over again. (I dare not consider the same thing happening to John Dorie and June so soon after their reunion, even though it's probably inevitable.) Dwight and Sherry's relationship wasn't completely shattered by the end of the twisty installment, but Negan's looming shadow had returned and displaced Dwight's happiness once more, which could theoretically set up a temporary return to The Walking Dead proper.

"Honey" revealed to viewers that Christine Evangelista's Sherry is actually part of this season's mystery group, which was mostly made up of former members of Virginia's community. After dropping a reference to the Sanctuary earlier in the episode, Sherry tearfully confessed to Austin Amelio's Dwight that her insistence on taking Virginia down has been directly tied to Negan, and her regrets over not hurting or killing him when she had the chance. It was strange to hear Negan's name on Fear the Walking Dead, but it was definitely meaningful for these characters in particular, so let's speculate about why this would be a great set-up for Dwight to return to the flagship drama before it wraps its final season.

Negan Already Ruined Dwight And Sherry's Lives More Than Once

The image above is a good reminder that the first time Walking Dead fans met Dwight and Sherry, they were attempting to make their first escape from Negan and the Saviors when they crossed paths with Daryl. Unfortunately for them, they were later discovered and taken back to the Sanctuary, where Dwight got his face burned and Sherry suffered an existence as one of Negan's "wives." And even though Dwight became part of Negan's inner circle, he was still treated just barely better than dirt most of the time, and even though his double-agent attempts to set Negan up were eventually successful, a more personal one-on-one revenge is warranted here.

Dwight Deserves A Chance To Go Off On Reformed Negan

By sticking Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan in his basement jail cell for however many years, The Walking Dead has "proven" that Rick's idea of prisoner rehabilitation totally worked the first time they tried it, and on one of the biggest antagonists that fans have met in this universe. But for characters like Maggie and Dwight, Negan will likely never truly finish paying for the wrongs he dealt to them. Viewers also have yet to see these characters' reactions to the new and improved Negan, and I think it would only fuel their rage even more to see him walking around as a free citizen, regardless of how he'd helped out others in the meantime.

Negan Needs To Die For Dwight And Sherry To Let The Past Go

Dwight's emotional state on Fear the Walking Dead has been relatively pleasant, peaking on his adventure with Maggie Grace's Al in Episode 3, which ended in his reunion with Sherry. But Negan, as well as the things Dwight had to do for him, are always in the back of his mind. Sherry hasn't been as successful at mentally compartmentalizing those traumatizing memories, to the point where she's now set her sights on Virginia as a surrogate target for Negan. I'm definitely not judging Sherry for any of that, but I don't think either of these characters – among others who were chewed up and spit out by the Sanctuary – will be able to break free from their histories while Negan is still living and breathing.

It Could Echo The Walking Dead Comic In A Cool (Depressing) Way

The biggest difference between Dwight's TV and comic book storyline was his exit, since he went on to become the leader of Rick's makeshift army in the source material. (Which wouldn't have been entirely possible anyway.) If Dwight made the trek back toward Alexandria to kill Negan at a time when he has allies like Carol, it could be a way for the TV show to remix Dwight's attempt to overthrow the Commonwealth's governor Pamela Milton at gunpoint. Granted, that situation did not go well for Dwight at all thanks to Rick's well-placed bullet, but maybe things would go differently in live-action, and he'd be allowed to lethally stop Negan's entire comic book story from playing out. It'd be even better if Maggie tag-teamed it with him.

Speaking realistically, it's not altogether likely that the Austin Amelio's Dwight will actually show up on The Walking Dead to kill Negan off at any point, due to production scheduling and Jeffrey Dean Morgan being a big draw for many in the Walking Dead fanbase. But it would be a justifiable decision if the creative teams wanted it to happen. The timeline differences wouldn't really factor into it too much, since it could happen at any point down the line. And while it would have been a long shot a few years ago before the crossover tie-ins entered into the stories, it would almost be commonplace at this point. What would all you readers want to see happen? Let us know in the poll below.

With more of a laser focus on its characters' stories in Season 6, Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, followed by The Walking Dead: World Beyond at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Walking Dead is currently in production on new Season 10 episodes that will premiere on AMC at some point during the early months of 2021, with plans for Season 11 to debut its first batch of episodes in October. While waiting for new episodes, stay updated with what's coming to the small screen soon with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

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Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Fear the Walking Dead's "The Key."

For many TV shows out there, separating lead characters for more anthologized storytelling would be a complete disaster. Somehow, though, Fear the Walking Dead has managed to boost the quality of its output by giving Season 6 a more open-world approach to singled-out character narratives. As it turns out, star Garret Dillahunt was more than grateful to sit out the first three episodes, as it allowed him to spend time with his father during the latter's final few months before death, leading to a tribute or two in John's episode.

Just as John Dorie had a strong relationship with his father in the character's backstory, Garret Dillahunt also had a core bond with his own dad. Which meant he was all the more grateful for the showrunners and producers for allowing him a proper chance to step away from the production. Here's how he put it to ComicBook.com:

Given that Season 6 is geared specifically to telling limited-character stories in each episode – with Lennie James' still-surviving Morgan often serving as a narrative through-line – it provided Garret Dillahunt enough of an extended break to stay close to his father up until the end. Beyond that, even, the experience bled into his first episode back, with John Dorie sharing stories about his own father.

In fact, Dillahunt explained that his conversations with Fear the Walking Dead's creative team about his personal issues helped the writers when crafting John's story within "The Key." In his words:

Now, Garret Dillahunt gets to look back on his performance in Episode 4 as a semi-tribute to his presumably proud father. While it's obviously unfortunate to learn that part of John Dorie's story was influenced by something so heartbreaking as a parent's death, "The Key" is one of the most satisfying beginning-to-end Fear the Walking Dead episodes of any season so far, thanks in large part to Dillahunt's measured excellence. (Give this man a spinoff!)

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, followed by new episodes from the debut season of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. While waiting for new episodes that dive back into Dwight and Sherry's story, check out this theory about Virginia's connection to Maggie, and head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what shows are coming soon.

Spoiler warning for those who haven't yet watched Fear the Walking Dead's latest Season 6 installment.

With Season 6's "The Key," Fear the Walking Dead delivered one of its most gripping and well-produced episodes to date, setting up Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie with a murder case he wasn't ever meant to actually solve. Rather, John was caught up in a larger scheme crafted by Colby Minifie's Virginia, who then rewarded him with June's return, all for going with the immoral flow without any major backlash. In praising him before the rest of the community, Virginia again hinted at another huge connection between Fear and the flagship Walking Dead series, by way of Lauren Cohan's Maggie and Jayne Atkinson's Georgie.

As this season has proven quite well, Virginia runs a tight (and often vindictive) ship in which she promotes and ranks her underlings by giving them keys meant to be adorned as proof of one's loyalty and skillset. While viewers no doubt picked up on John's discomfort with accepting Virginia's key knowing that she was responsible for both Cameron and Janis' deaths, what may not have been as obvious was Virginia's specific phrasing during the public event. Check it out below...

For anyone listening closely enough during those moments, Virginia's speech directly recalled the world-rebuilding manifesto that Jayne Atkinson's mysteriously clean-cut Georgie gave to Maggie back in The Walking Dead Season 8 for Episode 12, which was not-so-coincidentally ALSO called "The Key." With references that direct, it would be criminal for Virginia NOT to be connected to Maggie and Georgie somehow.

For those in need of a brief refresher, Georgie first appeared to Maggie, Michonne and Tara asking for crates of vinyl albums and whatever other music was up for grabs, with the promise of sharing her own goods with Hilltop and others. (Also worth noting is that she had a pair of enforcers with her named Midge and Hilda.) By the end of the episode, Georgie revealed that she only wanted a single crate from Maggie, and that she intended to continue her bartering and trading with the Team Family communities in the future. At that point, she gifted Maggie a big instruction-filled book of guidelines, how-tos and more meant to help rebuild civilization. The book's oh-so-relevant title? A Key to a Future, which is almost word for word what Virginia said above, save for some article change-ups.

Granted, Georgie never actually returned to The Walking Dead in the two seasons that came later, though the show did take a few leaps forward in time beyond that point. Maggie (and Lauren Cohan) vacated The Walking Dead in the midst of those time jumps, but the actress and character did indeed return for the most recent episode, "A Certain Doom," which was originally intended to be the Season 10 finale. While viewers still don't have any big inklings on what Maggie was up to during her years away from the core protagonists, she was indeed rocking some western-esque clothing and a cowboy hat when she arrived just in time to save Father Gabriel's life. Though a distinct look for Maggie, it's one that called to mind the aesthetic that Virginia and her group have become known for on Fear the Walking Dead.

To this point, I can't recall any moments when Virginia or her sister Dakota made references that could be directly tied back to Georgie herself, in the sense of them talking about a bespectacled blonde woman with a van full of weird shit. But the fact that Virginia is espousing a warped version of Georgie's societal mission still makes me quite suspicious that those two plot lines will end up being connected at some point down the road, presumably in a non-optimistic way.

Considering a recent episode reunited Austin Amelio's Dwight and Christina Evangelista's Sherry for the first time since The Walking Dead Season 7, and also considering how Fear introduced Beta's musical backstory long before TWD brought its explanation, it doesn't seem like a very big stretch of the imagination to imagine that Virginia and Maggie crossed paths at some point over the years. (Not to mention World Beyond's big reveal regarding the group that took Rick Grimes.) With the flagship series' distant endgame now in place, and plans for spinoffs in development, Scott Gimple & Co. might indeed be looking for more ways to connect the respective shows' dots.

What do you think about these key-centric connections, dear readers? Do you think Georgie was a mentor to Virginia in the past, or is possibly even related to her and Dakota? Or is the "key to the future" idea just a universal concept for post-apocalyptic survivors to hang onto while trying to bring civilization back in the midst of the post-apocalypse?

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, followed by new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. While waiting for new episodes, be sure and head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows on the way soon.

Spoilers below for Episode 4 of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6.

With Fear the Walking Dead's creative team having taken on a more anthologized avenue to the storytelling for Season 6, it obviously means some characters are getting left by the wayside from week to week. The latest installment, "The Key," finally brought Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie back into the narrative to make sense of a mysterious death for Colby Minifie's Virginia and earning one of her keys in the process. It was easily one of the series' best episodes from start to finish, so can we agree that, if AMC is happy to keep the Walking Dead universe alive through spinoffs, Garret Dillahunt definitely deserves at least one of them?

Specifically, though, the episode makes it quite clear that Garret Dillahunt's John Dorie should absolutely be at the center of a "private investigator solving an important murder" spinoff. Even if it's just one season, even if that one season is only like six or eight episodes, even if those episodes are only 22 minutes long. So let's go over a few reasons why it should happen, shall we?

Garret Dillahunt Is A+ Talent In The Walking Dead Franchise

Even if John Dorie was an absolute garbage character, which is definitely not the case, Garret Dillahunt has the chops to make any character worthy of viewers' attention. He quickly became one of Fear the Walking Dead's more sympathetic and engaging survivors upon entering the show in Season 4, and while I understand that this series is perfectly comfortable with bouncing between its plots and characters, any episode that lacks John Dorie is one that very likely isn't hitting its full dramatic potential. So to have a season full of episodes that focus mainly on John would be the chef's kiss of Dead-based offshoots.

Garret Dillahunt Excels In Any TV Genre

There's no denying that some of the inherent enjoyment in John Dorie comes from Garret Dillahunt's TV legacy, particularly his dual roles on Deadwood. (It's the same feeling that came with fellow Deadwood alum Timothy Olyphant's arrival in the Star Wars universe via The Mandalorian.) But Dillahunt doesn't just shine in modern westerns, though he also rocked in Justified. He's been aces in everything from comedies like Raising Hope, The Mindy Project and The Guest Book to dramas such as The 4400, Hand of God and The Gifted. He hasn't yet been the lead in a post-apocalyptic murder-mystery – so few actors have – but "The Key" was basically a prototype for that concept, and he nailed every second. He's good for fight scenes, for "pulling his teeth out of his head with pliers" scenes, and everything in between.

John Dorie Remains Dedicated To Justice

Even though he may not have been around as long as Norman Reedus' Daryl and Melissa McBride's Carol, who are getting their own spinoff in the future, John is reminiscent of Rick Grimes in that he never lost the instincts he picked up as a cop, and has almost never lost sight of the importance of truth and justice, even in a setting without any official law and order. Considering how many characters in The Walking Dead's universe have proven themselves to be selfish assholes without true loyalty, John remains a pillar reminding everyone what the world used to be like. Even though he was inevitably revealed to be a pawn in Virginia's plot against Janis, John tried his damnedest to actually solve the case, and that's what counts here.

But It's More Interesting When John's Morals Are Tested

Detective TV shows and murder-mysteries aren't very fun whenever the investigator is a complete goody two shoes always going by the book, but it's also not fun to watch someone who breaks the rules 100% of the time. Rather, it's more enjoyable and more important when those characters are put into predicaments where their values and mettle are stretched to the point of breaking, which is exactly what "The Key" did by giving John the ultimate reward for his role in Virginia's scheme. Though he reached the frustration point where he was ready to take Janis and leave, completely threatening his future well-being, he was brow-beaten into place. And then, in an orchestrated twist of fate, Jenna Elfman's June arrived at John's doorstep, having been transferred as John's discrete prize. I can't imagine he'll give up their relationship for the sake of Janis and Cameron's wrongful deaths, which makes John that much more interesting as a character.

Does everyone agree with me, or am I just a superfan alone on an island shaped like John Dorie's hat? Let us know in the comments below.

Fear the Walking Dead airs every Sunday night on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, followed by new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. While waiting to see what happens next, stay current with everything hitting primetime soon with our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, titled "Alaska."

The third episode of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 initially appeared to be a buddy adventure dramedy between Maggie Grace's Al and Austin Amelio's Dwight, but the final sequence delivered the not-exactly-unexpected reunion that franchise fans have been waiting ages to see come to fruition. No, not between Al and Isabelle, since Al gave up her shot at that reconnection. Instead, I'm talking about Dwight finally meeting up again with Christine Evangelista's Sherry.

Dwight and Sherry's loving embrace was a long time a-coming, with the latter having first exited the world of The Walking Dead back in Season 7. It's been quite a few years since Dwight hit the road looking for her, and it wasn't entirely clear if he and Sherry would ever find each other again. In fact, Austin Amelio told TVLine that even he wasn't fully convinced that the showrunners would be able to get the two characters back together again. When asked about shooting the estranged couple's emotional reunion, Amelio said:

Austin Amelio was basically just sent along for the ride whenever he got written out of The Walking Dead proper at the end of Season 8, only to be brought back into the fold for Fear's fifth season. And it sounds like the actor was steered into Season 6 without a very detailed map for where Dwight's story was heading. So that had to be a sweet surprise for him when the showrunners and producers were able to sign Christine Evangelista for however many episodes Sherry will be around for. Even if she's around all season, though, the anthologized episode structure would likely limit her appearances somewhat.

I think the question we're all asking ourselves right now is: could the writers have ever set Dwight up with another love interest and "have that be a whole thing," as he put it? Even though a romantic relationship with Al wouldn't be in the cards at all, it was still nice to see Dwight as jovial and easy-going as he was in this latest Fear the Walking Dead episode, so perhaps he could have found someone else out there to be his honey. But no need to worry about that anymore...at least for now.

Fans no doubt assumed that Dwight's hunt for Sherry would eventually lead to success, especially since Christine Evangelista's return was first announced very early in 2020. Given this franchise's penchant for putting characters through deep traumas, however, it wouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility for Fear the Walking Dead to bring Sherry back for her own mini-storyline leading up to a reunion with Dwight, only to have her get killed off before they met up again. Thankfully, that wasn't at all the case here.

Below is how co-showrunner Andrew Chambliss explained to EW the decision to set up Sherry's return as it happened in "Alaska":

Fortunately for all viewers with attention spans that rival the show's walkers, Fear the Walking Dead will apparently return to Sherry's story in just two weeks. And now that Sherry is around in Dwight's life again, is it time to start theorizing about Kim Dickens' Madison making a return in Season 6, or are we past that?

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET. While waiting to see what happens next with this couple, as well as with Garret Dillahunt's John and Jenna Elfman's June, check out our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way soon.

Spoiler warning for those who have not yet watched the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead!

With the first two episodes of Fear the Walking Dead's format-shifting sixth season having given fans more insight into Morgan's gangrenous survival and Strand's promotion in Virginia's crew, the third installment focused almost entirely on Maggie Grace's Al and Austin Amelio's Dwight as they documented their mission to retrieve supplies and survivors, among other things. (Old, hot beer!) Al revealed her ulterior motive of making another connection with Sydney Lemmon's Isabelle, but inevitably gave up her goal for the sake of Dwight and others, leading to quite an emotional reunion.

Having followed the CRM helicopter group's movements via radio, Al planned to cross paths with a supply drop atop a high-rise building. But after a highly stressful and plague-rat-filled trip to the roof, which included the discovery of a new group of ailing survivors, Al chose to shoot a flare up and sent the incoming chopper away with a difficult message to Isabelle. That decision thwarted what might have been her only chance to escape her current situation with Virginia, which obviously sucks. However, Al did locate a supply of medicine to help those in the building return to health, and more importantly for Fear the Walking Dead fans, her flare captured the attention of Christine Evangelista's Sherry, who reunited with Dwight for the first time since The Walking Dead Season 7.

During a Fear the Walking Dead press event that took place ahead of Season 6's premiere, I asked star Maggie Grace how she felt about Al's big sacrifice, and here's what she told me:

Perhaps if Al and Isabelle had a more organic relationship that wasn't formed through suspicions, deaths, and rule-breaking, she might have been that much more open to going away and not looking back. Or perhaps if she had been paired with someone other than Dwight that didn't also have a long, lost love out there somewhere. Or if she and Dwight didn't come into contact with all those sick people. Alas, things happened as they did, and presumably for good reason.

Of course, it's technically possible that Al might not have survived the helicopter's arrival. Al and Dwight were warned earlier in the episode that the last person who went up to the roof to check out the helicopter situation was shot in the head for his efforts. (It was his rotting body that Al and Dwight found outside the building.) Al was obviously optimistic about her chances, given her connection with Isabelle, but there's no real guarantee that she would have been allowed to go off and have a happy life with the Beer Lady. At least, that's what I'll keep telling myself to further justify her sacrifice.

In the end, I cannot lie that seeing Dwight and Sherry's reunion did a hell of a job of making Al look heroic, in a sense, for choosing to stick around and call off the helicopter. Especially after seeing the loving video that Dwight made for Al to watch during her trip out. Still, though, I cannot deny how much I wish Al would be able to head out and share the "greatest story she's never told." At least Isabelle sounded kinda sad when they stopped talking. I mean, that probably shouldn't make me feel better, but still.

During the press event, both Colman Domingo and Maggie Grace spoke more about "Alaska" when asked how they felt about these more anthologized episodes as compared to past seasons that focused on everyone in the larger ensemble each week.

Interestingly enough, this episode started off not with Al and Dwight, but on a cold open featuring Lennie James' Morgan and Brigitte Kali Canales' Rachel, both of whom are familiar with characters sacrificing themselves for the greater good. (Speaking mostly of Rachel's late husband Isaac in this case.) Morgan is determined to go off and find Karen David's Grace again, with the idea of bringing her bundle of joy back to eventually have some playtime with Rachel's baby, also named Morgan. Here's hoping James' and David's characters have a better shot of reconnecting than Al and Isabelle.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Season 6 episodes every Sunday night on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage, and keep up to date with our 2020 Fall TV premiere lineup to see what else is hitting the small screen before 2021 arrives.

Spoilers below for those who haven't yet watched the second episode of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6.

After setting Virginia up with the disappointing news that Morgan survived her multiple attempts to take him out, Fear the Walking Dead gave viewers a better look into the female villain's mindset with Episode 2, "Welcome to the Club." Rather surprisingly, her plan has seemingly become to turn Strand into the leader of a Morgan-hunting army after she witnessed the way he handled that sticky batch of molasses walkers. Virginia even gave Strand one of those keys that first came up in the Season 6 premiere.

During a recent Fear the Walking Dead press event, stars Colby Minifie, Maggie Grace, Colman Domingo and Alycia Debnam-Carey spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets about the early days of Season 6 and what fans can expect from the future. When I asked about Virginia's somewhat strange usage of physical keys while acting out plans to find the metaphorical keys to her group's survival, here's what Minifie had to say:

Now, fans probably could have surmised that detail just from watching Episode 2 and picking up on the context clues, such as Virginia and all of her Pioneer pals proudly boasting their special keys on their shirts. Not to mention Strand earning one for his work in taking out the ooey-gooeyest zombie herd of the post-apocalypse. But to have it confirmed that the keys are specifically Virginia's gold-star reward system offers up additional insights beyond what was shown in the episode.

For one, the keys represent Virginia's lingering sense of humanity and her particular brand of hierarchical living, which is definitely unlike most of the villains viewers have seen before in the Dead-verse series. As well, she is obviously protective and impulsive when it comes to her sister Dakota, who serves as another source of vulnerability. Thus, Virginia's not a complete anarchist, she's not a full-on tyrant, and she clearly views people as more than just sheep and/or machines.

That said, she doesn't view them as "free" in most cases, and takes pleasure in ruling over her worker communities, which is where she certainly falls short of becoming a traditional protagonist. Nobody is out of the woods yet, of course, but combined with the keys serving as a measured look into how Virginia's thinks, her single-minded plan to target Morgan will likely allow for Strand, Daniel and others to figure out a way to take her down from within.

Not that Colby Minifie's Virginia is the only threat that Morgan and others have to worry about in Season 6. The premiere episode also introduced a particular duo whose spray-painted message – "The End Is the Beginning" – served as the installment's title. While it wasn't necessarily clear if those characters were meant to be "good" or "bad," so to speak, Colby Minifie's limited insight makes them sound quite menacing indeed. Here's how she put it:

Of course, it's entirely possible that Virginia would be just as scared of a group of so-called heroes as she would a group of foes even more depraved than she is. For all we know at the moment, those "End Is the Beginning" dudes might very well be Morgan's saving grace by the time the first half of Season 6 comes to a close. I mean, it probably won't happen that way, but it could. However it goes, I do hope that fans get to see Virginia getting the shit scared out of her, since that would be an intriguing visual. Dear readers, what say you all about these mysterious characters? Let us know in the comments.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET. While waiting for new Season 6 semi-standalone episodes to arrive, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates and stay updated on what else is hitting the small screen with our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule.

Over the years, The Walking Dead has gone from a television show to a massive onscreen franchise. The zombie apocalypse will continue on through spinoffs and even movies, with Fear The Walking Dead marking the first side project of this kind. Said spinoff is currently in its whopping sixth season on AMC, with no signs of slowing down. Season 6 of Fear is making a major change to its format, with showrunner Ian Goldberg recently explaining this pivot.

In its sixth season in the air, Fear The Walking is going to be functioning more as an anthology series, with each episode more disconnected from a major overarching plot. This will open new storytelling opportunities up, but it definitely going to be an adjustment for fans who didn't expect such a departure. Showrunner Ian Goldberg opened up about this process alongside fellow showrunner Andrew Chambliss, saying:

Color me intrigued. While Fear The Walking Dead will be making a departure from its usual format, it looks like this change has been energizing for those involved in the zombie drama. And as such, fans will be treated to a different type of storytelling between the all-too-familiar apocalypse. Just how this all shakes out remains to be seen.

Ian Goldberg's comments to DigitalSpy show how much is changing for Fear The Walking Dead in Season 6. The spinoff has consistently presented bold narrative choices throughout the course of its run on AMC. The location and starring cast is constantly changing, with main characters dying even more frequently than the original series. So there's no telling what's in store for this new season of Fear.

Fear The Walking Dead's sixth season started just lat night, with the premiere episode titled "The End Is the Beginning." Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss wrote the episode in addition to serving as showrunners. The episode picked up on Lennie James' Morgan, with the fate of the rest of the starring cast left ambiguous for the time being. And while fans will have to wait before seeing what happened to the other survivors, the Season 6 premiere was a deep dive back into Morgan's POV.

In addition to Fear The Walking Dead, the horror franchise will continue with the main Walking Dead series as well as the new spinoff World Beyond. Additionally, both Rick Grimes and Michonne have the possibility of returning for big screen adventures, as the property continues to grow.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Fear The Walking Dead as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Spoilers below for the Season 6 premiere for AMC's Fear the Walking Dead.

After a cold open that introduced a new potential threat by way of the episode's titular phrase "The End Is the Beginning," Fear the Walking Dead provided a more clear update on Morgan's unexpected whereabouts with the start of Season 6. Left shot and bleeding in the Season 5 finale, Morgan managed to survive more than a month after that particular plight, and the gangrenous nature giving him those red eyes also gave him the somewhat miraculous advantage of not being targeted by walkers.

Lennie James and other Fear the Walking Dead cast members recently spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets about the first few episodes of Season 6, and the actor talked about how much he enjoyed the different and new ways Morgan has been used from season to season. When asked about Morgan's Carol-esque turn in the Season 6 premiere, during which he actively tried to avoid Isaac's assistance and companionship, here's how James answered:

I cannot lie, Morgan's water tower abode was pretty badass, as somewhat hard as it is to believe that it exists. And if he made that all happen in part to make sure Karen David's Grace has a safe and sound place to call home at some point in the future after she returns to the show, then it's that much more of a bummer that it got demolished by Demetrius Grosse's short-lived Josiah LaRoux. Of course, he's also being motivated by his mystery savior that saved him from walkers and patched up his wounds.

Much as he may have wanted to fight against the instinct at first, Morgan went along with the secret-hiding Isaac to find his pregnant wife, which definitely served as a surrogate situation for the pregnant Grace. Plus, it got Morgan to go buck on a bunch of walkers at the same time. And on top of all that, Isaac reversed Morgan's death wish by taking the infection-causing bullet out of his body before it went the whole nine yards and turned him into a walker. Unless what he said was legit, and "Morgan Jones is dead" now.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 is obviously starting later than usual seasons do, with pandemic shutdowns and other reasons going into new episodes being pushed until later in 2020. (The Walking Dead dealt with its own issues in finally getting episode 1016 in front of viewers.) That long delay meant none of the Fear cast members could really talk much about what viewers would be getting when Season 6 started. During the aforementioned press event, I asked Lennie James how he felt about having to keep Morgan's fate a secret for around six months longer than he usually had to keep premiere episode secrets. He answered with:

Considering this first episode focused entirely on Morgan's storyline – to the point where a baby was named after him – it intentionally left a whole lot of unanswered questions about the key that Josiah had around his neck, as well as what's happening with most of the other characters in this show. Now that Virginia knows for sure that Morgan is alive and capable of beheading others, it'll be interesting to see how she reacts. She looked a little too scared for her own good in my eyes.

Fear the Walking Dead is now back in full for Season 6, which airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, right before brand new episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. While waiting for Sunday night to get here, check out our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to stay up to date with all the new and returning shows on the way, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more exclusive content from Fear the Walking Dead and other shows in AMC's horror drama universe.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 is finally set to kick off on October 11, helping to end AMC's extended zombie drought. Even though the premiere was supposed to happen much earlier this year, the show's stars and creative team have largely remained mum about what audiences can expect to see from the new episodes. Thankfully, a brand new Season 6 trailer is here with live-action confirmation that Lennie James' Morgan survived the Season 5 finale, though there's something not quite right about him.

Check out Morgan's red eyes and lots of foreshadowing about a particularly deadly event in the exclusive Fear the Walking Dead trailer below!

Though he was shot and basically left for dead in the Season 5 finale, Morgan Jones is a survivor, y'all! Granted, he's not exactly looking the part in the trailer above. His hair has completely grown out all over his head, his eyes are now redder than Colby Minifie's hair, and he's apparently been out on his own for a while, with all of the other protagonists having been shipped off to various communities ruled over by Virginia.

Morgan might look and act a little differently, but he's still quick to bring his trusty staff up at the first sign of danger.

It's not immediately clear who Morgan is talking to in that moment. His memory doesn't appear to be warped, considering his dialogue early on about finding a new safe spot for everyone to stay, so it's likely someone he actually doesn't know. But who? Could it be the confirmed-to-return Christine Evangelista as Dwight's long lost love Sherry? Or maybe someone from the CRM helicopter group?

But while Morgan obviously isn't dead, it looks like Fear the Walking Dead will deliver quite a few deaths early on in Season 6, though the details are obviously being kept secret for now. But one can assume that it won't all be nameless villains from Virginia's group, since Danay García's Luciana mentions that "good people died here today," which may or may not have something to do with that big explosion at the end of the trailer.

Arguably the most ominous moment in the trailer is Garret Dillahunt's trip to the makeshift cemetery, and with the words "Is Dead" on display, no less. We don't know who his character John Dorie would be mourning in such a way, but that feeling is likely also there during John's other shot in the trailer. The most obvious guess would be that something will happen to Jenna Elfman's June, though I don't think they'd tease that potential whopper right there in the trailer. Perhaps something ends up happening to Maggie Grace's Althea, considering she's barely in the Season 6 trailer.

Clearly, Demetrius Grosse's new character Emile will be a particularly deadly force in Season 6, as just about all of his trailer moments involve some violent act. (Virginia probably doesn't bring a lot of pacifists into the Pioneers.) But will he be responsible for killing off any of the protagonists?

And then just to keep things even more mysterious, Fear the Walking Dead also dropped a masked horse rider into the mix. Granted, that might just be Dwight trying to keep his identity hidden from Virginia's crew. Or it might be someone else entirely.

Find out what everything in the trailer means when Season 6 hits AMC on Sunday, October 11, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Fear will be bundled together with its fellow spinoff Walking Dead: World Beyond, making weekends that much most post-apocalyptic for the rest of 2020. While waiting for more zombie mayhem, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

Because time is a severely warped circle these days, it's baffling to think that Fear the Walking Dead has been keeping Morgan's Season 5 fate a secret ever since September 2019. That need for secrecy has obviously lasted longer than anyone thought it might, since TV productions and release schedules have been in flux since March. But Season 6 now has a locked-in release date on AMC in October, and the cast and crew got together to tease what's coming soon for the characters when the show returns. But what about Morgan?

To be expected, everyone involved was a lot quicker to talk about all the other characters beyond Morgan, while Lennie James' protagonist got the short end of the explanation stick. Fear the Walking Dead's Comic-Con@Home panel opened up with an extended Season 6 teaser, followed by moderator Chris Hardwick asking showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg if Morgan was okay. Their answer was beyond vague, though it had a purely pessimistic vibe, despite the jokiness involved.

We can all assume Scott Gimple is talking about blood, but after being shot and left for dead by Colby Minifie's Virginia, Morgan could probably down a few beers as well. (R.I.P. Jimbo.) The character's chances were seemingly lowered even more in the footage we've seen from Season 6 so far. It's chilling to see his eyes go completely red like they did in the trailer's final seconds, since I can't imagine a cause that isn't just "yeah, he's definitely a walker now." A fan question was posed about Morgan's red eyes, and Andrew Chambliss at least confirmed that Morgan isn't bothered by pollen. In his words:

The character that now has possession of Morgan's stuff delivered a warning that was ominous for all the reasons. He went looking for Morgan's body and didn't find it, and though he almost definitely assumes that Morgan is a walker now, fans still have a sliver of hope that such villainous assumptions are destined to be thwarted. We can hope for Morgan to come swooping in at the most opportune time to save Alicia, Strand and other characters from Virginia, only to explain later that every single blood vessel inside his head burst, leading to his gross red eyes. Or that he stumbled into a food coloring processing plant and fell into a vat eyeball-first. Something along those lines.

While Lennie James didn't quite address the question of Morgan's fate head-on, he did field a fan question regarding his burgeoning relationship with Karen David's Grace in a way that touched upon his hopes for the future. (Sure, he's probably just versed in how to answer these kinds of spoiler-avoiding questions, but still.) In his words:

Is there a potential future where a non-walker Morgan not only still alive, but is healthy enough to engage in a romantic relationship with Grace, even if they're not running across hills? The ayes don't have it if Morgan's eyes are a sign. Check out the Season 6 trailer below and judge for yourself what Morgan's situation will be when the new episodes arrive.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 is set to premiere on AMC on Sunday, October 11, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more on the show, and bookmark our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what else is premiering during the back half of 2020.

Fear the Walking Dead ended Season 5 on a vastly dour note for all of the protagonists, most of whom got separated from one another by Colby Minifie's Virginia and her group of Pioneers. That wasn't exactly the case for Morgan, however. He was shot and left to be walker food by Virginia, and the finale ended on him sharing a radio message for the others to "just live." Fans have debated Morgan's survival chances, and Lennie James has offered an update that is both cryptic and worrisome.

The fact that Fear the Walking Dead even kept Morgan's fate open for debate made it seem likely that he will be heading down the road to recuperation whenever Season 6 arrives. Lennie James spoke with NME about Morgan's future and he offered a fully expected "can't say anything just yet" answer. However, when the actor was asked if he missed starring on The Walking Dead proper, his response was a rather ominous and bothersome one.

Considering no one had brought up The Walking Dead giving fans its take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, it's a bit strange that Lennie James would automatically assume that it could only be Morgan's ghost that would return to The Walking Dead. Why wouldn't he be able to travel back and visit the flagship series' characters in a way that wouldn't necessitate him dying and existing in a non-corporeal form?

The only answer that really makes any sense, of course, is that Morgan Jones is definitely going to die soon on Fear the Walking Dead, even if it might not happen in the premiere. After all, it's absolutely believable that showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg would figure out a way to keep Morgan alive through the first episode back, only to kill him off after that point.

Even if another surprise character swooped in right at the nick of time in order to save Morgan from the walkers coming for a chow-down, it would probably still take some kind of medical professional to reverse the effects of his gunshot wounds. It's not completely out of the realm of possibilities, but it's a stretch.

Compare the earlier answer to how Lennie James responded when asked directly about Morgan's fate after the Season 5 finale cliffhanger:

Considering Lennie James is going to be doing all kinds of promotional work for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, I certainly hope Morgan is alive for at least part of the season. Otherwise, the actor is going to be making up a lot of answers that won't be very placating for the fanbase.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 currently doesn't have a release date set, and the spinoff's Texas-based production was shut down along with the rest of the industry here in the U.S. We do know that the plan is to air the season after the Walking Dead: World Beyond spinoff airs its first of two seasons; that show's premiere date was delayed to a currently unknown point in the future.

Check out our TV finale rundown for all the other shows that might be dropping cliffhanger endings soon, and then our Summer 2020 TV premiere schedule will clue fans in on what other premieres are currently confirmed for the future.

Major spoilers below for the latest episode of The Walking Dead, titled "Look at the Flowers."

After the shocking death/beheading of Samantha Morton's Alpha, everyone knew that her second-in-command Beta would flip the fuck out at some point. While that's definitely still going to happen, this week's episode gave the hulking behemoth some time to mourn in his own unsettling ways. Thankfully enough, his reflective side-trek gave fans had an upswing for fans, in that it finally confirmed who Beta was before The Whisperers and before the walker outbreak.

After a brief easter egg previously popped up in Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 that hinted at Ryan Hurst's Beta potentially being a musician in his past life, The Walking Dead's latest episode offered some definitive proof on that front. It turns out Beta was formerly a country-western-esque act who went by the stage name Half Moon. And one who was apparently famous enough to have a live album get a vinyl release.

How The Walking Dead Revealed Beta's Identity

It all started with Beta's rage-inducing discovery of Alpha's head shoved atop one of the border's stakes. After making it painfully clear to his fellow Whisperers that he would never be interested in taking on the Alpha title, Beta set out on a pilgrimage of sorts, as "advised" by Alpha's zombified head.

Beta ended up inside the trashed-up remains of the Grand Hotel, located in a small area's rinky-dink downtown strip. Whoever had settled there most recently had definitely been a musician, with lots of guitars scattered around the main living quarters, as well as tons of vinyls to go with a record player. (Not to mention what appeared to be a suicide note written as if it were song lyrics: "These 2 eyes see 1 truth.")

Before Beta found the album that definitively revealed his pre-outbreak identity, he saw a blood-spattered Half Moon poster on the wall advertising a live concert with "the legend himself for one night only," speaking to just how popular the musician was before the shit hit the fan around the globe. Especially since Ryan Hurst is only 43 years old, which means he would have still been in his early 30s when he was dubbed a legend playing "one night only" shows.

Seeing that poster made Beta completely flip out. Not only did he rip the poster off the wall, but he also smashed an acoustic guitar over anything in reach. After calming down, though, Beta discovered the vinyl for his Live in Concert album recorded in Austin. Instead of smashing it to bits, Beta actually decides to listen to it. Not so much as an ego trip, mind you.

Beta sets speakers up so that the music is blasting through the nearby area, which draws in a huge crowd of walkers for Beta to lead back to the Whisperers. He legitimately smiles as it's happening – he smiles! – and uses the occasion to fully fix up his mask, after Thora Birch's Mary had ripped it during their scuffle. Fittingly, he used skin from Alpha's walker head to complete the look.

How Beta Found Alpha And Revealed His Identity In The Comic Book

It's perfectly understandable why showrunner Angela Kang and her creative team chose to change the comic layout for how Beta discovered Alpha's death. Instead of finding her head, as it went in the TV show, Comic Beta discovered only her headless body, since Negan took her head to deliver to Rick as proof of his loyalty to the cause. Without Rick around anymore on the show, it was more important to use Alpha's head as a psychological weapon against her followers.

Unlike how things went in the TV show, The Walking Dead comic book didn't much draw attention to Beta's real identity, beyond showing how important it was for him to keep his mask on at all times. To the point where he had zero problem killing fellow Whisperers if they try to remove it.

Later into the Whisperers War, Comic Beta discovered Aaron and Jesus sleeping in the forest, and after a brief rumble, he got shot through the chest. Before he actually died, Jesus and Aaron lifted his mask and were shocked to discover that Beta was actually a famous former basketball player, which played into the villain's height and his surprising agility for someone so large. Frighteningly enough, Beta temporarily gains consciousness only to holler out that he doesn't have a name before fully falling victim to his wounds.

With the Whisperers War set to kick into high gear in the future (though we won't get the proper Season 10 finale until later this year), The Walking Dead has two episodes left in its current run, and airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m.