Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to Fear the Walking Dead. Taking place well before its sister-series, the sort-of-prequel depicts what the world looked like at the rise of the walker apocalypse.
AMC released the first three minutes of the premiere earlier this week, and now, for extra guidance in dealing with the infected, here are five things to expect from Fear the Walking Dead.
It’s Got A Stellar Cast
You may have to fear the walking dead, but you don’t have to fear the show’s spectacular cast. AMC’s counterpart series is stacked with talent, elevating the horror-drama. Kim Dickens, who plays Madison, has a resume filled with TV credits that some actors only ever dream of. She’s been in some seriously well-regarded series, including House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy, Treme, Friday Night Lights, Lost, and Deadwood. You may also remember her from last year’s smash hit Gone Girl, in which she played Det. Rhonda Boney.
Rounding out the rest of the cast is the equally stellar Cliff Curtis, who plays Travis Manawa, Madison’s boyfriend; Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark; and, of course, Frank Dillane as the drug-addicted Nick Clark. If Dillane looks familiar to you, it’s probably because he played Tom Riddle in the Harry Potter franchise, and now he’s running away from the infected because a Hogwarts curse can never truly be undone.
They’re “Infected,” Not Zombies
You got that? The zombies aren’t referred to as such in Fear the Walking Dead because according to creator Robert Kirkman, the word does not exist in this world. Instead, they’re referred to as the “infected,” and Mercedes Mason, who plays survivor Ofelia, says that the infected won’t look like the zombies on The Walking Dead. According to her, they will “look like your neighbor…[but] now he’s trying to eat your face off.” Aw, so sweet!
Get Ready for One, Big, Modern, Dysfunctional Family
At the center of the show is a blended family. Madison and her boyfriend, Travis, have just moved in together. As a couple, they bring their respective children – three all together. Madison is a guidance counselor and Travis is an English teacher, because if anyone is prepared for the rise of the undead, it’s those employed to educate the young. Through the eyes of the family, the despair and struggle of dealing with the supernatural occurrence are heightened. Take Madison, for example, who Dickens says “just has her own mama-bear instincts.”
Oh, You’ll Be Scared All Right
Though the undead aren’t referred to as zombies, the “infected” are just as frightening. Because the infected move even quicker than the walkers on The Walking Dead, the scares in the new show are rapid and, at times, unexpected. There are several spine-tingling moments in the premiere that will have viewers excited for the rest of the season – and, of course, scared.
There Are No Plans for a Crossover (Yet)
Sorry, Daryl Dixon fans. Neither he nor anyone from The Walking Dead will be making an appearance on the spinoff. A fan can dream though, right? Fortunately, executive producer Dave Erickson told Us that though “there are no crossover plans,” he added, “I would love to see those stories conflate at some point!”
Uh, yes please!
Fear the Walking Dead premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.
