The Major Advantage 'Fear' Has Over 'The Walking Dead'

With Fear the Walking Dead being touted as the superior Walking Dead show by several media outlets [...]

By Brandon Davis

With Fear the Walking Dead being touted as the superior Walking Dead show by several media outlets lately, it's clear the AMC show has one advantage over the original flagship series: it's not based on a comic book.

While having a comic book serving as source material is beneficial for many TV shows and movies, especially when they're new and trying to build a buzz. Fans are able to gossip about expectations and what's next. However, as a series becomes a juggernaut as The Walking Dead has, any deviation from the source material becomes frowned upon by fans. At the same time, if it follows its source material's narrative without a change, others will call it predictable.

In fact, there are examples of both cases possibly hurting The Walking Dead.

When it comes to following the source material, the AMC show saw major backlash in killing Glenn Rhee in its Season Seven premiere. However, the brutal death at the hands of newcomer villain Negan was ripped straight from the pages of one of the best-known single issues of the comic book series. The show was highly criticized for killing the fan-favorite character and the violence which came with it but both aspects were laid out by the source material.

Flashforward 24 episodes, and the show shocks fans by killing Carl Grimes. Carl is very much alive in the comics but the AMC series decided his time was up in a death which no one saw coming, proving the show still has the ability to shock fans, but infuriated the comic fans who believe he was supposed to be crucial for the series. The death ended up having a sturdy payoff and influence on the episodes which followed but many fans and critics continue to hold a grudge in the wake of Chandler Riggs' exit from the show.

Fear the Walking Dead, however, does not have either of these problems. While the first two seasons of the show were a little rough, struggling to find an intriguing pace and narrative, the sibling series to The Walking Dead found its footing in Season Three. The Season Three premiere, in fact, killed off the character many suspected to be the main protagonist and guess what? No one saw it coming.

Then comes Sunday's shocking Episode 4x03. A fan-favorite character took a bullet out of nowhere and perished. While this was ultimately a result of an actor requesting to exit the show, there was little backlash in the aftermath of the shocking death. There was heartbreak and awe but no one was left to cry out that Fear the Walking Dead is "dead to them" because of a deviation or crazy twist from any source material.

Fear the Walking Dead, while it is now working with a character from The Walking Dead, has no limits on its creative choices. With no source material, all story elements have the ability and freedom to come as a surprise. Such a factor has lent itself to the series becoming one of the best shows on television, as the popularity of The Walking Dead helped it sustain its rougher early seasons.

Do you think Fear the Walking Dead being free of any source material or comic book expectations has helped the show progress beyond The Walking Dead? Sound off in the comment section!

The Walking Dead will return for its ninth season in the fall. Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

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