Movies

'The Walking Dead' And 'Fear The Walking Dead' Will Crossover – But How Is That Possible?

Walking Dead
By Jacob Hall

At San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, The Walking Dead creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman played coy on the subject of a crossover episode between AMC's flagship horror series and its spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead. "We know the fans would love it," he said. But then he noted that it was "complicated" because the shows take place in different times and places, albeit in the same zombie-ravaged world.

And then his tune changed at New York Comic-Con, where he revealed that the two series will feature a crossover episode that will somehow bring characters from both shows together. The "how" and the "who" of it all remains a mystery.

Speaking from the Walking Dead panel at NYCC (via ScreenRant), Kirkman played coy with the details. He did not say which characters will meet or even which show will feature the meeting. Heck, he didn't even specify a timeline, saying that the crossover will occur within the next year. Here's the only quote worth running in full:

"There is one character that is going to go from one show, that I will not name, to another show, that I will not name. This is a huge event in the world of The Walking Dead."

Even this teaser art offers nothing to chew on! Is AMC really going to spring a surprise crossover on fans, forcing them to watch every episode of both shows to see it happen, or will they eventually drop some specifics and build this in a major event? We shall see!

For the record, The Walking Dead is set to premiere its eighth season on October 22, 2017. Fear the Walking Dead is currently nearing the end of its third season after premiering over the summer. And while I don't watch either show anymore, I'd put a couple of bucks on the crossover occurring within Fear the Walking Dead. After all, The Walking Dead is still one of the biggest shows on television and its spin-off...well, isn't. If any show could use a boost in the ratings thanks to a Special Guest Star, it's Fear the Walking the Dead.

This is where the logistics get interesting. The Walking Dead takes place on the east coast of the United States, beginning in Georgia and slowly traveling north. Fear the Walking Dead takes place on the west coast, beginning in California and slowly traveling south. And due to the different length of their runs, Fear is set early in the zombie apocalypse while the main show is nearly a decade into this new world. This means that a Walking Dead character appearing on Fear will be much younger, and a Fear character appearing on the original show will have to be much older. And that's before you get to the logistics of them traveling across the United States in the midst of an undead uprising.

So, yeah. It gets a little confusing. And while I'm a few years behind with both shows, I can't help but wonder if Jeffrey Dean Morgan's villainous Negan will be the one to pop up across the continent. After all, it would be a clever touch to explore his younger, pre-Psychopathic Leader of a Personal Army days in another show. And if anyone is going to drive viewers to Fear the Walking Dead, and if any character is determined enough to go across an entire country, it would be him.

Or it could be some background schmoe and everyone got excited for nothing! Don't let the fans down, AMC!

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