Tales of the Walking Dead

If you still like The Walking Dead, you’ll likely still enjoy Tales of the Walking Dead just fine. But if you’re looking for something transcendently smart like Black Mirror, or even just off the wall weird and unexpected like Shudder’s Creepshow, you won’t find that here.

Viewers who had previously given up on the franchise might appreciate the anthology format, with its emphasis on stand-alone stories (no fighting the same villain for multiple seasons here!). The show also delivers the usual zombie action, so long-time viewers should also be satisfied.

While the show is most definitely not going to win over everyone and may even be a little too odd for many tastes, that sensibility is exactly what makes it stand out. If you are going to really make an anthology show, then you ought to use it as an opportunity to make bizarre and bold choices. For all its flaws, Tales of the Walking Dead is the first time the show has been genuinely unexpected and inventive in a long while.

As with most anthologies, your mileage may vary with Tales Of The Walking Dead, depending on which episode you watch. But the performances are entertaining enough to make up for some fractured storytelling and weird, overly positive vibe.

[“Blair/Gina” is] the episode that most feels like an expansion of what The Walking Dead can be, instead of a mere rehashing of it. If only more of Tales took advantage of that freedom.

“Tales of the Walking Dead” offers a mixed bag of standalone stories, but a talented cast and a few wild storytelling experiments don’t quite manage to breathe new life into the franchise.