‘The Walking Dead’ season 4: Is a prequel really the best idea for a spin-off?

Where could “The Walking Dead” really go when it comes to a spin-off series? We’ve talked about this idea on the site extensively, just as know that the discussion has really sprawled pretty far and wide on the internet. We know that everyone has some sort of opinion about it, and we personally feel like one of the primary reasons for that is simply because everyone feels a certain sort of investment in the characters and the world at this point. When you have followed the Robert Kirkman books for as long as some of these people have, haven’t they at least earned the right to have a voice?

Well, the latest rumor out there suggests that the leading idea for the show (which would not be on the air likely until 2015) would be to focus it by and large on some of the early days of the epidemic. While this is still in the early stages, TVLine claims that this is an idea that the producers and AMC are really toying with, especially since it gives so much more insight into the world and even informs the other show.

Personally, we see one major advantage and disadvantage to this idea almost right away.

The Good  – This is an opportunity for the spin-off to really differentiate itself from the original, especially since one of our earlier concerns with the show was that it would be “The Walking Dead,” just set in a different place like Los Angeles or a colder climate. Showing the beginning of the story helps to enrich both products.

The Bad  – This feels more like a limited series than a full-fledged show, unless you are showing those responsible for starting the outbreak in the first place try to find a way to save humanity in the end. That would be a little bit intriguing, especially if you could make it that these people end up curing and helping the other characters on the flagship show. But, all of that seems unlikely.

Where do you stand on the idea of a “Walking Dead” origin story; do we really need to know why it happened? If you want to simplify things and just preview Sunday’s episode, click here to check out some scoop on David Morrissey and The Governor.

Photo: AMC