If you’ve skipped the first three seasons of “Fear the Walking Dead,” now is the perfect time to jump into the “Walking Dead” spinoff.
Season 4’s premiere on Sunday marks the anticipated crossover between the two shows, and executive producer and “Dead” universe chief content officer Scott Gimple told TheWrap that there’s no need to catch up with the series’ previous seasons to enjoy Season 4.
“This is absolutely something that new fans can jump right into, just as Morgan has to jump right into the story of ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’” Gimple told TheWrap ahead of the Season 4 premiere. “Morgan did not have to watch the first three seasons to understand what is happening… to follow what’s going on in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Season 4, you do not have to have watched the first three seasons.”
Morgan (Lennie James) is one of the few characters left from Season 1 of “The Walking Dead,” and if not for him, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wouldn’t be alive.
“In many ways, Morgan leads both the original audience, and perhaps newer audiences, to ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ because in some ways the show is seen through his eyes,” he continued, adding that viewers don’t necessarily need a ton of backstory to get sucked in — we’re learning everything we need to know right along with Morgan. “Just as we didn’t have to follow Rick Grimes’ police career before we watched ‘The Walking Dead’ or we didn’t have to see the beginning of Negan to follow him,” Gimple said.
In addition to Morgan crossing over from the original “Walking Dead” series, the new season of “Fear” will have some more new faces, played by Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace and Jenna Elfman respectively.
“We have some amazing people that we’re able to get to play these really cool, interesting, unusual characters. It’s been really something to see this cast gel,” the “Dead”-verse boss continued. “The OGs from ‘Fear,’ and then Lennie — who is the OGest of the OGs — and then these new folks.”
If you haven’t watched “Fear” because you think it’s just an additional hour of “TWD” with different characters, prepare to be proven wrong. Gimple said that the differences between the shows will only be more pronounced now that “Fear” is gaining a “TWD” character.
“To see that group come together, it’s been very exciting,” he added. “And I do think that as we go on, the differences, the contrasts of the two shows are only going to heighten while they both share this universe. And the shows do different things and sort of — I hope — compliment each other.”
Of course, if fans watch Season 4 and are hooked on the “Fear” universe, Gimple encourages viewers to go right ahead and watch the first three seasons “if they want to see some great TV.”
“Maybe they’ll be excited to watch those three seasons, but it is not required viewing to understand what’s happening,” he said.
“Fear the Walking Dead” Season 4 premieres on AMC Sunday, April 15, after the Season 8 finale of “The Walking Dead.”