Almost 16 years since it debuted, The Walking Dead universe is taking a break from the never-ending zompocalypse for an alt-universe episode where the end of the world never happened.
In the Negan-and-Maggie-centric show’s next episode (which airs on AMC in the US this Sunday), things take a turn for the multiversal when Maggie wakes up in a modern-day New York untouched by the undead. Not only that, but Beth (Emily Kinney) is alive and well, despite dying way back in season 5 of the mothership show.
So what’s going on? At the moment, it’s unclear, though given the lack of sci-fi elements in The Walking Dead universe beyond zombies, it seems more likely this is part of some dream or fantasy, rather than an actual alt-universe. But until Sunday, we won’t know for sure.
It’s all a bit like Lost season 6, if you ask us. In that sci-fi show’s final season, the characters lived out alternate lives off-island (otherwise known as flash-sideways) that were eventually revealed to be part of the afterlife. Given the confusion Lost’s final season caused (no, they weren’t dead all along…), it seems unlikely that the team behind The Walking Dead would make a similar mistake.
The glimpse at the new episode, which is dropping two weeks after Dead City seemingly introduced talking zombies into Walking Dead lore (though that could be interpreted as Dillard’s imagination), has confounded fairweather Walking Dead fans who haven’t been keeping up with the ins and outs of spin-offs like Dead City and Daryl Dixon, which have been taking increasingly wild swings with the long-running franchise.
“I haven’t caught up with The Walking Dead, where are the zombies?” asked one user on Twitter, echoing the sentiments of many. “You either end as Breaking Bad or live long enough to become Riverdale,” added another, referring to the bonkers CW show’s tendency to pull the rug in the most absurd ways.
Those who have been keeping up with Dead City season 3 offer a more level-headed response. “It’s very clearly a Dream Sequence,” said one fan. “Dead City has been pretty good this season. The writing and creative choices have all been pretty solid, so I’m intrigued about this episode. These new spinoffs not being bound by comic storylines is allowing for some creative stuff.” Which is a fair point! Maybe we shouldn’t write off Dead City’s big swing episode too soon.
The Walking Dead: Dead City is currently airing on AMC in the US. A UK release date is TBC. For more, check out our guide on how to watch The Walking Dead in order and our ranking of the best Walking Dead episodes.