Parents' Guide to

Fear the Walking Dead

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

"Walking Dead" prequel is bloody, with a much slower burn.

TV AMC Drama 2015
Fear the Walking Dead Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 14+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Kill Bill vol .1
Kill Bill vol .1 Parent of 7-year-old
August 5, 2019
age 8+

Give ita try

Fear the Walking Dead is the spin off to the Walking Dead. It takes place in Los Angeles before the actual disease starts. It gives a new insight on how the first symptoms of the virus begin and how the humans became... Walkers. I agree with Common Sense on it being rather slow, though in my opinion it works well! You get to build 'relationships' with characters and how normal their life was before the 'outbreak'. I don't think this show is suitable for anybody under the age of 13, as some of the scenes are graphic and may scare; plus there is some strong language through out the first episode but it is mild. This show is pretty gory; though not as gory as it's as it's 'sister'. Episode one begins pretty slow; focusing more on character development then the zombies; though toward the end, you do get a glimpse of the first main zombie kill of the season!! So, give it a go, fans of the Walking Dead must try!!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
Vipul parmar
Vipul parmar Adult
April 16, 2021
age 18+

Kyaa baat hai

All is happy and good
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When a strange, bloody sickness strikes their city, high school guidance counselor Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) and English teacher Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis) are forced to forget the dysfunction of their blended families and focus on sheer survival as dead bodies inexplicably reanimate and threaten everything they hold dear. With so many unanswered questions, all they know now is to FEAR THE WALKING DEAD.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (13):

You don't need to be a big Walking Dead fan to understand this equally gory prequel that explores the early days of the zombie apocalypse. In fact, it might actually be better if you weren't, since one of the obvious problems with a Walking Dead spin-off is that the hit series' loyal followers already know more about killing zombies than its characters do. For some Walking Dead die-hards, it will be painful to watch a noob struggle with a "walker," knowing full well that all he or she needs to do is knock its head off.

So why bother with a Walking Dead prequel at all? For one thing, it's putting down roots for the franchise to grow when The Walking Dead inevitably dies. For another, it lets the show's writers explore how a wholly new set of characters -- including a diverse blended family that's teeming with drama -- handles a survival situation of epic proportions. That alone could make Fear the Walking Dead far more relatable than its predecessor.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Fear the Walking Dead's premise and its take on human nature. How realistic is the series' depiction of people, particularly families, reacting to a life-threatening disaster? How would you and your family function in a similar situation?

  • What's the appeal of super graphic shows such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead? Is it all about the gore, or is there something more? What really keeps people watching?

  • What's the point of making a prequel to the popular Walking Dead series? Does it do anything differently, or is it just delivering more of what people love about the original?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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