The Walking Dead: World Beyond

The primarily teen cast delivers strong performances, and Ormond's Civic Republic Military heavy makes for a convincing frenemy, but a threadbare plot and sluggish pacing doesn't do this show any favors. Early on in The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a woman runs over a zombie with her vehicle. She's annoyed by the undead creep shuffling toward the grill of her Jeep, but no more so than she might be by a traffic jam. It's a brief scene, but one that highlights the double edged sword the new The Walking Dead spin-off struggles to overcome. Ten years after the outbreak struck, the series' Nebraska-based community -- secured within a walled college campus -- is a pretty safe place. After following the harrowing lives of the other two series' characters, it's initially interesting seeing a society not just survive, but thrive in a time where walkers are more nuisance than threat. But that compelling set-up is challenged by having to tell stories not dependent on characters being under the constant threat of having their brains eaten.

And while walkers -- called "empties" in World Beyond -- are certainly still in the mix, their once-shocking impact is starting to reach the point of diminishing returns. The two previous series have famously survived slow and uneven seasons -- often returning better than ever -- but World Beyond beginning in a slump isn't encouraging. Coupled with the fact it's the third show in a decade-old franchise, its uninspired storytelling and familiar foes don't bode well for its future.