Episode 37: Overstaying Their Welcome

"Yeah, tonight we're gonna drown it out/well, how dare you want more?"

                       -Bleachers, "How Dare You Want More"

   I previously wrote a whole episode dedicated to The Walking Dead, and how that show is a show about zombies that it becoming a zombie itself. When I look on the world of television, I can't help but see a good number of spin-offs, sequels, remakes, reboots, and the like. The Walking Dead is a great example of a bastion of this.

Don't Stop Spinning Off!

   A couple years ago, AMC announced that the eleventh season of The Walking Dead would be its last. They also announced that season 11 would be big, 24 episodes, and would be split into three parts. As of the writing of this episode, the first two parts have finished and we are waiting for the premiere of the third and final final part in a few months.

   For years, TWD has had one spin-off: Fear The Walking Dead. One spin-off after a few years of your own show is fine. Then, they picked up another spin-off, The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Now, during the circulation of this final season, AMC has ordered several other spin-offs of The Walking Dead, including one centered around Daryl, one centered around Negan and Maggie, one centered around Rick and Michonne, and one anthology called Tales of the Walking Dead. There are probably even others that I'm either forgetting or don't even know about.

   THAT IS SIX SPIN-OFFS. THAT IS NOT OKAY. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE SOURCE MATERIAL IS OVER. 

  Just let the franchise die already! Let the main show end, end Fear The Walking Dead, and then let things be done! It's too much.

Spinning Off Too Soon

   There is a show called Yellowstone that films right up where my mom lives in Montana. I like this show. The problem is, it's only aired four seasons and already has THREE spin-offs. One that's already aired and two that are planned. If you're gonna give a show three spin-offs, at least let it go for a while longer before hand or let it end first. Breaking Bad's spin-off, Better Call Saul, is highly successful and is in some ways even better than the first. But they waited to make Better Call Saul until Breaking Bad had ended. 

   What's even funnier is that the spin-offs to Yellowstone are called 1883, 1923, and 6666. All your spin-off titles are numbers? I'm watching TV, not doing math.

Keep Things On The Main

   It feels like shows have forgotten that they can explore different characters and situations on the same one show. It feels like they think a different situation calls for a whole new show. TWD could've just told us what happened to Rick, but nope, that's a miniseries. We could just learn some more Dutton family history in Yellowstone, but nope, here's a prequel.  

    When Dennis was gone for some of season 12 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, it was explained through dialogue that he was in North Dakota spending time with the son he had there. They didn't create a spin-off starring Dennis as the main character called It's Always Sunny in Bismarck.

   When BoJack checked into rehab in BoJack Horseman, the episodes dedicated some time to showing what was happening to him in rehab as well as showing scenes of what was going on with the other characters. There is no "BoJack Horseman: The Rehab Adventures".

Anyway, see you next week!