Fear The Walking Dead’s anthology format “will continue into season 7”

Fear The Walking Dead concluded its sixth season this past Sunday on a rather frightening cliffhanger. Somehow, the world is getting more post-apocalyptic than it already is, with nukes and missiles wreaking havoc across the land.

Things left off with Morgan (Lennie James) and Grace (Karen David) in charge of a baby that isn’t theirs while the nukes continued to rain down from the atmosphere. It’s hard to imagine how they’ll live to tell this story. But given that James is a phenomenal actor and a staple in the Walking Dead universe, I’m glad they’re finding a way for him to survive.

Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the action-packed finale, and what we can expect from the seventh season that is currently in production. (Yes, already!)

Fear The Walking Dead anthology format

One of the things that made season 6 such a fun watch was that the showrunners decided to structure it as an anthology. Every episode focused on a specific character’s journey, giving us more time to flesh out their arc and purpose. The season 6 finale operated a bit differently and included all the characters.

Chambliss said that the finale’s format allowed them to “tell these little short stories, that in a way, honored the anthology format of the whole season.” It also “allowed all the characters to have their own conclusions to their stories, and at the same time, set up where they’re going to go in season 7.”

Fear The Walking Dead season 6 finale

As the sixth season came to a close, every character found themselves separated and struggling to stay alive amidst the chaos of the nukes. Not everyone made it, however. Dakota (Zoe Margaret Colletti) met her end as the nukes exploded around her, but it was obvious it was a conscious decision on her end.

After Virginia’s (Colby Minifie) death, Dakota hoped to find new family, but was let down. According to Chambliss, Dakota’s exit was something they had in mind from the start. They gave her “a good, but a tragic end.”

Unlike Dakota, Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) had a triumphant ending. He expected to die when the bombs hit, but when he survived he went from being a self-loathing man to one who is “very self-possessed, confident.” This will certainly continue in season 7; we could see the Strand we met when this whole thing started, and I can’t wait.

And then there’s Rachel (Brigitte Kali Canales), who sacrificed herself to give her baby a fighting chance. Grace and Morgan eventually find the baby (moments before they were going to kill themselves).

But Grace is still mourning the loss of her own baby, while Morgan is now looking forward toward a new tomorrow. Chambliss says this conflict “hints that they’re on very different pages about this,” which will carry into season 7.

Fear The Walking Dead season 7

As for the next season? Goldberg says they “were very excited about the new form the show took in the anthology format in season 6, with telling more concentrated characters’ stories. That will continue into season 7.”

Honestly, I loved the anthology format because I felt previous seasons didn’t give the characters enough time to grow and develop. As a fan, I wasn’t attached to anyone in particular because we barely got time with them. The sixth season changed that, so I’m happy to know that this structure is carrying over.

The seventh season will bring “a variety of different kinds of stories, different tones, different worlds within the episodes themselves.” According to Chambliss, “everything is going to feel much more heightened, so we’re really excited about that.”

Fear The Walking Dead season 7 — we’re ready for you!

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