The Walking Dead: Apex

> *"A bloody psychedelic experience..."*
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> -- The series' subtitle
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**The Walking Dead: Apex** is a full-length spin-off of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios*, and the penultimate original instalment. It was announced on Christmas Day 2019, with *Season 1* being released in Spring 2020. EDStudios has renewed it for a second season, which will release in 2022.

The series focuses on a group of survivors as they try to make a safe haven in the ruins of Philadelphia International Airport, and follows their fledgeling operation manufacturing psychedelic drugs, as well as the resulting territorial and resource conflicts with other groups in the airport. *Season 1* centres around Ronan Lesher, an enforcer for the group's drug operation, while *Season 2* will focus on an ensemble list of characters surviving in the airport.

This new series has more artistic, experimental and psychedelic themes, as well as darker, less heroic characters compared to those featured in other series in the universe.

## Plot

*In the chaos of the global zombie outbreak, a fractious alliance between communities threatens to break down. And in the core of the conflict: a fledgeling operation to manufacture psychedelic drugs. Tensions are not helped by the presence of expertly skilled but volatile enforcers who, believe it or not...are our heroes.*

## Credits

* Ronan
* Bonnie
* Miller
* Jack Marker
* Joan

## Conception and Development

### Conception

The series was conceived in late 2019 and was created to focus on a community within a city that had previously been explored in the series' universe. EDStudios had explored New York City as a setting, but due to its wide use in the '*New Age*' Extension they decided against it. They also considered Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Washington D.C as an initial setting, with wider areas to be explored later. It was finally decided to set the series in Philadephia, Pennsylvania, specifically Philadelphia International Airport. The series title - '*Apex*' - was chosen in December 2019, the day before its announcement.

EDStudios aimed to make '*Apex*' more experimental than previous instalments in the series universe, drawing influence from the psychedelic subculture. They sought to make the characters far less likeable, with only a few - while extraordinarily strong - redeeming factors. They also drew influence from TV shows such as *Breaking Bad* and researched methods for making psychedelic drugs, which form a central focus of the series.

The series starts around three-and-a-half-years after the outbreak and takes place almost entirely within Philadelphia International Airport.

### Development

This new series has been in development since 2019, although the concept of a series set in an airport had been explored as far back as 2015.

## Trivia

* An apex predator is that which is at the top of the food chain, and refers to the darker, more brutal nature of the characters in this series.
* The main characters of this series will "not necessarily be the good guys".
* The series takes place almost entirely on the grounds of Philadelphia International Airport.
* Due to its more experimental undertones and themes, 'Apex' features an in-universe soundtrack containing several songs in neo-psychedelic genre that is referred to as "shoegazing" or "dream-pop".
* The series will have a male protagonist and a female deuteragonist.
	+ These were revealed to be Ronan and Bonnie respectively. Miller is the tritagonist.

 **Season 2: All Is Fair In Love and War** | "TBA"