Grimes

Promotional Comic-Con Poster

**HBO's** **Grimes**, also known as **TWD: Grimes** or **Grimes: A Walking Dead Story**, is an American horror television drama sequel series of HBO's The Walking Dead series. *Grimes* is set following the events of the original series finale with Reece and Judith departing from their painful past to find new lives in the post-apocalyptic world. Robert Kirkman, Matt Negrete and Gale Anne Hurd serve as executive producers.

Set in Rhode Island, Reece and Judith encounter a group of children who are being hunted down to serve as slaves for a group up North. Robert Kirkman himself has commented on the show stating it is inspired more by the final season of the Skybound Video Games than the comic books. The Series begins 11 years into the Apocalypse with Reece and Judith now having moved on from their former group which was around since the outbreak began.

## Development

At Comic-Con 2026, it was confirmed that season 12 would be the final season for the main show, however, two spin-offs were also announced. One being "*Tales of the Walking Dead*" which would wrap up several characters from the original series stories while a sequel series based on Reece and Judith was also announced. It was later announced the series would be entitled "*Grimes*", both Kelmer and Fleming were confirmed to be returning.

In April 2027, following the conclusion of the final season, it was confirmed that "Grimes" would take inspiration from source material, however, it wouldn't be taking directly from the comics. This was later revealed to be the Skybound game with all four seasons being taken into account to be adapted.

The decision to adapt all four seasons into a different show is that they wanted to bring it to life without just telling the same story, similarly to what the producers of the main show did from season 9 onwards.

## Reception

Grimes has received critical acclaim. During the 101st Academy Awards; Calum Kelmer was nominated for Best Leading Actor in Television Series, the show was also nominated for Best Series. It did not win either awards. However, it did win the 1st Award for a Television Episode, an award that was introduced that year, for Episode Ten, "Morning Star" which is considered to be the best episode in the Walking Dead history.

As mentioned, the Episode "Morning Star" received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Television Episode. Critics described the episode as tense and heartbreaking with every actor giving it their all and the stakes feeling higher than ever in TWD History. Calum Kelmer (Reece) and Zendaya (Clementine) were praised for their performances in the episode, especially the end scene in which the characters clash. During the 85th Golden Globes, the Kelmer and Zendaya were both nominated for Acting Globes but didn't win, the series was again nominated and didn't win.

The final season of the show was praised for it's saddening but satisfying closure to the Grimes Family's story. The episodes "Paterfelium", "The Last Grimes" and "The Tower" were praised in particular. The layout of the season was praised as well with Judith's story playing out over the first four episodes without any appearance of Reece, who then returned in episode five when the two story lines ran alongside each other until Judith's was wrapped up in "Death's Shadow" which featured the final appearance of Judith Grimes; portrayed by Caily Fleming, Taron Grimes; portrayed by Andrew Oran, and Clementine; portrayed by Zendaya. Reece's story then took up the following three episodes. The idea of not having Reece ever reunite with his sister and son after the events of "Morning Star" was cited as a gut-wrenching ending but satisfying from a narrative point-of-view.

The Final Episode of the series, entitled "The Tower", is the tenth highest rated television episode of all time on IMDB. It serves as the final episode of the Grimes family's story which spanned both the original show and the sequel show, it also served as a send off to Reece Grimes, who Calum Kelmer had portaryed since the original show's second season which aired in 2015. Kelmer holds the position of longest running actor in a cable drama for his portrayal of Reece. The screenplay, direction and performances as well as the themes of the episode were praised. This episode also features the return of Nadia Hilker as Magna, who last appeared in Season 12 of the original show, as well as Reece's daughter, Coco, and his adoptive brother R.J. Grimes.