WALKING DEAD season 2 still on course?

Can a ship with a new captain still function like it did before? That’s the question on everybody’s mind with showrunner Frank Darabont no longer at the helm for Season 2 of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Darabont, who’s still listed as executive producer, was still attached to the zombie hit during a large part of the filming for Season 2, and Robert Kirkman, who created the Walking Dead graphic novels, assures everyone that “[Darabont’s] stamp will be all over it.”

Still, with The Walking Dead being AMC’s highest rated series, it’s understandable that people are concerned about what might happen. According to Deadline, Kirkman has faith in the new showrunner, Glen Mazzara, and he doesn’t put much merit in all the recent news concerning a reduced budget for the show. “Everything has transitioned really well with Glen,” Kirkman says, adding that “anyone who has concerns about how the budget will affect things will be reassured after they see the premiere. All of our production values (from Season 1) are the same if not bigger.”

As far as the final fate of Darabont and his connection with The Walking Dead goes, negotiations continue and everything is “in the hands of the lawyers.”

Personally, I think if Darabont truly was the reason for The Walking Dead’s success, we won’t notice any major differences in Season 2. What happens after that, however, is anyone’s guess.

Season 2 of The Walking Dead begins with a 90-minute premiere on October 16th.