Netflix's Best Zombie Show Only Needed 12 Episodes To Become One Of Its Greatest Series

In just 12 episodes, Netflix created an absolute masterpiece that stands out as one of the best zombie TV shows of all time. The zombie genre has had a place in movies for decades, but it has become mainstream on TV since the turn of the century. The shows have become much more mainstream, especially thanks to the success of The Walking Dead. At this point, many zombie-genre tropes have become stale. I'll get crucified for saying this, but The Walking Dead shows feel like they're running out of new ideas and are recycling past plots. To be clear, they're still entertaining shows, just not the most creative.

Luckily, filmmakers have brought new ideas to the table. 28 Days started the movement towards faster, infected humans as zombies. The shift started with zombie movies. [REC] was a fun entry from Spain, presenting zombies through a found-footage horror approach, plus a bit of quarantine to add extra suspense. Out of the Dead from Japan was extremely creative, even if it didn’t become a massive hit. Then, there’s the 2016 movie Train to Busan.

South Korea’s high-octane movie Train to Busan became a global phenomenon, changing expectations for zombie stories. The movie popularizes a very different type of zombie that doesn’t creep along slowly. Instead, they are quick and vicious. It becomes a matter of survival against a horde of zombies and a spreading outbreak. The story introduced deep emotional stakes and forced the characters into a claustrophobic setting.

The Netflix show All of Us Are Dead took clear inspiration from The Train to Busan, crafting a very different K-drama zombie story. Ultimately, it became one of the streamer’s best shows in just twelve episodes.

What Is All Of Us Are Dead About?

The South Korean TV show All Of Us Are Dead takes the zombie-outbreak premise and sets it in a high school. A deadly virus spreads to most of the students and the surrounding city, Hyosan. The first season tells the story of students who have to fight just to survive and reach safety. This becomes complicated when there are conflicting personalities and individuals who hate each other.

The characters are just as deep and emotional as those found in The Walking Dead. However, there’s much more blood and gore to frighten audiences. The zombies' fast pace heightens the stakes, and the claustrophobic setting creates a sense of doom. If the title didn’t tip you off, All of Us Are Dead is not afraid to kill off characters, meaning there’s a real sense of nervousness watching the show. You’ll be on the edge of your seat just wondering if your favorite character will make it to the end.

All Of Us Are Dead Will Return For Season 2 (Eventually)

All of Us Are Dead’s status as a masterpiece makes the unbearably long delay between seasons 1 and 2 even more upsetting. I’m not going to mince words for folks who decide to watch All of Us Are Dead season 1. There isn’t a second season yet, and it could be another year before we get it, if projections are correct.

Those of us who enjoyed the show were locked in and ready to go. Obviously, with a show like All of Us Are Dead, the break between seasons will have to be longer, as the heavy visual effects require more post-production work. However, it’s been over four and a half years. The second season’s expected in 2027. By that point, it will have been twice as long a wait as Wednesday had. Wednesday at least had more of an excuse because of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers’ Strikes. K-dramas weren’t halted.

If the show continues past season 2, we could be looking at another unbearably long wait. Despite the annoyance, it’s still worth checking out the show because even without another season, All of Us Are Dead season 1 maintains its incredible quality. The story is mostly self-contained, so the continuation will be a nice bonus.