*Spoilers Ahead*
Despite my misgivings with the pacing of this shortened first season, Fear the Walking Dead managed to end strong with one of it’s best episodes yet.
With everything beginning to fall apart around them our group must figure out how to reunite with the ones taken by the military and survive through all the chaos that is about to rain down. I had a couple issues with the plot in this jam packed finale but let’s start with what worked.
In the end, they managed to give Travis a satisfying season arc and turn him into the type of character he’ll need to be if he wishes to survive in this new world. Travis’ transformation from being unable to kill a zombie to being willing to put down an infected family member this week is the episode’s greatest success.
The show also manages to succeed in building tension in multiple ways. Whether it’s the locked door that Nick and Strand find themselves unable to get through as a herd of the dead make their way to them, a light blinking on and off to add even more suspense or if it’s the kitchen fight scene where everyone gets a chance to kill some zombies. The show does a great job of ratcheting the tension and it makes me hopeful for where we can go with the dead now fully in control.
As strong as all of the above is and as much as it makes the episode work, it doesn’t fully make up for what is either a theme that didn’t get developed properly or a blatant mistake. What I’m referring to is the entire group’s seeming disregard for life. In the case of characters like the mysterious Strand or Daniel, it makes sense that they wouldn’t care about how their actions affect others. The rest of the group, however, should at least try to come off as decent.
Madison talks about how their neighbors have no idea that the military is gone and that all hell is about to break loose but no one, not even “model citizen” Travis, thinks to at least give them a heads up. Instead, the group simply leaves them to their fate. Then, there’s the part of the plan that involves Daniel leading an arena full of zombies to a medical facility, most definitely leading to hundreds of deaths from people who aren’t even part of the military.
Maybe this is all something the show was doing on purpose. Perhaps they were attempting to show how desperate good people can get in dire times. But the things our characters do is never specifically called out as wrong or even given a thought at all. We’re meant to root for them taking down the military because the military has been shady but their actions are just as bad. If the show plans on doing anything with this than I’ll call it out but right now it feels like a huge misstep.
The show makes a bold move towards the end by finishing not on the group’s escape from the hospital or a scene of them taking off with Strand on his yacht (more on that below) but on Liza’s death. She was bitten as they escaped the hospital and it ultimately falls on Travis to put her down before she turns. It’s Travis’ first real kill, give or take the army guy who he pretty much beats to death. Cliff Curtis does a beautiful job exploring the pain of this moment and the show ends on the shot of the boundless sea, where I’m assuming we’ll be spending at least some of Season 2 on.
Overall, Season 1 of Fear The Walking Dead is a bit like the first season of it’s parent show. It had a few missteps but overall went in the right direction. Whatever Season 2 brings this first season can be considered a welcome start.
Season 1: 7.0/10
Bits ‘n Pieces
- So Strand reveals himself to be a rather wealthy man who also owns a yacht that he plans on hanging out on for as long as he can. It’s actually a pretty smart plan and I’m interested to see where the show goes with this.
- So, the army man, whose name escapes me, is tortured by Daniel and instead of just killing his torturer he shoots the girl he had a thing for? Why? Was he suppose to be insane from the torture because he didn’t come off that way in previous scenes.
- Once again Alicia and Chris don’t get much to do as they are left behind in the van before they get harassed by some army guys and Chris gets knocked out by them. Don’t worry though, the van being stolen literally has no repercussions.
- “Keep the watch”
- “The only way to survive a mad world is to embrace the madness.”
- That about does it for this season of Fear the Walking Dead. I’ll be back next week for the premiere of season 6 of original recipe The Walking Dead.
Jesse Swanson is a would-be writer, podcaster and funny guy who covers TV shows of all shapes and sizes. You can find him on Twitter @JesseSwanson