Geekscape Recaps: Fear the Walking Dead – ‘So Close, Yet So Far’

We’re here for another episode of FTWD, and I have to say that this episode was a little better than last week’s pilot. Luckily for us, the dosage of family drama and angst was toned down, but only a little. The episode title perfectly summed up tonight’s events as our set of characters seemed to be on the brink of getting out of the city the entire time, but were ultimately faced with some overwhelming obstacles.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 

This episode picks up just about where we left off last week. The family is again in disarray amidst the impending zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately, not a lot happened this episode. The episode was action heavy and we got a glimpse of what Downtown Los Angeles was like just before the full-scale outbreak. Other than that, it’s everything fans of The Walking Dead can expect.

One thing that did stand out this week was how prevalent “the virus” was for the second straight episode. This illness was heavily hinted at last week, but it seems to have little to do with the walker-plague we saw in TWD at the prison. By my count, there was maybe one confirmed walker who was turned simply because they died from the virus. That was Mr. Dawson. More on him later.

At first, it was looking as if Alicia’s boyfriend, Matt, was succumbing to the virus when it was revealed he had been bitten.  Why he didn’t call 911 or seek medical attention after being bitten is beyond me. My only guess was he was bit at home and passed out or…

Regardless, I have to admit I felt a bit anxious in some of the sequences in downtown Los Angeles. Making viewers anxious is something the folks behind TWD and FTWD seem to be good at. This is supplemented by the lack of knowledge the people seem to have about what’s really going on. This was hit on again by Nick after returning home from killing a walker.

It’s a shame that one of the people who was keen on the current events eventually turned. That was Mr. Dawson, who I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of next episode. His eerie cough foreshadowed what became of him. However, he and the police officer can’t be the only ones packing up getting ready to go. By the end of the episode, it would seem like the freeways are hopeless and roads leading in and out of the city are closed. Just take a look at this traffic map posted to AMC’s FTWD second screen experience:

With the next episode being two weeks away, I hope the show picks up the pace and shows the family navigating through society’s demise. This episode was a good start and it will be interesting to see just how the military and/or national guard deals with this crisis. If I’m being honest, Jericho did an excellent job of showing the demise of life as we know it and I would love it if FTWD incorporated some of the elements Jericho (spoilers) had when hinting at news of surviving cities, political leaders, and the rise of new nations. We can dream, can’t we?

That’s all for this week! Did I miss something? Having anything to add? Don’t be afraid to comment!