Geekscape Reviews ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Season 1

Well, with the season over, we can now reflect on the good and bad of FTWD’s first season. Don’t worry, we’ll also be recapping the season finale too!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

The season finale started off shots of Los Angeles on fire. Granted, there were only a few select parts on fire, but it was nice seeing the city after spending so much time in the safe zone and compound. As far as the episode goes, most of it falls in line with the prediction I wrote last week. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in predicting a breakout coupled with a walker security breach to the compound, but luckily, we were treated with a little more than that.

Things that I didn’t predict were the highest points of interest in this episode. First, the group suffered a sizable loss by leaving the doctor at the compound. It was easy to see that she had given up, but maybe with a little push, she could have been persuaded. Instead, she went out No Country For Old Men style. A doctor in the group would have boosted their survival potential.

Shorty after, Nick and Strand attempt an escape, but eventually get held up by a hallway full of walkers. Our group comes to the rescue, and all make it out of the compound, but not without injury. First, the soldier Daniel tortured last episode got his revenge by shooting Ofelia. I’m still a little unclear as to why he would shoot her instead of Daniel. My only guess was that it would hurt Daniel more by seeing his daughter get hurt. Ofelia’s injury is treatable and will probably be healed by the time season 2 comes around.

Second, Liza is bit…or scratched by a walker, which means she has to go. Before dying, she made a point by saying that the bite doesn’t turn people, it’s the infection that comes from the injury. It would seem that to become a walker, it doesn’t matter how you die, so long as the brain is uninjured. We should also note that zombies are able to survive underwater. This was especially evident in a scene in a The Walking Dead Season 3 episode where [Spoilers] Michonne breaks The Governor’s head aquarium, prompting a severed head attempting to bite Michonne. Also let’s not forget the well-walker found on Hershel’s farm [End Spoilers]. So while the group will eventually reach Abigail, which is presumably the name of the giant boat just offshore, they will still be in danger. Strand, the newest addition to the group, seems to be on top of things so far. If he keeps it up, he may have some ideas to repel water-walkers, should it come to that.

When I first caught wind that AMC would be producing a prequel to The Walking Dead, I had hoped they would delve more into how the outbreak initially begun. What caused the outbreak? Who was patient zero? How did it spread so rapidly? While FTWD attempted to answer some of these questions, I found that most of the plots in the first season fell flat. It worries me that the folks behind The Walking Dead franchise seem to be focused more so on where to place their next walker setting than the story of humanity’s demise. We got our zombies in the south, we got see them in Los Angeles, soon in the ocean, and now we get to see them on a plane!

I get the Midi-chlorian argument. Keeping a mystery going drives the story in a positive way. I know, I watched LOST. But you have to at least acknowledge the mystery at some point. Even Kenobi had an answer to what the Force was in episode IV. Maybe if FTWD had a few more episodes to work with, we could have gotten away from the heavy family drama that hampered the first half of the season.

On a more positive note, the cookie-cutter characters started to develop in the season finale. It’ll be interesting to see them come into their own as the series goes on. Perhaps the most interesting characters on the show are Strand and Chris. Say what you will about Chris, but he has the age and potential to engage in a few power struggles next season. With his mom dead, and his resentment toward his father even stronger, Chris will probably make more than a few hotheaded decisions.

Agree? Disagree? Don’t be afraid to comment! As always, thanks for reading!