Fear the Walking Dead, Season 1, Episode 3 - The World's Ending, But Don't Forget to Take the Trash Out
After a short hiatus that felt entirely undeserved considering the show's infancy, 'Fear the Walking Dead' returns with a steady episode filled with revelations (for the characters at least), and gives us a clear direction in which the opening season is heading.
When the episode opens, it continues to cut back and forth between the two sanctuaries - one a barber shop, and the other the Clark household. Juxtaposing one another beautifully, one setting is a frenzied panic as the riot continues outside, while back out in the suburbs Madison (Kim Dickens) kicks off a game of Monopoly with her children.
The enthusiasm with which Nick (Frank Dillane) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) jump at the chance to play a game the family clearly has a lot of history with is nice, and complemented the mayhem in the city wonderfully.
This episode is slow, burning its candle with patience and in doing so building that sense of foreboding. Bringing the drama to a central hub, the Clark house, makes this episode's conflict feel very personal. The walker makes its way into their house (as a result of some utter stupidity), and the neighbours themselves are a threat.
To be afraid inside one's own four walls is a fear that we all experience. That noise at night when we're dozing off to sleep may as well have been a gun shot. We fear the strange sounds inside our houses, or the headlights outside our window at 3 in the morning. That's why the episode works. It takes us inside the Clark home, and gives us every reason not to feel safe.
As the power grids go out, and the power inside flashes on and off, 'Fear' shows off the most basic of horror tactics, and it works. Mixed with a subtle soundtrack, the episode is overall a tense one, meeting a twist toward the end that indicates where the remainder of the season is headed, to a degree.
That the military show up and strong-arm the neighbourhood is a great new development, albeit one that could fail abysmally should it fall to the wayside next episode. That the characters think this is the end of a short decline for civilisation is quite sad. When Travis says as much to his wife, its one of the few times where our knowledge and experience in 'The Walking Dead' world actually aids our emotional response.
The arrival of the soldiers called back a scene from season 2 (if I'm right) of 'The Walking Dead', in which Shane and Lori watch bombs being dropped across Atlanta. That's an ominous reminder of where the military plot will more than likely be headed.
There is some more questionable acts from characters in this episode, and of course most notably Madison. She refuses to let her daughter, whose 17, in on what's going on. The trio break into the neighbours home only to forget the shotgun rounds. Whether they're meant to come across as stupid or not, it doesn't quite work. I guess the zombie apocalypse means you either get smart or die, so there's our silver lining.
The episode falters in its reliance on us actually caring about the characters, but at this stage its difficult. Daniel Salazar (Ruben Blades) is sure to win over fans as the survivalist of this group, and by far the most intelligent. Cliff Curtis as Travis dangles between his wife and his former lover under the same roof that could be uncomfortable but instead doesn't matter. And when Madison asks the ex-wife to kill her should she 'turn' (not that they know the lingo yet), it's just odd.
It all feels a little strange and unearned at this point. Hopefully the group can gel over time. Though, Travis as the groups anti-gun pusher is an interesting development sure to play into things a little more down the line.
The episode does grow slow in its middle part, and the riot in the beginning ultimately doesn't make a lot of sense in regards to its longevity. It made for a thrilling background as the group gets from a to b, but that there are walkers in the area and are going undetected is a little hard to swallow.
'Fear the Walking Dead' takes a step forward in episode 3 as it attempts to stand apart from its parent show. It'll have to try hard to ensure it doesn't become a redundant tale of survival, and maybe that's what the twist at the end is all about. Season 1 is going to be the fall of civilisation. I doubt we'll see it happen before the finale. And as each episode improves on the last, I don't mind that at all.
As the soldiers draw crosses on the walls of neighbouring houses, Blades' character states that 'it's already too late'. New developments promise some excitement in episode 4, though we can only hope it continues to improve, and not revert back to the untidiness of earlier episodes.
