Sunday, August 30, 2015

Fear the Walking Dead: So Close, Yet So Far

In tonight's episode, the fall of Los Angeles accelerates.



Most people still don't know anything is wrong.  They are hearing reports that people are getting sick and becoming violent, but you know how it is, it doesn't really have anything to do with them personally.

Alicia finds her boyfriend home alone and sick so she stays with him to try to help him.  Her mom and Travis find her there, and almost physically pull her out of there, with Matt saying he'll be ok and his parents will be home soon.

This whole scene bothered me because two parents, two teachers who work with kids are more protective of them than most, and they would take Matt out of there with them, ill or not.  You just don't leave the guy your child loves alone and suffering.  I don't believe seeing Cal turned into a zombie would be enough to harden them.  I don't think they understand what he was, and the effects of the illness are not so widespread at this point that they can go, oh yeah, he's dead soon, and dangerous.

Back at home the group splits yet again. Travis to find his son and ex-wife, Madison to go to the school to get a bunch of drugs from a locker at the school for Nick.

Travis' son Christopher becomes involved in a mob situation, as onlookers protest police shooting a homeless person, he films away.  Luckily his parents see the scene on tv and pop on down to get him, only to have the mob turn into a riot as police shoot another obvious (to the audience but not the crowd) zombie.



The family seeks asylum at the barbershop, which shuts down as the crowds surge by.  Here's our barber family.  The dad seems grumpy.   The mom does look a bit mystical and creepy but she insists he let them in.  The adult daughter Ofelia comes down to see what is going on and Grumpy Boy tells her to go to her room. What?  Luckily she brushes him off and gets everyone calmed down.



They should be safe, but the barber tells Travis there is no back door, no other way out.  I hope that's not the case, how can you run a shop without access to an alley and trash cans?  How do you say "trapped like a rat"?

Madison meanwhile finds the all knowing Zombie fan Tobias at the school. He is taking stores from the school kitchen "a mother lode" of accessible food, and he'd like his knife back.  Since he walks in on her loading up on drugs, she has no problem helping him load a cart and start pushing it towards the exit.

Odd noises turn out to be the principal, who has been transformed.  She has a long history with this man and only fights him when he has Tobias pinned and is nearing his neck for a snack.   She must have hit him five times with a fire extinguisher before he let go of Tobias.

She drops the kid off at home, where he seems to have no one. This time she does offer to bring him home with her where he can be safe.   I really liked this kid as soon as I saw him.  Total geek, sees what's happenings, predicts "when civilization falls, it falls fast".   I suppose the whole deal is we are supposed to see the apocalypse through "every person's eyes"  and we can't have a character like him around.  I hope he is saved, and triumphs.

Finally at home, she finds Nick had a grand mal seizure and Alicia had been planning to sneak back to help Matt.   The birthday party across the street turns zombieriffic.  Travis manages to call and let her know they're safe but trapped.  He wants her to go to their rendezvous spot in the desert  but she'll wait for him.

Characters:

Madison shows herself capable of defense big time, even though it is a hard thing to do.  She's full on Mama Bear, protective (except Matt!).

Travis is pretty single minded here, find ex-wife, find son, gather everyone up and get far from where people are.  He may be ok in the apocalypse.

Alicia, still undeserving of Matt, still not my favorite.

Nick spent most of the episode barfing.  Not his finest hour.

Christopher tried to be socially conscious, filming the scene where police were clearly shooting innocents and protesters are angry and chanting as he chants with them.   He moves up an inch on the scale.

The Salazars are an interesting group.   There is a sneak peak of the next episode on the official page and they are part of the hapless group that stays together once they escape the tin can of the barbershop with no other entrances.

Official Site:    http://www.amc.com/shows/fear-the-walking-dead

Ha! The next episode is September 13, skipping next week already.   Way to build and maintain tension and interest.


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