The Good, The Bad & The Dwightly
Fear The Walking Dead returns this week with a methodically paced episode, one that’s used to introduce Dwight from The Walking Dead but failing to really deliver anything that substantial or exciting. Despite some good zombie action and more understanding around just who’s leaving Walkers tied up across the road, Fear feels in danger of becoming as slow paced and mundane as the fourth season was. We begin with John and June being shot at by people in the distance before driving off into town to find some firepower to even the score. Meanwhile, Alicia and Luciana are in a car of their own when they overhear radio chatter between two people, one being a boy called Dylan. Alicia promises to save them but they refuse to give up their location, worried that other people will find them. Back in town, John and June talk about shooting before June jokingly asks if he’s a good or bad guy. John smiles, squinting toward the street before taking a deep breath and deciding they need to brave the storm and head outside. Clutching the resources they need, John hurries toward his car only to find Dwight from The Walking Dead pointing a gun at his face. June hits him with the butt of her rifle and they take him inside. He seems to know what’s going on with the blockade but refuses to tell them. However, John agrees to let him go and help look for his wife in exchange for helping them escape the town. After som deliberation, Dwight agrees to help. While Alicia grapples with a flat tyre on the road en-route to Dylan and the kids’ location, the three survivors in town spring their plan into motion. Cueing up the piano to auto-play, they head upstairs and onto the roof to get away as Western music floats through the saloon. However, Dwight has other plans and jumps down hard on the ground, attracting a bunch of Walkers in the process. Dwight decides to get into his car rather than John’s, telling them via the walkie inside that he’s looking for his wife, Sherry. From here, the episode devolves into June and John convincing Dwight to stay with them, using their own relationship and struggle as an example that all is not lost in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Eventually, he does agree to side with them and a shootout ensues, as the trio clear the walkers surrounding the car Dwight is held up in. As they talk about what to do next, Morgan and Alicia show up, having fixed their flat tyre. This leads our two Walking Dead colleagues to reunite and reminisce over old times with Negan. As they all head off to save the kids, they stop at a blockade, about to kill the walkers tied up with their intestines before the walkie crackles to life. The kids are on they’re on their way and heading to their location. Confused, the group press on and find a minivan housing Dylan inside, tied up and appearing afraid. We then end the episode learning this is all a cunning plan as the kids are working together to figure out who the group are and what they want. Aside from seeing Dwight again and the interactions between the Fear and Walking Dead characters, Fear The Walking Dead doesn’t have a whole lot else going for it. With the loss of both Madison and Nick last year, the show feels like its missing a charismatic leader despite Alicia’s best efforts to steer the ship. Morgan just isn’t a very interesting character and having spent a good 3 or 4 seasons with his same character arc and little progression on this front, it’s all starting to become routinely mundane. Having said that, the show’s overarching mystery is interesting enough to keep you invested in this one but this also very much feels like a filler episode, if anything. Seeing Dwight join the group is a nice touch though and hopefully it injects the right level of excitement needed to really kick this series into gear after a strong opening. At the moment though, Fear feels comfortable enough to shuffle it’s way through another episode, leaving plenty of questions for next week.
