Fear the Walking Dead: Season One (Blu-ray / DVD)
Anthony Arrigo
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Starring Cliff Curtis, Kim Dickens, Frank Dillane
Directed by Adam Davidson, Kari Skogland, Stefan Schwartz
Distributed by Anchor Bay/Starz
A show doesn’t get to be the biggest thing on television without drawing equal parts fervent fans and vocal detractors. “The Walking Dead” (2010-) seemed like the coolest thing to ever hit the airwaves when it debuted. Who could have ever guessed a zombie show featuring KNB’s gory creations would take the nation by storm and become a ratings juggernaut? That first season was nearly flawless, and its pilot episode still stands as one of the best hours on TV.
In the years since, fans have come and gone, and debates about the show’s quality rage on endlessly. Me, I tapped out after season four. I had come to hate most of the characters and their illogical actions. Gut munching isn’t enough to hold my attention forever; however, it seems like for every person who gives up on watching, two more take their place because the audience has only continued growing since that first season.
So, naturally, with all that revenue coming in, it was only a matter of time before AMC developed a spin-off. Rumored to focus on the start of the zomb-, er, walker outbreak, the series was eventually confirmed to be an origin story (of sorts) set in Los Angeles. It sounded like a bad idea, frankly, especially since AMC can hardly keep up the quality of their breadwinner. But we all know what talks and what walks, and so earlier this year “Fear the Walking Dead” (2015-) made its network debut. And, man, does it suck.
Think of how strong the pilot for “The Walking Dead” (hereafter “TWD”) is; now imagine the opposite. The only things to “fear” are the human characters at the center of this drama; they’re intolerable. At least “TWD” has an infinite stable of walkers to fall back on; a good gut munching or two can help even out a weak episode. That element is present here, too, though it’s greatly reduced because walkers aren’t widespread yet. With that in mind, there should have been a tremendous effort to make the human characters strong, likeable and interesting. Instead we’ve got a bunch of one-note throwaways, all of which would have been eaten by season two’s opening on “TWD”. There hasn’t been a single episode of “TWD” that comes close to plumbing the depths of the toilet as this series does every week.
Dad, Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis), is an erudite educator who is way too permissive. Mom, Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), is the tough one. Nick (Frank Dillane), Madison’s son, is a former junkie trying to clean up. Alicia (Alysha Debnam-Carey), Madison’s daughter, is a little bitch. And Christopher (Lorenzo James Henrie), Travis’ son, is a wannabe activist who resents his dad and acts too much like Tom Morello. Just what sort of hijinks will this racially diverse, quadrant-covering family get up to in the zombie apocalypse? One thing is for sure: They’re going to be making a lot of terrible decisions sure to frustrate viewers.
All six of season one’s episodes are included here, spread out across two discs. Episodes are as follows:
“Pilot” – A highly dysfunctional blended family is forced together when they realize a reported virus is actually the onset of the undead apocalypse.
“So Far, Yet So Close” – While Madison struggles to keep Nick from a crippling withdrawal, Travis ventures out to find his son before the city of Los Angeles falls.
“The Dog” – After they escape a riot, Travis, Liza and Chris seek refuge with the Salazars; Madison defends her home.
“Not Fade Away” – Madison and Travis see different sides of the National Guard’s occupation in their neighborhood; the family tries to adapt to the new world.
“Cobalt” – The National Guard’s plan for the neighborhood is revealed; Travis and Madison make a difficult decision.
“The Good Man” – As civil unrest grows and the dead take over, Travis and Madison try to devise ways to protect their families.
My expectations for this first season of “Fear the Walking Dead” could not have been lower, and yet, the show couldn’t even manage to meet them – at any moment – let alone exceed them. AMC wanted a smaller ATM to go next to their larger model, and given the ratings this season somehow managed to attract, it appears the network’s plan was a success. Is there potential to get better? Of course. Every bit of scripted work has potential; however, will it realize that potential? Highly doubtful. AMC doesn’t want a show so good it further exposes the flaws in “TWD”. If anything, the existence of “Fear the Walking Dead” only manages to make “TWD” look like a godsend in comparison. This show could have chosen a hundred different ways to show off the start of the virus. Make it unique. Make it interesting. Instead, it follows around a family of unlikeable assholes as they attempt to navigate a world filling with far more interesting characters: the dead.
Don’t expect to see much in the way of style, as the show’s 1.78:1 1080p picture is rather uninteresting and lacking in dynamics. Colors are nicely saturated and detail is sufficient; however, the overall aesthetic of the show is just blah. L.A. can be a vibrant city depending on where you’re at (and it can vary wildly from block to block), but here it looks like a drab, lifeless expanse. Lacking any sense of artistry, this is simply a standard digital HD image with – perhaps fittingly – no life in it.
Audio comes via an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound track, and it’s the one thing the show unarguably gets right. This is an active mix, often brimming with effects from all corners of the room. The bass response is excellent, particularly when the show’s opening title is revealed and the low end is booming. Dialogue is never lost within a mix that contains frequent gunfire, shouting, screaming and walker moaning. Subtitles are included in English SDH and Spanish.
“A Look at the Series” – Get an overview of the show… in four brief minutes.
“Inside the Characters of “Fear the Walking Dead”” – Get to know the characters on the show… in three brief minutes.
Special Features:
- A Look at the Series
- Inside the Characters of “Fear the Walking Dead”
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Fear the Walking Dead: Season One
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
