First Impressions of Fear the Walking Dead Season 2
Matt Molgaard
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“Fear the Walking Dead” is one of television’s most interesting series for a lot of reasons. Let me start by stating my opinion of Season 1 – no punches pulled.
“Fear the Walking Dead” got off to a strange start. After initially covering the inaugural season, I felt as though it was solid. It introduced a number of new characters and forced home viewers to contemplate more potential hazards, as this story kicks off in heavily populated Southern California. For a few episodes things ran smoothly. As the season progressed, however, we ran into a few hiccups; but even so, with every episode to pass, I felt as though we, the fans, were being extended something that could indeed be impressive.
Season 1 wrapped, and my general line of thought was that the series looked promising and offered some compelling spins from an interesting “Walking Dead” spinoff. There was – as I perceived – a lot of potential here. No, I don’t mind being repetitive.
Then, months after it initially aired, I returned to the full season, catching up on facts and gearing up for Season 2. And in that catch-up session I really started to see some things that didn’t sit as well upon a second viewing. In truth, the series often requests viewers to ignore some blatantly dreadful decision-making. Even worse, during this second viewing I found myself more annoyed and bored than I’d expected. The series, at this point, doesn’t tote the magic of AMC’s original series – “The Walking Dead.” In fact, Season 1 of “Fear the Walking Dead” really doesn’t feel necessary at all. It feels more like a cash grab than anything else. And despite the fact that this story’s characters are in the early stages of survival adaptation, it’s a jagged pill to swallow that doesn’t leave viewers fulfilled.
Despite the obvious relation to Season 1 of “The Walking Dead,” it’s a lot to ask millions of viewers to get behind what is essentially a reboot of the original series. And unfortunately, “Fear the Walking Dead” lacks the charisma and force of the original series. Even worse, it’s lacking in likable personalities. Nearly every player in “Fear” comes across as unlikable and naïve; the world is falling apart around these individuals, and they’ve seen – first-hand – the arrival of zombies and what they’re capable of. And still they fumble over themselves trying to figure it out, making poor decisions at every single turn.
Interestingly enough, Nick, the show’s resident junkie, is one of the very few of the group who seems to understand the magnitude of the situation before them, which ultimately places him in a welcomed position. Who would’ve thought the junkie is the one with a firm grasp on a shocking reality and the only genuinely likable personality.
This doesn’t bode well for “Fear the Walking Dead.” We need more than a single character to get behind, and thus far, with Season 1 wrapped, Nick’s the only guy that comes across as agreeable in any way. The fact that there are a handful of excellent performers, who fail on an epic level, just feels… well, depressing.
All of that ignites a few questions for franchise fans. First, how in the world can Season 2 right the wronged ship? Will we see any single personality begin to shine and rival Nick? Will we see this group begin to function as one cohesive unit through Season 2? We don’t know just yet. However…
Having had the chance to get a peek at a few of the first episodes of Season 2, I can say that there are indeed some conscious shifts in the tone of the show and the connection between certain characters.
The action you’ll see from “Fear the Walking Dead” Season 2 is noticeably ramped up. Within two episodes we see just as much insanity, action, and bloodshed that Season 1 as whole offered. It also looks as though a stronger developed plan could see a great deal of evolution in Season 2.
As you might expect, assuming you followed the first season, we’re going to see an awful lot more time invested in the water. And we’re going to see some unexpected zombie maneuvers. These beasts may not be brainiacs, but – just as our survivors are doing – the walkers are showing some degree of evolution themselves, even if those strides are a direct result of hunger, not brain power.
I’m anticipating some serious adjustments in the mindsets of our protagonists, and if they’re willing to slow down, come together, and make strong plans, they could make it to see Season 2 reach closure without suffering too many casualties. That said, there seem to be a few ulterior motives running through the minds of a few crucial characters, and that – naturally – leaves us wondering if we’ve got some shady individuals in the thick of terror this season. What tragedy could that lead to? Food for thought, folks, food for thought!
There’s no telling how things will unfold this season, but early looks suggest a plethora of unexpected conflicts among the living. The group is having trouble with the idea of putting their heads together, pooling what resources they have to march toward a greater good. The confinement on Strand’s yacht could leave a number of characters feeling a sense of cabin fever, and while I’d generally expect that to be a minor problem, these characters are still so naïve, so unpredictable, and so often irrational that any story predictions feel utterly impossible, unfortunately.
As a “TWD” fan I’m prepared to dismiss some minor issues. But we’re now looking at an important shift as our focal survivors are trapped on that yacht. How long will the waters provide some small degree of safety? Can the showrunners craft an entire season on the water? Is the fate of this group destined to mirror the grim realities showcased in Brian Keene’s hit novel Dead Sea? The novel feels remarkably similar to the live-action narrative of “Fear the Walking Dead” and what we’ve seen from the show thus far. Time seems to be the only thing that can answer those questions.
The future for this show is up in the air. If there aren’t some sizable adjustments, the fate of this spinoff could come into question should viewer numbers begin to falter. However, credit must be given where credit is due, and “Fear the Walking Dead” is, at the very least, attempting to give us something refreshing.
We’ll see what the future holds for this ill-prepared group!
Set in Los Angeles, “Fear the Walking Dead” Season 2 focuses on new characters and storylines. The cast includes Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Lorenzo James Henrie, Ruben Blades, Mercedes Mason, Daniel Zovatto, Dougray Scott, and Colman Domingo.
“Fear the Walking Dead” Episode 2.01 – “Monster” (4/10/16)
Our families flee a burning Los Angeles on Strand’s yacht. Strand (Colman Domingo) remains mysterious. Our group encounters danger at sea.
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