“Los Muertos” is definitely a step in the right direction for Fear the Walking Dead, but there are still some kinks that need to be worked out here. If nothing else, the show is making some serious strides towards differentiating the two halves of its second season (although one wonders if this will result in narrative whiplash on a straight-through rewatch).
For instance, the shanty town in which Nick has found himself is a nice change of scenery from the sleek sterility from the Abigail. FTWD is making great use of desolation – the town, an empty hotel, the endless ocean – which makes for a nice contrast with its claustrophobic first season. It helps the show maintain a more languid pace, which makes the violence that much more striking and unpredictable. The Walking Dead has pretty much inoculated TV viewers to zombie violence since its premiere in 2010, so Fear has the unenviable task of making what’s old seem new again.
The community – I don’t know what else to call it; it doesn’t yet have a name like Alexandria or Woodbury or Terminus – is an interesting beast, and it’s a smart move on the show’s part to give the community its own set of rules and traditions. “Los Muertos” begins with a sick man sacrificing himself to the shambling dead outside the walls, a grisly spectacle beheld by the whole town, including the man’s daughter. “Those near death deliver themselves to the dead,” Luciana explains, and while the logic doesn’t quite hold up – what does that accomplish? – it’s something we haven’t seen before in this franchise, and I’ll give Fear the Walking Dead points for that.
What worked – briefly – about the community is that Nick is the outsider, and for a moment it seemed as though everyone spoke only Spanish and no English. I was excited at this prospect, because it would unmoor Nick, but of course it turns out that the two most important people in the community, Luciana and Alejandro, speak English just fine. I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but FTWD‘s hero-worship of Nick threatens, at times, to derail the entire show, so adamant is every episode that Nick has to be right, righteous, and never less than charming and capable.
For instance: the grocery store, which I’ll admit made for a nice image. Nick steals some candy, and it looks as though he’s going to get his hand chopped off for something stupid and selfish. But not only does this not happen, Nick negotiates his way into getting even more water for the community; furthermore, he gives the candy to the little girl, which earns him a look from Luciana that says she’s at the very least reevaluating him, but most likely falling head over heels in love (last week I gave this five episodes, and we’re already making good progress).
A far more successful part of “Los Muertos” is the subplot featuring Strand, Maddie, Ofelia, and Alicia. I find it interesting, and telling, that Maddie is spending her time searching for Travis instead of Nick. Is it because she knows Nick is more capable? Probably. Either way, it’s a nice bit of insight into her character.
The almost reluctant friendship of Maddie and Strand has always been one of FTWD‘s strengths, and “Los Muertos” plays to that nicely. They bond over drinks in an abandoned hotel, and Maddie gets the episode’s funniest line: “Your martini’s bullshit.” Oftentimes Kim Dickens’ delivery can save an entire scene. Granted, the group’s time at the hotel doesn’t really go anywhere, and serves mostly to set up next week’s episode, with the hotel overrun by walkers and Ofelia gone to who knows where. But there are good character beats, between Strand and Maddie, and Ofelia and Alicia, and those are more of a treat than yet another example of how Nick is amazing. To paraphrase Regina George: Stop trying to make Daryl Dixon happen.
A Few Thoughts
- There were some annoying character inconsistencies here. Strand says the past will “make you sick,” but he made his way to Mexico during an apocalypse just to be with Thomas, who he also named his boat after. The past is clearly very important to Strand. Likewise, Luciana says that no one in the community would miss her, but she’s not only a badass commando type, she’s entrusted with securing the town’s water supply. I think a lot of people would miss her.
- I find it funny that the characters on Fear use the zombie-blood trick every goddamn episode, and on The Walking Dead it’s been used precisely twice in six seasons.
- I’m really enjoying the character of Alejandro, and the fact that he was bitten and survived raises a lot of interesting questions.
- So is this a confirmation of Salazar’s death?
About Author
