3.15/16: Fear The Walking Dead - Thing Bad Begun

[ctg]

Strand's motives are made clear when Nick discovers a new threat descending on the dam; Madison faces a horrifying revelation.

 

[ctg]

I didn't realise it was two part final. Man, time keeps disappearing and the good things go with it. So to be honest, The Fear of Walking Dead has done a remarkable job on transforming itself to be counter-part, almost equal with Kirkman's original. In some ways there's more terror in the Fear than there has horror in the mother series.

I still miss Travis, even if he turned out to be full blown psycho. He had a place in this season, but seeing how all things went down in the Ranch, I think they were better off with him being killed. That horde could have caused things to spill over to the next season, rather than focusing on the Last Location at the Dam.

Victor sold the dam for revenge and to keep his life, when Proctor John demand the bounty. So I'm glad that Nick and Troy stayed behind, even just to reveal the secrets of the dead. I never though that one organ could be so well protected that they could stay alive in the zombie virus infested system. The necromorphosis of these undead creatures is getting clear further we travel into the zombie apocalypse. Although one thing is clear, the necromorphosis is also changing people as they face their choices that the life throws around.

It is much easier to live in this world as dead than being alive. The ever present danger of getting eaten is real and the zombies getting numerous. Especially around the Trading Post that keeps attracting the dead. I wouldn't want to be sent out there chained to the fence, because that is the future for those that get caught by Proctor John's schemes.

Strand is the devil we know. He is the necessary evil that comes with the life in the wasteland. Other ways it's business as usual with the constant threat of the dead. That life broke so many at TWD on their way to Alexandria. There is no redemption or salvation out there. Only very hark work that people manages to do with to various degrees. Still the rule is, if you cannot kill, you cannot survive. Although you can choose who lives and who dies. Death is just ever present.

So there is no peace. That's what Madison should learn, because this is life between moments, when you're truly scared and wishing there would be peace. In the wasteland the quick end might be merciful way to keep the peace. Madison could have done that to Strand, when she learned about the Proctor thread. There is history with Strand and one plus one isn't far stretch from being Nick's mum.

The devil makes deals so long as he's walking on the Earth. As long as Strand stays in the crew they should know that he will grow trouble, but also rich opportunities for loot. TWD's crew has lost so much really valuable stuff for the raiders. Madison has to become as hard as the Proctor John. Maybe even as ruthless as he is on giving judgements.

Madison doesn't have numbers that John can put on the field. She has been a fearsome underdog for all this time. Still she could grow to understand that to be able to live in this world she has no choice but to declare Ricktatorship for eternity. In that sense she could have saved Troy to be on her side, as there was nothing but his life that Troy had left to offer.

I'll miss him, but I'm also glad that the main group survived. It is becoming a very small circle

 

[ctg]

 

[nixie]

I was starting too like Troy, Strand on the other hand ..
Alicia is shaping up, I can see her becoming a strong leader, ruthless But still retaining her humanity.

 

[REBerg]

Madison's execution of Troy (not that he didn't deserve it) for ruining her vision of normality on the ranch was startling and brutal. Yikes! A hammer to the head.
Nick was right to ask her if she would do the same to him if circumstances required. I think she would.
I'd like to see Proctor John and the Proctors square off against Negan and the Saviors. That would be my idea of a great crossover episode.

 

[Dave]

One of the best weeks in both series. It all made sense. No suspension of disbelief. The exceedingly well-developed characters all acted exactly as you would expect them to.

My only nits would be the Zodiac in the flood. I think they would have a good chance of riding those rapids, but given that the boat must have overturned and that Madison quite clearly only just managed to survive, then the chances of Strand and Alicia also both surviving too seems to be too unrealistic. However, I'm quite sure that they do. Nick and Daniel - if the dam collapsed then there is no chance they would survive. We didn't see it collapse though, only for it to crack. I don't like these will they or won't they games being played each season as a cliffhanger, when clearly they all survive because the actors are under contract.

 

[ctg]

I think they would have a good chance of riding those rapids, but given that the boat must have overturned and that Madison quite clearly only just managed to survive,

I agree, they could have riden that fall and possibly survived without capsizing the boat. This way was more dramatic and it served the season ending than a realistic ride.

I don't like these will they or won't they games being played each season as a cliffhanger, when clearly they all survive because the actors are under contract.

In TellTales TWD games Clementine is the only survivor and it is killing the gamers and the audience she has never nobody to go with her at the end of the season. People either protect her until they turn or they leave. Never stay as companion. And that is really sad when you know how horrible Kirkman's world can be.

 

[Dave]

One other thing was the "Oh! We have do some explosive left over from the building of the dam!" Really? How old does that dam look to you? And all those years they kept some explosives in a disused room, locked with a padlock, just waiting for a rainy day?

 

[ctg]

And all those years they kept some explosives in a disused room, locked with a padlock, just waiting for a rainy day?

Not just any old explosive. Like Jamie Hayneyman said, "If in doubt, C4." It would have been more believable if they'd taken that from the Ranch, or if Daniel had done a deal for water against some military explosives at the Trading Station.

I'm still not sure about what really happened to the new girl? She had broken her legs, but how it ended from there to Alicia being the nurse for Proctor John. By the way, when they told her that she needed to make him calm, I thought for some reason they expected her to administrate a bj instead of holding hands.

 

[Judderman]

Somewhere recently the episodes titles in this thread have mixed up? We just had episodes 15 and 16.
Anyway this season was fantastic. An excellent ending and overall one of the great TV show seasons. So much great drama and action.
Proctor John will likely be back. Hopefully they wont drag any Negan style stuff on too long. Unless he goes to Houston. But so far the story has moved relatively fast. The cancer causing paralysis yet being relatively easily removed with little recovery needed was a bit ridiculous, and the dream sequences disrupted the flow but otherwise all good.
I think they did a good job of keeping the main characters alive in an exciting way, though Daniel's survival was a bit much. Regarding the dam cracking my impression was Daniel would lead Nick off the dam to relative safety. I was impressed with using the sniper fire as a way to resolve the standoff.

Strand and Madison seem capable of charming their way to leadership or influence wherever they go. Alycia and Nick too.

 

[ctg]

Somewhere recently the episodes titles in this thread have mixed up? We just had episodes 15 and 16.

The numbering doesn't correspond all named threads as they'd so many double episodes. So instead of spreading them out, I numbered as them through fourteen shows. I realised that it was the double final when I saw the title in AMC's page at the morning I put up the thread.

Unless he goes to Houston.

Why Houston?

 

[Judderman]

He mentions he is from Houston and also he talks about going on the boat to Houston with Alycia as part of his plans to set up / fix the power grid.

 

[Dave]

Somewhere recently the episodes titles in this thread have mixed up? We just had episodes 15 and 16.

I can change. It doesn't matter to us, but it might avoid spoilers for people reading in the future.

 

[svalbard]

Was that Strand floating face down in the water behind Maddison in that final scene? The body was wearing boots and a trench coat.

 

[Dave]

I missed that if it was.

 

[Judderman]

There was a body but I assumed that was one of the bad guys falling off a cracked part of the dam.