TV Review: Fear The Walking Dead (Season 1, Episode 1)

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

Join us every MONDAY as we review the latest episode…

EPISODE 1: Pilot

THE HOOK: A new cast of characters witness the beginning of the end, as Los Angeles becomes ground zero for the infection.

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS, so I don’t recommend reading this if you haven’t watched this episode

THE LOWDOWN: Stop me if you’ve heard this one—a teacher, a guidance councillor, a teenybopper and a junky walk into the apocalypse…I know, it doesn’t have the greatest ring to it, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt. Like most of you, I had reservations when rumors of this show came calling. I love THE WALKING DEAD. The show’s great, the comics are great, and the Telltale games rock. The games are what actually gave me hope for this series, as they concentrate on a new cast of characters trying to survive in different locales. To be honest, the storyline in the first Telltale game was better than some of the comic/show storylines. The way I figured it, if they could create that sort of magic with the game, why couldn’t they do it with a spinoff? Have they struck gold? It’s far too early to tell, but I am intrigued.

What makes THE WALKING DEAD so engaging is the characters. Don’t get me wrong, THE WALKING DEAD gives ordinary people the chance to rise up like superheroes and supervillains, which sometimes feels over the top, but most times works great. This show feels much more grounded, giving us a look at everyday people doing the mundane everyday things they do. Our main characters are two divorced parents trying to build a new family together. It’s riddled with clichés, but nothing that feels particularly out of place these days. I’m a fan of both Cliff Curtis and Kim Dickens, and I feel they are excellent choices to steer this ship. Alycia Debnam Carey (the daughter) has yet to impress, but I do feel myself rooting for Nick (Frank Dillane) despite the fact he’s a drug addict.

Let’s talk about that thematic element for a second. Personally I feel having one of the main protagonists be a drug addict is a bold move. Not only do we open with Nick coming out of a drug induced sleep in a decrepit church turned drug den, they even go as far as making the first walker a victim of heroin overdose—that’s what I got from it anyway, the both of them shot up, she overdosed/died and became the ground zero walker. Again, that’s a bold path to tread. It may rub some people the wrong way, but I don’t find it hurts the story once it gets going. That said, it can be tough to root for a drug addict who makes ultra-ridiculous decisions based on addiction. Then there’s the other side of the coin, I can’t help but wonder why ground zero walker didn’t feast on Nick first, before moving on.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 1’s first episode is exactly what you’d expect, an eerie, tension filled ride for an audience who knows what’s coming. Everyone is oblivious, and when something odd or conspiracy theory ridden is presented, they shrug it off to the tune of “the police will handle it”. I get that. Thinking there’s no way in hell something terrible could happen without us being told about it isn’t completely illogical, but it’s handled makes me think of the recent episodes of THE STRAIN. That outbreak (not particularly unlike a zombie apocalypse), was quickly quarantined via specific cities by the government and army. It’s by no means “dealt with”, but the way it’s handled it in that show feels more authentic to me. Again, that said, it is fun watching all this unfold with a sly grin. Yes, you’ll yell at the screen at dumb character choices (like going to the creepy heroin church at night after you were told what happened there), but in essence, that’s what makes this show interesting. It is odd, however, watching a show that tries to mimic “these days” to perfection (which it does), and not have anyone know what a zombie is.

PARRALLEL CONNECTIONS: I’ve added this because eventually they plan to combine/cross this over with THE WALKING DEAD. Not sure how that’s going to work out/happen, but my eyes are peeled for clues. There weren’t any tonight as far as I could tell.

BLOOD AND GORE: It’s a slow burn to be sure, but the opening sequence was plenty gory, with ground zero walker eating someone’s face and what not.

COOLEST SCENE: I really enjoyed the one on one with Tobias. The whole thing had a certain doomy allure to it, and that hollow look in his eyes was perfect.

FINAL VERDICT:

TELL US WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS EPISODE BELOW!