This post contains spoilers.
The season two premiere episode did a good job showing us where the show is going this season and establishing some of the over-arching themes. At its heart, the episode was about the death of the old world and the beginning of the new one.
At the beginning we see the group escaping the burning city of Los Angeles on Strand’s yacht. I liked the action here and we can tell that Travis and company are learning how to take out walkers. It’s also fun to see people fighting large groups of fresh walkers again. These walkers are much more of a threat than the ones currently on The Walking Dead, which are almost an afterthought at this point. The opening also had one of the best walker kills on either show when Nick chopped up one with the motor blade on the raft. The final shot of the opening was very fitting. The old world is burning to the ground as they leave it behind for an uncertain future.
After the break, it was time for the group to get down to business and figure out what they were going to do. Strand stated that they have enough fuel to get about 3,000 miles. I feel this line was thrown in so us fans aren’t constantly asking “but why don’t they ever run out of fuel?” In the short-term we know fuel isn’t a concern but they’ll have to get more eventually. We also find out that Strand’s initial plan is to go to San Diego and “hopefully” get help from the Coast Guard or some other military organization. Travis is understandably nervous about getting involved with the military again but, as Strand points out, they don’t have many options.
I also like how the group quickly ran into more survivors and was faced with a hard decision. The reality of their situation necessitates a new, more pragmatic, way of thinking. The idea of helping others is great but you have to think about what it will cost you and whether it will expose you to more danger. These situations will help us determine who is ready to deal with the new world and who isn’t. Ultimately, the survivors will be those who are strong enough to make the tough calls. Strand, Daniel, and even Travis immediately see that they can’t risk offering aid to the people on that ship. Whereas Maddie and Alicia wanted to offer help regardless of the risks. This type of conflict is being set up to be a major source of tension in the group. Especially between Maddie and Travis and whether their relationship can survive this new reality.
Help or Survive?
Travis is also dealing with the aftermath of his decision to kill Liza at the end of last season. It was clearly the right thing to do but his son, Chris, is having a very hard time coping. This is the first time any of these people have experienced having to make that choice. Eventually, Chris will learn to accept that what Travis did was the only choice he could make. It seemed like he was starting to come around after his talks with Daniel and Maddie. Not to mention his little swim with Nick at the end. We’ll have to see how long it takes him to adjust to the new world and if he can forgive Travis.
Daniel won’t have much trouble adjusting
Unfortunately, this is one of the aspects of the show that Walking Dead viewers will find frustrating. We already learned a lot of these lessons watching Rick and his group and waiting for these people to catch up seems like a step back. But the whole point of this show is to see how normal people might deal with this sort of crisis so its necessary to cut them some slack. They aren’t all going to be able to adjust their thinking to survive and it will be interesting to see who is strong enough.
We also saw this in Alicia’s interaction with Jack on the radio. She was quick to trust him and divulge all sorts of information that would make them a prime target. To at least some viewers (myself included) this seemed monstrously stupid. How could you trust some random voice on a radio? But from the point of view of a scared young girl it makes sense. She’s looking for someone to talk to and Jack sounded like a trustworthy enough guy. What’s the harm in having a simple conversation about their boats and where they’re going? But now it looks like Jack might be a pirate of some sort. We’ll see next week what that simple conversation will cost the group. I hope Strand has some weapons stored on the boat. Also, if they do this right, adding pirates to a show about zombies might be the best thing on television this year.
Plus, floating walkers…sick.
Strand is probably the most interesting character on the show so far. He is obviously very capable, pragmatic, and smart. He knows that both the living and the dead will be a big threat moving forward and acts accordingly. He’s also quick to lay down the law and makes it clear that since they’re on his boat he makes the rules. He definitely seems like the sort of guy that could become a “Negan-ish” figure in the future. So, it will be interesting to see if everyone is able to prove that they have worth and stay on the boat.
Strand is obviously willing to make hard calls, like leaving that boat behind without a second thought, but he also took a big risk in saving the rest of the group. He easily could have left them all behind at the beginning but he waited, so he’s obviously not all bad. There’s also something about him and the way he acts. Daniel points this out toward the end of the episode, it’s almost as if he knew this crisis was coming and was prepared to survive. I really hope we get to see where he came from and what he knows. His back story could also lead to more insight about how this all happened in the first place.
Post-apocalyptic man of mystery
At the end, we saw another ship that had been attacked, possibly by Jack and his crew. I’m sure we’ll find out some more about what happened when the group has time to look at the log that Nick found. For now though, they’re going to have to brace for a possible attack. Speaking of Nick, he’s another one of the better characters on the show. Despite his drug problem, which I’m sure will come back into play this season, he’s definitely in the category of a “survivor” along with Strand and Daniel and is much more capable than he looks.
Looking out at a new world, full of threats
The first season of Fear The Walking Dead focused mainly on establishing the zombie crisis and showing us how quickly the world descended into chaos as a result. Due to the short run of the season, we didn’t get much of character development. It felt rushed and, at times, inconsistent. However, it seems like season two will be taking the time to allow us to invest in the characters and their individual story lines. Plus, they’re adding in some complex issues revolving around the threats of both the dead and the living. This episode laid the ground work for what is hopefully going to be a good sophomore season for Fear The Walking Dead.
Make to sure to come back to skatronixxx.com for my thoughts on next week’s episode and follow @drnerdlaw for all things in the Walking Dead universe.
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