Photo Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC
Fear the Walking Dead: Ep. 207 Shiva
Things came apart at the seams during Shiva, Fear the Walking Dead’s mid-season finale as the internal chaos experienced by several characters fueled by fear, grief, mistrust and betrayal reached a zenith. With talk about monsters throughout the episode, viewers were challenged to figure out who the real monsters were and reexamine how they viewed certain characters.
The aftermath of Strand’s actions brings things to a boiling point in the compound and sets the stage for one of the thematic battlegrounds of the series so far: the struggle between parents and their children. While The Walking Dead focuses on the breakdown of society during the walker apocalypse, Fear’s focus is on family. Under normal circumstances the bonds between family members, no matter how strong, can fray. Place those relationships under the shadow of a worldwide meltdown, and anything can happen to upset even the most stable family dynamics.
The mid-season finale raised some interesting questions particularly where the walkers were concerned. Celia’s compassion for the walkers and their new state of existence can be paralleled by Madison’s understanding of Nick’s drug addiction. To some in the outside world, an addict driven by their base instincts, is something to be shunned and discarded. Just as Madison fought to save Nick during his darkest hour, so does Celia where the walkers are concerned. Beneath the infection, beneath the addiction Madison, Celia and even Nick to a degree, in their own way still see people as they once were and not what they’ve become.
Sometimes discord arises from differences surrounding perspective and the inability to let go. Travis, Daniel, Celia and Madison all struggle with their place in the new world and what that means for their children. Inevitably, there comes a time when the kids must walk their own path, even if it runs contrary to their parent’s ideals.
Loyalty, divergent paths and differences of opinion lead the crew of the Abigail in different directions. The choices made by some of the main players are startling to say the least and casts them in a dramatically different light. Desperate times call for desperate measures but the quest for survival often comes at a cost. When Fear the Walking Dead picks up again later this summer, those costs will surely be examined. Can the bonds broken in Shiva be repaired? Will the decisions made by some of the characters lead to even greater despair?
With things in complete disarray, Season 2 of Fear the Walking Dead has finally hit its stride. It’s unfortunate that things have come to a halt just as the show was really getting interesting. There’s a lot of dangling plot threads to be picked up on when the second half of the season continues. Chaos always makes for good drama and the characters are certainly experiencing their fair share of it. Hopefully Fear the Walking Dead will stay on this path and lead the show to new heights.
