Fear the Walking Dead 403 – Good Out Here
Flashbacks to failed crops, a sense of desperation and an overwhelmed Nick kick off Good Out Here. After the flashback we jump to the present with John, Morgan and Althea held captive by the Clark crew minus Madison. The tense situation goes off the rails however when some walkers get in the way of a tussle on board of Althea’s SWAT vehicle and it runs off the road.
Good Out Here pops back and forth between the past and the present with the three newcomers turning the tables on team Clark. A stranded vehicle and both groups needing each other push them into an uneasy alliance and also gives Morgan some time to bond with Nick. Bonding time doesn’t last very long though as the appearance of a blue El Camino sets Nick off and after a brief tussle with Morgan he charges down the road with a hammer.
This far into the fourth season of Fear and Madison’s absence in the present injects some mystery to the narrative. Also missing is Naomi and this certainly is connected to the uncustomarily disheveled appearance and nature of Strand, Luciana, Alycia and Nick. Nick seems to be consumed more than the others at the current state of things and his rash behavior underscores the point. Other interesting kernels are dropped throughout the episode including a wound on Strand’s hand that he’s not quick to talk about. There are also some hints dropped at what makes Althea tick.
The flashbacks with Madison and Nick shed some light on how the group got into their present situation and also highlights the lengths the Vultures have gone to ensure their own survival. Caught in the middle of all of it is Charlie who continues to pay dividends for the Vultures.
The tension in the episode is magnified by the shifting timeline adding more uncertainty to Madison’s fate as well as what has Nick on such a fiery path of vengeance. Good Out Here is one of Fear’s best episodes in years even though it doesn’t answers as many questions as one would like. Morgan looking at Nick and realizing that he’s peering into his own past helps the wounded lad take his first steps towards potentially finding some inner peace.
All bets are off when trying to forecast how Fear the Walking Dead will handle its reboot. The shocking ending, particularly how it comes to pass places things in such a limbo that anything can happen moving forward. Good Out Here is a high mark of the series so far and has already elevated this season beyond what viewers have come to expect.
