Fear the Walking Dead: Ep. 201 Monster
“The whole world is ‘I don’t know’ right now.”
Los Angeles ablaze, mayhem at sea and a walker infested beach greeted viewers as Fear the Walking Dead, AMC’s companion hit show to The Walking Dead, returned and picked up where last season left off.
While the series’ pacing may have put off some viewers, it doesn’t take long for the action to get going in the Season 2 premiere, Monster. After the military’s decision to napalm the city and with walkers closing in on them, Madison and Travis look to the open seas for refuge with Alicia, Nick, Chris and the Salazars (Daniel and Ophelia).
At the helm of Abigail, the yacht spotted during the final moments of the Season 1 finale, is the ever mysterious, Strand. With everyone on board the action shifts from the shores of Los Angeles and sets sail in the Pacific Ocean. Abigail becomes a Noah’s Arc of sorts keeping everyone safe from the flood of walkers overrunning the city.
Monster deals with how Madison and the small band of survivors must come together through personal loss as they attempt to deal with the fallout of the walker apocalypse. Some of the tensions from last season are still raw, creating a tug of war of emotions and being confined to a boat only heightens the tension and mistrust that already exists.
Taking the show to the open water gives Fear the Walking Dead a unique feel and further differentiates itself from its sister show. Choppy waters and difficult decisions lay ahead as society’s safety net crumbles. The crew of the Abigail must navigate not only the Pacific but also the changing rules of the world they now live in. Every decision is fraught with potential danger and conflicts regarding which way to proceed begin to divide the crew.
Who are the true monsters? Are they the walkers, the rest of humanity or those on the Abigail? Is it those who seek order by taking advantage of the breakdown in society to play by their own rules or are the real monsters within us? Monster examines all of these aspects to varying degrees of success and viewers will have their own opinions as to which character best fits the title. Fear the Walking Dead is beginning to explore the ethics behind surviving an apocalypse and what is revealed may not only tell us something about the characters on the show but also a little about ourselves as well.
After watching screeners for the first three episodes of this season, Fear the Walking Dead forges ahead exploring new territory while maintaining the elements of what makes the franchise so successful. With a nod or two to The Walking Dead, a new setting, some mystery and interesting character development viewers will be pleased that Fear’s sophomore season looks like it’s set for smooth sailing.
