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Thursday, June 18
Fear The Walking Dead S01E06 “The Good Man” REVIEW
Airing in the UK on AMC
Writers: Robert Kirkman & Dave Erickson
Director: Stefan Schwartz
Last week I asked whether the show that had just inflicted “Cobalt” on the world could put together a coherent season finale. Turns out it could. Mostly.
So, the good first, or more specifically, the “Good Man”. This is the episode where Big Trav finally steps into the spotlight. Everything he’s experienced over the last five episodes brings him to this point and Cliff Curtis, as ever, relishes being given meaty stuff to do. He gets plenty of it too, including a decent, contemptuous showdown with Daniel, the incident with Andy and the closing scene with Liza.
The first is offhand, as he shoves the smaller, older man against the truck to get him out of the way. This is Travis as Papa Bear, a man who will do anything to protect his family. That’s the driving force behind everything he does in this episode, from going into the military base to saving Liza by killing her. None of it’s easy, all of it will only ever get harder, but it’s the only course of action he has. Travis isn’t Fear The Walking Dead’s Rick; that’s very clearly Madison. However, he is this show’s Hershel, an endlessly good man who will do anything to protect the people that matter to him.
That’s why he beats Andy half to death in a genuinely nasty scene. It’s not just that Andy is clearly unbalanced and dangerous but that he’s opened fire on Travis’s extended family. He’s finally in the headspace Madison’s been in from the second episode: survive, protect, end anything or anyone that threatens the people who matter to him. That’s why the final shots of him kneeling on the beach are so powerful. The ocean represents the boundless new world Travis is thrown into, both post-apocalypse and post murder. The fact that Madison is by his side is both a symbolic uniting of their often disparate approaches and the anchor he desperately needs. The good man is at sea in stormy waters but he’s not adrift, and that’s immensely powerful, interesting stuff to base a second season on.
As, to my rank amazement, is Strand. After last week’s disastrous parade of cliché, it’s difficult not to look at him as undergoing an emergency course correct. Here he’s immaculately dressed, far less amoral and infinitely more focused. His scenes with Nick sparkle with a nicely unpleasant Dodger/Fagin energy and his backstory is clearly rich and nuanced, rather like he’s starting to look himself. The moment where he packs a photo that’s clearly very dear to him, whom we don’t see, promises much with him for season two. And, thank God, none of it’s as repellent as many of his lines were last week.
Watch Fear The Walking Dead: Flight 462 episode one
This week’s other MVP is, remarkably, Liza. Elizabeth Rodriguez has been one of the cast members the scripts have served least well but here she’s on top form. Her final scenes in particular, especially with Kim Dickens and Cliff Curtis, are brilliant and packed with emotion. Liza’s a good woman, someone who wants to help and is faced with the worst possible way to do that. The fact her final words are information about what’s killing her just cements her position as one of the show’s most underused, and biggest, assets. She’ll be missed.
It’s not all reclaimed wine and roses – or in this case, water and emergency rations – though. The script, when it’s on point, is great. When it isn’t, it’s awful. Strand’s, “I must remain in constant motion,” line feels like it’s wandered in from a different show as, on occasion, does he. Likewise Chris and Alicia remain completely useless throughout the episode. I can see what they’re going for; that these two are the last innocents left in the group. However, they kill the pacing the show’s fought for every time they’re on screen and need a purpose, badly, in season two. Otherwise Chris in particular may be following his mum to Fear The Walking Dead Valhalla.
Worst of all, though, are the two action beats the episode doesn’t so much fumble as hurl violently and incompetently to the ground. The moment when Andy shoots Ofelia is directed in an intensely odd way. It looks, from the eye line of the characters that Daniel is ordering the soldier to shoot his daughter which Andy then does. I’ve watched it three times and it doesn’t make any more sense now than it did the first time. If it’s actually Daniel begging for his life over his daughter’s then it’s a honking and bad character turn. If it isn’t, it’s bad direction.
The other moment is just straight up gratuitous. We see a soldier get bitten as the compound falls. He realises he’s dead and runs into a set of helicopter blades, mincing his own head. As a moment that shows how bad things have got, it works. As long as you don’t think of him reaching for a gun, or begging a friend to kill him or any one of a dozen beats that would communicate the same thing without the pointless gore.
But, amazingly, these are minor quibbles. The episode is pacy, action-packed, pays off nearly every plot in the season and most of all relishes the chance to cut loose. This is a show that’s run in place, very badly at times, for at least four of its six episodes. Now, at last, it’s off and moving and looks set to go some interesting places. That by itself would be quite an achievement, but on the way, it’s finally made me care for these characters. That’s amazing and promises much for season two. Roll on life on the ocean wave. Let’s all go meet Abigail.
And that’s season one of Fear The Walking Dead and the, at times, dreadful life choices of its characters. Despite that, this is a really strong season finale that sets up an interesting second season. Before that though, Rick and the Alexandria Power Hour returns! See you next week for grime, southern angst and dead folks!
Review by: Alasdair Stuart
• Read our other Fear The Walking Dead reviews
Fear The Walking Dead S01E06 “The Good Man” REVIEW
Airing in the UK on AMC
Writers: Robert Kirkman & Dave Erickson
Director: Stefan Schwartz
Last week I asked whether the show that had just inflicted “Cobalt” on the world could put together a coherent season finale. Turns out it could. Mostly.
So, the good first, or more specifically, the “Good Man”. This is the episode where Big Trav finally steps into the spotlight. Everything he’s experienced over the last five episodes brings him to this point and Cliff Curtis, as ever, relishes being given meaty stuff to do. He gets plenty of it too, including a decent, contemptuous showdown with Daniel, the incident with Andy and the closing scene with Liza.
The first is offhand, as he shoves the smaller, older man against the truck to get him out of the way. This is Travis as Papa Bear, a man who will do anything to protect his family. That’s the driving force behind everything he does in this episode, from going into the military base to saving Liza by killing her. None of it’s easy, all of it will only ever get harder, but it’s the only course of action he has. Travis isn’t Fear The Walking Dead’s Rick; that’s very clearly Madison. However, he is this show’s Hershel, an endlessly good man who will do anything to protect the people that matter to him.
That’s why he beats Andy half to death in a genuinely nasty scene. It’s not just that Andy is clearly unbalanced and dangerous but that he’s opened fire on Travis’s extended family. He’s finally in the headspace Madison’s been in from the second episode: survive, protect, end anything or anyone that threatens the people who matter to him. That’s why the final shots of him kneeling on the beach are so powerful. The ocean represents the boundless new world Travis is thrown into, both post-apocalypse and post murder. The fact that Madison is by his side is both a symbolic uniting of their often disparate approaches and the anchor he desperately needs. The good man is at sea in stormy waters but he’s not adrift, and that’s immensely powerful, interesting stuff to base a second season on.
As, to my rank amazement, is Strand. After last week’s disastrous parade of cliché, it’s difficult not to look at him as undergoing an emergency course correct. Here he’s immaculately dressed, far less amoral and infinitely more focused. His scenes with Nick sparkle with a nicely unpleasant Dodger/Fagin energy and his backstory is clearly rich and nuanced, rather like he’s starting to look himself. The moment where he packs a photo that’s clearly very dear to him, whom we don’t see, promises much with him for season two. And, thank God, none of it’s as repellent as many of his lines were last week.
Watch Fear The Walking Dead: Flight 462 episode one
This week’s other MVP is, remarkably, Liza. Elizabeth Rodriguez has been one of the cast members the scripts have served least well but here she’s on top form. Her final scenes in particular, especially with Kim Dickens and Cliff Curtis, are brilliant and packed with emotion. Liza’s a good woman, someone who wants to help and is faced with the worst possible way to do that. The fact her final words are information about what’s killing her just cements her position as one of the show’s most underused, and biggest, assets. She’ll be missed.
It’s not all reclaimed wine and roses – or in this case, water and emergency rations – though. The script, when it’s on point, is great. When it isn’t, it’s awful. Strand’s, “I must remain in constant motion,” line feels like it’s wandered in from a different show as, on occasion, does he. Likewise Chris and Alicia remain completely useless throughout the episode. I can see what they’re going for; that these two are the last innocents left in the group. However, they kill the pacing the show’s fought for every time they’re on screen and need a purpose, badly, in season two. Otherwise Chris in particular may be following his mum to Fear The Walking Dead Valhalla.
Worst of all, though, are the two action beats the episode doesn’t so much fumble as hurl violently and incompetently to the ground. The moment when Andy shoots Ofelia is directed in an intensely odd way. It looks, from the eye line of the characters that Daniel is ordering the soldier to shoot his daughter which Andy then does. I’ve watched it three times and it doesn’t make any more sense now than it did the first time. If it’s actually Daniel begging for his life over his daughter’s then it’s a honking and bad character turn. If it isn’t, it’s bad direction.
The other moment is just straight up gratuitous. We see a soldier get bitten as the compound falls. He realises he’s dead and runs into a set of helicopter blades, mincing his own head. As a moment that shows how bad things have got, it works. As long as you don’t think of him reaching for a gun, or begging a friend to kill him or any one of a dozen beats that would communicate the same thing without the pointless gore.
But, amazingly, these are minor quibbles. The episode is pacy, action-packed, pays off nearly every plot in the season and most of all relishes the chance to cut loose. This is a show that’s run in place, very badly at times, for at least four of its six episodes. Now, at last, it’s off and moving and looks set to go some interesting places. That by itself would be quite an achievement, but on the way, it’s finally made me care for these characters. That’s amazing and promises much for season two. Roll on life on the ocean wave. Let’s all go meet Abigail.
And that’s season one of Fear The Walking Dead and the, at times, dreadful life choices of its characters. Despite that, this is a really strong season finale that sets up an interesting second season. Before that though, Rick and the Alexandria Power Hour returns! See you next week for grime, southern angst and dead folks!
Review by: Alasdair Stuart
• Read our other Fear The Walking Dead reviews