A family in distress boards the Abigail; and Strand branches off as his past begins to emerge. Meanwhile, Nick searches for an associate of Strand’s.

Fear the Walking Dead bounces back and forth between the past and the present as we learn much more about the history of Strand.

The episode is an interesting one that ups the tension in many ways in the present as some folks take over Strand’s boat the Abigail and then takes everyone hostage. This is something that’s been building for the last couple of episodes and there’s hints that there’s some bigger threat still out there named Connor. If the episode focused on just that, it’d have been an excellent one. The end of the episode definitely ups that factor of tension as we don’t know what to expect and since no one is the big named character like it’s sister show, it really does feel like anyone

Instead, the episode bounces to the past as we learn more about Strand and a bit about the location they’re going to. That kills the momentum of the episode a bit. But, it does some good and gives us a lot of information about the character.

Things ramp up a bit as we learn more about Fear the Walking Dead’s mysterious Strand, and while not all is revealed there’s a lot that should keep folks intrigued.

I’m still not completely sure what his deal is, but we have more info at least. The show continues to be an interesting one and for once we have some real tension.

Overall Rating: 7.45

The group seeks shelter with a survivalist family; and Madison tries to uncover the family’s true motives. Meanwhile, Salazar works to discover Strand’s intentions.

Fear the Walking Dead takes us back to land in the second season’s second episode and things are really interesting. The episode emphasizes the series focus which isn’t as much on individuals, but instead is about what groups are doing and how they’re handling the zombie apocalypse.

In this case we get a bit of a microcosm of a family that’s holed up and gone a bit crazy. It emphasizes some of what we’ve seen in The Walking Dead, and even Fear‘s first season where we see individuals who commit suicide instead of the prospect of having to live in this world.

The big picture is the focus as plans are made and people are realizing of what this world is like and what is happening.

While the series seems to be focusing on the big picture, it also is about individual actions. Here it’s a son dealing with a mother turning. A mother wanting to save her child. A father not willing to accept reality. It’s a slow build and a slow reveal as to individuals, their motivations, and how they’re reacting.

We’re seeing small changes in everyone as the series shifts from that big picture to more about the individuals.

The episode also gives us more information about the situation that is the West coast, and elsewhere. We find out as much information as the individuals see or hear, something that is sure to irritate some viewers, but also makes decisions in the first episode more clear.

The episode is an interesting one as we see the characters come more alive and we see how different individuals are reacting to the end times.

Overall Rating: 7.35

In the second-season premiere, the families flee a burning Los Angeles on Strand’s yacht, as Strand remains mysterious. Meanwhile, the group encounters danger at sea.

Fear the Walking Dead kicks off the second season picking up rate from where the first season ended. The Manawas and Clarks are heading to Strand’s boat after the death of a family member.

With the first season a short one we were given the basics of the characters and the fall of Los Angeles, but we also didn’t get to know the characters very well. This episode attempts to do that a bit and also give us a direction for the season.

The episode is an interesting one as each character is given a bit more in their personality and their altruism when it comes to the zombie apocalypse and where they stand with helping others versus helping themselves. It’s an aspect we’ve seen a little of in The Walking Dead, but not one explored super well.

Some of this aspect is seen in Alicia’s talking to a mysterious individual and Nick’s actions at the end. The act this is playing out all in the water is even more interesting since it adds a factor we haven’t seen.

The characters still totally don’t have their footing, and Strand’s mysteriousness is a little annoying already, but the episode does a great job in setting up that things are already falling apart in society and there’s new rules not everyone is following.

The end of the episode sets up the initial villain, and it at least looks original.

The best thing about Fear the Walking Dead is the unknown. Between that and seeing how things fall apart will get me coming back for more. While nowhere near perfect, the show at least gives us the unknown.

Overall Rating: 7.1