Madison and Travis see different sides of the National Guard’s occupation in their neighborhood; the family tries to adapt to the new world.

Fear the Walking Dead’s fourth episode has seen some time pass since the previous third episode. The military has set up a safe zone, and those within are dealing with their new reality.

Things seem stable, but something is clearly not right, but is that our paranoia, or is it reality? The military is being coy, which doesn’t help matters at all. We don’t know how much we can trust them, and what they’re really up to. Communication has been cut off, and there’s evidence there’s things not on the up and up.

That has Madison to go out exploring which does find things that adds to the facts not adding up.

This leads us to the main theme of the series “fear.” Daniel gives an amazing speech about his past, and how the government acts on fear, and when it does, it does so quickly. He’s not so trusting, but hasn’t played his hand as much as others.

The Walking Dead does the calm before the storm quite often, and this episode feels exactly like that. It’s slow, and focuses more on the drama aspect, which makes it really good and adds a very interesting layer to the story and short season.

The ending, gives us a good idea as to who we should really fear.

Overall Rating: 8

After they escape a riot, Travis, Liza and Chris seek refuge with the Salazars; Madison defends her home.

Fear the Walking Dead’s third episode has the show returning after a week off the air for the holiday.

The episode quickly kicks off with a riot fully broken out, and Travis with the Salazars on the run and after an accident attempting to find a hospital. The Walking Dead often asks us who the real evil and horrors are, and with the city melting down, we can see that in reality that is up for debate.

But, we also get some interesting questions answered like the issue of hospitals. We’re seeing society fall apart before our very eyes. We also might get a bit of foreshadowing as to who might be one fo the first to die.

With only a zombie here and there to deal with, the episode has much more of a horror vibe to it all, with an almost killer stalking their victims vibe to it all. It’s very different from the main series. There’s also some answers as to if people need to be bit to turn at this point, and it’s clearly not the case as we’ve seen with the neighbor.

What we get to see too is the characters come to grips with what’s happening. It’s not like this is something that’s easily believed. And reality setting in for their situation is actually very interesting to watch. By the time we start The Walking Dead, folks have accepted their situation, but here we see people starting to deal with that situation.

Another fantastic episode as the series is a slow burn to complete oblivion.

Overall Rating: 8.5

While Madison struggles to keep Nick from a crippling withdrawal, Travis ventures out to find his son before the city of Los Angeles falls.

Fear the Walking Dead’s second episode keeps the slow burn established in the first episode. Unlike films where the meltdown of society happens quickly, this is a long form series, so is taking its time. That’s likely to anger some folks who come for zombies. Instead we get a look at how society falls apart in this sort of situation and how a family might actually deal with it.

The first 40 minutes are a slow build, finally getting us to our first real attack that affects our main characters. This is the beginning of it all, so there’s a learning curve that makes it all rather blunt and not graceful at all.

The episode also has society breaking down a bit, with protests over the police killing individuals. With that, we get shades of protests going on today such as Black Lives Matter, and with the breakdown we also have an echo of Katrina which happened a decade ago. Sci-fi/horror does what it does best, making commentary on today’s society.

We also get introduced to a few more characters, who we know through casting announcements, will be playing roles that’ll last for a bit. And seeing what folks are willing to do, especially parents for their kids, is going to be interesting.

As a whole, the episode keeps up the excellent start of the debut episode. Much like The Walking Dead, this isn’t about zombies. Fear the Walking Dead is about the crumbling of society. Though it looks like it’s dipping into some tropes, it’s still has me interested in seeing what comes next.

Overall Rating: 8

What did the world look like as it was transforming into the horrifying apocalypse depicted in The Walking Dead? This spin-off set in Los Angeles, following new characters as they face the beginning of the end of the world, will answer that question.

The first episode of, Fear the Walking Dead, the spin-off series to The Walking Dead, begins in a familiar way, with a person coming out of a stupor and being immediately confronted with the world around him. This world is a little different from the five seasons we’ve seen so far in the smash main series. This is the beginning, when the idea of a zombie outbreak is just whispers and hints.

The first episode’s focus is more on the characters, especially as a family unit, than its sister series as well. The Walking Dead is very much about “family” but that focus is much more on building a new one when faced with adversity. This series instead is about a literal family. The mother, her daughter and drug addicted son. The boyfriend, with a family of his own. How will they react in the face of disaster? The series very much shares that with so many disaster films like 2012 and others. It also asks the much more realistic question of what do you do as a parent dealing with all of that?

There’s also the perspective of coming to grips with reality. We see it from a couple of angles, including a drug addict who’s not sure what’s real and what isn’t. It’s enough to make us question, but we know the truth of it all.

The look of the series is interesting as well. Set in Los Angeles, I expected a much brighter hue and look. Instead we have a visual style that looks to be a cross between From Dusk Till Dawn and 28 Days Later. Browns, oranges, with an almost dusty sheen permeates the color palette and look of the first episode. Visually it stands out from its sister series.

The first episode is about so many small details. A gun on the ground. A bone sticking out. A missing sign on a wall. And the overall look and color palette of it all.

The new series has a lot of pressure on its shoulders. It spins out of a monster of a television series, so expectations are high. The first episode, is a solid debut. It has me intrigued to see what comes next… in the coming zombie apocalypse.

Overall Rating: 9