Fear The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2
We’re only two episodes into its fourth season and Fear the Walking Dead already finds itself in a precarious position with its viewership. On the one hand, if you’re a faithful viewer who’s been with the show from day one, being reunited with the extended Clark family (who themselves have been reunited) is a cause for celebration. After all, it’s Madison, Alicia, Nick, Strand and Luciana who helped build Fear. We’ve stuck with these characters through thick and thin, watching them escape conflicts that were often of their own devising. But then last week’s premiere, “What’s Your Story?” quickly signaled to faithful viewers that that was then, this is now. Season four kicked off with new characters—Morgan, John, and Althea—and a new aesthetic for the show. More importantly, Fear experienced a significant time jump, one that allowed for Morgan to cross over from The Walking Dead. As I wrote previously, I loved the changes introduced in “What’s Your Story?”—so much so that I could have easily followed the adventures of Morgan and his traveling companions. “Another Day in the Diamond” catches us up with the Clarks a year after the dam’s destruction. Madison and company have carved out a nice life for themselves in a converted stadium replete with indoor plumbing, crops, livestock, and even maple syrup. Living conditions are so comfortable that supply runs are almost a thing of the past. Indeed, this whole setup seems idyllic enough, save for the zombies swarming in the parking lots outside. Which brings us to another reliable trope, namely that the living are more dangerous than the dead. Again, we’ve seen this play out plenty of times before, from Fear’s pirates to drug cartels to the Ottos and eventually to Ray McKinnon’s Proctor John. So the introduction of a new villain, Mel (Kevin Zegers), so soon into the season is a bit disappointing. Not just because Mel immediately calls TWD’s Negan to mind, but also because the Vultures are a pale imitation of the Saviors. Plus, really, haven’t we had enough of these sorts of villains by now? Mel’s one saving grace is a wry acknowledgment of the tropes governing this world. “There is a natural cycle to a place like this,” he tells Madison in their first encounter. “And yours is about to run out.” Honestly, he’s not wrong. Sometimes survival is a waiting game, a matter of patience rather than grit or being good with a gun. As for Nick (Frank Dillane), he hasn’t fared very well since last season’s finale. We don’t know how he made it off the dam, or how he’s been reunited with the rest of his family. “Diamond” drops a few breadcrumbs about what led to this auspicious reunion (as well as hinting at what brought Strand and Luciana back into the fold), but I would have much preferred to see these events play out as they happened, and not relegated to a few uttered asides. I’m assuming we’ll learn more details post-dam, but in the meantime, we’re left to contend with Nick, who’s lost his signature fearlessness. He’s skittish now, preferring to stay behind as others forage for supplies. When he does step beyond the stadium’s safe confines, he’s no longer comfortable among the dead. Plus, the only blood he wears in “Diamond” is his own. By episode’s end, we flash forward, back to Morgan’s fateful encounter with Alicia on that dusty road. John offers these strangers some candy, despite the threat they pose. And Althea holds her own, despite staring down the barrel of a gun. I want to see these disparate sets of characters interact more. What I don’t want, however, is this jumping back and forth in time. This is Fear trying to have it both ways. We need to pick a timeline, and we need to fully commit to it. Until then, faithful and new viewers alike aren’t truly getting the show they both signed on for. Some closing thoughts I never thought I’d say this about a zombie show, but the biggest threat now seems to be weevils. If I’m Jenna Elfman, I’m thinking once the Vultures show up, I’m taking a shower and moving on. She owes Madison and her people nothing.
