Fear the Walking Dead - S1E2 - So Close, Yet So Far
Previously on Fear the Walking Dead, ‘Pilot’
As Principal Obama walks through the empty school halls, Alicia arrives at Matt’s to find the front door open. Never a good sign. She finds evidence of a struggle inside and then Matt, presumably, on the couch and doing some serious phlegmy breathing.
In the Calvin aftermath, Travis, Madison, and Nick speed away, almost crashing into a truck. No one’s talking about any kind of emergencies on the radio. Travis suggests they pack up, grab his ex and son, and head for the desert to get away from people. Sounds like a plan, except Alicia is at Matt’s and he’s sick with fever. Madison warns her to stay away from him and they’ll swing by to pick her up.
Once there, Alicia refuses to leave Matt’s side because she’s in love. After Travis and Madison spot a bite on Matt’s shoulder, they’re really all about that getting the hell up outta there life. It’s not until Matt insists that she leaves does Alicia agree to go. While this is going on, Nick is searching the bathroom for drugs because black people. KIDDING. He is rifling through their medicine cabinets like he has no home training, though.
Meanwhile, Chris rides the bus home as chaos erupts in the streets. He ignores calls from his dad.
The family arrives home to find one set of neighbors taking down party decorations (hope they can get that bouncy house deposit back) and another neighbor packing up his car. Nick comments how sad it is that some people (like the party neighbors) have no idea what’s going on and Madison is in no rush to tell them. But Nick knows he’s about to “step into a world of shit” and he doesn’t mean the apocalypse. Withdrawals.
Travis can’t reach his ex Liza or Chris, so Madison tells him to go to their house. He cleans that blood evidence off the hood of his truck first, and leaves. Madison heads across the street so MAYBE she told the neighbors, “Hey, mofos are eating people. Get inside and lock your doors.” Maybe.
When Travis finally gets Liza on the phone, he doesn’t try very hard to tell her WHY he’s coming to grab her and Chris, therefore she tells him to go to hell before hanging up.
Nick’s getting worse, the doctor’s not answering Madison’s calls, so she leaves Alicia with him and heads for the high school. After swiping Principal Obama’s keys, she heads for the nurse’s office and uses the crowbar she brought with her to break into the supply cabinet. Yeah, Madison got some thug in her past. You can’t tell me otherwise.
Tobias arrives and scares the shit out of her. He wants his knife back.
Chris gets off the bus and joins a crowd of people protesting police, who just shot a homeless man. Chris pulls out his camcorder, because people still carry those, and begins to film. Travis arrives at Liza’s and does a poor job explaining what’s going on, but uses her phone to call Chris. Chris refuses to leave because this is IMPORTANT. Liza turns on the news and sees the riot. They leave to get their son.
Alicia tries to dip out to take Matt some soup, despite Nick’s pleas for her to stay in the house. She only stops when he has a seizure. When he comes to, she’s cleaning up his sick off the floor. She’s worried no one has come home yet and he thanks her for helping. He passes out again just as the power goes out.
Tobias is stocking up for the flood. He advises Madison to grab some cafeteria food, too, but she’s straight on that.
“We have food.”
They encounter Principal Obama Walker and Madison tries to reason with him while Tobias is like, “WE GOTS TO GO!” Tobias stabs him a few times with that ineffective butter knife, and the two tumble down the stairs. Tobias tries like hell not to get bitten, and it takes Madison beating the principal to death (another death) with a fire extinguisher to make him stop. They leave without their groceries. Madison drops him at home, offering her house as a safe place, but he says no. He knows this isn’t going to end, it’s just the end.
Travis and Liza find Chris in the crowd and he needs way too much convincing to leave. It’s not until Liza gets a look at the homeless dead man that she increases her efforts to get Chris to shut the fuck up and listen. As police in riot gear arrive, and an officer shoots another walker in the face, the trio runs away. They end up seeking shelter in a barber shop after begging the owner to let them in. As they settle in, Liza wonders what Travis has seen, but he doesn’t tell her details.
At home, Madison gives Nick his Oxy, and he snitches that Alicia tried to leave. A call from Travis interrupts Madison’s mini breakdown in the bathroom. Their call is disconnected rather quickly with him saying he wants her to leave for the desert without him and her refusing to do so.
When one neighbor attacks another outside, Alicia wants to go help, but Madison won’t let her leave and STILL doesn’t tell her anything thats make her understand just how dangerous this is.
Overall Thoughts:
- I was so frustrated with everyone’s poor communication skills in this episode. It’s one thing to not say something because people might think you’re crazy or because you feel like you might cause more panic than good. But these aren’t just any people. This is the mother of your child, this is your daughter. Even the most hard-headed teenager will take pause and listen if you actually say something to get their attention. “Hey, Chris could die, Liza.” “People are dying, Liza.” “Alicia, I killed Principal Obama today.”
- Poor Tobias. That trip to the high school (how did he get there?) was a complete bust. He didn’t get any food or his knife back.
- For all the people complaining that they already killed three black men on the show, keep hope alive. All the looters were white.
