Fear the Walking Dead: 1.04 "Not Fade Away" (open spoilers)

[Master_Wang-Ka]

The last two episodes have been an improvement, sure. At least until some more black people show up so they can ruthlessly kill them in order to spare our main cast.

Weirdly enough, though, in a discussion I had recently, someone compared it to “Friends during the zombie apocalypse.”

I said, “What?”

My friend said, “Well, in Friends, we have a cast of regular characters who are seldom seen outside a small handful of sets – two or three apartments, and a coffee shop.”

“Yeah. And?”

“Well, if they had a Friends episode happening during the zombie apocalypse, they’d still just have the cast in those few locations. Maybe a few exterior shots, but mostly, it would be Our Heroes Experiencing The Zombie Apocalypse, Except They Can’t Leave The Building For Some Reason. And they could maybe have one or two zombies, and a zany scene where Chandler has to beat one to death with a crowbar or something.”

He had a point. Friends was about this group of people, and usually took place in a fairly limited location. It wasn’t about Life In New York, or New York politics or anything. New York was a setting, not a character. The show could have happened on the west coast, or Des Moines.

And, like many of you, it made me think, “Well, an episode of *Friends *where Ross and Chandler have to beat a zombie to death with a crowbar might well be more compelling than a lot of what we’ve seen on Fear The Walking Dead.”

I do find myself hoping our cast gets more interesting, and soon. I have this horrible feeling that Junkie Son isn’t going to get kilt as fast as some of us seem to be hoping. In fact, I can see him becoming the viewpoint character, if we get to see what’s going on at this medical facility.

[alphaboi867]

@simster

thirded -

Fourthed.

@grude

No clue about the origin or veracity of this but supposedly a show runner said the people they took are those in danger of dying, Nick due to relapse and fatal OD, Abuelita because her foot is inevitably going to kill her unless amputated, Beardy Guy due to suicide risk, and terminally ill guy for obvious reasons.

No clue why they took his wife.

My WAG this that there was a sudden change in policy to stop allowing accompanying family members.

[Wile_E]

@Master_Wang-Ka

…
And, like many of you, it made me think, “Well, an episode of *Friends *where Ross and Chandler have to beat a zombie to death with a crowbar might well be more compelling than a lot of what we’ve seen on Fear The Walking Dead.”

…

After bludgeoning the zombie into a puddle of goo, Chandler exclaims “could he BE any more dead!”?

[simster]

are you barricading the door right now? I know I am.

[Wile_E]

As zombie Rachel starts eating Ross’s face, Phoebe cries out “Aww, he’s her lobster!”

[simster]

@Wile_E

As zombie Rachel starts eating Ross’s face, Phoebe cries out “Aww, he’s her lobster!”

zombie man, zombie man
why are you eating me?
zombie man, zombie man
it’s not your fault…

[Master_Wang-Ka]

I’d give a lot to know how many other guns are in that neighborhood, in the hands of civilians, and whether or not this issue was ever addressed by the military …

[GrumpyBunny]

I actually assumed that the new show is set in LA because we all know that California has stricter gun laws than much of the rest of the US.

I’d kind of like to see “Montana: TWD”. Horde of zombies descends on TEOTWAWKI prepper ranch family. BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM! Family emerges totally unscathed. Last shot of the episode: cow with bite of questionable origin.

[Master_Wang-Ka]

Meh. In the TWDverse, only humans can manifest the bug and become zombies.

No, I was just thinking about the Trans’ shotgun… and wondering if, when the situation comes unglued, whether the military will just bug out and abandon our protagonists, or whether there will be a shootin’ match…

[grude]

What do you want to bet the military is so stupid as to put all the “at risk of death” people into one large space? Whether on breathing tubes and likely to go any second, or healthy like Nick leading to someone dying in the night and a big horde developing.

[Master_Wang-Ka]

I am curious about Nick and his abduction.

Didn’t take a doctor to see he was high as a kite during his interview with the doctor. Or to see he’s kicked the horse habit about the way I can kick a field goal over Mount Rushmore.

So he’s a junkie. On the other hand, I’d be wildly interested in where he was getting his supply, and less interested in the possibility that he might OD. He’s a worthless thing, but he’s not a zombie risk, I wouldn’t think, not unless he’s got a hella stash somewhere. And if I wanted to find out where his stash was, all I’d have to do is lock him up and wait; he’d be begging someone to go and collect it for him inside a couple days.

So… what the hell ARE they doing in this so called medical facility? And why wasn’t Ruben Blades allowed to go with his wife?

Soon…

[CannyDan]

I’m not writing the story, and the actual writers sure haven’t given us enough information for us to make informed guesses. I suppose the answers depend upon just how far “society” has collapsed in those 9 days. Maybe some people are clearly beyond the resources that will/can be devoted to them (like Ruben’s wife, maybe) and they’re being removed before they turn, then are just going to be whacked. Ruben was left behind so he couldn’t see/interfere and end up being killed himself. What can he do about it? Nothing. And so he remains, alive, and available if manpower from the “safe zones” is ever needed.

And maybe the authority sees a need for individuals who can be totally controlled (by their addiction) and may be useful for missions that people with normal empathy for other humans are not. So they took the junkie. After all, there are probably huge amounts of narcotics warehoused, now that there are so few junkies or medical patients using them up. Keeping him suitably supplied and controlled should be easy.

[Master_Wang-Ka]

True… but if major metro centers across the US have already largely collapsed, it could be a while before the drug companies get more opium. I’d think they’re wanting to conserve on the opiates that they have stockpiled.

Which would be a reason for euthanizing Hector, sure, but why Nick? He’s young. He’s likely to survive withdrawal. Hell, the ONLY zombie risk he represents is a fatal OD, and if he can’t access his drugs, he’s more likely than anything to LIVE.

And he’s canny enough that I don’t like the idea of moving him to a medical facility… where the drugs are. Hell, he’s more likely to OD there than where he was in the first place. Which begs the question of what kind of detention facilities they have in this medical joint… short of chaining him to the bed, he’ll be up to dickens in no time.

[astorian]

You know, I’m starting to thin Stannis Baratheon messed up. It was his SON he should have burned alive!

I really, really hate Nick. When you have a sister like Alicia, it’s hard to be the most annoying member of your family, but Nick manages to do it!

[Master_Wang-Ka]

Normally, when you have someone who steals painkiller drip from a dying man, you’re just setting the character up to die an insanely horrible death later on. He’s the kind of casualty the audience can cheer for.

Mostly, it just makes me irritated that his mother hasn’t given up on him and let him go to prison or something before now. True, in RL, this sort of situation isn’t that clear cut, but dang, folks, on TV, anyone that repugnant deserves whatever he gets.

[Chefguy]

Couldn’t get past the first ten minutes. I’m giving up on this turkey.

[Sherrerd]

@Master_Wang-Ka

Normally, when you have someone who steals painkiller drip from a dying man, you’re just setting the character up to die an insanely horrible death later on. He’s the kind of casualty the audience can cheer for.

You’d think so. But it could be that the core audience sees Nick under that bed and thinks ‘cool, very badass!!!’

I mean, anything’s possible in a world in which people actually admire Donald Trump…

[alphaboi867]

@grude

What do you want to bet the military is so stupid as to put all the “at risk of death” people into one large space? Whether on breathing tubes and likely to go any second, or healthy like Nick leading to someone dying in the night and a big horde developing.

As long as the patients are properly restrained & monitored they aren’t going to much of threat if they die & reanimate. Granted that assumes a certain genre savvy from the people in charge.

[Master_Wang-Ka]

True. Zombies aren’t clever enough to figure their way out of restraints.

But Nick is.

[carnivorousplant]

@Master_Wang-Ka

True. Zombies aren’t clever enough to figure their way out of restraints.

But Nick is.

Why the hate for Nick? I know plenty of assholes.