TV Review: FEAR THE WALKING DEAD: Season 2, Episode 2: We All Fall Down [AMC]

AMC‘s Fear The Walking Dead We All Fall Down TV Show Review. Fear the Walking Dead, Season 2, Episode 2: ‘We All Fall Down,’ took an unsanctioned shore leave from the high seas showdown that some of us may have preferred. When hiding from their pursuers became an option, Abigail’s boarders settled on hitching to an island ranger station. Even in the face of what seemed like Strand’s (Colman Domingo) ongoing God complex, there was enough merit to the course decision to warrant a demonstration of his flexibility. This divided the cast between Daniel (Rubén Blades) sticking to Strand  – seeking an opportunity to act on his suspicions of the man – while most everyone else made contact with the locals.

The locals, in this case, was an ‘independent living-minded’ family with more of a Live-Free-or-Die outlook than was immediately apparent. Naturally, Madison (Kim Dickens) would seek out the crack to this family to pick at, while more pressing concerns – like why the potentially last fertile youngsters on Earth would show no base level interest in each other – never came up.

I also found myself wondering what happened to all the wildlife, again. Animals factored big, for Resident Evil; but, save for the occasional horse or edible critter, seem absent from the world of TWD. Would sharks avoid undead bodies? Would crows, vultures, and other scavengers turn? I really would like this sort of thing addressed.

Leaving the cast’s two heavies to each other provided some clues as to what may be ahead; but most of the episode was devoted to Team Travis (Cliff Curtis) revisiting what has already been done. At the very least, I figured that between Strand’s wariness, and Daniel’s experience, certain aspects to the away mission would’ve been better handled. Light & noise discipline would’ve been nice, for instance, since sound travels farther over water, and light goes a long way at night; so ship lights, flashlights, yelling… not the sort of things they did that I’d recommend – but: plot.

Of course, Strand’s boarders went from taking the boat for granted, to taking their port-of-call for granted. After losing radar contact, among some islands, it would be wise to assume that their pursuers would simply check the coastline of each island. The kind of assumption that would make loitering a really bad idea (not that said pursuers justified such precaution).

At least Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) seems to be appreciating Daniel’s world view better; but I disagree that it’s better for Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) to be around people – for the people’s sake. Oddly enough, when he finally does find a useful outlet for his emo issues, his dad objects – prompting a conversation about civilized vs survivalist life, that, frankly, should have been a red flag to their host, George Geary (David Warshofsky).

These folk just aren’t ready. Strand gets it, Daniel gets it, now George gets it. Until the audience realizes that this series is about the process of them getting it, however, it’s going to suffer in its namesake’s shadow (where the ones who don’t get it, get theirs in short order).

That said, the Clarks taking every opportunity to go Social Justice Warrior, and Travis having to navigate at least one Hawk vs Dove divide per episode, wore thin back in season one. The Geary family pretty much collapsing, after all that doomsday prep, sort of collapsed the episode, as well. George’s endgame was to have them all go zombie? His wife just lost all sense (George assured that she knew better), when the end came sooner than expected? What did her making it all the way to the pier mean for George, and what’re the remaining member’s prospects? At this point, it seems the answer is that it doesn’t even matter.

The titular reference – besides demonstrating that (at least one of) FTWD’s young ‘uns know something about what they’re in for – should have been fair warning for what the episode had in store; but the execution was just too sloppy to be of any use to the show. Worse than its characters retreading the same conflict scenarios, it was a filler episode that stalled on the promise of confrontation, made last episode. It’s not that I’m eager to get the shooting started – I just want something done. Something besides retreading last season’s ethical bickering, and having carelessness/ stupidity plot each episode’s course.

Still waiting for Daniel, Strand, and some pirate action, to get the ball rolling….

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