Fear the Walking Dead’s debut season came to a close Sunday night, and after weeks upon weeks of waiting for something big to happen the viewers finally got their wish. Already signed on for a longer 2nd season, it will be interesting to watch how the writers build upon the first six episodes. Did the slow burn approach have a pay off that will bring back viewers next year? Or, did the finale leave viewers disappointed and unwilling to tune in for another season? Last week, we were informed that the military was planning on bombing Los Angeles back to the Stone Age after the troop withdrawal and we saw how far Daniel Salazar was willing to go to protect his family.
Change of Plans
The episode kicked off with Travis, Madison, and company packing up to take off with the information that Daniel tortured out of Adams. After getting all the information he could out of Adams, Daniel wanted to put a bullet in him; however, Travis managed to get the group to spare his life and take him along on their trip to rescue the others. Ofelia and Daniel finally sat down and had a conversation that revolved around her finding out what type of man her father was and how he lied to her, and Daniel’s response was that he protected her.
Then, Dr. Exner is trying to communicate with her superiors when she’s informed that they would be flying out. Liza asks her about Chris and it is made clear that Liza is only allowed to take two people with them when the helicopter arrives. We next jump to Travis talking to Adams, who is trying to convince Travis to let him go before they head out to make their rescue attempt. As the group drives away, we get a glimpse inside of one house where a family is sitting down to dinner and seemingly having a good time. The group reaches the gate and it is already clear that the military has abandoned them as no one was guarding it. Unfortunately for everyone in the community, they left the fence open. Next up we see Daniel randomly walking up to one of the guard posts at the compound holding the rest of the group. It seems innocent at first until you realize that he led those 2,000 zombies from last week right to it as a distraction. It might just be me, but that is a decision that could come back to haunt them.
Daniel reconnected with the group in a nearby parking garage. They left the cars there with Chris and Alicia as the rest hope to use the distraction to get to Nick, Liza, and Griselda, who unbeknown to them has already passed on. Nick and Strand use the distraction caused by the others to their advantage and make their break for it. Dr. Exner and Liza realize that the transports out of the compound are leaving and not coming back and Exner tells Liza herself to run for it. We next head back to Chris and Alicia who are just left waiting in the car without any idea of what is happening. Chris wants to save everyone and Alicia is trying to convince him that he can’t when they see shadows approaching the garage. Strand and Nick, on their escape, leave all the others detained with them locked out and Strand makes mention of Abigail. We are quickly brought back to Chris and Alicia where we find the shadows to be three soldiers making their own getaway from the chaos. They want the keys to one of the cars and after one makes a few lewd remarks to Alicia, it is Chris that pays the price when one of the soldiers lays him out.
We Meet Again
Travis, Madison, Daniel, and Ofelia make it to a check point in the building and are positive they are on the right path. Liza is next seen running outside about to hop in one of the jeeps when the dead finally break through the fence. Lots of gunfire, but even then the soldiers are hopelessly outnumbered. We even see one soldier that was bit, off himself by running into one of the evacuating helicopters rear blades. This causes Liza to run back inside with a few others. We jump back to Nick and Strand, who unbeknown to themselves, closed a door that locked them in a certain part of the building. They find the guardsmen who was bribing Strand last episode being feasted up, and when he asks Strand for help, Strand just takes back his earrings or cuff links and leaves him to die. That room is quickly overrun, and after picking up a gun, they make a run for it back to where they had originally come from.
The group finds the cells but not Nick or Griselda. Travis and Madison help free the others, but only after they told them which direction Nick had headed in. Unfortunately for Nick and Strand, they realize that they are trapped and about to be eaten when he sees the group through the door. Travis and Madison do everything they can to bust open the door and when all hope looks lost, Liza finally finds them and uses her security card to unlock the door and lead them out. They find themselves in the kitchen when Liza is jumped by one of the dead while the others are doing their best to fight them off with the tools/weapons that they have. Barricading one of the doors, they head to back to the medical ward. It is on their way their that Daniel is finally able to ask Liza about his wife Griselda and when she has to unfortunately let him know what happened to her. Their arrival to the medical is not what the group expects. It seems that all remaining patients were put down by Dr. Exner in the same manner that Griselda was in the last episode. Madison gathers some supplies and they try to convince Dr. Exner to come with them but all she is willing to do is direct them where to go to get out. The scene ends in what look like Dr. Exner preparing to kill herself.
A New Travis
Madison is convinced to head east, but Strand mentions west and open water. The group finally makes it back outside where we see day light and a pile of burned bodies that are more ashes than anything else. Getting back to the garage, at first they think the group is gone, as the car is gone, but we find that Alicia and Chris are hiding in an out of the way closet. Unfortunately for the group, that is when things take another bad turn. Adams, the soldier Daniel tortured and who previously Travis let go, shows up with a gun and while pointing it at Daniel decides to shoot Ofelia. This causes Travis to jump into action and for us to see a side of him that we hadn’t see up to this point. He pounds upon Adams’ face until it isn’t recognizable and the group leaves Adams there as they take off with a wounded Ofelia.
Goodbye
The group flees the compound in several cars. We get a glimpse of a burning Los Angeles, but it doesn’t look like “Cobalt” has been put into effect. Strand gives Madison directions that helps them to avoid going through downtown and takes them along the water. With clear roads and very few dead anywhere in their travels, the journey to Strand’s house is a quick one. Strand’s house is nothing short of extraordinary with a great view of the pacific. Nick and Madison share a moment where Nick actually seems happy. He reveals to her that he has never known where he is going, and how with everything that is going on everyone is finally in the same boat as him. Ofelia’s wound turned nearly life threatening so Liza had her patched, and while not good as new, ready for recovery. Liza and Chris share a moment, but something seems off with Liza, which Madison notices. She tells her son she loves him and then disappears outside with Madison following her. Strand reveals to Nick that none of them can stay there, but that leads us to find out who Abigail is, or rather what she is. He leads Nick onto his balcony with a telescope where we see that Abigail is a yacht waiting for them out on the ocean.
A Death in the Family
Madison catches up to Liza and it is shockingly revealed to us that not everyone made it out from the compound unscathed. Liza has been infected, and while Madison pleads with her that there is something they can do, Liza confirms there isn’t and hands Madison a gun asking her to put her down. It is at this time that Travis shows up and finds out that Liza has been bitten. Travis tries to convince her not to do it, but she convinces him that it must be done while also letting him know that everyone once dead can come back. Liza breaks down after getting Travis to promise her that he will do everything in his power to protect their son. Travis finally gets over his gun phobia and is the one to end Liza’s life. The gun shot alerts the others in the house and Chris and Alicia go sprinting toward the area where the sound originates. We first see Travis looking broken as he sobs in Madison’s arms in the ocean. Like his father, Chris finds the body of his mother and weeps over it. The only peaceful thing about the season finale ending is the camera panning to the ocean and its beauty.
“The Good Man” brought an end to the debut season of Fear the Walking Dead and left us with a few highs and many lows. In what could have been a happy ending minus the death of Griselda it turned tragic as we found out Liza was bitten and then had Travis put a bullet in her brain. In either a stroke of brilliance or madness, Daniel Salazar showed the depths he was willing to go by unleashing 2,000 undead just for a distraction. Any chance Los Angeles might have had was lost with this move and opens up the question of what is Daniel Salazar not willing to do? If his character stays stable he could be a great boon to the group, but if he were ever to lose it he could become a great danger to all. This episode finally showed a darker side of Travis who up to this point was a pacifist trying to see the good in everyone. It will be interesting to see the lengths he will go to keep his promise to Liza in protecting their son Chris. I see Chris and Alicia possibly having a relationship in the future as this world ending has definitely brought them closer and shown that both are willing to fight. The last outstanding questions for this season are, just who is Strand and what is he about? An enjoyable episode with plenty of zombie action. This episode showed us how far the characters had come in just six episodes and gave us something to look forward to next season.