Fear the Walking Dead - What's Your Story

As much as I do dig Lennie James and his sobering Morgan character, trying to just be a good man in a rotten world, I have to admit that my horror heart of hearts has grown apathetic towards guns in the hands of thugs pointed at people. I believe poor Morgan and John Dorie (a chatty but good-natured, simple but friendly fellow played by Garret Dillahunt, in perhaps the most approachable character of his career) have to raise their hands and lose their weapons about three times. Maggie Grace’s “road journalist”, traveling in a metal-shielded, armored utility vehicle (that is highly coveted to say the least, although I would think, considering the setting is Texas, these could be found if one were to look hard enough), named Althea (often begrudgingly going by the nickname, Al) picks up Morgan and Dorie along the way, often assisting them with her weaponry and ride when the [insert snarl and attitude, including douchebaggery and psychopathy] oft-appearing thugs with guns emerge to once again hold them up. Lennie gets his “walk across the empty landscape” opening that certain characters are afforded, meeting some poor soul shivering in the backseat of a derelict car in a deserted town, not wanting to be bothered, telling him that each person across the god-forsaken land post-apocalypse is all alone.

Later, of course, Morgan uses that when trying to break from John Dorie and Al, who wish he would stay with them, giving them his time and presence. The opening also has “special guest stars” like Carol and Rick from The Walking Dead trying to talk Morgan into staying with them instead of leaving on his own to wherever his feet might take him. And it goes from Virginia and Georgia to Texas (quite a ways, and he’s more than capable, by the creative team’s stalwart standards, to cover that much ground without much interference until he reaches the destination of Fear the Walking Dead where immediately he’s at odds with numerous scum), eventually encountering the undead, the aforementioned thugs with guns, talky John Dorie who is looking for his beloved (and estranged) Laurie and company to cull a year’s worth of loneliness, a gunshot wound to the leg that gives him a slower hobbling gait, and the ever-present need to be by himself on his Kerouac journey. But Morgan just can’t get away from those that want to be around him and those wanting to harm him. No matter where you go, there is always the threat of violence. Eventually, as Gimple’s case history proves, those involved in the series as regs intrude upon this brand new story to remind us that it is still all about them.

2.5/5