Fear the Walking Dead - Laura

 

Laura won't be for all Walking Dead fans. Some might consider it a "filler" episode or a "character piece", an episodic romantic interlude within a season needing a brief respite from the ongoing backwards/forwards story arc about Madison's faction and Mel's faction.

It does give back story to how John Dorie and Laura (Naomi to Madison and her folks) met, fell in love, and their time spent together on his farm, often fighting off zombies with axes and knives to the heads/faces. Truthfully that description is exactly it.

John Dorie is by himself, thinking up words while playing Scrabble all by his lonesome. He finds Laura washed ashore, injured and in need of medical assistance (a wound to her side will need stitching), offering his home and food to her while she heels up. She is a warm body to talk to, spend time with, even share popcorn while watching a movie. While in the middle of a nap, John Dorie awakens to Laura looking at him, telling him she lost a child. That's all she says, though, because Laura holds a lot inside due to past trauma. Laura often encounters good people, offering her shelter and kindness. That's perhaps long overdue, as when Laura comes upon John Dorie she is plenty worse for wear. She had seen enough awfulness so some opposite treatment was certainly welcome.

But she's always leaving those good to her behind, doing so to John Dorie as well after the two had sex. The two do profess their love to each other; Laura is gone, leaving behind Scrabble letters to make sure John Dorie does realize her feelings for him. And those letters went into a mintos box, the conclusion featuring a "present day" sitdown as John Dorie and Morgan talk about not just accepting that all there is in life is violence and death. Many might consider this episode a pleasant alternative to faction wars and ongoing zombie gore, while others will yawn because it spends nearly its entirety with John Dorie and Laura as they grow fond of each other, riding in a boat on a lake, retrieving items/supplies from the store of a man John Dorie once knew, cleaning a fish they catch, arguing about using guns when the zombies gang up on them, and discussing why John Dorie doesn't like to fire his guns anymore.


John Dorie had mentioned being a cop in his life before everything went to hell, but Laura draws out why the past haunts him...a story about clipping a store robber's leg with a bullet, watching him turn, retreating to his farm away from proclamations endorsing his status as a hero. And John Dorie admits to be a sharpshooting performer, later proving so when Laura is overrun by zombies in dire need of help or else...he even does the twirling trigger bit, as his pistols work their magic spinneroonie in his hands before sliding them back into his holsters.

Their separation, though, inspired John Dorie to leave the comforts of his homestead to search for her...the episode often features John Dorie telling Laura she can stay as long as she wants while she constantly reminds him she plans to leave at any time.

3/5