The back half of season 2 of Fear the Walking Dead is set to return on Sunday night, bringing zombies back into our lives after a hiatus of a few months. Still the second most popular show on basic cable (behind its parent series, The Walking Dead), season 2B will remain on dry land as the characters head deeper into Mexico as the survivors are split apart.
Here are a few questions we have ahead of the season 2B premiere.
Will Nick Continue To Walk Among The Dead?
In the midseason finale of Fear the Walking Dead, Nick had bought into the beliefs of the now deceased Celia, who considered zombies the “next stage” of life, rather than a form of death. After the compound burned down, Nick rejected the opportunity to flee with his mom and instead decided to go live among the zombies. We now know, thanks to showrunner Dave Erickson, that Nick’s addictive tendencies have simply moved on to another fix. Instead of shooting heroin, Nick now gets his high by walking among the dead.
In the second half of the season, instead of having his beliefs about zombies challenged, Nick will end up in a community which reveres the dead similar to the way in which Celia did. He’ll meet Luciana (Danay Garcia) and her pharmacist father, who have unorthodox beliefs. It’ll be curious to see whether Nick can shake this addiction, too, or if he will eventually succumb to it by offering himself up as a sacrifice to the zombies.
Will Chris Slip Further Into Darkness?
Where we last left off, Chris was not coping well with the death of his mother. He was taking his aggression out on walkers. He had killed a hostage for no reason. He had watched a walker attack his step-mother, Madison, and didn’t do anything to help. He had also pulled a knife on his stepsister, Alycia. After she confronted him, Chris ran away. Travis had tracked him down, only to find that Chris had taken a boy hostage. Travis saved the boy, but instead of going back to his family, Travis had decided to stay with Chris and help him recover.
Travis and Chris will end up on their own journey as season 2B gets underway. Will Travis be able to save his son, or will Chris slip further into psychosis? Will Chris’ violent tendencies put Travis in danger, or will Travis have to pull a Carol on Chris and make him “look at the flowers” i.e., will Travis have to kill his own son to protect himself and the rest of his family?
Will Madison And Strand Continue To Bond?
One of the more interesting developments in the front half of the season was the evolution of Madison and Strand’s relationship. They began the season at odds with each other. Madison didn’t trust Strand, and Strand didn’t like Madison. However, the death of Strand’s boyfriend, Thomas Abigail, seemed to be a turning point. It humanized a man once considered the show’s potential villain, and by the midseason finale, Strand was pleading with his “friend” Madison to continue the journey together. After being exiled, Strand returned to save Madison, Ofelia and Alycia after the compound went up in flames.
Those four will continue on together without the rest of the family and eventually occupy an inhabited hotel in Tijuana. There, Ofelia will have to learn to live without her father, Madison will have to give up some control over her daughter while searching for her son, Alycia will have to stop making careless mistakes, and Strand may end up becoming the de facto leader of the group. The man once thought to be The Governor of Fear the Walking Dead may end up being the Rick Grimes.
Will We See Daniel Again?
Maybe. Showrunner Dave Erickson suggested that we didn’t see him die in the fire in the midseason finale for a reason, and that “there’s another chapter to be told in [Daniel’s] story.” That next chapter may never arrive, but if it does, it may not do so until season three or beyond. Meanwhile, we didn’t see Celia die, either, but it seems less likely that she will return.
Will We See Jack And Alex Again?
Maybe, but again, it may not be until season three or beyond. We last saw Jack and Alex in episode five, having been left ashore after Travis and Madison killed the pirate, Connor. If we do see them again, it will be a helluva coincidence if those two, last seen near San Diego, end up in Tijuana. It’s possible, and showrunner Dave Erickson has expressed some interest in continuing their story.
It’s also possible that Tobias, last seen in Los Angeles, also returns to the series. Erickson has also expressed an interest in bringing him back, although it may not happen this season.
Will Fear The Walking Dead Improve Upon The First Half Of The Season?
In episodes two through six, Fear the Walking Dead showed some promise. Unfortunately, some of that was frittered away in a baffling midseason finale. On the whole, however, the season’s seven episodes were better than the first season’s six episodes. The back half of the season thankfully removes them from the ocean, and it places them in a different country with a different culture from that of The Walking Dead. The characters are also more likable and more defined than they were when season two began.
There’s plenty to build on here, and the spiritual beliefs of the survivor colony in Tijuana present some interesting opportunities. The series still needs to improve upon the pacing; the actions of the characters need to be less careless and more consistent, and the series could use a heavier dose of zombie action.
It’s still not where The Walking Dead is, but after 13 episodes, The Walking Dead was still struggling to find itself, as well.
Season 2A In Under Three Minutes
For those who still need some catching up ahead of this Sunday night’s season 2b premiere, here’s a quick rundown of where the series left off.
