Fear The Walking Dead S02E12

This episode, and the rest of this series, can really be defined by two scenes. First they stab a fan favourite character who's plot armour is thicker than a snickers. Then they use this stabbing to put Middle Class Leader Mom in a position to do something stupid in the hopes of saving her son, who is probably the most interesting and compelling character this show has produced.

The main problem with this show is the writing. I'm not sure why they think we don't notice characters doing stupid things or lucking their way into success. Talking of characters doing stupid things: One of the hotel survivors stabs my favourite character, Discount Idris Elba, with a butter knife. What would have happened if DIE didn't come to the door first? Would she have just shanked the first person she saw? Would she have calmly walked past the others and towards DIE and then stab him in front of everyone else? I don't know, and neither do the writers, who are frantically applying the stupid-logic-defibrillator to the plot to try and revive it by reuniting Nick and his mother, since DIE alone couldn't do this. You can call me crazy, but I'm going to go out on a limb here... I don't think DIE will die. I think he'll be fine. Maybe I'm a madman; maybe I'm a psychic. I think we can all agree, however, that MCLM should have been stabbed. She's the leader, and she's annoying as all hell. If I was in her survivor hotel, I'd have stabbed her before DIE. I probably would've stabbed myself before either, but that's neither here nor there. 

Some good comes from DIE being stabbed: we get to see MCLM do something stupid again. This time she overhears a description of some ratty-haired Gringo with drugs and runs to save Nick. Obviously, no one else matching that vague description could have survived, so the correct course of action is to confront the scary mob boss whilst he's interrogating the parents from the opening. Why weren't any guards waiting to stop people from getting to the boss? Why didn't the boss just blow that Gringo's head off? I don't know. Neither do the writers. 

MCLM escapes this situation with her life and the medicine needed to save DIE. Then, to top off this episode, she turns the hotel light on to signal to her son that she's there... and to all of the zombies and murderous gangs that surround them, but her reunion is way more important than low key survival. It did signal to her husband, though, so she has that. Him swing the hotel lights and knowing she's there is more miraculous than DIE being stabbed and losing blood rapidly, but still managing to crank out sarcastic one-liners to ease the pain of the usual dialogue. 

One of this show's saving graces is Nick. His assimilation with his new community is compelling and believable. He understands every other sentence of Spanish and we can see him learning more every episode. The writers aren't rushing this progression, and for that they deserve praise. Nick is logical, showing development and a beacon of hope for an otherwise disappointing show. The rest of the writing may be brilliant. It may be beyond my literary perception, leaving me feeling like George W. Bush hopelessly endeavouring to read 'My Pet Goat' whilst everyone else in the room aware of the intricacies.

I love The Walking Dead. I hate Fear. The good will built up by TWD is the only reason I suffer this show. I feel addicted to the universe, but all I can scavenge is Fear. I feel like a desperate cokehead snorting the dust from between the cushions of his couch, hoping to find some of the good stuff mixed in with the dead skin and mouldy crumbs. This episode is the same generic, cookie cutter Fear episode that I'm used to. Something stupid leads to something silly, then leads to a minute progression on the overall plot. I can't wait until the next episode. It's all I can do to satisfy my TWD cravings, so needs must. 

Thanks for reading. I'll see you again next week.