'Fear the Walking Dead': High Time for The Series to Call It Quits

The Big Picture

Fear The Walking Dead has struggled to live up to fan expectations, with its early promise of an expansive pre-apocalyptic world falling short.

The excessive introduction of new characters and neglect of main characters has diluted the suspense and caused viewers to lose interest in the show. The repetitive storytelling and unwillingness to take risks have ultimately led to the downfall of Fear The Walking Dead, resulting in its final season being seen as a much-needed conclusion.

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Has Been Crowded Since Season 4

How has Fear The Walking Dead managed to sustain its popularity for eight seasons, despite its initial slow start and limited setting?

Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg took over from Dave Erickson for the fourth season, following a highly acclaimed third season that was comparable in tone and quality to a show like Breaking Bad. This marked the beginning of Madison's (Kim Dickens) transformation into a villain, as she shockingly killed off key characters and introduced the unpredictable Troy (Daniel Sharman) and enigmatic loner Diana (Edwina Findley). The third season of Fear was fresh, captivating, and innovative, setting the stage for an unpredictable journey with the sudden demise of Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis). Madison, Nick, and Alicia sought refuge at Broke Jaw Ranch, where a family with xenophobic tendencies, the Otto brothers Troy and Jake (Sam Underwood), and their father Jeremiah Otto (Dayton Callie), resided. The arrival of Madison and her family amidst an ongoing feud with Qaletaqa Walker (Michael Greyeyes), the leader of a Native American Faction seeking the Otto family's land, revealed Madison's manipulative nature as she interacted with Troy, Jeremiah, and Qaletaga. And who could forget Alicia's personal growth and impactful scenes in the bunker, as well as the world-building and sporadic visits to trading posts by the characters? Or Troy's deliberate destruction of his own home, fueled by spite.

Michelle Ang's brief arc in Season 2 and Diana's two-episode appearance showed promise, but the new showrunners abandoned the characters. If Erickson had stayed, Fear could have improved. However, after Erickson left, Morgan Jones (Lennie James) joined Fear, while Madison and her son Nick (Frank Dillane) departed. This caused the show to become indistinguishable from its parent show. The introduction of the Vultures and Martha, a middle-aged villain, tested patience and credibility. The influx of new characters made the show feel overcrowded. Losing important characters while introducing unimportant ones raised questions about their relevance. Both Fear and The Walking Dead are guilty of overwhelming the audience with too many characters and failing to create suspense. In the Season 8 premiere, yet another villain, PADRE, was introduced along with various other plot elements. It feels like a repetition of previous seasons. This season will likely focus on backstories, Morgan's inner thoughts, and the perspectives of the large cast. Let's face it, the show has been stuck in a cycle for some time now.

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Has Been Going Around in Circles

Image via AMC

Fear has consistently covered the same ground for four seasons, with each successive season embracing similar ideas. The multiple viewpoints have given the show the appearance of an anthology format, resembling Tales of the Walking Dead. However, this has resulted in the core characters facing one adversary after another within a single season, only for the storyline to be resolved too quickly. This constant repetition has become detrimental geographically and thematically.

Comparisons to The Last of Us, which has a substantially larger budget, are unfair. The constantly changing environment in The Last of Us gives it a scale that Fear will never achieve. The latest antagonist indoctrinating children into a militia feels stale and could easily have been taken from The Girl with All the Gifts or The Last of Us. The introduction of Wren's point-of-view dominating the Season 8 opener makes no sense, leaving us to question if there are more interesting entry points into this new world. Shouldn't Kim Dickens, who plays a significant role, receive more screen time if this is the final instance we see her in this universe? Does it serve to illustrate the moral complexities of this post-apocalyptic world? Do audiences need to hear moral platitudes or see morally conflicted interactions between characters?

Kim Dickens' reintroduction for the final season appears calculated and strategic, aimed at enticing former fans and boosting ratings. Erickson's original plan for Madison was to transform her into a post-apocalyptic antagonist. After spending seven years imprisoned and recognizing her past mistakes (including collecting children for PADRE), she now desires to be a force of good. However, Morgan's current behaviors defy his established character as he willingly returns his child to the primary antagonists. It is unclear if this is part of a larger strategy, poor writing, or an intentional move to revert him to his former homicidal tendencies. Given this familiar narrative pattern, the looming conclusion of Fear the Walking Dead is a welcomed development.

Fear the Walking Dead struggled to establish its own identity independent of The Walking Dead, aside from perhaps Season 3. It fails to measure up against newer dystopian shows like Silo and The Last of Us. Season 3 stands out as Fear's strongest, and perhaps the series should have concluded there. Even with its new season, it seems unwilling to take any substantial risks. What do the showrunners have to lose? This being the final season of Fear the Walking Dead, fans may be relieved. However, can we endure another season that merely replicates the previous one by dividing it into two mini-seasons?

New episodes of Fear the Walking Dead's final season premiere Sundays on AMC.

Fear the Walking Dead