Fear the Walking Dead Review [2×09]: “Los Muertos”

‘Fear the Walking Dead’ catches up with the rest of our surviving gang, whilst Nick learns more about Tijuana and the missing…remain missing.

Rather aptly titled after the Mexican holiday ‘Day of the Dead‘, this episode of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ grounded us sharply back to the grim reality our characters face in this zombie apocalypse. Far from Nick’s (Frank Dillane) dazed walkabout, Madison (Kim Dickens), Strand (Colman Domingo), Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) take shelter in a hotel.

There isn’t much that actually happens in this episode. Overcast with severe brooding and melodrama, ‘Los Muertos’ seemed more of an exploration into indie film-making. Alicia is clearly shouldering her way into more of a leadership role while her relationship with Madison takes a sudden nose-dive. Strand and Madison end up getting trashed on the hotel bar’s tequila whilst Alicia and Madison scout upstairs.

Far away, Nick accompanies Luciana (Danay Garcia) for a supermarket sweep. He’s instantly embroiled in the ‘politics’ of Tijuana. He gets closer to Alejandro (Paul Calderon), the town’s mysterious and preacher pharmacist. It’s Alejandro who carries the most intriguing part of this episode: he’s possibly immune to Walker bites.

Things aren’t looking good at the hotel as Madison and Strand are surrounded by Walkers—who are dropping like flies. Alicia steps out of the shower to greet this sight, and a missing Ofelia. They’re swarmed by death. ‘Los Muertos’ indeed.

Is belief—faith—the key to survival?

This was always Nick’s story to carry. As Madison acknowledges this episode:

He was born lost. – Madison, about Nick.

A wandering soul, as shown—literally—in the previous episode, Nick has had his taste of faith and disillusionment. His openness and ability to read others, his sly stealth, has been his greatest strength. He talks his way out of getting his hand chopped off by a machete. Nick’s a swindler, and his ducking and diving may be key. But what of his faith? Alejandro demonstrated just how powerful a unification of belief could be.

The younger Clarks stole this episode by a mile. While Nick (and the brilliant Danay Garcia as Luciana) stormed the show in Tijuana, it was Alicia who carried the other story in the hotel. We’re not sure who tunes into ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ to watch Strand and Madison get broodily drunk, and mope about theatrically. Alicia’s side of things wasn’t thrilling per say, nor devoid of melodrama (damn, she’d only gone for a quick shower!) but the outlook of Alicia assuming a more confident, leadership-type role and further insight into her friendship with Ofelia was well played by Debnam-Carey and Mason, who definitely shouldered the limelight of this side of the story.

Perhaps it’s time to pave way for the younger Clarks. They’re stark opposites. Nick will get his hands disgustingly dirty to get the job done; Alicia would find a swift, clean exit. Yet as shown this episode, both of them have the potential to thrive in this world of the dead.

There was a sniff of potential immunity to the dead in Alejandro. But is he the only one?

Maybe the biggest bomb to drop on ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ was the revelation that Alejandro had apparently been bitten by a Walker—and survived. The glimpse of his healing, scarred skin was enough to send alarm bells ringing. It was Alejandro’s powerful speech that finally swayed Nick, as Alejandro enveloped himself with the other “chosen” folk, and Nick slowly started to chant along with everyone. He started to believe.

But what does Alejandro’s possible immunity to the Walkers’ bites mean? What does it implicate? Does it mean he can swan through a truck-load of the undead and still be alright after getting mauled by them? Is this why Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) has troopered on for so long? Is Nick himself immune? Will we dive further into the origins of the disease, or at least the aetiology? As for that bite: was it really from the sinking teeth of the undead? Or is Alejandro hoaxing his people—perhaps well-intentioned—in a bodged attempt to offer hope? What good is that? Can Tijuana live under this facade forever?

This dramatic episode felt oddly like an intense Broadway play.

There was something not quite right with the characters in ‘Los Muertos’. Whilst Nick and Luciana’s story remain the more watchable half, and definitely the more entertaining half, the motley Abigail crew are grimly flat. It’s not any of the actors or actresses. Quite simply it’s a script-writing doobie. Weirdly poetic mumbo-jumbo was spewing out of Strand’s mouth, whilst Alicia’s sudden military turn was welcome but ultimately a curveball from nowhere.

Notably, Madison was horribly off. Again, Kim Dickens is reliably fantastic in every episode she’s in, but not this time. It isn’t anything to do with Dickens—of course not. However, the script just didn’t work. The cinematography, whilst beautifully shot, added nothing to the episode, unfortunately. Anyone would appreciate a gorgeously captured landscape or moment. But to lump all of that ground the emotion to dust. In what could’ve been a highly character-driven, tear-inducing punch, ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ fell short in offering us a showy, quirky cover to hide the plain vanilla underneath.

Final Verdict: ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ is definitely its own show and not a spin-off of its bigger sister—but it’s just not quite there yet.

‘Los Muertos’ was a slow, rickety ride to nowhere. Nick’s life, building in Tijuana, is a promising plot arc. It’s now been two episodes out of two that Frank Dillane has blatantly stolen the show.

But there’s a significant problem with ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ so far. In what could’ve been a contemplative, slightly darker episode, which show-runner Dave Erickson perhaps may have gunned for, fell rather short of that. Instead, Madison and Strand’s situation nearly swivelled into slapstick territory with the hammy puns and muggy jokes. Over the midseason hiatus, it’s as if Alicia randomly sprouted into a different person (the same goes to Mercedes). Nick is yo-yoing from being the character who could offer us a different viewpoint of the Walkers, but then he’s swayed by Alejandro’s fierce words. Truly, Nick was showing great promise of independence—of coming into his own. Why can’t we just watch Nick grow, without the intense mollycoddling?

There’s no denying that there were some beautiful sweeping shots this episode. They really were. However, there’s a line between flashy with no substance and the real thing. And perhaps therein lies the problem; the show’s consistency is about as crumbly as an overbaked biscuit. We need a steadier plot, better dialogue, cleverer scripts. For now, the characters are enough of a pull to keep us watching. But we can’t help but hope that it picks up the pace…soon.

Questions and comments

• The big question: do you think Alejandro was really bitten by a walker? What does this mean for the other characters? Not just on ‘Fear’, but also ‘The Walking Dead’.
  • I’m not sure I want Alejandro to be the next Cecilia. I just want Nick to grow into his own—and not in front of the walkers.
• I wonder when we’ll catch up with Travis, Chris and Daniel. Or if we ever will. (We totally will).
• Deborah Chow’s direction (and Robert Humphreys’ cinematography) was nicely shot—but unfortunately it just didn’t match up to Alan Page’s weepy script. Therefore, the episode just felt jilted and uncomfortable at times.
• Danay Garcia is a wonderful addition to the cast. Luciana is strong, fearless and the absolute boss of this place. She’s fiery and brilliant. I love her already.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays 9l8c on AM