Title: Fear the Walking Dead: Mid-Season Finale
Network: AMC
Air Date: July 9th, 2017
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
Fear the Walking Dead just aired its two-hour mid-season finale and quite a bit went down at the ranch. A little tidbit even went on outside the ranch aboard the old Abigail where our characters made their home for awhile. This was a satisfying end to Jeremiah’s ark at the ranch but some uncertainty remains for the future of the ranch. Ophelia came back into the fold again but with a twist, she was on the side of Walker. It was good to see a little more of the backstory from last seeing her in season two. Strand also popped up again and Colman Domingo had the coolest shot of this finale by far. The flames in the sunglasses were just bad ass. Very similar to the flames Daniels eyes when he burned the compound down in season two. The mid-season finale also has a pretty good soundtrack. I was particularly enjoying KI Theory at the end with their rendition of “Stand by Me.”
Ophelia ended up appearing very early on in the finale although, we didn’t get the back story until the second hour. I imagine it was placed where it was to help build tension from when we saw that Nick was also affected by the poison. While I initially began to like Jeremiah, I always suspected he would reveal his bad side. In the flashback, we saw that side. While he did offer Ophelia some water, he clearly left her to die because she was a “Brown” person. So…when Walker finds her and saves her life, it makes sense that she would be loyal to him. I did not, however, think she would have willingly tried to kill members of the ranch with the Anthrax. As it turns out, she didn’t willingly try to kill them at all. It was Walker, who mislead her into what she was doing.
When it came to Walker, we got a much further look into why he hates Jeremiah Otto. When Walker first came on the scene, the whole conflict was made out to be a land grab. Despite that, a much deeper hatred was teased between the two on Fear the Walking Dead. The midseason finale even further dived into it before the truth was finally revealed. Jeremiah and the other founding fathers killed Walkers family. Not only did they kill them, they weren’t held accountable. Obviously, with this discovery, Nick and Alycia clearly feel they’re on the wrong side. I certainly couldn’t blame them for feeling that way but it seemed to be something she could deal with. This was because Madison herself had her own dark secret to reveal.
Madison revealing that she had killed her father was a very intense scene. It also explains why she goes to such great lengths to protect her children. In the first part of the finale, she was all about going balls to the wall to save Alycia whatever the cost. Initially, it seemed like a pretty stupid idea but with her background, it began to make more sense. Madison has really grown from season one and we see just how far she’ll go to protect her family. She’s been likened to being the “Rick” of the group and that’s certainly been the case. I’m really curious to see how the second half of the season progresses given her and Nicks actions.
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At the close of the episode, Jeremiah is dead. The founding fathers have all been killed with the last one being killed by Nicks’ hand. I was really digging how Madison realized the Jeremiah was the problem and he was the one that had to go to avoid war. Now, Madison secretly handed over Jeremiah’s head to Walker and seemingly stopped the attack but…will it end there? Walker did seem appeased but given his comments to Alycia about the land returning to the first humans…will he just let Madison stay? Furthermore, Jake and Troy are still around and as of now, suspect their father killed himself. What sort of internal struggle will that be if they discover otherwise? This season of Fear the Walking Dead did tease a female villain. While it’s possible it could have been Ophelia, I think someone else will be coming in the second half.
Nick and Alycia also made their presence known in the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead. Nick’s big play came at the end when he killed Jeremiah. I also liked his comment about being suicide proof. Not only has Nick survived a brutal past with drug abuse but he’s also proven to be very tough to kill in general. Nick beginning to investigate just what was under his floor was also a pretty cool moment. Especially in the following exchange when he sat down with Jeremiah. Alycia’s main part focused on her time being a captive of Walker and also briefly talking with Ophelia. I’m really excited to see what goes on with these two in the second half.
What did you think of the mid-season finale? Was it a satisfying close to the first half of the season? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out our recent article on potential Game of Thrones spin-offs.
Verdict: The mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead was excellent in all the right ways. It provided just the right amount of action and drama. While stepping away to Strand felt a little out of pace, it was nice to see what he was up too. After all, Colman Domingo did provide the best photo from the finale. The soundtrack was also excellent.
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