Title: Fear the Walking Dead: This Land Is Your Land
Network: AMC
Air Date: October 1st, 2017
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
Fear the Walking Dead just rang in October with one hell of an episode. This was a huge episode for Alicia as her and the others fight to stay alive in the ranch pantry. I was, however, a little irked by how the episode ended. We’ll get to shortly but everything up until that point was nail-biting. Last week’s “Brothers Keeper” ended with the surviving members of the ranch barricaded in the pantry. “This Land Is Your Land” picks up immediately after that ending with the survivors facing serious problems. The air system seems to have failed and only a limited supply of oxygen is available. If that wasn’t enough, a number of survivors were also bitten while making their way to the safety of the bunker.
So, I’m a little late in getting this review out. I actually spent the weekend covering the Walker Stalker Con in Philadelphia and got back Sunday much later than expected. Despite that, it was an absolute blast and be sure to check the website for the coverage. The first thing I want to get into is the end result…I wasn’t happy with it. Alicia’s decision to ditch Madison and go looking for someplace Jake mentioned just felt ridiculous. “No place is safe…your way doesn’t work…I need to go here by myself.” It felt very blah to me. Nick goes off and does his soul-searching in the second half of season two and now Alicia has to do it in the second half of season three. Then Madison allows Nick and Troy to follow her anyway. I wasn’t digging it at all.
I had one other gripe about the episode and I want to get that out of the way now. What was the deal with Alicia being the only one to survive from the lack of air? Out of all those people, she was the only one to not only remain awake the longest but survive? Fear tried to explain this by having the walker…err infected that Alicia just killed fall on top of her. The implication to me seemed to be that the infected that was on top of Alicia masked her smell and the other infected ignored her. Part of me feels that I’m alright with how it played out but another part just feels like it was all too convenient. I could certainly be looking at it wrong and if you think I am, be sure to let me know.
Outside of those gripes, the episode was just superb. I mean, talk about tension. The camp is overrun, everyone is stuck in this bunker with no air and…people have been bitten. It really makes you ask yourself “What would I do in that situation?” It reminds me of a quote from the late Steve Jobs “Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die to get there.” These people may be bitten but they don’t want to experience the pain of death or that of leaving loved ones. If I myself was infected I couldn’t fathom the choice to die and leave my kids behind. Furthermore…they can’t be shot. They have to be killed with a knife and Alicia is the one that will handle that responsibility. Talk about brutal.
The scenes with Nick and Troy seemed to be filler for the most part. They were done in a dramatic way so it didn’t feel like they were droning on at any point. Ultimately, they just wind up stuck in the helicopter (The same one Travis is shot in) only to be saved by a returning Madison, Walker and Strand. The most interesting moment near the end of the episode. Nick covers for Troy when Alicia asks about how the herd got to the ranch. Nick feels that he has some strange connection to Troy. It obviously wouldn’t have gone over well if Alicia found out that Troy was the reason for the hell she just went through. Not to mention the death of Jake. Yes…it also it indirectly Nicks fault as well but it starts with Jake.
Verdict: Season Three of Fear the Walking Dead is rocking it and “This Land Is Your Land” was no exception. While I wasn’t crazy about Alicia’s decision to leave this episode was intense throughout. Alycia Debnam-Carey was absolutely fantastic in this episode and I’m that much more excited to see where the character goes. With the Ranch officially off the board, the group splitting up may open up a larger world for Fear the Walking Dead.
Did you catch this week’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead? If so, what did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and check back next week for our all-new review. Also, be sure to check out our latest review of Star Trek: Discovery.
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