Fear The Walking Dead "The Good Man" Episode Discussion (SPOILERS)

TeachDown

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SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched tonight's season finale episode of Fear The Walking Dead, don't read any further!

"The Good Man" will go down as my favorite episode of The Walking Dead franchise by far. Here's why:

Family| The theme of this season which was threaded out through each and every episode of Fear the Walking Dead was nicely capped off in "The Good Man." The show took the family drama and redefined it by setting it in an apocalyptic world. Throughout the season, we saw the dismantling of the family unit and the subsequent fall of society. In tonight's finale though, we saw a family struggle for survival and emerge victorious, albeit with a cost. Griselda was the show's first major victim, which was a huge loss for the Salazars and in a last minute shocking twist, Liza bit the dust in the show's closing minutes.

Liza's death was ironic for two reasons. The first was that it was she who put a bullet in Griselda's head to prevent her from reanimating as a walker two episodes prior. The second was that after realizing she had been bit and thereby infected, she wanted Madison to put a bullet in her head so as to prevent her own reanimation, which was interesting because it was Madison who had asked Liza to do the same for her if she ever became a walker in one of the show's first few episodes.

Liza's death was upsetting not only because she could have survived had she not gone back for Nick, but also because she's the only character within the main cast to have medical experience and therefore essential to have within the group. What was interesting however about her death was that she knew what had to be done in order for her family to survive. Not telling Madison and Travis the truth would have jeopardized all of their lives including her son's. Everything Liza did in this episode was in response to Dr. Exner's question during the failed evacuation of the hospital compound, "who is your family?" Going back for Nick and choosing to end her own life shows who her family was and she did everything she could to protect them, including making sure to tell them that they are all infected. This is pivotal, because knowledge is power within the zombie apocalypse.

Morality| Throughout the season, I have criticized the character of Travis for being weak and for failing to do what he had to do in order to protect his family. Having watched the finale, I finally understand his character's motivation. He does have a moral code and strong commitment to family and his community which is why he reluctantly was made "mayor" of the safe zone and refused to kill the waitress zombie. This also explains why he agreed to let Andy free even after knowing the military's role in the post-apocalypse. It wasn't until Andy broke his promise and shot Ophelia that his moral code finally broke, allowing his anger to finally come out and break Andy's face. Poor Travis, all he wanted to do was blend his two families together, only for him to kill his ex-wife, Liza. I suspect that Travis's moral compass will continue to crumble. After all, both Liza and Madison said that killing one of them would break him.

The Miliary| The question on The Walking Dead franchise was and still is, who is really the bad guys: the walkers or the people. It's clear that the military on Fear the Walking Dead were the bad guys and it makes me sad that we might never know the government's role in the apocalypse. It's obvious that next season, there will be conflict amongst the leaving as the our L.A. family struggles to make it to Abigail. There's obviously going to be a fight over that, which makes me wonder Strand's role in all of this. Who is he? Where did he get all his money? Why does he know so much? Is he a good guy or a bad guy?

Walkers on a Boat?| We already know that Fear the Walking Dead has a web series that will follow a group of people on a plane struggling to survive a potentially infected passenger but now that our L.A. family sees salvation on the water in the form of Abigail, a luxury liner the quest for survival continues.

Los Angeles| The city of angels was met with siege to become a city of devils. The attack on the compound led by Daniel who released a horde of trapped stadium zombies upon the military was one of the most amazing scenes ever filmed on The Walking Dead franchise. Daniel's actions, in my opinion only reinforced the difficult decisions a family must make for each other to survive. No matter the cost. At the end of the day, it is our family and friends who we turn to when we struggle. I also thought that it was ingenious to have most of the beginning episodes set in daylight and as the series progressed power was lost and the show was marred by darkness both literal and metaphorical. I think ending the show in daylight, on the beach, was a sign for hope. That the family, however blended it might be, will survive.

Clarity| After the first season, our L.A. family finally knows what they must do in order to survive, but the best moment of clarity and quite possibly the best part of this whole season came from Nick, whose character struggled with drug addiction. He claimed that he feels strange because he's been living an apocalypse and it's only now that everyone else is catching up to him. What a powerful line...

We are all caught up with you Nick. Let's see what season 2 will bring. AMC already renewed the show for another season, this time of 16 episodes, to air in 2016. We won't suffer walker withdrawal though, because the sixth season of The Walking Dead premieres next Sunday and I for one, cannot wait!

Also, part one of The Fear the Walking Dead web-series Flight 462 premiered tonight on AMC.com and subsequent parts will air during the commercials of The Walking Dead's sixth season. Zombies on a plane is an exciting take on the franchise and one character who will survive the flight is expected to join season 2 of Fear the Walking Dead. Here's the link to the web-series if you wanted to take a look: http://http://www.amc.com/shows/fear-the-walking-dead/video-extras/fear-the-walking-dead-flight-462-part-1

What did you think of tonight's season finale of Fear the Walking Dead? Did the first season live up to your expectations? Talk the walk! zombiewalker
 

Bigmoe

Happily Confused
The Mod Squad
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Jets Global
Well, for some who thought the show was to slow to start really picked up the pace in the final episode.
Only six in and we are attached to the new set of characters , at least I am.
Nice core of characters, no Asian to round out the mix? We really need a good Italian couple , where the heck are "we"
in the apocalypse ? Ahhh forgetaboutit
image.jpg
Good show
 

jetgreen13

founding JFU member..
Jet Fanatics
I agree [MENTION=116]TeachDown[/MENTION], "the good man" was absolutely on par with any of the great episodes we've seen on TWD!! the acting, writing & cinematography were brilliant!!

i completely agree teach, nick explaining (convincingly) to his mother that the world has caught up to the personal hell he's put himself through was powerful stuff, because the line didn't feel (or delivered) contrived.. it came off to me like the most honest thing he had said to his mom since his addiction to heroin..

daniel had a "look at the flowers" catch phrase line with "you should save your ammunition!!" LOLz that's a cool but twisted as pluck old dude!!

& poor travis went from being the "moral compass" of our FTWD survivors to "to far gone" territory in a blink of an eye.. him putting down liza was IMO, was the saddest death in the history of either walking dead show's to date.. & i mean before, during & after.. what a heart wrenching scene!!

it's like i said to you before.. this is a darker, more sinister take on the walker apocalypse..

our FTWD survivors are ahead of the learning curve.. LOLz shane would have fit in nicely!! :)
 

TeachDown

5th Year Team Option
Jet Fanatics
I agree [MENTION=116]TeachDown[/MENTION], "the good man" was absolutely on par with any of the great episodes we've seen on TWD!! the acting, writing & cinematography were brilliant!!

i completely agree teach, nick explaining (convincingly) to his mother that the world has caught up to the personal hell he's put himself through was powerful stuff, because the line didn't feel (or delivered) contrived.. it came off to me like the most honest thing he had said to his mom since his addiction to heroin..

daniel had a "look at the flowers" catch phrase line with "you should save your ammunition!!" LOLz that's a cool but twisted as pluck old dude!!

& poor travis went from being the "moral compass" of our FTWD survivors to "to far gone" territory in a blink of an eye.. him putting down liza was IMO, was the saddest death in the history of either walking dead show's to date.. & i mean before, during & after.. what a heart wrenching scene!!

it's like i said to you before.. this is a darker, more sinister take on the walker apocalypse..

our FTWD survivors are ahead of the learning curve.. LOLz shane would have fit in nicely!! :)

It was such a well written episode. That quote from Nick and the ending scene with Liza made the entire episode. It was so powerful and gut wrenching. This is what I have come to enjoy regarding The Walking Dead franchise. I can't wait to see what season 6 of The Walking Dead brings us starting tonight!
 
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