Fear the Walking Dead, Ep. 1

Fear the Walking Dead

August 23, 2015

Season 1, Episode One (Pilot)

Cast

Nick's friend, Gloria

Kim Dickens—Madison Clark

Cliff Curtis—Travis Manawa

Frank Dilane—Nick Clark

Alycia Debnam-Carey—Alicia Clark

Lorenzo James Henrie—Christopher Manawa

Elizabeth Rodriguez—Liza Ortiz

Ruben Blades—Daniel Salazar

Mercedes Mason—Ofelia Salazar

Patricia Reyes Spindola—Griselda Salazar

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!

Synopsis (from the Fear the Walking Dead webpage on AMC.com)

A highly dysfunctional blended family is forced together when they realize a reported virus is actually the onset of the undead apocalypse.

I don’t usually get to see a show from the beginning. I usually start somewhere in between the current season and past seasons. Sometimes I get to start at the beginning of the current season, but still I rarely get to see the very first episode.

With Fear the Walking Dead that wasn’t the case. I may not have got to see it on its premiere night, but I got to see the series premiere. Like I said, it rarely happens.

I came into the Fear the Walking Dead series late. About halfway through its run and thanks to Netflix I was able to get to see the entire series in a matter of days. I had avoided the show (I’m unsure why at the moment), but after hearing co-workers always talking about the show, I had to see it. I’m glad that I did.

I’m extremely glad that I got to see the very first episode of Fear the Walking Dead, but while it had its moments of GOD WHEN IS THIS GOING TO PICK UP, I thought it was still pretty good. I can’t wait to see the second episode.

Alicia and her boyfriend, Matt

It’s still early to tell how I feel about all of the characters, but I can say this:

Alicia kind of upsets me. I can understand where she’s coming from when it comes to dealing with her drug addicted brother, Nick, but after he ends up in the hospital, I’d still be there for him. Sure, he may make you look like a fool when it’s done, but at least be there for him.

Nick, I feel bad for him and I’m not sure why. He’s a drug addict and apparently been doing it long enough that his entire family, with the exception of his mother’s boyfriend, Travis, and soon-to-be stepfather, that there doesn’t seem to be anything “redeeming” about him. Yet, at the same time, I get the feeling that ultimately he’s going to come into his own. I don’t think he’ll have a choice given the way the world is going.

Overall, I liked it. There were some tense parts. Like the final moments of the episode. I had a feeling about Nick’s friend, Cal, from the moment he came on the screen. Something was saying NO NO NO, he’s not to be trusted. His reaction, maybe, to seeing Nick’s mom, Madison showing up at his house. I was right about him. After Nick calls him several times, they meet up at a restaurant and it’s revealed that Cal (who was supposedly clean) was actually the person supplying Nick with the drugs. Cal takes Nick for a drive and then tries to kill him. Nick ends up killing Cal to protect himself. He leaves and calls Travis to come and help him. Nick does get a smidge upset when he realizes that Travis had brought his mother with him when he’d asked him not to.

Travis, Madison, Nick, and Cal

Nick goes on to explain what happened and leads Travis and Madison to where he’d left his dead friend. When they arrive; however, he’s gone and Nick has a slight breakdown. As they leave, Travis spots Cal, moving slowly and limping. Nick looks back and begs Madison and Travis to just stay in the car. They don’t listen and Cal ends up attacking Madison. Travis stops the attack and Nick runs his dead friend over, a couple of times to save his mom and her boyfriend. Ultimately, it does no good (as we fans all know) and the episode ends with Madison asking “What’s going on?” to which Travis responds “I have no idea.”

Like I said, I liked the episode and I have a feeling that it will be around for a good number of years. All shows start out slow. It’s how they keep out attention that makes them better.

I’ll be watching next Sunday night, will you?

Silver Thaw Review

I just read Silver Thaw by Catherine Anderson and I loved it.

Silver Thaw is the first of a new series by Ms. Anderson and I’m so excited to be coming in at the start of a series and not in the middle of one. Silver Thaw is about a young woman named Amanda and her daughter, Chloe. They’re hiding from Amanda’s abusive husband. Amanda works only a few hours a day at the school Chloe attends, so they have very little funds. Amanda waits until little Chloe goes to bed and then writes notes on little slips of paper that she releases in the wind.

Jeb Sterling, a neighbor of Amanda’s, finds her notes along his property and gets upset, thinking someone is simply littering from the nearby road. However, as he reads them, he begins to love the woman writing the notes.

Soon a terrible storm hits the rural Oregon town of Mystic Creek. Jeb and a couple of his neighbors decide to help those that need in, just a check to on  those who can’t help themselves. And this is where the story truly begins.

This is a story of regret, hope, faith, and love.

I couldn’t put this novel down for one second. I even tried to come up with reasons to keep reading it after work and when I should have been sleeping for the shift later that night, but I wanted to keep reading.

This type of novel isn’t something that I normally read, but a co-worker had the novel and I looked at the cover and the name, read the back cover, and I asked to borrow it when she was finished.

I’m glad that I did. I laughed, cried, and cringed my way through this novel. It seems to have everything in one. I can’t wait for the next novel to come out so that I can read it as well.

I give this book 2 thumbs up!