The first two episodes of Fear The Walking Dead (and an extended look at the third episode) were made available for members of the media to view at a recent event and the first episode was shown to a select audience at San Diego Comic Con.
Fear The Walking Dead is getting a lot of attention, since the show is set to premiere on August 23, 2015. It will provide a great taste of zombie life during the break between seasons of AMC’s The Walking Dead, but fans are hoping this new companion series will be a lot more than just a diversion to keep us occupied.
Just for the sake of interest, let’s take a look at what the major media sites have to say about the early episodes of Fear The Walking Dead and whether or not they are worth tuning in for.
Bloody Disgusting – Positive Review
"“The Los Angeles-based setting is an ideal launching point to deliver on a massive scope. And, more importantly, the writers have written off any promise of explaining the cause of the undead rising. “Fear the Walking Dead” isn’t about the zombies, as stated above, and that’s exactly the fresh start this franchise needs.”"
Comic Book – Very Positive Review (8.9/10)
"“Bottom Line: Fear The Walking Dead crafts a dramatic and exciting premiere episode through wise use of its talented cast and playing with the impending doom the audience knows to be looming but its characters do not.“"
Daily News – Positive Review (4 Stars)
"“It’s not Man Vs. Zombie, not yet. It’s Man Vs. the Even More Terrifying Specter of some unknown but poisonous shadow that man very slowly realizes could darken and destroy everything we value.”"
"“Fear the Walking Dead‘s pilot episode is a success, giving us exactly what we need from a series premiere: all the information we need about the characters and the world, while also keeping us guessing what’s going to happen next. And there’s definitely a twist or two in this episode.”"
"“My one concern is how long it can maintain that balance before the “we know something they don’t know” of it all becomes a bit kitschy and trite. However, this cast, as mentioned, boasts some formidable talent. Ideally, by the time they settle into their fate, we’ll be more invested in the challenges that these particular survivors are facing than the novelty that the series inherently presents.”"
The Hollywood Reporter – Moderately Negative
"“The issue that’s evident in the first two episodes that AMC made available to critics (with an extended clip from the third episode shown at the Television Critics Association press tour), is that there isn’t a lot of carnage. In fact, actual zombies (just called “the infected” here as opposed to “walkers” in the original) are few and far between in the first two hours, which makes Fear much more of a traditional drama until the spread of the unknown virus really takes hold.”"
"“We’ve seen the zombie apocalypse imagined onscreen many, many times before. But in Dead, we’re experiencing it alongside characters that’ve had time to develop; we actually like them, for the most part, and we’ve seen them battling everyday chaos. This only makes us more eager to see how they’ll react to mobs of hungry undead … and whether or not they’ll be able to survive.”"
"“Considering how monstrously successful The Walking Dead is, Fear is guaranteed a ginormous sampling. (I mean, duh.) And considering how effective the premiere’s two big set pieces are — not to mention how compelling a presence Dillane is — it’s a pretty safe bet that the drama will at least take a big bite out of its competition.”"
Screen Crush – Positive Review
"“The question lingers as to how AMC’s “companion series” can chart new narrative territory after its first season, but if Fear leaves the expendable hordes to The Walking Dead, and concentrates on the psychology of its namesake, we may yet have a worthy companion after all.”"
"“Because “Walking Dead” is such a juggernaut, AMC can easily ride those coattails, at least for a while. Yet when it comes to the longterm future of this new program, the network might discover that the only thing it has to fear is, ultimately, “Fear” itself.”"
It appears as though the general consensus about Fear The Walking Dead is that it is a well executed show that suffers some pacing issues through the first two episodes. I’ve seen nothing but praise for Frank Dillane, the actor who plays the role of Nick Bennett, which is encouraging as actors rarely get that kind of widespread approval for their work.
Overall, it looks like Fear The Walking Dead is a can’t miss program. While reading these reviews and learning what others think is fun, the best way to find out of the show is for you is to tune in to AMC on August 23rd and find out for yourself.
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