Fear the Walking Dead 509 recap: Channel 4
Fear the Walking Dead is back for the second half of season 5, and “Channel 4” delivers a very unique kind of story in the middle of some explosive drama.
The mid-season premiere of Fear the Walking Dead is unlike anything we’ve seen before thanks to the documentary style that was used to film a large number of the scenes. As such, this week’s recap might seem a little choppy but that’s to demonstrate that a different person is being interviewed.
If you’re curious about how much time has passed between the mid-season finale and the premiere, check out my interview with showrunner Andrew Chambliss where he breaks down the season 5 timeline.
Ready? Let’s go!
“Channel 4” begins with Althea interviewing Morgan, who says he was on the run originally, but now he’s all about helping people. In the background is one of the Mile Marker boxes and the C+L truck.
The scene shifts to Alicia, who says that in the beginning her job was to clear out the dead while everyone worked on other things, but lately she has taken a step back from her job while she sorts her thoughts out.
Salazar sits on the SWAT van and tells Al that he was going to live out his days at the warehouse with Skidmark, but “this is better.” Clearly, he’s enjoying the missions and the renewed purpose.
Grace says that every morning she gets up and puts her concerns aside as she focuses on helping people. “What do you do with the time that you have left? That’s the question.”
Strand talks about the test that they have been through, and now they’re survivors. And there’s power in it all.
John talks about how there’s no need for money anymore. People sat around eating caviar instead of helping people, and conversely the group is very rich with supplies and so they’re spreading the wealth. And besides, he’s had caviar before and he thought it tasted like bait.
June sits on the tailgate of a truck. The big truck is in the background with another van and a tent and hammock. There are supplies around, including a generator. She says she understands that people don’t trust them, because she didn’t trust Madison until she reached out. Things change. Now they can try to help others.
Dwight says that he finally has a chance to do something that he was meant to do, and so he’s going to do it.
Charlie notes that every time they helped people in the past, it only made things better.
Luciana says that they’re good at helping people because everything they have done thus far helped them prepare for this moment.
After a shot of the plane sitting on the runway, the scene shifts to Morgan, who says that flying the plane was a game changer, because “people noticed.” Not many, but enough. June concurs.
Soon we see and hear the walkies going off with messages from people who have encountered the Mile Marker boxes. They saw the plane and they need help, so they’re calling.
With a smile, Morgan notes that it has been busy ever since.
The caravan moves along the road on the way to help the next group of people.
Al asks Morgan about helping themselves. He says that in a lot of ways it’s so much easier to help others than to shift the focus inward. Their interview is interrupted by an approaching walker. Al calmly sets the camera down, kills it and then gets back to the interview.
Cue the credits, here we go! Tonight’s credits feature a different picture now that everyone is back on the other side of the mountains. There is a mountain in the distance, with trees in the foreground and a road in the distance. Soon the caravan of vehicles passes by as the title credits flash to reflect that they’re being “filmed” documentary style.