Fear the Walking Dead season 5 finale review: Divided we fall
Divided and Conquered?
The darkest moments of the season finale featured our group being divided up. In the dead of night, they were all taken to different cars en route to points unknown, with an uncertain future ahead. Sarah bid a tearful goodbye to Wendell as Charlie and Daniel vowed to find each other. Skidmark was taken from Daniel (it’s ON now!) while John and June were also pulled apart.
The final ten minutes of the episode were like a sucker punch. The parallels to families being ripped apart during World War II by the nazis were evident. Whether or not the WWII similarities were intentional (consider the introduction of Rabbi Jacob Kessner in “Ner Tamid”), the scene was reminiscent of people being taken to concentration camps. Luciana telling the kids that everything would be ok as they were locked in a truck was absolutely gutting.
By dividing the group up, Virginia is trying to break them down. And her plan is working.
Until this point in the universe, things usually end up working out. Rick was forced to work under Negan for a time because of what happened to Glenn and Abraham, but at no point did Rick’s group even have to join with the enemy to survive. This moment in Fear the Walking Dead seems to reflect what could have happened if Simon showed up in The Walking Dead season 5 instead of Aaron. Rick’s group could have ended up at the Sanctuary instead of Alexandria, and that would have turned the whole show upside down.
At this point, Fear the Walking Dead has reached an incredibly bleak moment. After a season filled with hope, redemption and trying to help people, the journey has reached a tragic conclusion. By asking for help themselves, Morgan’s group faces a very uncertain future, with Morgan’s life hanging in the balance.
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And with the cast and supporting players reaching 40 people, it’s almost certain that the caravan of survivors will be in jeopardy in season 6.
What happens moving forward is anyone’s guess, but as the expression goes, “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” I fully expect Fear the Walking Dead season 6 to be darker than ever, with more bloodshed to come before things get better.