Every time Fear the Walking Dead finds some semblance of potential, the writers waste it on mind-numbing, eye-rolling developments.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 14 was supposed to be the big war we’ve been promised all season long, but instead, it was another case of untapped potential.
You can’t promise war and not deliver unless there’s an excellent reason for it.
Alicia has been through it all, and she was dead set on avenging Will, and everyone else Strand wronged when she declared war on him on Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 8.
If you watch Fear the Walking Dead online, you know Strand has turned on his closest allies.
That part of him is consistent with the Strand we met all those years ago, but his indecisiveness about which side to choose in the end irked me.
He’s killed all these people and embraced a criminal lifestyle, so it was difficult to believe he would miraculously change his ways to try and get Alicia in the tower full-time.
Are we to believe that Strand talked a big game but drew the line at wiping out Alicia?
There will always be a history between these two because they’ve known each other since the beginning of the outbreak.
It makes sense that they would bicker, but Strand’s recent actions have been consistent with a narcissistic villain who doesn’t deserve redemption.
There was raw emotion between Alicia and Strand in the elevator as they both tried to get through to each other, and honestly, the acting on the series remains A+.
It’s disconcerting to see such a talented cast wasted with wishy-washy writing.
Alicia believing Strand could change initially was big, but it highlighted just how desperate she was to avoid this war.
Everyone has lost someone in this apocalypse and fighting with people you once deemed family is not the best foot forward.
The fundamental issue with a character like Strand is we know he can change on a dime and will murder a close friend just for fun.
Alicia and Strand allying didn’t feel true to either character, but it helped move the plot along … until Strand questioned whether he should be a full-fledged villain again.
He needs to pick a lane and stay in it because I almost got whiplash from the flip-flopping.
Alicia being mad at Strand for killing Wes was another major eye-roll moment. Strand killed far more important people to Alicia than Wes, so why would she care about a friend-turned-enemy?
Wes could have been a decent adversary, but the writers waited too long to show shades of darkness in him.
Wes showed up on Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 and was one of the best characters in one of the worst seasons of TV, but then he got pushed aside for other characters.
Aside from Strand, Morgan, and Alicia, Fear the Walking Dead puts all of the other characters on the back burner, to the point that you almost forget they’re still alive.
The heel turn for Wes could have been so much better.
Don’t even get me started on the people of the tower blindly following Wes, who used to work with the people the tower was against.
Strand clearly operated a culture of fear inside this place he called home, but it’s hard to believe not one of his allies turned against Wes and sided with the others.
Alycia Debnam-Carey’s status on the show remains in question, so I keep expecting Alicia to meet her end. It will suck when it happens, but what can this show realistically put her through next?
There’s no chance in hell she’s dying atop the burning tower. The cliffhanger was a cheap way to get fans talking about her fate.
While Alicia and Strand were parading around the tower as though they were competing on Just Dance, I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel’s storyline.
Daniel has had much less screentime than many other characters, but I’m surprised the writers are actually handing his storyline gracefully.
It feels consistent with what you’d expect from him. I appreciated that he knew he didn’t get to spend Ofelia’s final days with her, so he’s taking on a father figure for Charlie.
Charlie’s situation is heartbreaking, but we’ve seen these characters walk around in radiation for a whole season, so I’m sure she’ll survive the season.
With two episodes left, and another soft reboot in the cards, the series needs to whittle down the cast to prepare for Fear the Walking Dead Season 8.
In order to get tighter storytelling, the arcs need to be planned to include the key players.
The bottle episodes are no longer working, so that needs to be rectified.
“Divine Providence” was a mind-numbing episode. The series needs new showrunners to get out of the current predicament.
Most of the characters are not benefiting from the writing. They’re not evolving, and the show is suffering majorly as a result.
Hopefully, the return of Madison moves things in the right direction, but it’s hard to be excited when the quality of the episodes is all over the place.
What are your thoughts on the lack of war?
Did you care that Alicia cared about Wes dying?
Do you think the show needs a creative overhaul?
Hit the comments.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.