S02.E01: Monster

[Sighed I]

First episode of the season and I have had enough of the two teens already throw them over board please!

 

Hee hee! I actually found myself saying, "Ooo, killing a main character already? Nice choice. While you're at it please take Alicia with you."

[walnutqueen]

And Alycia Debnam-Carey -- the actress who plays Alicia -- is Australian.  Also a big difference.

 

Yes, I forgot to mention that.  Also, to my ear there's a difference between all 3 accents.

[SimoneS]

And they jumped into the ocean at the back of the boat when the motor was going. How did they not get sucked under and ripped apart by the propellers is a mystery. Okay, I am letting it go now.

 

Strand definitely has an appointment that he is trying keep. He must have someone to meet. At least, this is interesting and has potential.

Edited April 11, 2016 by SimoneS

[Sighed I]

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. My people don't tend to fare well when we go rescuing white folks. They are already messing with Strand's simple boat rules. Madison wants to pick up strays, angsty teen is giving up the boats coordinates. I don't have a lot of hope for my man Strand.

 

One thing he has in his favor is being the most interesting and popular character on the show by far, and the showrunners know it. For a lot of people he's the show's only saving grace. I think Strand will be around for a while.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Sighed I

[melanie]

I thought the zombie lost interest in Nick because it heard Travis yelling.  

[peach]

I want to know why aren't they taking sleep a little more seriously. Now is the time, because once they get back on land sleep will be hard to come by. Seriously, people, get your winks.

 

Poor Strand, he can't afford to sleep with this band of idiots on board.

[melanie]

I agree, but someone should keep an eye on Alicia.  How was it that no one saw or heard her talking on the CB radio?  I would think if Strand was that worried that he would keep communication equipment under tight control.  

[peach]

I agree, but someone should keep an eye on Alicia.  How was it that no one saw or heard her talking on the CB radio?  I would think if Strand was that worried that he would keep communication equipment under tight control.  

 

And they still didn't take it away from her after she admitted chatting up that guy.

[Sighed I]

 

I want to know why aren't they taking sleep a little more seriously. Now is the time, because once they get back on land sleep will be hard to come by. Seriously, people, get your winks.

 

Poor Strand, he can't afford to sleep with this band of idiots on board.

 

Not to mention, I don't think he trusts these people any more than they do him. Particularly Daniel. Strand is observant and knows how to read people. I'm pretty sure he's onto them.

[peach]

And what about that Norman Rockwell 'almost' a family dinner scene. Really???? How realistic in the face of PTSD, physical injuries, recent bereavement....they all seemed so enthusiastic about that lovely eel spread,

 

Yeah, the firebombing of an entire city, leaving people to drown, plopping Chris' mom's corpse in the ocean...just minor annoyances to these folks.  Why did Chris have to make it so awkward, you guys? ;P 

Also, Nick seems pretty chill about not having access to his "medicine," considering they spent six episodes focused on that in season 1.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Coleman Domingo is a great actor and has a strong screen presence.

They better keep,him around.

Ditto for Cliff, hope the writing improves for his character.

By the end of S2, I was fully invested in CDB on The Walking Dead.

Really want to adopt the rest of the Fear crew as my TV family as well.

But they're making,it difficult for me to care.

[Giselle]

Totally Agree. Strand is the only reason I am watching season 2. The episodes I rewatched from last season were the last 2 episodes with Strand.  They can kill off anybody else but when Strand goes I will more than likely go because I don't care for the other characters at all...except Salazar and Tobias but they can go too..

 

Strand stays!

One thing he has in his favor is being the most interesting and popular character on the show by far, and the showrunners know it. For a lot of people he's the show's only saving grace. I think Strand will be around for a while.

[FilmPimp]

They are literally dragging around dead weight. Wth. Leave that bitch on the beach.

[magdalene]

Good grief.  They need to get rid of most of the main cast. These people are just not compelling.  You can't force the kind of alchemy they have on the mother ship with the likes of  Rick, Daryl, Carol, etc..

[thuganomics85]

Hey, Fear the Walking Dead is back!  Now, here's a group of folks who could all be lined up in front of Negan, and I would barely care who got "Lucielled."

 

Credit where credit it do, at least they wisely made Colman Domingo a regular.  Because Strand is the only one I care about and enjoy watching.  Yes, he's selfish, cares only about himself, and is kind of an asshole.  But he's the only one I feel like is being somewhat smart, and isn't going to doom them all to walker chow.  I was totally on his side over how stupid Alicia was to talk with that guy and give all that info, although really, she's a teen, so I would expect her to be that stupid.  Why Travis told her to that and left her unsupervised with the radio for that long, is beyond me.  Sadly though, I have a feeing that conversation between Daniel and Maddie means this group of idiots will try and overthrow Strand somewhere down the line.

 

Besides that, everything is the same, I guess.  We've got Maddie complaining and looking "stoic", Alicia being an idiot, Chris being angsty, Daniel dispelling wisdom of the violent nature, Travis at a loss, Nick being obnoxious, and Ofelia is.... there, I guess.  Oh, and I have to go to IMDB to write this, because like hell I can remember who half of these people are.

 

I swear, I love Cliff Curtis, but he just looks so confused half of the time that I wonder if it's Travis being Travis, or if Cliff himself is baffled by half of the stuff that is going on.  I loved that he barely looked hurt when Chris punched him and was just like "That bastard just hit me!  What an ungrateful little punk!"

 

Alicia being an idiot just makes me even sadder that Alycia Debnam-Carey had to leave The 100 for this.  I'm sure the pay is better, but man, do I wish her character was more like Lexa, even if would be unrealistic as hell.

 

Thanks to this thread, I'm now laughing over the idea that Nick really went to that boat in order to look for drugs.  I want that to be the new gag.  Anytime there at a new place, Nick just takes off, because he can sense the presence drugs.  Like a drug sniffing dog, only a human.

 

Really hope this show leads the group to finding new people who are actually interesting.  Strand (and Daniel sometimes), can only carry this show for so long.

Edited April 11, 2016 by thuganomics85

[phoenix780]

Strand reminds me of the ice guy on "Legends of Tomorrow." Too over the top for me in any context but this where nobody else is really doing anything to bring a little interest, energy, life. Is their lack of vitality a comment on LA?

[FilmPimp]

I would be kissing Strand's ass 24/7. Thanking him up and down for his hospitality. Fetching him whatever he wants...drinks, women, cigars, dolphins! But these people....nah they're ungrateful bastards.

[peach]

I swear, I love Cliff Curtis, but he just looks so confused half of the time that I wonder if it's Travis being Travis, or if Cliff himself is baffled by half of the stuff that is going on.  I loved that he barely looked hurt when Chris punched him and was just like "That bastard just hit me!  What an ungrateful little punk!"

 

 

And then Travis and Maddie just ruefully laugh it off in Brady Bunch fashion.  Gosh, Chris didn't take it so great....THAT YOU SHOT HIS MOTHER IN THE FACE.  Hey, who wants some eel?!

[catrox14]

I swear to Gods, if there isn't a zombie Sharktopus and a zombie Sharknado this entire ZA: At Sea, is worthless.

Edited April 11, 2016 by catrox14

[Sighed I]

I would be kissing Strand's ass 24/7. Thanking him up and down for his hospitality. Fetching him whatever he wants...drinks, women, cigars, dolphins! But these people....nah they're ungrateful bastards.

 

That's what bugs me the most. On Talking Dead, they showed this comment from the woman who plays Ofelia. Something like her character's in a bad place because everything has gone wrong and there's not a silver lining in the sky. And I was thinking, seriously? Does no one appreciate the fact they are alive at all thanks to Strand and his boat?? Bunch of ingrates.

[mmecorday]

Negan is on the wrong coast! Send him out west posthaste!

[Iguessnot]

My gosh, you're right about Daniel being a barber, I'd forgotten. Between Jessie on the Walking Dead and Daniel on Fear, these shows have not been using their resources very well, as witness Daryl and Nick. It is becoming a theme, lol.

And what about that Norman Rockwell 'almost' a family dinner scene. Really???? How realistic in the face of PTSD, physical injuries, recent bereavement....they all seemed so enthusiastic about that lovely eel spread,

That was some b.s. They took the effort to set up an exquisite table like that then they lay a dead snake on it? I've never eaten eel, but I know that thing should have been skinned and portioned to look like something edible. 

 

A dumb teen who jumps in the deep ocean for a swim during the zombie apocalypse without anyone knowing, can just die.

 

When Maddy said she remembered the "first" time she hit her father, my first thought was since when is it common for kids to slug their fathers, especially young females. I found that to be written poorly. I guess it's a part of her back story, but frankly I don't care about her.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Iguessnot

[catrox14]

Negan is on the wrong coast! Send him out west posthaste!

 

They should just be chum for Negan

[melanie]

Strand and Shane are very similar characters to me -- able to see what the others can't.  He is kind of ahead of his time for some reason and seems very prepared for the apocalypse.  Strand will perhaps let us see how the Shane character may have played out without the Lori obsession which was really his downfall -- all of his motives were questionable because of that.  

 

They are definitely ungrateful and they do act very strange and make extremely inappropriate comments.  I do enjoy the idea of a water escape during the apocalypse.  I just hope they make more out of the opportunity than they did with LA.  I just felt like that could have been done so much better.  

BTW -- I really enjoyed Hozier on TDD.  He was actually one of the guests that did seem invested in TWD franchise and was familiar with both shows and the characters.  Love his music.  He was adorable.  

[peach]

That's what bugs me the most. On Talking Dead, they showed this comment from the woman who plays Ofelia. Something like her character's in a bad place because everything has gone wrong and there's not a silver lining in the sky.

LOL.  Seriously??  Torturing and beating my boyfriend I was pretending to like really didn't go my way.  Waaaah!   And this totally badass dude came out of nowhere and saved my life on this sweet, sweet yacht, but nope, no silver lining anywhere.  lol

Yes, Negan's talents are being wasted in Virginia.  "I usually kill only one of you to make a point...but this time it's going to have to be all of you."

[mightysparrow]

These people are too fucking stupid to live.  Except for my baby Strand that is.  I'm not surprised Strand refuses to sleep considering the hijinks these idiots get up to when he's awake.  Alicia seems to have gotten over her dead boyfriend with a quickness.  A guy plays a little Bowie on the radio and suddenly she's giving up her whole family.  Travis and Maddie are the worst parents in tv history.  It was okay with Travis that his son was kissing on his mother's corpse in his bedroom. 

 

It's clear that the writers are trying to make us think that Strand is 'morally ambiguous' but the fact that he not only saved this bunch but actually allows them to remain on his boat, cooking lavish eel dinners is proof positive that he's the patron saint of the ZA.  I would have dropped them off to join the 100 or so people on that raft.

 

Whatever they're paying Colman, it's not enough because he's the main reason I'm watching (and Ruben Blades to a lesser extent).  If Strand goes, I go.

[TVFan17]

It's obvious that there is a lot more to Strand and his story than what we have learned so far (which is really nothing, other than the fact that he had a boat and was ready to set sail).  I hope he sticks around long enough on the show for us to find out. 

 

Like Hozier was saying on Talking Dead, I can't say that I trust Strand -- there seems to be an almost sinister kind of undercurrent to Strand.  I start to wonder, well why DID he save this group of nitwits?  What are his plans for them?  Maybe he has something in mind for them that they won't be happy with.  I can't tell if he is actually evil and just tolerating the fools on his boat because he has a plan to do something awful to them, or if he is really a decent, upstanding guy who is exasperated with and barely tolerating the fools on his boat.  

 

Something is not quite right with Strand, but he is the most interesting one on the show.

[bmoore4026]

I gave up on this show last season, but there's one thing I want to know: Did Tobias survive?

[melanie]

I was hoping that Alicia would pick up Tobias on the radio.  He will definitely be the cult favorite character on this show, I think.  

[ZoloftBlob]

 

 

I swear to Gods, if there isn't a zombie sSharktopus and a zombie Sharknado this entire ZA: At Sea, is worthless

 

Hey now... Sharktopus is not a part of this.... Sharktopus is just minding his business, eating Mexicans and being an abomination of science and nature....

 

Seriously, Sharktopus putting in an appearance would lend this storyline too much class...

[Muffyn]

I didn't hate it, so there's that.  But damn the kids are still the worst. 

 

Strand rocks.  He is the only one about whom we really seem to have things to learn.  Maybe he'll offer Nick some clothing that is more age appropriate.  Heck, if he wore something of Strand's he would be rocking clothers 40 years younger than hs current look. 

[Sighed I]

I can't tell if he is actually evil and just tolerating the fools on his boat because he has a plan to do something awful to them, or if he is really a decent, upstanding guy who is exasperated with and barely tolerating the fools on his boat.

 

I think the truth lies somewhere in between. From what we saw at the hospital/detention center, I'm sure he has a use for them, especially Nick. But I also feel like he kind of likes Nick on some level beyond his living on the edge of a knife approach to survival. I don't get the sense he is sinister so much as calculating, manipulative and self-serving. Not that those are necessarily the most flattering of traits, but they could be useful in keeping him alive. And really, with this group of idjits taking up valuable space on his boat? Man's practically a saint.

 

In any case, if they keep it up much longer, I won't feel the least bit bad if he does completely screw them over. Eh, who am I kidding? I wouldn't feel bad if he did it right now. LOL

[Sighed I]

Negan is on the wrong coast! Send him out west posthaste!

 

They should just be chum for Negan

 

Yes, Negan's talents are being wasted in Virginia.  "I usually kill only one of you to make a point...but this time it's going to have to be all of you."

 

LOL! The gift that keeps on giving.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Sighed I

[GreyBunny]

Okay, I tried.  I really did.  I gave this show a second chance even though I said I was done.  

 

And...the show couldn't even go for 15 minutes before Maddie became an ungrateful stank bitch.  Again.    

 

Ugh.  I hope Strand sells these morons to Negan and gets a good price for them for having to put up with their idiotic BS.

Edited April 11, 2016 by GreyBunny

[Sentient Meat]

As much as I hate watching the stupidity of the kids I try to remind myself that these characters are operating in a world that hasn't been fully indoctrinated by canonized zombie survival techniques.  At this point you'd think the writers would have to introduce a more meta perspective because shows and videogames based on this phenomenon are so pervasive... but for the moment we have to assume that these people know nothing about head shots, double taps, or the basic rules of reanimation. This being said, Nick and Chris are terrible characters... Ofelia is completely boring and Alicia is only mildly interesting.  When both Nick and Chris swam to the boat, I thought "oh good... they are going to clean house and introduce two or three new pirates to replace the dead wood."  Sadly, that doesn't look to be the case but one can still hope.

[SyncMaster]

Alicia is an idiot for talking to that guy on the radio. She may give up her position.

 

Based on one of his last comments--I think he stated that he saw her or the boat--I assumed that she had. 

 

Yessiree. The Maddy character is the worst, acting, writing, persona, body language, all of it.

 

She was in her regular ol' Maddy mode: she was telling Strand how to operate HIS boat and when to stop and who he should pick up and though she showed some concern that Alicia wasn't getting enough sleep she started grabbing for the radio just as she did with the shotgun that Nick retrieved from the neighbor's home the night the shit started falling apart in the world.

 

I gave up on this show last season, but there's one thing I want to know: Did Tobias survive?

 

That is currently unknown.  Maddie dropped him off at home and no one has had contact with him since then.

[GreyBunny]

Mystery Guy on the radio?  Z Nation does it better.  Waaaaaaay better.  

 

I hope the radio guy leads them to a west coast Terminus.

Edited April 11, 2016 by GreyBunny

[Jordan27]

Wow, I was really looking for Travis and Maddie to be better characters.  Disappointed they joined those kids as idiots and just getting in the way and causing trouble and not really helping in any way.

 

All the kids are just a waste.  What a bunch of dysfunctional characters who shouldn't last the week.  The druggie, the emotional cripple and the idiot girl.   Oh my.

 

Salazar is smart and reasonable interesting.  Hey, he was trying to catch food. 

 

Strand is the star of the show.  He may be not the nicest person in the regular world, but in the ZA, he's the man.

 

Hope some of these characters grow a pair and quit acting stupid.  I have my doubts.

[Yolapukka]

My hate list in order from worst to least despised:

 

Liza, needs to move her fucking face. She might also pay attention to her own kids  instead of intruding on her stepson's grief and making it all about herself. (Hey, I popped my pop once, we totally understand each other now!)  She should stop pretending to be savvy when she has no clue most of the time. It would be good if she would try to remember which side her bread is buttered on, instead of whispering with the obvious sociopath about how she doesn't trust the potential sociopath.

 

I can't stand Salazar. He's always going to be the douchebag who unleashed the herd on the base, which is what led to Liza getting bitten, as well as the hundreds or thousands who will also die as a direct consequence of that herd. It may have been an impressive sequence to watch, but it was a stupid, disastrous plan. I wonder what piece of idiocy he'll come up with next? Plus he gives the impression that he spends most of his time thinking about who to shiv next. Love the actor, loathe the character.

 

Ophelia is utterly pointless, I guess she's there for when they need a walking plot-point or an eventual sacrificial lamb.

 

Travis, has a good heart which is probably why he also has frequently poor instincts in a survival situation, at least he had some sense when it came to the overfilled rescue boat they bypassed.

 

The teens are.... teens. Phooey. At least they have potential, or rather I hope they are there with a definite arc in mind rather than just to screw up and sulk  because they don't know any better. Alicia was the MVP dummass of the episode followed  in short order by Chris. (dude, you can't just go storming out when you are on a boat, it doesn't work that way.)

 

Nick is a delight, despicable but a delight, unfortunately his usually good survival instincts are not always on high gear, swimming into that shipwreck was not smart.

 

Strand is highly watchable and potentially awesome. He's also shady as hell and that is probably a good thing.

 

 Liza, oh Liza.... even dead she was worth more than most of the cast.

 

Really, as things stand they can all drown except Strand and maybe Nick.

Edited April 11, 2016 by yuggapukka

[phoenix780]

I don't know how to quote from my phone but I totally agree- that story Maddie told about the first time she hit her father was really bizarre. I don't know what to take from that. Does she have a dark side? Was she abused? Is that why she doesn't emote, she's some kind of sociopath?

[Muffyn]

Clearly there is something wrong with me.  I have never hit either of my parents.  Guess I'll have to plan a trip so I can pop Mom in the face.  Seems like the show thinks hitting your parents is an integral part of growing up.

[Helena Dax]

I liked he action scenes, but the characters mostly suck. Strand is okay: he seems smart and competent. But I wouldn't trust him 100% yet: he doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who likes helping other people just because and that makes me wonder why is he putting up with all those morons. I still like Junkie Nick too, maybe because the actor is good. Daniel isn't stupid, that's something. But the other ones are too stupid for words. I agree that Alicia wins the Most Stupid Player award of this episode -the trophy is a well with a zombie inside-, but Chris gets an honorable mention too.

 

That said, I think the idea is interesting. Being on the ocean gives the show a different feeling from TWD and there should be new challenges ahead. I was surprised to see things were already bad outside there until I remembered the zombie outbreak had started some weeks ago, not days ago. It makes sense, I guess. 

[Astra]

I want to like this show so much so I can get my Walking Dead fix. But I'm echoing a lot of the popular opinions here. Whatever Strand's intent, he seems to be the only smart person. Nick is testing, possibly an antihero, but maybe has some sense (but yes where's that addiction?) But the rest of the family is written like trusting naive fools ready to trip on their shoelaces. How many times can you yell at a show before you start thinking not watching is easier on your blood pressure?

[ottoDbusdriver]

I was hoping that Alicia would pick up Tobias on the radio.  He will definitely be the cult favorite character on this show, I think.  

 

Or how about any survivors of Flight 482 ? Are they going to show up at some point ?

[AbFabGab]

I'm a glass half full kind of girl and I'm just happy that Junkie Nick got something close to a hair wash.

 

I was just thinking, that's the first time his clothes have seen water in a while, so it wasn't all bad.

[Peanut]

Poor Strand, he can't afford to sleep with this band of idiots on board.

When Madison went on the bridge to look for him, I thought she was going to try to take over the boat.  And it wouldn't surprise me at some point if one of them tried, with, of course, disastrous consequences. 

 

I didn't think the show was as bad as some -  I teach high school, so the two teens acting like idiots isn't a surprise at all.  Though the one jumping in the water was clearly not thinking of sharks or floating zombies.   And for a few minutes there, I wondered if EVERYONE was going to jump in the water, because, well...it's very dramatic to fling off your coat and dive in, I guess?  

 

Thank you for reminding me that the extra person was Ofelia, the daughter.  I couldn't remember who she was.  I thought maybe she was some random nurse had come along with them from the detention center.  

 

I agree with others that it seems a little early in the apocalypse for gangs of bad guys to get together and randomly shoot up a ship and kill people for no reason, but this is Kirkman's universe, and there are apparently shitty people everywhere, so...

[riverheightsnancy]

Yes, I forgot to mention that.  Also, to my ear there's a difference between all 3 accents.

What I was getting at, is all of their American accents are so good, (I know Maggie on TWD gets some flack for her Southern accent though)  that I had no idea that they were non-native US speakers. I have to hear someone speak for longer than a quick soundbite to hear it more clearly. I lived overseas and usually can usually hear the difference between British and Australian and New Zealand for sure. 

[SimoneS]

Other than crazy jumping in the ocean, I didn't think that the teens were that bad. I think Nick's anger is understandable. He was already angry at Travis, his mother's death just make him more so. I don't know why they didn't give him scenes with Ofelia. She just lost her mother too. Alicia was lonely and sad so I get why she reached out to the voice on the radio.

 

What perplexes me the most is Strand's instantaneous bond with Nick which made no sense last season and even less sense this season. it isn't like something happened to bond them, it just magically occurred. Now they are besties? Wha?

 

I don't think it is too soon for criminals or villains to get together act. There are a whole lot of people who are not or are barely constrained by societal rules. The minute there is chaos and no government authorities or other mechanisms are in place allowing them to act with impunity, they do.

Edited April 11, 2016 by SimoneS

[JackONeill]

Man, it's got to be tough for Cliff Curtis (or maybe a blessing), at least based on the comments here (and last season). I don't think his character is going to be this series' Rick. Even though he is the "lead" actor, Strand has come along at the tail end of last season and just stolen his thunder.

Yes, there's an air of mystery to Strand, and that accounts for some of it. Maybe he'll turn out like Ben on Lost. Maybe we'll find out that Strand was behind, or part of, the whole military testing of the virus that led to the Walkers. He seemed to "know" more than nearly everyone else. Maybe he's the ultimate bad guy.

Then again, why did he take the band of nitwits with him? He seems to like Nick, but he's not letting Nick do anything to help him. They made a point out of the fact that Strand hasn't slept. Well, why didn't he give Nick a quick lesson in helming a boat? (Yes, I know it takes a lot to learn, but this is TV.)

I wonder if the writers "repositioned" the direction of the show based upon Strand's popularity?

[kj4ever]

When I think of all the season premiers of TWD I can't believe the same people make this show.  God after a half hour I went to bed and finished it up this morning while I was having breakfast.  That has NEVER happened with TWD.

 

God I hate to say it but it is the actors.  The dude that plays Travis seemed to get acting lessons from the chick that plays Maddy because his face seems to just have one expression too.  You would think the producers/directors/actors would have seen some of the comments on social media and taught that actress that plays Maddy more than one facial expression.  Hell they even opened up the show with it, that mildly interested?  Mildly disdained? look.

 

I can see the teenage girl doing what she did and I think the actress is far beyond her older counterparts.  Even though I like the character of Strand it was a bit over the top for me and I hope they reel him in a bit.  Nick, the torture dude....They are pretty good.  Chris, well I can totally understand his POV.  I mean he is stuck with his Dad's frozen girlfriend and her completely screwed up family and his Mom just was shot int he head by his Dad.  i'd mope a bit too.

 

They got one more epi and i'm out if it doesn't get even a little better.