Fear The Walking Dead Season 2 Episodes 5-6 Reviews: Fear The Communion Wafer

"Fear The Walking Dead" thus far has delivered a few great moments surrounded by mostly boring scenes. "Captive" again proved anti climatic. The escape from the baddies was way too easy. "Sicut Cervus" on the other hand hit it out of the park. The story was captivating and there were mucho zombies. If "FTWD" delivered more such shows, it could give "The Walking Dead" some competition. Is it up to the challenge? We still have nine episodes to find out. The mid season finale is next week.

In "Captive" Travis wakes up in a cell on a docked freighter. Alex/Charlie strolls by. Where did she come from? When we last saw Alex, she was floating in the middle of the ocean with badly injured What's-His-Name. Alex was rescued by Team Connor. She then told them about the Abigail. She's super pissed about her treatment and takes it out on Travis. I'm not sure why. Strand is the one that cut the rope and left her for dead.

Daniel interrogates Reed (who still has something sticking out of his side courtesy of Madison). Daniel lets Chris guard Connor but warns him not to get too close. The next thing we know Chris has killed him. Chris tries to defend himself by saying Reed was about to turn. Obviously that's not true. I was hoping Chris would get some smarts but it's not looking like it

With Strand temporarily out of commission, Madison takes charge. They're turning the boat around. They will do a prisoner swap with Reed in exchange for Travis and Alicia. The only problem is Reed is now a zombie.Thanks Chris! No problem-- they'll just put a bag over his head. Surely no one will notice.

Alicia continues to sweet talk Jack. She eventually escapes and runs to the bow of the ship. The baddies are temporarily occupied when Reed chomps on Connor's arm. Alicia sees Madison and Travis in the dingy below. She jumps off the ship. It's a LONG way down. They fish her out of the water and off they go back to the Abigail.

Well that seemed a bit too easy. Will Connor saw off his arm and come after them? Will Alex keep showing up from time to time? I hope so. She's super bad ass and seems to know a lot about walkers.

Luckily "Sicut Cervus" was a much better episode. Luis is shot by the Mexican Coast Guard. I thought he would be around a lot longer. Our crew approaches the church we saw at the beginning of the episode. They're surrounded by the zombified church folk. The survivors get busy stabbing, axing, and batting the undead children, choir boys, and old folks. At one point Madison is knocked down. Chris sees this but does nothing to help her. Alicia finally jumps in to help her mother.

When they arrive at Abigail's estate, he is gravely ill. He was bitten on the arm by a walker. Strand spends as much time with him as possible. Abigial makes Madison promise to take care of Strand when he's gone. We'll see how that works out.

We meet Luis's mother Celia. We initially think she's kindly older woman.. Boy does she have a surprise in store for us. She has been poisoning all the workers and their families with communion wafers? Say what??? She also poisoned everyone at the church. Many of the undead are locked up in Abigail's basement. They're are being fed dogs (and I'm not sure what else). Is it just me or does this story bear a striking resemblance to "TWD" and Hershel's farm (where all the walkers were hidden in the barn)? Need we remind you how that turned out? Never a good idea people!!!

Celia spews some crap about this just being the next stage of life. She tells Daniel he needs to make his peace with the dead. She leaves wafers for Abigail and Strand (so Strand can die along with Thomas). Strand thinks about killing himself but finally decides against it. Someone is going not going to be happy. Celia is going to bite it for sure. How will she go? Will it be at the hands of Strand, Daniel, Nick or maybe her son Zombie Luis will return.

Chris enters Alicia's room (where she and Madison are asleep). He gets a knife off the night stand. Just then, the women wake up and see what he's doing. Was Chris really planning to hurt them? I dont think so but who knows with that crazy kid.

Favorite Quotes:

Thomas: "How very Shakespearean of you." Strand: "There's nothing left for me here when you're gone."
"What do you have to offer."- Connor to Alex.
"I want you to know how proud I am. I was wrong about you."- Celia to Victor when she thinks he's going to die along with Abigail.
"He'll find his way back."- Celia about her son Luis (after hearing he's been killed).
"We are just visitors. Our dead-- and they are our dead-- they have always walked amongst us. The only difference now is now we can see them."- Celia to Nick.
"They are not dead. They are what comes next."- Celia about the zombies.
"You need to make peace with the dead old man. What are you afraid of?"- Celia to Daniel.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). While "Captive" had a few good moments there was only ONE zombie (Reed after he turned). "Sicut Cervus" was much better and had ChurchZombies (complete with choir boys). If "FTWD" delivered more like this episode, there would be many more enthusiastic viewers. Any guesses as to what will happen during the mid season finale? I suspect someone will die? Will it be Chris or Daniel or Travis? I think everyone else is relatively safe at this point.