​While most reporters are looking for the truth, there are those who have been loving how much traffic they can get from fake news. While Fake News is nothing new, you still see it at every checkout lane at the grocery store, social media has expanded its existence. Being able to write anything and posting it online for the world to read, it is hard to know what real news is anymore and while many people can figure it out, there are those who take everything that is written as fact. This is a pretty frightening thing, since there are only a handful of sites that really report the news that should be trusted and the others are just trying to get their click count up for the year.
​
Finding out what happened in Gatlin, the authorities have moved in and are ready to take care of the kids who have been found hiding in the corn. Not knowing the extent of what he is getting himself into, trash mag reporter John Garrett is heading into town to figure it out. Arriving after all of the main reporters have left, he is certain that he will be able to get the story he is looking for to get him back on top, but as everyone is trying to keep their lips sealed, it may be more difficult than expected.

Meeting Angela and her new foster child Micah while trying to get the lay of the land, John has been able to find a place to lay his head for a couple nights with his son Danny. While the two do not have the strongest relationship, Danny is laying into his father in especially hard fashion over why he is on the trip with him. Needing time to get his mind straight and get answers to what happened in the adjoining town, John tries to get his son to keep quiet, but when that does not work, he allows Danny to find his way home. But there is a problem with that as Danny quickly finds out when it is discovered that daily busses do not run through the farming community. Looking for a way out, Danny finds something better as he spots Lacey riding her bike and she gives him some encouraging words.

As night moves in, the Gatlin children meet in the corn field and are ready to appease He Who Walks Behind the Rows once again. With a new set of adults who are taking advantage of the land and crops, blood must be offered, but there is no leader as Issac has fallen. Trying to find the rest of the kids, Micah is taken by He Who Walks Behind the Rows and given a new vision of what the next steps will be. Securing his position as the leader, all of the other children file in behind him as he is much more powerful than his predecessor. As his power continues to grow, Micah gives the towns folk a little show in church, but that is just the beginning of his wrath.
​
While trying to get to the bottom of what happened in Gatlin, John makes his way into the abandoned school and finds pictures of the mutilation that occurred, before it occurred. Meeting a stranger, Frank Redbear who seems to have some sort of answers, John is more than willing to listen, as long as it gets him the story. Listening to the stories about the ancients and what the land had in store for them, John finds out that there is a protector of the land that might be looking to take revenge. But that is only the beginning of what is happening in the town as adults start getting killed left and right by their new children and their leader who stays in the shadows.

Interesting follow up to the original, and even though it had some funny moments, it made sure to deliver its message… adults are evil. While the town slowly brings the surviving children in to keep them safe, the adults instantly become targets of those they try to protect. It seems like a cycle that will never end, as long as He Who Walks Behind the Rows is still being left to do his own thing. I liked how the story took a turn for the normal as greed was highlighted as well, I did not see that coming, the same as John and Frank. Overall, not a bad follow up with creepy kids, killer corn stalks, wooden voodoo dolls, a town that does not fornicate and a love story for the ages. After watching this, I am reminded that corn fields are not a safe place to play in, since you never know what evils can be hiding inside. Stay Scared.

​What’s truly fascinating about horror movies and shows in this particular day in age, is how incredibly intelligent and complex they have become. Because for a good horror story to truly resonate with the audience now, it needs to have a well-written story. One that features dynamic and relatable characters that help to explore a plot that is rife with commentary on our modern world or the human condition as a whole. And of course, above all else, it needs to feature top-tier special effects, the kind that leave us nauseous and in awe of the work that went into creating a living nightmare and what makes this so incredibly fascinating… is that it speaks to how far the genre has come.
 
Because there was a time, where horror in any capacity, was supremely simple in nature. Wherein the genre’s stories focused heavily on the power of fear and the creative minds that told these tales of terror, did whatever was necessary to prey upon our most primal ones to elicit a powerful response out of the audience. But clearly, our inherent curiosity and desire to know what motivates our emotions, is what allowed for the genre to evolve and leave simple scares behind. But there is still merit to simply experiencing raw fear when watching a scary story and those elements are still present in the stories we enjoy today and for that matter… some of the creative minds out there are eager to see if simple horror stories can still work in this day and age, as evidenced by the new Shudder series, Deadhouse Dark.
 
For this anthology themed horror show, offers up six unique vignettes that are brief in nature and heavy on the raw power of fear. The kind that vary in what type of fear they put on display. For example, the opening vignette ‘Dashcam_013_20191031.MP4’, and the later entry, ‘The Staircase’… remind us of the fact that we truly fear the unknown and the unexplainable, since we thrive on knowledge and comprehension. And being immersed within two stories where logic is defied and the impossible takes place, absolutely unsettles the viewer since we are waiting for an explanation of some kind, one that never comes, and it is quite refreshing to enjoy a pair of stories that focus on the unknown and leave your imagination running wild.

But there was mention of variety in regard to the fears put on display in this series, and it makes sure to up the terror ante by also preying upon our collective fear of our fellow man. For each and every one of us worry about finding ourselves in a situation where the greatest monster of all decides we are to be their next victim and this anthology elicits fear in regard to that, by showing us how people become prey. Since ‘No Pain No Gain’ takes the time to remind us that sometimes we let bad people in without knowing, when we are vulnerable, and that could lead to all kinds of trouble. Whereas ‘A Tangled Web We Weave’ helps to remind us that sometimes the evil that men do is hiding in plain sight, behind kindness, and that made both of these entries quite worthwhile, since their twists definitely take you by surprise and stun you. 
 
But to ensure that the audience doesn’t totally get lost in something outlandish and unfamiliar, since 'in your face' vignettes about raw terror are rare these days… it makes sure to ground the viewer in some familiar concepts. Since ‘Mystery Box’ and ‘My Empire of Dirt’ are stories that remind us of our fear of death. Something that a great deal of horror stories are exploring these days, but these two vignettes handle it differently by plunging us into a pair of situations where the characters experience it in the raw. Which allows for us to experience the immediate and devastating impact of losing a loved one firsthand in 'Box', while 'Empire' holds nothing back in helping us to understand the terror that comes about from facing our final days, and that makes these two vignettes the most chilling of the bunch since they really do resonate with the viewer on a primal level.
 
In the end, all of these explorations and vignettes simply make this a unique and refreshing horror anthology. One that genuinely harkens back to days gone by where the mere thought of encountering a ghost or a vampire, was far more frightening than the origin of the spirit or the reasons why that bloodsucker opted to leave humanity behind and that decision storytelling wise, makes this a fun watch for certain. Simply because it does a perfect job of getting under your skin and igniting your imagination and that’s no small feat in this era of information, where we are taught to use logic over emotion and hopefully, this unique series gets a second season down the line. Just to see how much farther this series can push the envelope, when it comes to what scares us the most.
 
‘Deadhouse Dark’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.    

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘Creepshow’.
​
It is definitely safe to say that each and every one of us out there, have fantasied at some point or another, about venturing inside the world of our favorite story franchise. Because it would just be the absolute coolest to serve aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise or help the Avengers save the day in some capacity or… if you’re a horror fan… to take your shot at Freddy Krueger and/or fight the living dead to a kickass muzak soundtrack beneath the fluorescent lights of the Monroeville Mall. And for the longest time, we all knew deep down that such a reality wasn't possible in the slightest, it was just fun to get lost in the dream. But it would now seem, that such wild fantasies, might become a reality after all. Thanks to the wonder of virtual reality, and in a way, we’re closer than ever before.

Because Augmented Reality and other VR systems out there, are starting to toy with bringing our favorite stories to life and the technology is likely closer than ever to replicating these sprawling fictional worlds to haunting perfection. However, while that will indeed be quite the amazing experience once it rolls out to the masses since so many will find joy within it, there will be a downside to come along with it. For some will choose to shun the regular world for the fantasy one and wreak havoc on their everyday lives in the process, and it just so happens that the dangers that could come about from this type of recreational technology, served as the focus of the season two finale of Creepshow.

For ‘Night of the Living Late Show’ introduces us to an inventor named Simon who has made quite the incredible breakthrough. In that, he’s figured out how to perfectly blend camera technologies and virtual reality and sensory data to immerse any fan into their favorite movie by way of a device called The Immersopod. Which is a device that should revolutionize AR/VR like never before and make Simon and his wife Renee, rich beyond their wildest dreams. But there is just one problem, in that… Simon is more interested in the personal benefits of the device, so he can finally immerse himself in his favorite horror film, Horror Express. And it doesn’t take long for the story to show us how easy it is to lose ourselves in fantasy since Simon has no problem shoving aside his marriage and anything he dislikes about the real world, to instead surround himself with a fictional world that he knows backwards and forward.

But while that makes for some for clean and poignant commentary, just sticking with that would be the easy way out for horror’s finest television series. Which is why it was wonderful that this episode took the story a step further, by directly examining the impact of such behavior on those we love and that led to some genuine dramatic depth in this episode, as we watched Renee’s heart shatter in real time. Making it clear that choosing a fantasy world over people that care about us, devastates them completely, to the point where they are left destitute and broken. Which in turn allowed for that classic Creepshow ending to come into play, when Renee decided, the time had come to show Simon how much her hurt her and how poor of a job he did in installing safety measures into the Immersopod, by plunging Simon into the finale of Night of the Living Dead and taking away his only means of escape.
​
Which is a bleak and powerful way to end this episode for certain… making it seem as though this is the darkest episode of Creepshow to date. But we would be foolish to not point out that this episode found a way to add the show’s trademark humor into the mix, since it put the wonder of being inside the world of our favorite movies on full display. And let’s be honest, it accurately depicted how quickly and how hard we would all geek out if we were in Simon’s shoes and were standing face to face with Jason Voorhees or Pennywise himself and any sequence aboard the train in Horror Express really was quite delightful. Thanks in large part to Justin Long’s stellar comedic performance in this tale since he knew exactly how to make things perfectly awkward, and the wonder of this story doesn’t end with its grand homage to that classic film and our fantasies. Because that George Romero themed VR ending was simply amazing and it was nice to see Director Greg Nicotero sneak in an epic homage to close out the season. 

If anything, this really was a perfect season finale through and through. Because not only was it a supersized, epic story, but it was also filled to the brim with magnificent commentary on the human condition. Thanks largely to Dana Gould’s brilliant screenplay and the wonderful performances extended beyond Justlin Long as well since D’Arcy Carden killed it as Renee, since she made every painful moment for that unfortunate character about as believable as possible. And of course… Greg Nicotero once again impressed in the director’s chair by assembling a smooth and compelling tale and while we should we feel saddened by the fact that season two of this magnificent series has come to a close, there’s oddly a sense of satisfaction that hangs over this tale and this year’s vignettes. Simply because it’s obvious now that Creepshow has found its groove storytelling wise, and a third season is on the way. Meaning all we have to do now is wait patiently for more quality tales of terror, and they will indeed be top-notch since this series continues to up its game and this reviewer cannot wait to see what kind of ghoulish delights the Creep is planning to bring to the graveyard in season three. Until next time, kiddies.
​
‘Creepshow’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.

Memories are something special for everyone. Overall, the things that you remember most can add to who you are today. As time passes over a lifetime, it is easy to get lost when trying to look towards the future, but if you refuse to look back on your mistakes, you are likely to make them again. It is important to remember who you are and where you came from before moving forward, because in the long run, you are the only one that can find the way you are supposed to go after you get lost.
​
A new day is upon Dwight and he is looking forward to it as always. Preaching to himself about how bad life is in the asylum, he gets a visit from an orderly who wants him to cheer up a bit. Being taken to see Doctor Shakes, Dwight seems fine, but when looking at the doctor and seeing a corpse, he starts to understand why he has been locked away, that and the fact he cannot remember what he did to get thrown in there in the first place. As the day moves on, Dwight is starting to wonder why he is locked up and what he can do to escape and getting advice from one of his closest friends should help a lot.

Talking with Van Gogh in the yard, Dwight admits to seeing things that others cannot and while that might make him crazy, Van Gogh sees the same things. But taking it to the next level, Van Gogh has removed one of his eyes after seeing something that he did not want to see. Painting what he sees in the future, Van Gogh’s eyes are open to the world and what it holds, but little does he know of the power that he possesses. Drawing a bird and watching it drop dead in the yard, Dwight wants to use this talent to escape his prison and begs his friend to draw the doctor so he can escape this hell. Doing as he has been asked, a faceless doctor is created and to Dwight’s delight, what he thought would happen comes true, just in a more gruesome way.

Escaping the asylum and finding his way through the local cemetery, Dwight finds himself being chased by more of these faceless monsters. Before they are able to catch up with him, he sees a car crash and tries to pull the dying man out to help him. As the stranger dies, Dwight believes that his only path to freedom is assuming this man’s identity. Returning to Artemus Finch’s house and meeting the recently deceased man’s wife, Dwight sees that she does not see a stranger, but her two-timing husband. With a new path ahead of him in Finch’s body, Dwight feels like there is nothing that can stop him, but as the days pass, he starts to fear that he is losing himself in the mix. Also, the faceless creatures have found their way to him and are looking to take back what he took from them before his time runs out.

A very interesting story where you are trying to figure out if Dwight is crazy or not and if everything strange that is happening is really there or in his head. I really enjoyed his stories throughout, especially the one of a nameless angel that would visit him after his treatments in the asylum, mainly because he could not remember who she was. Seeing as to how he was able to find an anchor for his existence with his new wife Ellen, Dwight seemed to have everything going for him, but once the faceless group were able to find him, all bets were off, and he started catching glimpses of the man he or Finch was before. With plenty of blood, a disturbed dead doctor, an eyeless best friend who can still see and a shot of redemption for what he did in his previous life, it is a fun movie with some shocking scenes and a great score that will leave you wondering why you feel so good as the credits begin to roll. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Bad Witch’.
​
One important lesson that we learn at some point in life, is that you simply cannot control people in the slightest. Because it doesn’t matter what you say or do, or how compliant a person appears to be when you first meet them, at some point… someone that you think you need to be in charge of, will decide that they are going to walk their own path in life and they’ll be damned if they are going to let anyone tell them how to do it and well, it’s a good thing we learn this lesson. Because it teaches us about boundaries and the importance of respect and of course… the power of communication since we tend to get better results in regard to having people help us with tasks, when we use our words and find a common ground.
​
But while those are wonderful lessons to come out of such a unique experience, what’s unfortunate is that some people never quite figure this out. It could be because they are marginalized and believe that control is the only way they will matter in this world, or they genuinely have control issues and need to assert themselves in order to find calm and peace. But regardless of the reason, these people tend to be toxic in nature and are best avoided, and some are so bad, that we fear to even think about what they might become if they found a way to actually exert genuine control over other people. But thankfully, fiction is there to explore such fears and recently, a horror/comedy hit the market that examines what that might look like in Bad Witch.

Now in this particular tale we meet a sour man named Xander Perkins, who has accomplished little in life and it makes sense as to why. Because Xander is a witch. Yes, you read that right, a witch. Not a warlock or a wizard or a sorcerer, but a witch. And his mastery of black magic has allowed for him to simply cast spells to grab hold of what he wants in life. Which has given him a powerful ego and minimal care about his fellow human beings since he can control them with a quick spell. But when one of his sexual conquests via magic, backfires and puts his safety in jeopardy, Xander flees and decides that perhaps the time has come to hang up his broom and play it straight for a while. That is until he meets a young man named Roland Grimm, who could use a little black magic in his life and that leaves Xander to wonder… if by chance paying it forward by using his powers for good, will help him to redeem his lost soul.

Which is a plot that truly infers that this is going to be a grand story of redemption. One where Xander finally gets his head out of the clouds and comes to realize that getting to know others and what makes them tick and opening up one's heart to others, is how folks truly move forward together. But that would be the easy way out for this story and instead… it quickly transforms into a tragedy of sorts. One where Xander comes to realize that he can exert even greater control over people by playing the part of the puppeteer and that only intoxicates him further and that answers the question as to what would happen if someone awful to their core was given the chance to truly control other human beings. In that, they would relish in that power and abuse it to the fullest, regardless of the consequences. As evidenced by how this story plays out of the course of its brisk eighty-one-minute run time.
​
But while that offers up some poignant moments for certain, the kind that we won’t spoil here. There was mention of this movie being a hybrid horror/comedy and we would be remiss to not talk about the comedy side to this particular tale. Because this is that rare hybrid film that is completely and utterly self-aware and knows exactly which joke is going to work in which moment. Which treats the audience to outright laugh out loud moments, and uncomfortable ones that are grounded in dark humor and gross out jokes and really, that’s a testament to James Hennigan’s script and the direction of Victor Fink and Joshua Land. Since it takes a smooth screenplay and slick direction to allow for comedy to work so well in a story where guts and gore and prevalent and these gents deserve a round of applause for bringing all of this together in a seamless manner.

If anything, this is just a delightfully twisted motion picture. One that offers a great deal to horror fans out there. Because if you’re looking for something with a little splatter, this has it. If you love witch movies, well it has witches too. And of course, if you’re looking for depth and commentary and a little dark humor, you’ll find that here as well. Which makes this a worthwhile watch for certain, since one can easily get lost in a story as original and as refreshing as this one, and you can never go wrong with a horror story that has quite the morality lesson at its core. Since this one really does serve to remind us to celebrate people for who they are, and not who we think they should be.

What frightens you the most? This is a question that has plagued people for their entire lives, and it is not going anywhere. The answer to that question, ranges from the silly, like a fear of clowns, to things more extreme, like having their family hacked to pieces. Everyone has their own fears and while some are open about it, others try to keep it close to the vest, because there are people out there that are more than willing to prey on someone’s fears. If you have followed me at all, I have the silly fear of clowns and no matter how much I try to get over it, it will probably stick with me until the day I die.

Working on his next thesis, George is ready to take it to the extreme. With fear on his mind, he wants to shoot a documentary about what scares people the most. Being able to convince his friends to join him on a camping trip that will take them into the woods, he is keeping one part of the trip a secret. Being able to find a place that will put him next to the Amityville House, he does not let anyone know of what his plans really are. With his sister Elizabeth, girlfriend Sarah, camera man Simon and his friend and ‘one with the earth’ Lisa, the group is ready to spend the night in the woods with no idea what is in store for them.

As nightfall comes early, the group hears someone or something in the woods that piques their interest. As George is more than willing to check it out, he finds that they are not the only people poking around.  A father is roaming the woods looking for his daughter that went missing weeks ago and gives the group a warning that the woods are no place to be messing around. On the other side of camp Simon is trying to find a safe place to do his business when he spots what appears to be a little girl who may be lost. Not being able to find the girl, Simon brings the news back to camp and everyone wants to try and help. But the little girl cannot be found, and the group is not comfortable with the outcome.

As daylight shines down on the group while they are getting ready to leave, George has altered their plans. Wanting the group to stay one more night for his film, he is ready to play on their fears, but little does he know what the night will have in store for them. Finding the Amityville House and showing it to Sarah, she starts to fear for what might be going bump in the night. Getting back to camp and being forced to go into the woods alone, she sees the little girl as well. Knowing that the little girl needs help, the group stumbles upon the body of the father who was looking for his daughter. Knowing that there is something out there that has the power to kill, the group tries to leave the woods, but there is no escaping the evil that is hunting them.

I like the idea of a haunted house, now I like the idea of haunted woods as well. This movie did a good job of keeping the shadows a little bit darker so you could not see what might be hiding in them. I really liked the side story of a woman who went missing in the house years before, it just added something that I did not expect in the story. With that being said, I am a little shocked that it did not seem like anyone in the group paid any attention to what happened in the video, or at least finished it before their trip, it could have saved them the headaches. With creepy sounds in the woods, a missing person who will never be found, a little girl stalking the camp and a leader who refuses to be frightened by anything other than his father’s opinion of him, it is not a bad addition to the Amityville legacy that seems like it will never come to an end. Stay Scared.

There are a great many reasons as to why people regularly tune into The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder. Such as the fact that this series resurrects an old horror tradition of enjoying horror films with a host on a Friday night. Plus, you cannot go wrong with a series that makes a point of showcasing some of horror's finest stories and it is equally as wonderful that Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl have insightful commentary (and amazing cosplay in Darcy’s case) to offer up week in and week out.

But above all else, what truly makes this show unlike any other in this vein, is that Joe Bob brings in outright horror legends to talk about their careers and their experiences making the movie of the week and the wonder of horror, adding incredible depth to a series that already goes above and beyond for fans of the genre. And it just so happens, that this Friday, Joe Bob Briggs is bringing in an outright screen legend to talk shop, since earlier today, Shudder announced the following:
 
The hit Shudder Original series The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs continues on Friday, April 30 with special guest, actor Jeffrey Combs (The Re-Animator, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). New episodes premiere live on the Shudder TV feed at 9pm ET/8c. Fans can also watch on demand on Shudder and AMC+ on Sundays.

Which is a HUGE announcement. Because not only is mister Combs an outright horror legend by way of his incredible performances in the aforementioned Re-Animator franchise and his scene stealing moments in Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners, but he more or less went mainstream in the 1990s by way of the aforementioned Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. For his portrayal of the snarky and sneaky Weyoun, was beloved by fans everywhere, making him a household name for certain and a beloved pop culture icon. One that is still working heartily in the industry, to the point where he recently appeared on another Shudder series in 2019, by playing the twisted Nazi, Reinhard, in the Creepshow segment, ‘Bad Wolf Down’.

If anything, this announcement makes this week’s episode of The Last Drive-In an absolute must-see. In part because it likely means a Jeffrey Combs movie will be the focus of the episode, but also because… we get to hear some incredible insight from a true master of his craft. The kind that will hopefully provide us with wonderful stories about his time in the industry, alongside some personal anecdotes that help us to learn what makes Jeffrey tick and what drives him as an actor and now… we here at Nerds That Geek will be counting down the minutes to what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest episodes of The Last Drive-In to date.

There is always something exciting about uncovering the truth. As many people like to keep you in the dark about their lives, it only makes you want to find out what they are trying to hide from you. Finding the answers to the unanswered questions gives you a sense of accomplishment, but it can also hurt the person that you are looking into. Keep your eyes open as to what they are willing to show you, as it may be enough to go off of, but when you start digging, just be mindful that you are opening a box to something that may not only be hurtful for someone, but hurtful for you as well.
​
Getting into a foreclosed house to work on their story, reporter Sara and her team find that the house has its little secrets running about. With the power and water still on, all of the previous owner’s property is still inside as well. Looking through the house and seeing that the Wittlocke family that lived there left in a hurry, Sara knows that there could be more to the story than just the house being foreclosed. Digging through the evidence, Charlie and Milo locate a box of home movies in a locked closet and decide to view them and see what they can find out about the family.

Watching the tapes one at a time, Milo is slowly starting to find that there is a stranger on them that cannot be seen by the human eye. When he gets to the tape that has Dan Wittlocke complaining to his wife that they are being stalked by this unseen force, he goes back to review the previous recordings and finds a faceless man in all of them. Showing what he has found to Sara and Charlie, Sara wants more to the story and gets plenty of interviews with the town locals and what they thought about the family. Wanting the story to be the next big hit in the town, the group continues their work in finding out what really happened to the Wittlockes, but it is opening the door to something that they never expected.

Feeling uneasy while reviewing the tapes, Milo starts to keep his camera on all of the time, fearing that the faceless man is stalking him. Finding out that his fears are right, and he has been marked by the stranger, Milo needs to convince his co-workers that they are in trouble. But Charlie and Sara are not as concerned about the faceless man as they are about Milo stalking Sara for months prior. Making his point and forcing Charlie to see the faceless man through the camera, all of the vendettas are put away as the group must find a way to beat the stranger at his own game. Being able to locate where the Wittlockes moved to, the group decides to ask them how they beat the stranger but finding that the new house is in ashes is not a good sign and a new set of tapes will change their lives forever.

Going into this movie blind, I must say it felt like a telling of the Slenderman that I have heard so much about online. Knowing nothing about Marble Hornet, I must admit that this movie makes me want to follow their series, at least to see how the story played out online as I have read that it is pretty different from the movie. This is a pretty solid found footage movie, I liked how the faceless man made his entrance into scenes with a flicker of the camera. The story plays out as you would expect without too much deviation from ones you have seen before, so it is a little predictable, but that is alright as you get to see a family’s life on video and see how they break down as the faceless man makes his way into it. With some jump scares, a faceless man in a suit, plenty of cameras, a projector and a creepy nighttime car scene, it is a pretty good movie that will leave you wondering how on earth can you defeat this kind of evil. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 610 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’.
​
Stories that focus on the power of trauma and loss and mental health issues in general, tend to come to a close shortly after the main character has recovered from their respective pain and it makes sense as to why. After all, that’s it. The protagonist has endured utter hell and come through it in one piece and the time has come for them to live a normal life, so fading to black as they return to it, serves as a happily ever after. The kind that leaves the audience in a great place mentally when they walk out of the theater or shut off their favorite streaming device. But while that does indeed offer up a satisfying conclusion to what is often a harrowing journey, this is another example of how often times, these issues are glossed over or presented in a painfully sugary light in popular media. Because sometimes, getting back to everyday life after dealing with intense trauma and its fallout, is no easy task.

Because there is some measure of re-learning how to live when that happens. Plus, there are no guarantees that each day will be hunky dory and filled with sunshine when recovery is ‘complete’. For dark days will still find us down the line, and that will test our mental health and stability and to top it all off, there’s always a chance for a relapse of sorts since the power of trauma is strong for certain and it can genuinely take hold once again if the conditions are right or if it hasn’t properly been dealt with. Which is why you have to respect stories that don't shy away from this aspect of mental health. Since it helps to educate all of us on an important issue we don't talk about enough. And it just so happens that this unfortunate side to the road to recovery, turned out to be the focus last night’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead and that made ‘Handle with Care’, quite the powerful and fascinating episode when all is said and done.

Especially when one considers the fact, that early on it seemed as though this episode was going to focus heavily on the threat waiting beyond the walls of Morgan’s new sanctuary. For the strange group that blew Tank Town to hell and back, were suddenly making moves behind the scenes. As though they understood that Virginia was now absent from the world and that left all three communities concerned that an attack or more trouble was imminent and that in turn, motivated Morgan to hold a little convention at his place. One where top minds could come together and discuss a strategy to fight these individuals so that all could survive and well, it didn’t take long for this meeting to quickly go south and bring forth some supremely harrowing moments.

For Morgan couldn’t be there for a majority of the meeting, since he needed to take the MRAP with a handful of helpers to go get proper medical gear for Grace. Who was on her way to having her baby, and that left the always reliable Daniel in charge, and he quickly faced some incredible challenges. Because while everyone was bickering about what was the best way to handle this newfound threat, an explosion went off. One that immediately reminded Luciana of the attack on Tank Town and that likely meant that someone inside the camp was loyal to this strange apocalyptic cause and did this as a warning and well, now it was up to Daniel to protect everyone within these walls and to root out the traitor in their midst and that’s when things became quite interesting for certain. 

Because suddenly, the weapons went missing as well, meaning that the saboteur/troublemaker was making great efforts to leave everyone in the camp vulnerable. And to make matters worse, the dead heard the explosion and were threatening to get in and that pushed Daniel to make some tough and intense decisions. Such as sending Charlie and Grace away to a nearby safehouse and to let some of the dead in to see if anyone magically had a weapon. Which as it turns out, Strand did, which in turn… led to Strand’s arrest and an intense interrogation on Daniel’s part, one that was designed to get some answers but failed miserably. For Victor was adamant that he simply snuck that gun in and wasn’t responsible for any of the trouble here. A claim that Daniel so firmly believed was a lie, thanks to their sorted past, that he was ready to execute Victor if the truth didn’t come forth. 
​
But thankfully, Morgan returned and handled the dead and saved Strand, that’s when the show finally examined the notion of how trauma can return and take control, and it accomplished this goal, by bringing some major surprises into the light. Because Grace and Charlie weren’t at the safehouse, simply because Daniel incorrectly remembered their destination, and it turns out he was the one who stashed the weapons after all. Simply because Daniel felt the need to revert to survival instincts from the past when his safety and the safety of others was threatened. Which is in fact, a trauma response, one that made it clear to Daniel that he needed to leave Morgan’s sanctuary in order to heal since his mind’s way of dealing with strife is through unhealthy means and thankfully, Strand was there to offer aid in his time of need by inviting him to Lawton. An act that undoubtedly serves as penance for acts committed so long ago.

However, while that is a happy ending in its own right, what made this such a powerful tale, is that it really held nothing back in its exploration of how trauma can return to the surface of our minds, especially when it isn’t properly dealt with. Because this episode made it clear that Daniel’s time in the warehouse wasn’t spent on inflection and recovery. Instead, he used that time to simply learn how to bury his past and his pain, allowing for all of it to return in this inopportune moment. But at long last it would seem he’s finally ready to deal with all of this and that’s a wonderful thing since Daniel does indeed deserve peace and clarity and the show also deserves serious credit for exploring this in such great detail. For mental health issues are still a taboo topic in modern America, and it is quite wonderful to see a series point out that such a problem exists, and that support and care is paramount to getting people back on the right track.

But all commentary on mental health aside, one can only hope that Daniel finds his peace and soon. For the threat behind the scenes is growing and a man of his stature and skill will be needed in the coming fight against an enemy that quite frankly, has nothing to lose. But while we wait for that grand showdown to take place, we can bask in one engrossing story. One that once again addressed the long-term impact of the apocalypse on the human mind and more importantly, allowed for actor Reubén Blades to shine. For he was simply electric, and at times scary, as Daniel Salazar here, reminding us once again of what his acting skills bring to the table, and now that Daniel is off to heal, we are left waiting for Sunday’s next episode. To see what the scout team will learn about these mysterious individuals and their plans for a morbid future. Until next time.

​When you are going house hunting, it is always important to know what happened in the walls before the house becomes your home. I mean if there was a meth lab inside the house before you moved in, you might have junkies rolling up to your door on a daily basis. But if there was a murder inside the house, you might find yourself receiving all kinds of visitors, outside and inside, who are just trying to get a better look. Buying a house is a very big deal and for most of it, it is a lifetime of savings going into it, so you better be sure that if there are strings attached, they can only be pulled by you.
​
While working on a new story about mortgages, investigative reporter Julia is starting to see a pattern emerge when she uncovers the deaths of a few homeowners. Not getting cleared by her boss to continue with her telling of the story, she gets a phone call from a stranger where he admits to killing her sister and her family. Rushing to her sister’s home to see that everything that the man said was true, the murderer is taken into custody, but there does not seem to be a reason behind his crime. 

Laying her family to rest, Julia, and her cop boyfriend Declan return to the scene of the crime only to see that the murder room has been torn out of the house. Wanting to know who bought the house, Julia turns to her real estate source and is able to get the name of Revelation Holdings, who has been infamous for purchasing houses where tragedies have taken place. Being able to track down several of the houses they own, Julia finds that wherever a death has taken place, the offending crime scene is removed, just like in her sister’s house. Even though the current residents don’t seem to mind it, there are strange sounds coming from the areas, but there is nothing left inside the walls to cause them to happen.

Trying to explain to her boss what she has been working on for the past week, Julia receives a video tape from a town named New English that shows the murder of her sister’s family, but there is something very odd with the video, as the walls do not seem to be joined together as they should. Talking to the man that murdered her family, Julia gets confused by his riddles, but seeing that he is from New English as well, a pattern begins to form. With so many of the murder victims of the houses that had the murder rooms removed being from New English, as well as Julia, she believes it is time to stop by the town to see what the connection really is. Not being received nicely by the locals, Julia talks to an old woman, Allie, who is willing to tell her story, but that is when things start to take a turn for the worse.

I firmly believe that houses hold on to memories, be it good ones or bad ones. Seeing this being put into action on the screen is something that I never imagined I would see, and I kind of liked it. As an old preacher made promises to the town of New English, and was not able to deliver, he then turned away from God and gave into the easy way. I really liked the small town and the layouts of the murder rooms in the open and in the massive murder room house were pretty inventive. The only thing that bothered me were the outfits that Julia and Declan wore throughout the movie, as they seemed to be 50s costumes, not something from today, which is when I am led to believe the movie took place. With a little bit of blood, a missing murder room mystery, a small town that wants to be left alone, a freaky ghostly forest and a house full of murder memories, this movie comes together rather cleanly when all of the pieces of the puzzle are revealed. Stay Scared.