‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘Leave What You Don’t’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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I am a firm believer that a story should unfold, precisely as it has to. That means there should be no rushing to the finish line, finale wise, nor should there be any compromises in character growth. Everything should simply feel as organic as possible, and if it takes longer to get exactly where everything is supposed to go, then so be it. But while I’m fine with taking my time and diving into other elements along the way, I know that I am sometimes in the minority when it comes to that notion and for proof, look no further than all of social media when it comes to the current fan response in regard to season five of Fear the Walking Dead.
 
For there is a fair chunk of the fanbase that isn’t enjoying this season in the slightest. It’s being cited as too slow, too cozy and the list just goes on and on. And while that statement makes it seem as though I’m about to set up a grandiose rant about fanbases and their impatience and their demands, that’s simply not the case. Everyone is entitled to have their own reaction and response to a particular story, and I’m not here to scold or rant. Instead, what I am here to do today, is recap a story that quite frankly, worked to fix a lot of the complaints hanging over this season of the show. Because ‘Leave What You Don’t’ was a quality episode that took the time to answer a great many of our questions, and set up some phenomenal conflict, all while managing to stick to its message of unity and hope.
 
But before we get into the conflict and commentary present here, let’s take a moment to talk about some of the questions that were answered in this tale, such as the fact that this episode finally addressed what turned Logan into the bitter man we’ve come to know this summer. And as it turns out what motivated Logan to turn to the proverbial dark side, was a sense of a failure and a lack of hope and a firm belief that he couldn’t do anything good without the help of Clayton/Polar Bear. Because back in the day he joined the cause and left those boxes to help others along the side of the road. But on the day that Polar Bear was abandoned by Sarah and her brother Wendell, things changed for Logan, especially after he was unable to save a life in crisis. And seeing the dead feast upon an innocent soul was more than he could bear, and he quickly gave into a deal that he couldn’t resist.
 
Which brings us back to present day, wherein Logan and his cronies quickly overtook the oil fields and set to work on getting as much gas in the least amount of time possible and unfortunately his rushed operation ended up causing more harm than good. For the flames he and his team stoked, attracted the living dead, and it wasn’t long before they made their way to the camp in messy and violent fashion. And this part of the story caught my attention because it explored a fundamental notion when it comes to zombie themed stories in that, it is our inability to work together that often leads to disaster for humanity. Because every time we pull in different directions or debate endlessly in regard to a problem, that problem takes hold and that lack of unity from Logan’s camp and Sarah’s camp is what allowed for the dead to overrun the oil fields. 

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If anything, this entire segment made the episode shift to some supremely bleak places since we saw panic and fear on display once again as the dead roamed about and worked to feed, and that darkness was only further enhanced by a harrowing twist of fate. Because as this battle took place, Strand and Alicia worked to save a life in trouble, one that just so happened to be at the exact same place that broke Logan not that long ago. Which means that Logan was forced to face the past and make an important decision. Either try and help for a change, or continue down his dark path and sadly, Logan failed to rise to the occasion in this moment, thanks to his firm belief that hope is fleeting at the end of the world.
 
But thanks to Alicia and Strand’s efforts, and the good deeds that everyone has performed this season, miracles occurred. For the young lady in trouble was saved at the last possible second by Wes, who has found his way back from the darkness. Plus, Logan was introduced to some of the other people that the group has saved along the way and he was able to finally understand how trust and good deeds engender more of the same and that revelation opened his eyes and prompted him to return to the days of old, where he did so much more for others, and that’s when this episode took quite the surprising turn and revealed that there is a villain out there, that’s bigger than Logan. For in the blink of an eye, Logan’s life and the lives of his team came to a violent end when the young woman who offered him a deal at the start of this episode, returned to deliver the ultimate penalty for Logan’s inability to deliver on the gas.
 
Yet while it was sad to see Logan pass into the great beyond mere moments after he finally found redemption, there was little time to grieve for him. For Virginia and her massive group of cowboys and cowgirls were quick to assert themselves as quite the dangerous force, one that is happy to put down people who don’t adhere to their wishes and well, that put the group in quite the precarious situation. One that Luciana was able to diffuse by offering her services as a fuel master, but what we learned about this group during their brief appearance was fascinating to say the least. Because it turns out that these worshippers of the old west, are well organized and are also looking to rebuild civilization in a new image and well, it’s obvious that conflict is going to brew between these two groups, and it should be fascinating to see how Virginia and her friends respond to the challenge that Morgan and his group will provide her with down the line.
 
After all, Morgan and Dwight have both fought against a group with a similar mentality by way of the war with the Saviors, which means they know how to do some serious damage and won’t bend to her will in the slightest. But outside of that, what a hell of a twist to introduce, and it’s eerie to know they’ve been watching and listening all of this time and that there is more than one group trying to assert authority over the remnant of civilization. And just like that, mystery and intrigue and danger have arrived at the end of the season, and I am truly curious to learn more about this new group and why they believe that ruling with an iron fist is necessary and this really does give new life to season five. For it seems that the struggle between the old guard and the new guard is going to be a focal point in the weeks to come, and as I said earlier, I really do hope people climb on board with this new idea because the conflict that so many fans crave, has finally arrived. Until next time. 

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