The Best of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ – Season 5

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Episode 510: ‘210 Words Per Minute’
Original Air Date: August 18, 2019

‘Morgan! What are you smiling about?’
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- Daniel Salazar

Austin Amelio, Lennie James, and Karen David as Dwight, Morgan Jones, and Grace in Episode 510 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ – ‘210 Words Per Minute’. (Photo Courtesy of Van Redin/AMC.)

Often times when we discuss the bold decisions that the AMC series, Fear the Walking Dead, has made over the course of its glorious eight-year run, we talk about some dark stuff for certain. Simply because this series has no qualms about letting loose and doing something dark and powerful for the sake of incredible storytelling, and those moments are worth revisiting. Since so many shows on the air, even horror ones, refuse to go to the places that this particular show has gone throughout the years. But what we often forget, because of those moments, is that this series has also harbored great beauty at times. Along with concepts that are hopeful and joyous in nature, and that too, is bold stuff that is outright worth discussing.
 
Because finding hope in the world of The Walking Dead is no easy task, but this series made a point to inject it into the fabric of its stories, and in the fifth season, it was featured often. After all, helping people, building community, and doing everything possible to rebuild the world that was lost, was a big focus of the show at that time, and in many ways… going forward and well… that led to some amazing episodes. The kind that made us feel as though perhaps there would be a happy ending for these characters, and they would eventually find a home… and find peace. And while we still don’t know if that will be the case for certain, that hope we have runs strong and one particular episode from season five, truly sent our spirits soaring, courtesy of a mercy mission.
 
For ‘210 Words Per Minute’ brought some of the group to a remote mall where a man named Chuck begged to be put down, so as to not return as a walker and well… the quest to find Chuck led to some amazing moments. The kind that saw Grace and Morgan lay down their foundation for love to come and actually take time to do something we don’t see often in this Universe, just enjoy life. Because they had a little downtime in the mall and had fun and found joy and that… is something that gives us hope. For it is the little things in life that truly bring us happiness and peace, and when we take part in just recognizing them, we really do believe we can achieve anything. Because such an act just helps us to remember we are part of something special, and well, that really was quite refreshing to see here.

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Lennie James and Karen David as Morgan Jones, and Grace in Episode 510 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ – ‘210 Words Per Minute’. (Photo Courtesy of Van Redin/AMC.)

But what truly made this little courtship so powerful, is that it meant that despite their hardships, despite the horrors they’d seen and the ones that awaited outside, there was still beauty in this world. Still that which made us fight for community in the first place. And while this episode did have some downs to go with those ups, it was just wonderful to see that take place and it gave us something to root for. For now, we wanted desperately to see them all find community and happiness and push toward a better tomorrow, so they could enjoy more of those little moment and find peace. Which made this episode, critical to what was to come, and a story that really did celebrate what makes humanity so wondrous. 
 
However, this is an episode that also offered more than just moments of respite and beauty, it was also… a giant homage to the work of George A. Romero. After all, this is a story that took place in a mall, and while that is normally no big deal, a story influenced by Romero’s work, paying tribute to the setting of Dawn of the Dead is a big deal. And while it may not have replayed scenes from the original movie, just having zombies moving about in the mall, with neon and fluorescent lights glaring, alongside having Morgan and Grace enjoy the merry-go-round… really did pay tribute to that classic horror feature. And while Greg Nicotero often paid tribute to the zombies of the Romero Dead Universe, this was the first time TWDU offered up a proper nod to the setting of a true zombie classic. 
 
If anything, that homage, and the wonderous humanity and hope on display in this tale, make this the best that season five had to offer. In our opinion of course. But season five really was thematically about what brings hope to people, how we commit to it and how we find it ourselves, and this was a story that truly broke that down in the simplest and most beautiful manner possible. By just letting us know that now and again, we need to stop and appreciate the journey and the life we’ve been given. For that does indeed make one grateful and hopeful and ready to conquer the world, and this really is still a beautiful little episode that holds up well, and it is absolutely worth celebrating. Especially when one considers the difficult days that lie ahead for this group in their fight to build an oasis in the world of the dead.

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