With The Walking Dead concluding its final season in late 2022, Collider recently brought the news that its spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead, would also end in season 8. Premiering in 2015, the final season will begin on May 14, 2023, on AMC.
From the show’s early days led by Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) to the Morgan Jones(Lennie James) inspired reboot from Season 4 onwards, the show has had its ups and downs.
Season 7 (2021) — Unrated
Fear the Walking Dead sees Morgan tackle nuclear fallout: the season follows Morgan’s group, which is scattered around Texas. They face the consequences of Teddy’s (John Glover) actions. Morgan clashes with others over his philosophy.
This season has yet to have been given a proper rating, which means its placement in the broader context of the show is a little dodgy. However, the ratings gathered thus far have been far from favorable. Despite making her comeback, Madison’s (Kim Dickens) return came at a cost, with the quality of the writing suffering as a result. Furthermore, Alicia’s (Alycia Debnam-Carey)story ending didn’t make much sense, as it didn’t abide by the infection’s previous continuity.
Season 5 (2019) — 55%
Morgan and Alicia are at the forefront this season as they look for other survivors. They both seek to make up for the wrongdoings of their pasts.
This season was deemed as just above average by critics. The complaints for the first half were that the storyline progression was too slow, which lost many viewers as it went along. While it felt like a reset season for the show, it was sometimes a rough road. However, there were some positives, as it fulfilled the desire for splatter-filled zombie set pieces.
Season 2 (2016) — 70%
The second season continues to follow the Clark family as they escape from the land to sea on an eventual journey to reach Mexico.
A real positive for this season was the character arc of Travis (Cliff Curtis), while it was intriguing to see the extent of how far Madison would go to keep her family safe. The plot was well-developed, with great acting from the likes of Dickens, Curtis, and Frank Dillane. Many believe that it was an improvement over the debut season as it had the benefit of more episodes.
Season 1 (2015) — 76%
The opening season introduces the Clark family, with Madison, Travis, and Nick, among others, as they navigate the onset of the zombie apocalypse.
While this season seemed to recycle elements of The Walking Dead, it was a good starting point and was engrossing enough on its own merit. It was a realistic portrayal of how people would react in this situation, featuring a city in absolute peril. While Travis was sometimes infuriating with his decisions, the show made up for it with some tense scares and intense gore.
Season 4 (2018) — 84%
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This season shifts the story as it moves forward to run concurrently with The Walking Dead. Morgan joins the group amid conflict with the Vultures.
This season made for great television, with some spectacular set pieces and heartbreaking twists. It began to spice things up with the departures of two leads that many would have predicted to outlive the series. It began the transition for Lennie James to become the show’s main lead. However, some will feel that this is the point at which the show lost its DNA.
Season 3 (2017) — 84%
This season continues the blended family’s story as they expand with more members. It reaches the Mexico-USA border while finding refuge on the Otto family ranch.
While a fantastic season, critics said that its longwinded nature may have taken away the tension for some viewers, which had been a common issue for its sister show. With the shockingly unpredictable death of a main character early in the season, it warned viewers that no characters are safe. The Otto storyline made for fantastic viewing, allowing Dillane’s Nick to come into his own. The season also made way for the reintroduction of Dwight (Austin Amelio) to the franchise.
‘Season 6’ (2020) — 89%
Morgan has been left for dead by Virginia (Colby Minifie). His group has also been separated by Virginia across her many settlements.
It is a testament to the show that a season so late in its run can be at the top of the list, and for good reason. James’ performance was the real catalyst for its success, with his inclusion being the main selling point behind the season. It also took on a more Western feel and an anthology format to really shake things up. While many would consider the start of the season to be stronger than the ending, this was Fear the Walking Dead back in form.
