After a long wait, the pilot episode of The Walking Dead companion series, Fear The Walking Dead, aired on AMC.
First of all, before I go into the characters and plot of the pilot episode- I do want to say that Fear The Walking Dead is both different and similar to the main series. The location, characters and timing (the show being set at the very beginning of the apocalypse) are the obvious differences but it still feels very much like part of The Walking Dead universe. This is done (in my opinion) by Fear being very similar to the main series in that it focuses on dialogue and is character driven, without being a casual action-packed zombie flick.
I found the characters of Fear The Walking Dead (that we’ve been introduced to so far) to be very interesting and believable. Drug addict Nick Clark is by far my favourite character so far played superbly by Frank Dillane (who also appeared in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). I think it was a great idea that a drug addict would be the first character to see a Walker (his friend Gloria). Travis Manawa, played by Cliff Curtis, also stood out to me and it’s interesting to see him trying to play a role in the Clark family (we only get one or two scenes with the other Manawa family members Liza Ortiz and Christopher though). Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) and Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam Carey) do a good job in the other lead roles but didn’t stand out as much to me.
As for the supporting cast, Tobias (Lincoln A. Castellanos), Art Costa (Scott Lawrence), Matt Sale (Maestro Harrell) and Calvin (Keith Powers) all contributed well in their supporting roles and made me want to see more of them (except Calvin, of course, as he dies in the pilot).
If I did have one complaint about the pilot (though taking into consideration it’s the start of a pilot episode so it makes sense why this complaint happens) is certain locations appearing frequently throughout the episode, examples including the church and hospital. It’s a small complaint but I felt like we could have seen a little less of both locations as it sometimes felt like we kept coming back to both.
Here’s something that I have to admit surprised me. In the main series there are certain elements regarding Walkers that aren’t really revealed right away (or were in the main series but I was expecting them to be more dragged out in this series). Two elements that come to mind are regardless of how you get killed you become a Walker and headshots. I’ll talk about both in a bit more detail:
- In the main series it’s not until the Season 2 finale episode “Beside the Dying Fire” that it’s revealed that everyone is infected and will become a Walker regardless of how they die (until then the characters assumed they had to be bitten to turn). Even though no characters actually state it in the episode (as the scene related to it is near the end of the episode) Nick kills Calvin by shooting him in the heartand Calvin turns into a Walker. Considering how long it took until the main series came out and revealed this I was surprised how Fear (essentially) covered it very early on its series. I’m guessing they didn’t want to drag that reveal out again.
- Again something that wasn’t necessarily stated, but when Alycia and her friends are watching the footage video in school one of her friends says “Headshot!” like a video-gamer would when the Walker is shot in the head). The main series covered headshots pretty quickly too and I feel likethe scene is foreshadowing future events. My guess is it’s Alicia who will think back on it and point out to the others that they need to aim for the heads.
On the topic of Walkers, seeing fresh Walkers again was very interesting seeing as most Walkers in the main series now are very decayed (even recently turned Walkers don’t have quite as fresh a look anymore).
As far as deaths that take place in the pilot, there aren’t very many if you think about it. Gloria dies off-screen and is introduced as a Walker, an Old Man dies and two junkies are found dead. The only significant death is Calvin. I felt the scenes with Calvin and Nick were really well done and I think the build up to Calvin’s death was great (it made sense that Calvin would attempt to kill Nick to stop anyone finding out about his drug operations). I thought that death scene was really well done and props to both actors for a well done fight scene.
In my opinion this was a solid start to Fear The Walking Dead. If you’re worried that the show will feel too much like a “spin-off series”, I don’t think you’ll have anything to fear as the show is different enough with the similarities mostly being in that Fear is dialogue and character driven just like the main series. There isn’t a lot of action in the pilot but honestly I wasn’t expecting much (if I’m being honest I expected the first 30 minutes to only show human characters and the rest might include running into a couple of Walkers) so I was surprised when we got our first Walker (Gloria) within three minutes. I think it was great they spent so much time building up the characters in the pilot and this will give them more time to explore other things as the show moves on.
For what it’s worth, here is something else I have to say- If you’re going to compare this pilot to the first episode of The Walking Dead, “Days Gone Bye”, you’re definitely not going to enjoy the Fear The Walking Dead pilot as much as you could otherwise. Fear starts right at the beginning of the apocalypse and in the main series the apocalypse has already been happening for a few months. This means the main series could get right into the bones of the apocalypse while Fear has to build it up.
My rating: 8/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
SPOILER ALERT!
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Details for the Political state of the Galaxy before, during and after Star Wars Episode VII: The force Awakens have rumoured to be available.
- They state that, after Return of the Jedi and before the events of The Force Awakens, Supreme Leader Snoke began corrupting the Republic senate set up after the events of Star Wars VI.
- Remembering the opulence of the Imperial Senate before Palpatine’s betrayal, Snoke’s allure is attractive for the greedy politicians.
- The Republic and the First Order signed Treaties stopping any attacks unless the First Order stayed in the Outer Rim, beyond Republic territories.
- General Organa started a secret Resistance to thwart any suspected First Order advancements while the Republic rebuilt itself. The corrupt and old Imperial Senators (now Republic senators) want the First Order to prevail so they can restore the Imperial Senate they once prospered in.
- The treaty is broken after the events of The Force Awakens, the First Order is known to be a threat because of the use of the Starkiller.
- The Republic is ripped apart as Senators side with Snoke and others side with democracy.
- The Galactic Civil War returns and the Galaxy can no longer claim it solved the crisis after Palpatine’s death.
Keep in mind that these are only rumours, and have not been confirmed by Lucasfilm or Disney.
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By Máirín Byrne
Buzzfeed revealed earlier this week that Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scooby-Doo) will be playing the female Inquisitor in the next season of Star Wars: Rebels, called Seventh Sister.
Gellar will be on the Rebels panel at New York Comic Con on October 8th speaking about her involvement in the series.
The second season of Star Wars: Rebels begins airing on October 14th.
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By Máirín Byrne
A comedy series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Damage Control, is currently under development at ABC, according to Variety .
The series follows a cleaning crew that specialises in the aftermath of super hero conflicts, returning lost ray guns to their rightful owners and helping bring a city back to normal after the antics of our favourite Marvel Heroes.
Modern Family’s Ben Karlin developed the series now in consideration, and will executive produce alongside Marvel TV’s Jeph Leob.
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By Máirín Byrne
Variety recently reported that up-and-coming actors are testing for lead roles in the new Power Rangers movie, set for release in 2017.
The characters tested were; Jason (Red), Zack (Black), and Kimberly (Pink)
Actors Austin Butler (The Shannara Chronicles), Mitchell Hope (Disney’s The Descendants) and KJ Apa (Shortland Street) are testing for the role of the Red Power Ranger, while actors Daniel Zovatto (It Follows), Brian ‘Sene’ Marc (Major Crimes) and Ross Butler (Chasing Life) are testing for the role of the Black Ranger.
Actresses Naomi Scott (The Martian) and Stefanie Scott (Disney Channel’s A.N.T) are testing for the role of The Pink Ranger.
Variety also reported that the casting team are also looking for a big name actor to play the antagonist of the film, although no offers have been given out yet.
The film will be directed the Project Almanac’s Dean Israelite, with a screenplay written by Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller, known for X-Men: First Class and Fringe.
Power Rangers will begin shooting in the New Year, with a release date set for January 2017
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By Máirín Byrne
The New Zealand director of What We Do in the Shadows, Taika Waititi, is reportedly in negotiations to direct the third instalment of Marvel’s Thor movies.
Waititi reportedly beat out Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad) as the director for the next Thor film, written by Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle.
Thor: Ragnarok, is set for release in November 2017.
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By Máirín Byrne
The director of episodes 1 and 2 of Marvel’s Jessica Jones has been revealed to be S.J. Clarkson (Orange is the New Black, Hunted, Vinyl) by Marvel and Netflix. Clarkson has also taken on the role of the season premiere’s executive producer.
The series will follow Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), a woman trying to rebuild her life after a tragic short spell as a super hero. As she attempts to build her career as a private detective in Hell’s Kitchen, she find herself dealing with her own twin demons of self-loathing and PTSD, as well as those she tries to fight in her professional life.
Marvel’s Jessica Jones premieres on November 20th on Netflix.
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By Máirín Byrne
Recently, a shortlist was released including three actresses who were being considered for a lead role in Star Wars Episode VIII. That list included Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel). While no indication has been made on which of the three is most likely to land the role, a new rumour suggests a fourth name has entered the shortlist.
The rumour says that Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Beyond the Lights, Belle, Jupiter Ascending) is now being considered as well, but also indicated that the shortlist is for two roles.
The rumour which mentioned the other three stated that they may be screen tested with John Boyega (who plays Finn in this years’ Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Thoughts on this rumour? Would you like to see Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Star Wars Episode VIII
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By Ruari Williamson
The second season of Star Wars: Rebels begins airing in a couple of weeks, and as we head into the shows second season synopsis’s for two upcoming episodes have been revealed.
If you’re looking to avoid details on upcoming Star Wars: Rebels episodes, this is your SPOILER alert warning.
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The episode titles and synopsis’s are below:
The Brotherhood (Brothers of the Broken Horn)
“To escape the pressures of responsibility as a rebel and Jedi, Ezra goes with Chopper on a rescue mission, after having received a distress signal. Surprised, he notes that the ship belongs to Hondo Ohnaka. This suggests Ezra, to join him.”
A Master of his Art (Wings of the Master)
“Since the rebels need a new ship to arrive at an Imperial blockade, Hera embarks on a dangerous mission to meet an eccentric marine engineer, and win its trust. But will that be enough to get her a ship?”
These episodes will likely follow previously confirmed episodes “Relics of the Old republic” and “Always Two There Are”
Thoughts on the synopsis’s? Are you looking forward to both of these episodes from Star Wars: Rebels?
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By Ruari Williamson
Director and co-writer of the upcoming New Mutants film, Josh Boone, has announced via Twitter that the first draft of the films script is complete.
Very few details have been released on the film, aside from its director (Josh Boone), producer (Simon Kinberg) and co-writers (Josh Boone and Knate Lee). No details on the plot or characters have been released, but the crew have stated that numerous story arcs from the comic books have been researched to help plan for the film.
The New Mutants film is still some way off from being released, with Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse, Gambit and Wolverine 3 all set to be released beforehand.
Thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to the New Mutants film?
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By Ruari Williamson
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