these are the episodes that get to ya. watching dean (hardened shell 'don't need no one' dean) get all soft and attached to a kid really tugs at the heart strings, and it also makes dean a lot more likeable as a character. we get to see a completely different side to him, and we also learn a lot more about dean's past as he's able to relate to lucas.
there is also a little less conflict between sam and dean in this one. sam sort of takes the back seat (as this episode is kinda dean-centric) and even sam is able to see how dean connects to lucas. they're able to have a heart-to-heart (as distant as they still are) and i really enjoyed the softer tone that this episode gave with getting to know the characters.
another episode, another headache
the lack of communication between the characters in this series is starting to get annoying, but i do get that this is probably a very likely scenario if something like this actually were to happen.
the timeline is again split between madison's family and travis' family. it's hard to be a proper judge of the episode because it feels like this was one really long 'set-up scene' that was kinda boring but also necessary for future episodes. the series starting off before the beginning of the apocalypse undoubtedly is part of the reason why the episodes seem to be a little slow. we're either right in the middle of really drammatic conflict or it feels like nothing is happening at all. this kind of up and down makes it harder to stay engaged through the whole episode so i hope that in the future there are changes to the pace and writing to fix this issue.
also MAJOR WARNING FOR ANIMAL DEATH. i was not prepared for that and it was very graphic.
this is possibly my favorite episode of the entire series. there's something that's so great about this episode and i can't quite put my finger on why.
after the pilot, it's really refreshing to see sam and dean coming together to save the campers. more information is shared about john winchester's journal and the plot thickens on finding their dad, and whether he even wants to be found. in these details, we also start to feel more of the separation between sam and dean in how they respond to their father's 'instructions.' despite their differences, though, they make a really great team and both bring different things to the table.
it was also great to see a branch off from the typical 'ghosts' and 'zombies' in these types of horror shows and see different types of lore from different cultures. my aunt used to tell me stories about the wendigo growing up, so it was really cool to see it being adapted for tv like this.
iconic pilot episode. so many spn fandom reference from just 43 minutes.
as supernatural is one of my all-time favorite tv series, i've re-watched season one upwards of 6 times now (most before i joined trakt) and there's just so much about this episode that helps set the stage for the rest of the series and also characterization of sam and dean. sam is pulled back into the hunting life by his brother after yet another tragedy. the 'short-term' conflict (finding their father) is set and the 'long-term' conflict (figuring out who/what is responsibile for their mother's murder) is also set. there's immediate engagement from the audience in trying to pre-emptively answer these two questions.
it's clear the brothers have a lot of conflict even beyond what is going on with their father. dean has followed in his dad's footsteps and sam took his own path. a lot of this first episode seems to be them working through some of this conflict and learning to work together again. this is really important for the rest of the season (and the rest of the series.)
coming back and re-watching the earlier seasons is also a reminder that this is supposed to be a horror show. it doesn't really feel so much like horror later in the series but these earlier episodes definitely have an ominous mystery feeling to it that's reminiscent of ghost/exorcism movies like 'the conjuring.'
the apocalypse is escalating and we see a lot of conflict as society splits between those who know what is going on and are terrified and those who are in denial. the chaos opened a door for civil unrest as people start to turn against each other.
in this episode we meet travis' son chris and his ex, liza, but it still seems like nick is the best character of the show. even though he's going through a lot and still very clearly struggling i really hope he makes it through that and sticks around through the season. he instantly became one of the most relatable (and funny) characters of the series and i am not sure the show would be as enjoyable without him.
i'm not sure i like travis. i don't know what is is about him. i know he is trying to protect his family but he's very controlling and bossy and that doesn't lend him any points in likeability. it's interesting how much you can learn about a person when they're in a stressful, life-or-death scenario.
this has a very different vibe to 'the walking dead' but i think i like that. it's interesting to have the series starting off before the start of the plague/virus zombie apocalypse.
there are a lot of potential strong characters in this one. i can see the writers are trying to make madison (blonde teacher lady) seem relatable and likeable for being sympathetic towards her son and the other student at the school. i'm not sure about her yet.
i do really like nick. he has humor on his side and was instantly relatable and likeable. i followed alicia over from 'the 100' so i can't wait to see what she does in this new role and the character she builds here.
the show seems to (still) be getting a lot of criticism. i think people are coming over from season 5/6/7+ of 'the walking dead' and expecting 'fear' to measure up to characters we've had several years with in getting to know. there was no possible way that 'fear' could hope to replicate 'the walking dead' so they had no choice but to try something different.
it's a bit strange to be watching this six years later but i'm going back and re-watching some of my favorites and leaving commentary so i don't forget things later, and i'm excited to be finally sitting down to watch 'fear the walking dead.'
this show has a lot of potential.
This was a LONG overdue episode, and arguably the only good thing about this season. The longer the series goes on the more I am disengaging from the characters themselves. We've essentially ended up with a zombie show that isn't actually about zombies. If we're not getting the 'high stakes' zombie encounters though, we need something else to make the show engaging, and Negan's villain origin story is the perfect way to do that. I'm just upset it took them until episode 22 of this season to do it.
