Why 'Fear the Walking Dead' Is More Chilling Than Its Predecessor

It might start out in a lab with infected animals or a sick passenger on an airplane. Flash forward to months later and we see evidence that civilization has collapsed and that the remaining survivors are trying to scrape together some semblance of a functioning society.

In “The Walking Dead”, the zombie apocalypse has been going on for awhile and we see what little remains of society. In “Fear the Walking Dead,” a spin-off, we witness and experience the very beginning of the collapse of civilization. Everyone holds on tightly to the mindset that the situation is only temporary. The series characterizes the general reaction from society—fear, denial, and finally acceptance.

At the start of Season 1, we’re introduced to the families of Madison (Kim Dickens) and Travis (Cliff Curtis). Nick (Frank Dillane), Madison’s son bears witness to the start of the zombie apocalypse. He wakes up in what appears to be an abandoned cathedral and finds a half-naked young woman feasting on flesh. Nick, who is also a drug addict, tries to warn people what he saw. Instead, he is dismissed as having experienced a drug-induced hallucination. It’s not a stretch to believe that if this occurred in real life, many would also dismiss this and go on about their lives.

As Season 1 progresses, we see each of the characters doing their best to hold it together in the face of impending chaos. It also becomes evident that some of the characters may not have the stomach to survive in this new cutthroat world, while others have a clear assessment of what needs to be done as survival will become harder down the road. Perhaps the most frightening thing that stuck out the most, was seeing the lights of Los Angeles slowly fade out one by one as our families escape into the unknown.

Where Season 1 is about coming to terms with the new reality, Season 2 explores the new but bleak world unfolding and the heart-wrenching decisions that the characters are forced to make. We see this in episode 2 “We all Fall Down”, when a mother begs for Madison and Travis to take her children with them in an effort to give them a chance to resume a somewhat normal childhood, despite the dangerous circumstances. Perhaps the most disturbing one of all is seen in “Do Not Disturb”, episode 10 in a flashback of a wedding reception at the hotel in Mexico, where some of our characters have found sanctuary. In the flashback, the father of the bride falls ill and bites her. The hotel’s event planner quickly and without a flinch, locks all the guests in the room. Her justification—she needed to contain the situation. Despite hearing cries from those remaining on the other side of the door, she still doesn’t budge.

We are now entering into a world where the old order no longer applies. Trusting people is a risk in itself—even a harmless act of helping out a stranger in need can either turn into a new alliance or prove deadly. Fear is about the sudden disruption of a highly connected and functioning society transitioning into something else.

It will be interesting to see the continuation of this new world in Season 3 and what challenges await our characters. Season 3 premieres on AMC, June 4.