As we all know season 2 of Fear the Walking Dead is leaps and bounds better than season 1; however, that is not saying much. But, in all honesty, I have to say that I am at least half enjoying the season. It is still nowhere near its companion show but as this season is slowly coming to its mid-season finale, it is gaining some steam. Take my hand and we will step into my spoiler filled review of “Sicut Cervus”.
We start out in a Church somewhere in Mexico where the priest is giving a fire and brimstone sermon about the state the world is in. He rouses the congregation into a frenzy as they decide to take the fight to the walkers. As they get outside and begin to select their weapons the congregation including the priest and altar boys begin to bleed from their eyes and ears as they slowly die. Flash to the opening credits.
When we come back the crew is on the boat, Strand (Colman Domingo) and Luis (Arturo Del Puerto) signal the armed “gentlemen” to come to the Abigail and make the money exchange to allow the crew passage into Mexico. The deal goes sideways and shots are fired, Luis finding the business end of a bullet. Strand guns the engine and heads to harbor as Daniel (Reuben Blades) attends to Luis but is swayed from ending him by killing the brain.
As the gang is making their way to their destination they happen upon the Church from the beginning sequence. The zombified congregation, children and all attack our heroes. As they are fighting the walkers off, kids and all, Nick (Frank Dillane) struggled morally to kill one little girl walker, Santos you would have not thought twice about it and loved it. Meanwhile Madison (Kim Dickens) gets bum-rushed and as the zombie is on top of her Chris (Lorenzo Henrie) just looks on with Alicia (Alycia Debnam Carey) screaming for him to do something. Finally, one of the crew helps Madison and they take off for their destination.
The whole gang makes it to Thomas’ (Dougray Scott) estate which is beautiful. A lot of hired help is working all about the land. Everyone is greeted by two maids who ask everyone to surrender their weapons, everyone but Daniel easily relinquishes. Chris has some issues going on as he and Alicia have a conversation about what happened and he makes a veiled threat toward her.
Nick makes fast friends with Celia (Marlene Forte), Luis’s mom. She seems to be taking her son’s death in stride. Her only worry is to make sure his brain was not compromised because now she knows he will make his way back. Strand gets really bad news as he finds out Thomas was bitten and is slowly fading. There is a lot of tears and conversing and Strand makes a decision that he doesn’t want Thomas to go alone and will kill himself as well.
We get a scene where we hear familiar groaning and growling as a child drops a dog down a chute. Daniel makes his way over and hears the boy talking to someone within a closed door. Daniel convinces the boy to let him in and see plenty of walkers fenced in. Celia apparently thinks they are still “alive” and keeps them cautiously close.
Celia is on board with Strand ending himself so she prepares poisoned wafers for him to take. Ladies and gentlemen, that is what happened to the Church congregation from the beginning of the show. Celia did not want them to attack and end the walkers so she poisoned their wafers and made them walkers as well.
Alicia tells Madison about Chris’s threat so she confronts Travis (Cliff Curtis) about it who spinelessly sticks up for his punk-ass son. Madison decides to sleep with Alicia and Chris gets up and heads to the room where they are. As he stands by the night stand brandishing a knife Alicia wakes up as she hears a gunshot; she and Madison begin screaming at Chris who quickly slips out the patio door and we get a final scene of Strand with gun in hand, Thomas with hole in head and untouched wafers.
Things are escalating as we get the mid-season finale next week and I must say I am enjoying it. Bravo to the writers and directors for taking the mess that was season one and making season two into a watchable show.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 02 Episode 06 “Sicut Cervus” 
(3 / 5) on the Thug Meter
