Fear the Walking Dead, the first spin-off series within The Walking Dead universe, has done a pretty good job at fleshing out the dystopian story of the zombie apocalypse in a unique way. The series had to take a departure from the Robert Kirkman comics on which the original is based to create its own characters and storylines in a different setting.
Now with six seasons under its belt, the show has had many twists and turns, main character deaths, villains, and a total shake-up in its cast. Indeed, only Alicia, Victor, and Daniel remain from the original character list. Meanwhile, there aren't just new characters altogether, but also crossovers from the original series, like Dwight and, of course, Morgan.
Has the show been on the rise in popularity since its inception, or on the decline? Whatever the outcome, Fear the Walking Dead has already been renewed for a season 7, so there's lots more story to tell.
Season 5: End Of The Line – 6.0
Earning the distinction of the lowest-ranked season finale of the show overall according to IMDb, it's surprising, since it was one of those finales fans talked about. In the end, Morgan was shot and on the porch of the church, seemingly left for dead by Virginia. Whether it was the way things ended or other events of the episode itself that didn't sit well with viewers, including the corny wedding between John and June and the overarching theme of defeat, this episode barely cracked a 6.0 rating.
The ending, which also ranked among the lowest for the entire fifth season, was yet another cliff-hanger. Fans might have grown tired of the suspense, along with Morgan's endless ramblings. This time, on the brink of death, he urged everyone listening over his radio to simply "live." By this time, fans had seen Morgan's death teased time and time again and were pretty confident that he would pull a Glenn-underneath-the-dumpster move and manage to survive for season 6, which made the final moment less intense as it might otherwise have been.
Season 4: …I Lose Myself – 6.4
It doesn't bode well for the series that its most recent previous two seasons (before season 6) ranked lowest in ratings for their finales. In this one, Morgan once again played his martyr game and promised to dedicate his life to helping others, no matter the cost, continuing to leave his boxes of "take what you need" goodies for others to find and spreading the word about his efforts. The episode ended with Morgan and the group outside Clayton's factory, ready to start anew.
This is also the episode that had fans puzzled when several people suffered from anti-freeze poisoning that they survived via the antidote, ethanol, which they unrealistically managed to chug enough of from beer. It's also the episode that featured the take-down of that season's villain, Martha, whose story was not quite as compelling as the many other villains featured on the story before and since. This episode was not only the second-lowest ranked season finale of all seasons to date, it was also the lowest-ranked episode of that entire season as well.
Season 2: North – 7.9
There's a marked increase in the rating for the second season finale compared to seasons 4 and 5. This season goes back to the original characters, including Madison, Travis, Nick, and Ofelia. The episode ended with the capture of Nick and Luciana at the border crossing as they tried to leave Mexico, while Alicia and Madison were desperate to find them.
Much of this episode took place in La Colonia and marked the first time the group found a real thriving community in all of the madness. It's the episode in the aftermath of Travis losing his cool and killing Brandon and Derrick. There was a lot going on, from Nick's affection for and budding romance with Luciana, to Alejandro, the community's leader, getting bit and begging Luciana not to tell others so they wouldn't lose their faith.
Season 3: Sleigh Ride – 8.3
This was the first time that Madison's potential death was teased, but of course, that didn't come until later. However, in this episode, fans were left to think for a moment that she might die. Instead, after plunging into the water as the dam imploded, Madison is seen reaching the surface where she managed to swim to shore and safety. It signified a new beginning to come in the following season.
The episode featured a number of fantasy sequences as Madison dreamt about death and loss. There was also a lot of Victor in this episode, as he showed his true abilities to con and manipulate others and left fans guessing as to where his loyalties actually lied, if with anyone but himself. In an incredible move, this episode also saw Nick willing to sacrifice himself by detonating explosives so his mother, sister, and Victor could escape, and Daniel demonstrating what he was really made of.
Season 6: The Beginning – 8.3
It's a good sign that the latest season finale ranks second highest among all six, showing that fans are pleased with the direction the series is going and excited for what's to come next. Indeed, the final episode presented some serious challenges that haven't been explored in any Walking Dead show to date, on top of the already difficult situation. With a missile set off, separating into 10 different warheads that have caused and will cause major destruction throughout the state, the survivors had to run for cover if they were to survive. But even if they did, they would be faced with even more destruction of shelters, sources of water and food, medical resources, and more. Meanwhile, there would also be harmful radiation in the air, making the conditions virtually unliveable.
The episode was presented in an interesting manner, showing the perspective of each of the members of groups, alone, in pairs, or in large groups, as they listened to Morgan's voice over the radio. He basically admitted that he failed and this could be the end, so urged everyone to go out the way they truly want. While Dwight and Sherry found a cute little house in hopes of enjoying one last beer and some pretzels together, Morgan and Grace considered ending it altogether, until they were met with a reanimated Rachel and her surviving baby, a moment that brought an entirely new perspective to the situation.
Season 1: The Good Man – 8.4
The first season came to a really slow start, as it began the story when the apocalypse was just beginning and no one truly understood what was going on, nor the magnitude of the situation and what was to come. It was also a very short season of just six episodes.
This, the sixth episode, is where the lengths people will go in this world were truly revealed. When Liza revealed that she was bitten and the antibiotics wouldn't work to heal a bite wound, Travis picked up a gun and shot her so that Madison didn't have to do it, but then fell to his knees weeping. It marked the downfall of Chris, and demonstrated how, while Travis was initially portrayed as the strong one, it had clearly been Madison all along. It's no surprise she later became the leader of the group.