Fear the Walking Dead season 6’s return has been a massive improvement for the AMC series. There was a great deal of criticism aimed at the show’s fourth and fifth seasons, but many of those complaints have gone away for season 6, particularly the episodes in its back half.
The spinoff series changed directions in season 4 by adding in The Walking Dead’s Morgan (Lennie James), totally rebuilding the cast, and moving on from fan favorites like Madison (Kim Dickens). While some liked the new tone, not all were pleased with the changes made to the show and the new stories that were being told. Numerous fans developed the opinion that Fear the Walking Dead had lost what made the show great in the first place. The problems that the show had in season 4 seemed to worsen in season 5, but things started to pick up when season 6 started, and the quality of the show as a whole has risen from there.
It’s worth recognizing that each of the four episodes in Fear the Walking Dead season 6’s second half have been top-notch. John Dorie’s suicide dilemma culminating in the character making a last-minute (but failed) attempt to live was a truly heartbreaking moment. That was followed by an exciting battle for the fate of Virginia (Colby Minifie), and an intriguing story for Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades), who has always been regarded as one of the spinoff’s best characters. The reveal that Daniel - one of the group’s most confident and capable members - is suffering mentally was arguably the season’s best twist. Then there was episode 11, which introduced Teddy, whose charismatic persona, twisted ideals, and performance from actor John Glover promise to make him one of the show’s best villains yet.
There’s a remarkable difference between the second half of Fear the Walking Dead season 6 and what came before it. Granted, season 5 did have some high points, but it was considered lackluster in comparison to the first three seasons. To many fans, most of the characters quickly adopting Morgan’s philosophy didn’t make for very interesting TV. As previously noted, season 6’s first half was a bit better, but still left room for improvement. Some of the stories felt too similar to plots in the main series, but it did fix some things. It gave the show a unique and nuanced villain in Virginia, and evolved Morgan in a way that felt necessary for his character. Plus, spreading out the cast proved to be a good move that allowed for more focus on individual characters.
Despite the fact that the group is now reunited, recent episodes of season 6 have still found a way to build off that approach and create first-rate entertainment. It’s John, June, Daniel, and Wes stories have been on-point with their character arcs, pacing, and more. What the show has done in recent weeks gives viewers plenty to look forward to as Fear the Walking Dead season 6 winds down.