The Dog

Episode Three of Fear The Walking Dead starts with our extended family split into two locations, but each facing a different threat. At the barbers, Travis and his family are holed up inside the Salazar barber shop, whilst the random violence of the riots take hold outside the shutters. Meanwhile, in the suburbs Madison and her kids await Travis' return and come under assault from the neighbour, who turned into a walker in the last episode.

Another pretty good episode. The gore factor, that some had complained about in previous episodes, takes a big step up as we see the effects of a rifle blast to the face. The scale of the disaster also increases as we see the effects of an overrun hospital and the blackouts across the whole of Los Angeles. It's a lot of fun to see those scenes of what we missed with the way "The Walking Dead" started. It also increases the human intrigue, as various characters are at different points of understanding what is going on, and only Daniel Salazar seems to really appreciate that there is no cure and that help is unlikely - and people are going to have to going to have to start to look out for themselves pretty soon, or be "the first to die". The ending to the episode is not something you see coming and though we know it's going to be a false dawn, it does also give us another angle on the pandemic that we have only heard about in the shows big brother.

It had some odd moments, I didn't buy the angles or the distance, with the scenes crossing into the neighbour's yard and then looking back at their house to see the walker entering and I'm not really sure why the neighbour has built what is essentially a maze in the back of their garden, but it certainly was useful for the tension on a couple of occasions.

A solid continuation to what has been a decent first half of the series.

Travis, Liza and Chris stay in Salazar's barber shop with his family waiting for the right moment to run to the truck. When the looters try to break in the shop, they flee with Daniel Salazer, his wife Griselda and their daughter Ofelia. However a scaffolding collapses on the leg of Griselda. They try to take her to a hospital, but the place is chaotic with infected people under siege of the police. They decide to bring the Salazar family to Madison's house. Meanwhile Madison, Alicia and Nick plays Monopoly waiting for Travis. Soon they see their neighbor Peter Dawson wandering in the direction of their house and Nick decides to go to the next door house to take the shotgun that belongs to their neighbors Patrick and Susan Tran. They see Peter entering in their house and killing the dog that Nick had brought home. Then they see Travis arriving in his truck and they run to warn him. Will they arrive in time?

"The Dog" is so far the best episode of "Fear the Walking Dead". The moments that Travis spends acknowledging the chaos that Los Angeles has become while driving home is scary. But the tense situation of Madison and her children are excellent. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "The Dog"

Loved the homage to John Carpenter's 'Halloween!(the masks on the rioters and, of course, the killing and eating of the German Shepard).

This episode was interesting and tense from the beginning to the end. The chaos of the urban riots, the creepiness of the frequent power outages, and the maze in the backyard of a neighbor inhabited by a zombie woman were just amazing sequences.

And now the true natures of some of the main characters are starting to emerge (the pacifist teacher, his disgruntled son, his rational wife, her junkie son, her cynical daughter, the Salvadorian refugee father) as the apocalypse approaches.

The surprising twist of the US military showing up at the end only added icing on the cake for a great episode!

Keep it up AMC!

In the Salazar's barber shop, Travis, Liza and Chris are waiting for the riot outside to disperse; yet are forced to leave when a fire break outs. Both families make their way through the streets but Griselda's leg is heavily injured in the process. Unable to go to the hospital, they head back to Madison's house where they discover an infected neighbor named Peter whom is killed by Daniel.

Still in shock over what happened last night, Travis and Madison bury Peter's body while the Salazar's attempt to find their own route to escape despite Griselda's injury. Daniel sees Travis and Madison as good people, yet believes they are always the first to die. Later, the National Guard arrives in the suburb and they begin sweeping the houses for infected and kill them on site. Travis believes things will now get better while Daniel shares an opposite opinion.

In the third episode of "Fear the Walking Dead," titled "The Dog," the escalation of the outbreak and its consequent chaos take a more personal turn for the Clark and Manawa families, further deepening the exploration of survival and humanity. As society's veneer begins to crack, the families find themselves facing not just the external threat of the infected but the internal challenge of holding onto their moral compass.

The episode masterfully combines elements of suspense and horror, particularly highlighted during the tense scene where Travis, Madison, and their children are forced to deal with their neighbor turned zombie. This confrontation is not just a physical struggle but a psychological one, marking a significant moment where the characters have to confront the new reality. The use of the family dog, tragically drawn to danger, serves as a poignant metaphor for the characters' own unwitting attraction to the chaos that will ultimately consume them.

"The Dog" also excels in showcasing the breakdown of societal structures through its detailed depiction of Los Angeles in disarray. The power outage serves as a literal and metaphorical darkness descending upon the city, underscoring the fragility of civilization. This episode raises critical questions about what it means to be human in the face of unimaginable horror, and whether retaining one's humanity is a strength or a vulnerability. The characters' varied reactions to the crisis offer a rich tapestry of human emotion and survival instincts, setting the stage for the moral dilemmas to come.

Travis, Liza, and Chris have taken refuge from the impending L. A. riot by hiding out in a barber shop, operated by Daniel Salazar, who also lives in the building with his wife, Griselda, and their adult daughter, Ofelia. From a small vantage point, they can see the violence beginning on the street outside. Rioters looting, police forming barricades, hoods overturning cop cars,, and odd-looking people attacking others,, biting at them.

Madison and Alicia, at their home, are tending to Nick, who is in withdrawal. Outside the home, they can see neighbors being attacked by other neighbors, growling and biting at them.

As the three hold up in their home waiting for Travis to return, suddenly the lights go out across most of L. A.