The majority of the season 4 premiere of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead was spent on introducing the new players this season. We see Morgan’s (Lennie James) journey from The Walking Dead to Fear the Walking Dead, we meet John (Garret Dillahunt), and then we meet Althea (Maggie Grace). ‘What’s Your Story?’ was written by Scott M Gimple, Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, and directed by John Polson.
Meet John Dorie | The episode begins with Morgan and John meeting. Morgan has left Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) group and stumbles upon John, who offers him a safe place to sleep for the night. John seems very lonely, he says he hasn’t seen anyone in about a year. But Morgan slips out once John is fast asleep. Morgan comes across a empty tent with a light on and decides to go in, but it’s a trap and he’s knocked out. When he comes to he’s surrounded by guns and men going through his things. As Morgan is trying to explain that he doesn’t want any trouble, a gunshot rings out and knocks the gun out of the leader, Leland’s (Clint James), hand. John is here, and he’s going to protect his new friend. Too bad there’s a man standing behind him with a gun. Now he and Morgan are both trapped by Leland and his gang.
Althea to the Rescue | After hearing John’s shot ring out, Althea takes her heavily armed SWAT vehicle to investigate. She notices the newcomers and tries to trade some instant noodles and cigarettes for their freedom. Leland declines at first, but after Al reveals the vehicles automatic weapons ready to fire at him, he decided to make the trade. But Althea isn’t going to let John and Morgan go for free, they must pay her price.
[adinserter block=”1″]
Althea’s a journalist, and she’s documenting the stories of survivors of this disaster, and now she wants John and Morgan’s stories. John happily obliges, and rambles on about his lost love Laura, who carries a pistol identical to his. Morgan doesn’t want to tell his story and tries to just leave, but Leland and his crew have caught up to them. They want Al’s truck, and although Althea can’t get to it in time, she does chuck the keys far away so Leland has to look for them, where he inadvertently gets bit by a snake.
While the battle for the truck is going on, John opens a trailer door to shield himself from gunfire but lets loose the infected inside. Morgan and a gunman struggle on the roof of another building and end up falling through it, into the reach of the infected below. The gunman ends up becoming dinner while crafty Morgan finds a grenade that he sets off while hiding in a bathtub. The grenade allows him an easy escape from the house, and he meets back up with Al and John to take out Leland with the infected.
Once back on the road, the trio come across a sign painted with a 51 on it. Al explains lots of those have been popping up in the area. Morgan must feel bonded to these people now, because he opens up for Al, but only a little. Morgan really just wants to be alone, so he gets his things and sets off alone again. He comes across some infected that prove to be difficult for him to take out, luckily John is close by and saves his new buddy. Morgan finally gives in and decides to stay with John and Al.
As they are driving down the road they see someone in the middle of the road, and they look injured. They stop and tentatively approach, weapons at the ready, but when they get closer we see it’s Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey). When Al gets close enough, Alicia pulls out a knife and holds it to Al’s throat. Strand (Colman Domingo), Nick (Frank Dillane), and Luciana (Danay Garcia) appear from the brush, pointing guns at Morgan and John. What a hell of a way to meet!
Catch Fear the Walking Dead Sunday night at 9pm on AMC!