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Fear the Walking Dead S08E01 Review: Time Jump Great Season Jump-Start

AMC's Fear the Walking Dead kicks off its final season with an opener that we hope is a sign of things to come because it was a great start.

In the interest of full disclosure, when it comes to AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, I've always been a big supporter of showrunners Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss when it comes to how they've been steering the spinoff's universe. I think they've made some bold decisions and had hits with the vast majority of them. Hell, they pulled off a season-long nuclear bomb storyline to get us to where we're at with the final season – and that had me worried all season long. That said? I haven't always been the biggest fan of the individual episodes that they've written – which is why I was concerned heading into the Michael E. Satrazemis-directed S08E01 "Remember What They Took from You." I have never been prouder to be painfully wrong, because the season-opener to the show's final run hits you with epic twists & turns, heart-crushing performances, and what might be one of the best uses of a time jump that we're seen in some time. As you know, we offer our live thoughts on the episode as part of our "running review" format, so we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down a spoiler buffer image as we take a deep dive into the long-running series' final season opener (let that one sink in…).

Fear the Walking Dead S08E01 Thoughts & Theories

As we expected, the episode picks up directly from the seventh-season finale, so no time jump yet. Damn, did this scene give me hope – even knowing full well where it was going to go…

PADRE taking a page from the fascist playbook by separating the kids from their parents – and the thought of "child collectors" is disgusting on so many levels, no matter how PADRE tries to rationalize its actions. They're just another "greater good" nightmare waiting to happen – and I'm still curious how they could be off of CRM's radar.

Before the commercial break, Morgan (Lennie James) & Madison (Kim Dickens) get the drop on PADRE, with Madison holding cover as Morgan leaves to grab Mo and escape. After the break, the focus shifts to Zoey Merchant's Wren – and I think it's safe to say that things did not go well during a really long commercial break in the show's universe.

Well, looks like someone's handy with a battle staff… hmmm…

Wren suffers from some serious PTSD (we have a feeling that it's going to be understandable) during the walker-killing training that almost gets her killed. Thankfully, Jayla Walton's Dove makes the save – and makes Wren pay if she wants more training, questioning if Wren's not too young for all of this.

Good news? PADRE seems to have a pretty sweet spread going. Bad news? PADRE is way too into the whole cult mentality.

Holy shit! That Madison pop-up hand moment got a jump out of me. I'm so ashamed…

Maya Eshet's Shrike has a series presence on the screen, even when not the focus of the action. An early mix of ominous with relatability. Very much looking forward to seeing where things go in that area.

Madison bit but still alive – and kept the arm? Am I seeing that right? And with that sample being taken, could PADRE actually be making some breakthroughs on the walker front?

Okay… wow! That scene when Madison grabs the guard's gun and immediately attempts to kill herself? First, impactful and in-your-face to the point where I hope there's some messaging before and after the episode. Also, Dickens f***ing nailed Madison's desperation in those moments – and Eshet had the perfect ironically cruel response.

So Dove tells Wren that Morgan & Mo made it off the island, and that's the reason why Madison has been locked up. Definitely, the PADRE public relations answer, but does Dove know it's a lie, or are they ignorant of the truth, too?

It almost sounds like Dove admires Madison, and the stories about her almost bringing down PADRE – with that sledgehammer part a particularly nice touch.

Wren's got skills – now Dove wants her to show them when it counts.

So Wren wants Madison to train her on how to kill "carrion" with the art of the sledgehammer – though it's interesting the way Wren reacts when Madison asks her if she wants to learn to finish the job of bringing down PADRE. In return? Madison wants Wren to essentially kill her.

Let me just say that if this scene between Dickens and Merchant is a sign of things to come, we could be looking at a season that blows apart my expectations because this is some powerful stuff.

Not a good move, Wren – and again, Dickens doing another excellent job of shocking us with Madison's desperate need to die.

Oh shit! That scar? Wren's age? Yup, we're about to get that big reveal about the time jump (looking like 7-8 years) and that Morgan & Mo didn't quite escape after all…

Okay, a big question. Did PADRE capture Morgan & Mo and bring them back… or was Morgan forced to return for some reason?

And then, that reminder that Madison is living on borrowed time…

In Wren's defense? PADRE is all she's known, and she has no reason to view Madison as anything other than a "deadly crazy lady" at this point, so I can understand the swerve.

Well… that was a quick family reunion! That look on Morgan's face – even as Wren pushes back on being called her real name. And props to James for the way he flipped from loving dad to dude who put a stick to Madison's throat. Morgan's animosity towards Madison – something we don't know about or not trusting her because he hasn't seen her in so long, so he's not taking any chances?

Holy shit! Well, that's a nice twist in the midst of what was otherwise a touching reunion. Morgan (Nightingale) has been working for PADRE – explaining to Madison that he finally gave in and took her advice. He wanted the best for Mo, and he decided that PADRE was the best option. It's an excellent flip-flopping of philosophies that James and Dickens present in a way that helps their respective changes in perspectives make sense.

It's tough to drink PADRE's Kool-Aid when they're asking you to kill someone you know & respect – and in front of the daughter you just reunited with, too. The silences in these moments are crushingly effective.

Okay, I definitely did not have Madison taking Morgan & Mo hostage as a way of keeping all of them alive on my list of things that I was expecting to go down. And I'm all in on how everyone is making strong points for the decisions that they've made, even as Madison quietly attempts to build a personal bond between Morgan and Mo.

Wow, I never thought I would want to slap some sense into Morgan Jones  -and that's only because James is such an excellent actor that he continues to find new facets of the character to portray.

"Did something happen to me here?" – Wren to Morgan & Madison in a moment that hit hard because Merchant has some seriously expressive eyes. WTF, Morgan?!? "The less you know, the better"?

Okay – those weren't bite marks. Just the signs of just how long that PADRE was taking samples from here – and not always willingly.

Okay, we're taking Victor Strand being name-dropped like that to be a sign that he's going to make a return in every big way – but on whose side? Would be weird to see Strand vs. Morgan II – but we're rooting for Strand this time.

Sorry, Morgan. You're a bad liar who's not going to be able to keep the truth from Mo for much longer. Again, the combo of Mo's growing frustration with not getting answers with Morgan's growing frustration over Mo not letting things go created an effective level of tension (with Madison's coughs adding to it).

Okay, not gonna lie. Was convinced that we were going to get a second shitty death of Madison – but it's Karen David's Grace with the save. And now, Mo's family reunion continues to grow. Wow… it really does seem like Madison is the only one who didn't buy into PADRE after Mogan entered the scene. Really feeling bad for Madison right now…

Mo has finally seen the light… only for Morgan and Grace to sell her out?!?!? Ouch… I smell a rough Thanksgiving dinner happening this year. So much heartbreak in that shared moment between Morgan and Grace, as each looks to the other for reassurances that neither can offer.

But even in the midst of all of that… a glimmer of hope & rebellion shines.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 1 "Remember What They Took from You"

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Review by Ray Flook

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9/10

In the interest of full disclosure, when it comes to AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, I've always been a big supporter of showrunners Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss when it comes to how they've been steering the spinoff's universe. I think they've made some bold decisions and had hits with the vast majority of them. Hell, they pulled off a season-long nuclear bomb storyline to get us to where we're at with the final season - and that had me worried all season long. That said? I haven't always been the biggest fan of the individual episodes that they've written - which is why I was concerned heading into the Michael E. Satrazemis-directed S08E01 "Remember What They Took from You." I have never been prouder to be painfully wrong, because the season-opener to the show's final run hits you with epic twists & turns, heart-crushing performances, and what might be one of the best uses of a time jump that we're seen in some time.

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