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"Fear the Walking Dead" Season 5 "Channel 5": This Week's "TWD"/Rick Grimes Connections [SPOILERS]

If you're a fan of the Walking Dead universe, things are pretty sweet right now – especially from the perspective of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. Following up on an epic appearance at this summer's Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), we learned that the series been picked up for a sixth season – and as we've already seen, the second-half brings the arrival of new survivors – and new foes. Then there are those teases about this season being a game-changer and those connections with CRM and black helicopters. Hmmm…

Hard to believe that we're already at the second-to-last episode of the season, "Channel 5." Now before we start digging into any connections to The Walking Dead, CRM, black helicopters, or the upcoming Rick Grimes films… time for our standard spoiler warning:

Fear the Walking Dead season 5, episode 15 "Channel 5": The group searches for a new home; concerned for Grace, Morgan makes a tough call.

Not gonna lie: was disappointed and a little pissed off over where things stood by the end of tonight's episode. While I know they still have another episode to go, I can't help feeling like we're going the same route we saw TWD go with the prison in the third and fourth seasons.

As for any connections to The Walking Dead, CRM, black helicopters, or the upcoming Rick Grimes films, they were painfully lacking  – which annoys the living crap out of me considering there's only season episode remaining after tonight and we still haven't seen whatever it is that's supposed to change the series next season.

Here's what we do have…

● OPENING CREDITS: Fast moving light-gray clouds – but we're looking through a broken screen/lens

● Ginny's (Colby Minifie) propaganda video (above) was actually our favorite part of the episode – and also the part that has me seriously questioning if her group's CRM connected or not. I wouldn't imagine CRM going quite this "public" with their plans and intentions – but then again, I couldn't imagine CRM being cool with this group functioning and growing… and possibly becoming a rival. The cells bursting in my brain are telling me that Ginny and her crew are "useful" for CRM – but may not be "useful" too much longer.

Think of it as a "means to an end"…

● At the bridge standoff (which sparked a TWD season 9 memory), Ginny tries to play Dwight (Austin Amelio) like a fiddle with the reference about Sherry asking about him a few months back. One small problem: as much as he misses Sherry, he remembers what life was like under Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Saviors. So Ginny's talk of the group providing" her group with things once they're up-and-running – on top of that business of Ginny only keeping people around who are "useful" – proved to be a bad trigger for Dwight.

● This plays out even more towards the end of the episode, after our survivors discover that Humbug Gulch is teaming with walkers. Without food, water, or fuel, Strand (Colman Domingo) convinces the group to reach out to Ginny for help – everyone except for Dwight. Dwight makes his case – even more crushing when you know the perspective he's speaking from – but doesn't win the day. So guess what? Dwight's out!

Now here's a look at next week's season finale – which doesn't pull its punches in the "ominous title" category:

Fear the Walking Dead season 5, episode 16 "End of the Line": Facing an unknown future, Morgan leads the group on a mission; John and June make a promise.

Heading into season 5 of Fear the Walking Dead, the group's mission is clear: locate survivors and help make what's left of the world a slightly better place. With dogged determination, Morgan Jones leads the group with a philosophy rooted in benevolence, community and hope. Each character believes that helping others will allow them to make up for the wrongs of their pasts.

In the second half of Season 5, after successfully proving their way can work, our heroes gain momentum, rescuing survivors, and spreading the message of hope along the way — until foes both familiar and unexpected arise, forcing the group to question whether their brand of altruism can really make a difference in a world filled with death and decay.

Earlier this year, FTWD cast member Alexa Nisenson (ex-Vulture Charlie) was promoted from recurring to series regular for the upcoming season. Joining Nisenson are Karen David (Legacies, Galavant) as series regular Grace, The Walking Dead alum Austin Amelio reprising ex-Savior Dwight, and the returning Ruben Blades as Daniel Salazar.

Bailey Gavulic (Prodigal, At The End Of The Day) plays young survivor Annie, who ends up crossing paths with our crew alongside Cooper Dodson's (American Horror Story, Preacher) Dylan and Ethan Suess' (Scorpion, Henry Danger) Max. Matt Frewer (Max Headroom, The Stand) also joined the cast as shady denim factory co-owner Logan.

Newcomer Colby Hollman is on board as Wes, a survivor who joins the group after meeting Alicia and Strand – and has more of connection to Alicia than either of them realized. Peter Jacobson (House, The Americans) is also on board as Rabbi Jacob Kessner. Colby Minifie (The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) joins this season as Virgina ("Ginny"), head of an organized group of militia-survivors. Holly Curran (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) also joined the series during the second-half of the season.

Nisenson, David, Blades, Amelio, Gavulic, Dodson, Suess, Frewer, Jacobson, Hollman, and Minifie join Dwight's crossover comrade Morgan (Lennie James) on the upcoming season of The Walking Dead spin-off series, which has undergone some major changes over the past year. Jenna Elfman, Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, Mo Collins, and Daryl Mitchell joined James on the series last season; with Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, and Danay Garcia the only original cast members heading into the fifth season. Daniel Sharman is reportedly reprising his role as Troy Otto, though how his character will come into play during the upcoming season is still unknown.

Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg executive produce alongside Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd, and Greg Nicotero, with the series produced by AMC Studios.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT – leading into the fourth and final season of Preacher.

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