In which difficult choices are made; some “good guys” are not so good; some other “good guys” remain the same; things get smashed; and a mysterious new character is introduced. Things are coming to a head, as Fear The Walking Dead reaches its culmination. We’ve left the rules behind as the morality of this world are becoming a thing of the past; the ensemble is introduced to a new world of brutality. We’ll also find out what our characters are really made of and what the Army is really up to.

“Cobalt” begins inside the internment camp, with an image of a reversed American flag, as the new salesman character, Strand (Colman Domingo), delivers a monologue on the shape of things to come. It’s a moment both frustrating and enlivening, as Strand is a compelling character who seems to have what it takes to flourish in post-civilization. It’s frustrating, as the backwards American flag and sub-theme of “Who are the good guys?” and “What are they capable of?” is pretty tired and overdone, at this point.

Meanwhile, inside the town, Daniel (Ruben Blades) and Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) lure the National Guard member that Ofelia has been messing around with, Andrew Adams (Shawn Hatosy), to an abandoned house, to torture the Army’s plans out of him. The question on everybody’s mind: What Is Cobalt?

And, elsewhere, Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carie) have a skewed Far And Away moment, breaking into rich people’s houses, playing dress up, having some awkward half-sibling sexual tension, and ultimately, wrecking shit. It’s a moment of catharsis, that feels like one of the only natural reactions during the episode. Chris and Alicia are venting, getting their frustration and anger out of their systems, which is totally in line with their jilted adolescent characters. The uncharacteristic decisions of the rest of the cast both make and break “What Is Cobalt?”.

Madison’s (Kim Dickens) decision to go along with Daniel torturing the information out of Adams shows her willingness to get on board with the new regime. She is revealing herself to be a hardened survivor, willing to do what it takes to protect her family. It’s character development. Ofelia’s decision to act as bait, luring someone she cares about to a grisly fate, stretches the suspension of disbelief nearly to the breaking point. It’s clear that she loves her family, nearly to the point of obsession, but it still seems unlikely that she would be privy to torture. [Editor’s note: Was she really in on the scheme though? Sure, she was told that he would be used as leverage to arrange a trade for her mother but she did not know the extent of Daniel’s dark deeds.]

Adam’s reluctance to divulge also seems uncharacteristic, given how open he becomes after losing a few layers of skin, not to mention his clear feelings for Ofelia and disagreement with the Army’s tactics. We wonder if the bloodshed was necessary, as well as what Daniel is truly made of. During the stressful torture sequence, Daniel reveals that he was recruited as a Grand Inquisitor for the despots that assassinated his family. They gave him a simple choice: you can be the one with the razor, or the one in the chair. Take your pick. This, at least, seems totally in line with the character, revealing how he was so quick to adjust to the brutality of the new world.

Ultimately, they find out what the Army is planning, that Cobalt is a plan to evacuate the Los Angeles basin, leaving the civilians to their fate. It is also revealed that there’s a stadium full of Walkers waiting to be unleashed. “What Is Cobalt?” ends with Daniel at the stadium, wrestling with the locks. What’s he going to do?

It’s a good cliffhanger on what has been a mixed TV event. The shortened, six-episode format means that many plots and themes were dropped, never to be picked up again. Like, what about Tobias? They spent a good amount of time establishing sympathy with the character in the first episodes, only to never be heard from again. Madison just leaves a 14-year old kid to his fate. Was that character just a way to get some Zombie lore into the script? Or to prove what a stone cold mercenary Madison really is? Travis’ unwillingness to shoot down a Walker at this point is just frustrating. We get that he’s a humanitarian, but his reluctance to accept what’s really happening just comes across as weakness, at this point.

With only one episode to go, the question is: Is Fear The Walking Dead an interesting lens into how this world becomes The Walking Dead‘s universe? Or is it merely a prolonged trailer for The Walking Dead?

We’ll find out next week.

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For previous Silver Screen Riot Fear the Walking Dead recap coverage, find archive reviews below:

Fear the Walking Dead Episode 1 “Pilot”
Fear the Walking Dead Episode 2 “So Close, Yet So Far
Fear the Walking Dead Episode 3 “The Dog”
Fear the Walking Dead Episode 4 “Not Fade Away”

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