Fear the Walking Dead Review: 100 (Season 3 Episode 4)

On Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 4 “100,” we follow Daniel Salazar on his journey after the fire that separated our core group at the midpoint for Season 2. There is talk about forgiveness, guilt, and paying for previous misdeeds.

Sometimes, “catch-up” episodes can be a real drag. They often stop the momentum of what is happening with the A-plot and forces us to spend an hour with a character we haven’t seen for a while. The Walking Dead loves this sort of episode and so does Fear the Walking Dead. 

With all the talking, one would expect “100” to feel bogged down by exposition and we’d be itching to get back to the action at Broke Jaw Ranch. However, “100” is a thoroughly enjoyable episode and mainly because of Ruben Blades, who plays Daniel.

Daniel is called “old man” several times throughout the episode. He may be shy of seventy, but he can still throw a punch. And another. And another. Daniel is definitely one of the strongest characters on Fear the Walking Dead, both physically and mentally.

Sure, he may hear voices every once in awhile or see the ghost of his wife, but he is both smart and strong, which makes him a character to root for. He can also be menacing one moment and then fragile the next. He’s a chameleon.

The cold open is pretty great as we see a lone figure staggering along a deserted highway looking very much like the walking dead. It’s Daniel, though, with a rotting leg burned by the fire he started. We also find out that he doesn’t know if he killed Ofelia when he started the fire.

The episode is mostly subtitled as most of the actors speak Spanish, the landscape is devastating and beautiful, plus we see a zombie killed by a bolt of lightning.

Another reason why “100” is a fantastic episode is that we’re introduced to two characters–Lola and Efrain– who Daniel has a connection with straight away. They seem like fully-formed characters already and that’s what makes them interesting to watch.

They also make me, and Daniel, care about them. We don’t always need a character’s whole life story to make us feel like we know them or know their hopes and motivation.

With the introduction of these new characters, we also see how Daniel and Victor Strand’s lives collide together once again. Daniel washes up in a storm drain at Dante’s dam and works as a janitor. His cleaning gig doesn’t last long as Dante finds out that Daniel is a killer back in El Salvador. 

He quickly moves into Dante’s circle. On “Teotwawki,” Dante bored me. He just seemed like another bad guy full of ego, greed, and power. I wasn’t interested in the Dante/Strand storyline. We see what happens after Daniel gives Strand water.

It seems like a short-lived reunion though. Daniel is no fool and he knows when someone is lying. He doesn’t trust easily and he certainly doesn’t trust Strand when he says that Ofelia is at a hotel waiting for him.

 

When Daniel tells Strand that he’s on his own, I had a moment of frustration, like, is that it? The ending to “Teotwawki” had been awesome, but had Daniel and Strand really parted ways and storylines?

How the story moves forward from the ending of “100” is unclear, but considering that Daniel could have killed Strand but didn’t, probably means that these two will continue to share a plot.

My biggest complaint with “100” is the lack of zombie action. The lightening bolt zombie is amazing but there could definitely be more walkers in the upcoming episodes. This is still early days of the apocalypse and the undead should still be a huge threat for the survivors and a useful tool to increase tension.

Overall, “100” is an impressive episode because it makes me excited now for the Strand/Daniel storyline. My biggest problem with Strand’s narrative is that I didn’t care enough about it. Now, with Daniel (and hopefully Lola and Efrain) I’m very interested to see what’s next.

Walker Nibbles:

• Where is Ofelia? Is she going to be Fear the Walking Dead’s Sophia?
• We’ve seen Daniel torture before, but with people who were against it. To see Daniel torture in front of people who endorses it is terrifying.
• There’s a nice throwback to Season 1 when Daniel gives Efrain a haircut. The end of the world really messed up Daniel’s haircutting skills though.

What did you think of this episode of Fear the Walking Dead? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

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