Fear the Walking Dead Review: Leave What You Don’t (Season 5 Episode 13)
Fear the Walking Dead has spent a lot of Season 5 helping you get to know its characters better. For the most part, this is a sound strategy, as it makes the show’s fabric feel richer and fuller than in previous seasons.
On Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 13, “Leave What You Don’t,” however, the character focused episodes are given a new angle, with a twist that significantly raises the stakes for the last few episodes of the season.
It takes some time for reflection before truly appreciating “Leave What You Don’t,” as a marvelous character episode with multiple twists and turns in the plot. But that’s exactly what it is.
It doesn’t feel like that at first, but the character that Fear the Walking Dead delves into on “Leave What You Don’t” is Logan, the season’s antagonist…or so we thought.
Logan has never seemed like a villain beyond redemption. We’ve known for some time that Clayton was his partner and they used to help people together. “Leave What You Don’t” gives us a glimpse of Logan’s life, what changed him, and how that changes the show going forward.
The character work on Logan is really strong. Showing him as someone eager to help that just got jaded by the way something turned out, and negatively influenced by a larger force turns Logan from villain to sympathetic antagonist in a few short on-screen moments.
The introduction of Virginia and the settlers is an even stronger one. They’re introduced as Logan’s puppeteers via a short and sweet shootout.
At first, their introduction feels out of left field, but it’s really just that they were pulling Logan’s strings all along. The hard left turn doesn’t come out of nowhere, but rather it’s a payoff to a slow-burn reveal.
Really, the only issue from “Leave What You Don’t” that I remain divided on is whether or not the abrupt killing of Logan and his crew is better for the story. Given the nature of Fear the Walking Dead‘s fifth season thus far, leaving Logan or perhaps one or two of his minions alive might’ve given room for a redemptive arc. As well as the other character work has been going, it might’ve been worth it to explore integrating with Logan and some of his people.
Photo Credit: Van Redin/AMC
Ultimately, though, it seems that the extensive character work they’ve been doing on Season 5 may be more about getting to know all of the new characters in the new context, before embarking on a dangerous conflict with a new group. So, perhaps Season 6 will be totally different.
That said, Fear the Walking Dead has done such a good job with character work all season that you even feel bad when Logan is abruptly killed. The reveals are tense and exciting, the character work still unmatched, and the last parts of Season 5 should be an exciting ride.
A few stray thoughts:
- Running parallel with Logan and Virginia’s cynicism, the redemptive story featuring Wes, Alicia, and Strand was a powerful illustration about how doing things on a small scale still makes a difference.
- Another powerful moment? Revealing that Wendell and Sarah had caused Logan’s descent into villainy.
- Before the terms “pioneer” or “settler” had come into play, I had decided to call the new group “The Horse People.” I like my name better.
- It’s only been two episodes, but Rabbi Jacob is one of my new favorite characters.
- Anyone else ready for Daniel Salazar to split some wigs? I am!
What did you think of this episode of Fear the Walking Dead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.
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Nick Hogan
Nick Hogan is an experienced podcaster and writer (particularly on media topics), who loves discussion and analysis of TV and is always looking for new shows to watch. He is also a parent who loves buffalo wings, blowing raspberries, and his beloved Cincinnati Reds.