by Rich Cross
The complex dynamic between Morgan, Grace and their adopted daughter Mo takes centre stage in the fifth episode of Fear’s final season. Reeling from the shocking finale of King County, in which Grace suffered a walker bite – a death sentence in itself even if her terminal cancer could somehow be put into remission – the family argue about what to do next.
As has so often been the case in the wrecked world left behind by the zombie apocalypse, it’s the tyrants and dictators who have seized control of the most valuable resources. So Morgan must battle to secure Grace access to the life-extending radiation treatment that PADRE alone can provide, without surrendering any of them to the brutal mercies of Shrike and her loyal cronies. Their dilemma is shared by Sherry and Dwight, whose anxieties about the health of their infected son Finch increase as his condition deteriorates – despite June’s earlier efforts to reverse the effects of his own walker infection.
The struggle to resolve this seemingly irreconcilable tension (keeping free of PADRE’s clutches whilst accessing PADRE’s unrivalled medical facilities) is what drives the plot of More Time Than You Know. It’s a premise with plenty of potential. But unfortunately, the script by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Calaya Michelle Stallworth is afflicted by what’s become the signature Fear storytelling motif of arbitrary flips in allegiance, alliance and aim by allies and enemies alike. As options are debated, put into effect and then abandoned, characters move through the swamp in different combinations towards ever-changing destinations. Characters commit to each other and then split apart and, within minutes of agreeing a new common endeavour, scrap their latest plans.
What adds to the sense of a disjointed and erratic narrative is that so many of the character interactions take place over walkie-talkie. That sort of technique, of dialogue unfolding at a distance between individuals engaged in a life-and-death game of hide-and-seek, can be highly effective when done well. In this case, though, all of the protagonists are simply listening in on each other and so repeatedly anticipate and thwart their opponents’ plans. It all feels very fragmented and lacking in conviction.
Much more satisfying is the attention afforded to the three-way family tensions affecting Morgan, Grace and Mo. The scenes that unfold as Grace’s condition worsens and increasingly desperate efforts are made to save her see the relationships between all three finally gel convincingly. Grace is adamant that neither Morgan nor Mo should take undue risks to save her; Mo refuses to relinquish hope; Morgan agonises as he attempts to do right by both of them. The script gives all three of them credibility and affects agency. Early episodes in the season have tried to wring emotional impact from the fates of brand-new characters. The sense of regret and loss that’s evoked as Grace’s long-running storyline reaches its end packs a much greater punch: a mixture of anguish, regret and acceptance.
June, Daniel, Sherry and Dwight are given little to do, but the episode is kept on the rails by Lennie James’ dependably intense presence as Morgan and emotionally astute performances by Karen David as Grace and Zoey Merchant as youngster Mo.
The wider context of the conflict with PADRE is threaded through the story as Shrike threatens, cajoles and blackmails the group to take on the high-risk mission to clear the shipyard container port of the countless undead. With established loyalties fracturing once again, it’s not yet clear who’ll risk everything in the attempt and who will refuse to become a PADRE conscript. Next week’s mid-season finale, All I See Is Red, should answer that question at least.
New episodes of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD – SEASON 8 premiere on Mondays on AMC in the UK
Read our previous reviews of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD below:
Season 8, Episode 1, REMEMBER WHAT THEY TOOK FROM YOU
Season 8, Episode 2, BLUE JAY
Season 8, Episode 3, ODESSA
Season 8, Episode 4, KING COUNTY
