Fear the Walking Dead: Swimming Zombies and Not Much More

After the controversial season-ending cliffhanger on The Walking Dead, zombie fans aren't in the mood to be trifled with, and this week's premiere of Fear The Walking Dead's second season didn't do much to improve their moods. Criticized last season for its slow pace and thin character development, the first episode of the zombie spin-off series' second season fell victim to most of the same complaints from fans and critics alike.

Set at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse that plagues TWD, Fear the Walking Dead takes place in Los Angeles as the city descends into chaos. The setting provides the opportunity for situations not possible in the parent series' inland Atlanta location, and FTWD took advantage of those opportunities right off the bat in season 2 by placing its characters on a boat.

That choice gave the episode its most-talked-about moment - swimming zombies - but it did little else to quell the criticism. In fact, some critics argued that isolating Madison, Travis and the other characters on a boat removed them from the disintegration of the city and distanced them from anything compelling.

As TWD goes into its off-season having left a bitter taste in fans' mouths, the franchise sorely needs something to keep zombie enthusiasm alive. So far, it looks as if FTWD isn't going to do the trick.