That was a terrific hour of TV.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 4 shined a light on John Dorie as he investigated a surprising death. In doing so, he slowly started to understand Virginia’s definition of world order.
The murder mystery kicking off at the beginning of the episode and being resolved by the conclusion worked very well because it moved at the perfect pace, right up to the brutal execution.
Janis didn’t get much time to shine on the series, and she was killed off as she was emerging as a more interesting character.
I would have preferred for her to stick around longer, but her death helped John come to the realization that Virginia is never going to change.
Her way of working was laughable on Fear the Walking Dead Season 5, but we’re slowly pulling back the layers to find out the bigger picture here.
She was desperate to get John on her side, which explains why she gave him the keys to the kingdom at the end.
John was ready to burn down the town when he learned the execution had been moved up and happened when he had no way of saving Janis.
There was a certain look Dakota shot John in the aftermath, almost as though it was a “told ya so,” which could hint that they will work together to take down Ginny when the time is right.
If you watch Fear the Walking Dead online, you know Dakota has been gunning for her sister for a while now, and it mostly stems from the way she treats people.
The relationship breakdown between John and Strand was unexpected, but it was a well-executed scene that highlighted just how well these characters are being written this season.
Strand only recently got a glimpse of power, and John messing that up would have probably resulted in them both being put to death.
Strand could be playing nice to strike when Ginny least expects it, but I’m starting to get the feeling that he’s comfortable as a ranger because he has people at his disposal, a safe place to lay his head, and, most importantly, food.
Those are luxuries in today’s world, never mind in a world where there are simply no opportunities, and the human race is dying out.
Ginny wants to drum that into John’s mind so that he doesn’t go after her, and that could explain why June popped up when we least expected it.
Was it a peace offering or a bribe? Ginny could be dangling June like a carrot in front of John to reiterate the fact that he needs to stay silent, or things will get worse for everyone he loves.
Killing June would be a bad move on Ginny’s part. You don’t kill medical professionals when the world is ending, but Ginny is crazy enough to go through with such a plan.
We witnessed as she went after Morgan relentlessly, going as far as to send a killer to behead him. Ultimately, she’s on a massive power trip, and she’s going to falter before long.
John and June will probably try to play nice in the community but will split the moment Morgan miraculously pops up to tell them he’s building an army.
June and John miss the way things were when everyone was together, and they were helping people in other communities. As much as Morgan and everyone else grated on my nerves, they wanted to do good in a truly heinous world.
Morgan continues to be leaps and bounds better on Fear the Walking Dead Season 6. The character has been a slog ever since The Walking Dead, but having him change his plight and, you know, actually killing people, has made him far more interesting.
The big mystery surrounding “the End is the Beginning” is starting to take shape, and I’m starting to wonder whether he has the key to some sort of nuclear bomb around his neck.
The statement that is popping up painted everywhere is highly concerning, and given the wording, it could suggest that there’s a group of people who think wiping out what remains of the human race could start something fresh in the world.
Then again, there are probably about a million different possibilities about that statement, but it’s nice to be able to speculate about the show.
For too long, the show relied on introducing lots of characters with no clear direction, and subsequently forgetting about them.
This sason’s strength is that it isn’t including all of the main cast in each episode.
Instead, we have a much smaller cast and are getting smaller, more intimate storylines that are allowing the actors to give more convincing performances.
If this level of storytelling continues, this could shape up to be the best season of the show, and I never thought I would say that after the horrific mess that was Fear the Walking Dead Season 5.
This was Garret Dillahunt’s time to shine, and I can’t wait to see which character takes center stage on Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 5.
What did you think John Dorie trying to save Janis? Are you impressed with the way this season is playing out?
Hit the comments below.
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.