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"Channel 4" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the fifth season of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. It is the sixty-second episode of the series overall. It premiered on August 11, 2019. It was written by David Johnson and directed by Dan Liu.

Plot[]

The group, traveling in a convoy, doubles-down on their mission to help survivors. In an effort to encourage more survivors to reach out, Al, Luciana, and Charlie document Morgan and the gang on a dangerous mission to help a reclusive survivor.

Synopsis[]

In a found-footage style, Althea interviews the group asking why they want to help others. Morgan explains someone was trying to help him. Alicia explains that she used to kill walkers but now is looking for a new purpose. John explains that this group is rich because they have skills. Their effort now is purely to help others. Al presses Morgan on why he says they all need to start living. "I guess sometimes it's easier to see what other people need help with," he says. Al puts down her camera to kill a walker and then resumes her interview.

Althea recalls how they raided a Big Stop store to fetch camera batteries and equipment. Morgan explains that they made contact with more people, so they got more trucks to cover more ground. Sarah gleefully explains how they took Logan's oil truck and abandoned him on the road. Dwight admits he fell in with the right people and still hopes to find Sherry. Daniel then tells Dwight he wants to cut his hair. "He won't let me give him a haircut," he jokes. Daniel says it will make him look more presentable.

Alicia explains she, Luciana, and Strand are the lead vehicle on supply missions. They map out the roads for the group. Morgan has been training her with aikido. "I think the change is good, it's what I needed," she confesses. It's shown that the group has grown. There are a lot more people in a makeshift community. June explains she runs the caravan with Grace, where they escort people to outposts when necessary. She promises they'll eventually find a place to call home. Al asks Grace why she was checking her neck earlier and Grace says she just wants to be prepared in case she gets sick.

Luciana radios Morgan to a house to help someone named Tess. She tells them she's waiting for her husband to return with her son's asthma medication but won't come outside because of the landmines. On the road, Sarah sings along to truck songs as Charlie, Dwight, and Daniel admit in confessionals they hate it. Back at the house, Morgan tells Tess they're recording the experience so they can prove to future survivors that they're legit. Tess explains she hasn't left the house since the onset of the apocalypse and Morgan promises to stay there until her husband returns.

Elsewhere, Alicia, Strand, and June search supplies from the pharmacy that Tess said her husband was at. They don't find him so they split up to look. Alicia finds a tree with "If you're reading this then you're still here" painted on it. Alicia admits that Madison would have loved it. Suddenly, Strand saves her from a walker. She reveals on camera she hasn't killed any since the plane.

John tells the camera that it makes sense Morgan is so dedicated to this mother/son scenario due to his loses. He also mentions that he and Morgan have each other's backs. Back at the house, the walkers break through the fence and get immediately blown up by a landmine. Meanwhile, June reveals on camera that the walker Strand saved Alicia from was Tess' husband. When Morgan hears the son cry out from the house, he sprints through the yard to get him. However, he freezes inches away from the porch after Al spots a landmine next to his foot. John and Luciana join him as Alicia, Strand, and June arrive with the inhaler.

Morgan radios Tess that they have the inhaler but she has to come outside to get it. He then breaks the news that her husband is dead and she needs to come get the medicine. She tearfully asserts her husband is still out there. Al instructs Morgan on how to navigate the mine he's standing on. He digs around it as John hands him a screwdriver to get to the fuse. Al admits it's a 50/50 chance she's right.

Morgan prepares to pull the firing pin until Tess radios them to stop. She finally emerges from her house and admits her husband isn't coming back. She hands him a clothespin to use as Morgan tells the others to back up. He successfully takes his foot off of the mine and once out of range, it explodes. Morgan returns to give Tess and her son the inhaler. The group is proud that the woman stepped out for the first time in two years to help them and they were there to help her. Tess is emotional as Morgan comforts her over the loss of her husband. He reflects on his family, opening up about how difficult it can be to say goodbye.

That night, Tess and her son join the group as they enjoy a recipe Grace hadn't cooked up until now. Morgan asks Alicia if she wants to practice tomorrow but she has found a new purpose. "I wanna know who is painting those trees," she says. Al then asks the group what each want: Morgan longs to say goodbye to his wife and son, Alicia explains that she needs help finding her own way to make things better, John wants to make the world a better place, June vows to find them a permanent home, Grace has a lot more things she wants to do, Strand wants to make the most of his second chance, Daniel hopes to make Ofelia proud, Dwight wants to end each day making someone else's better, Charlie wants to do right by the group, Sarah wants to keep the truck running, and Al just wants to make sure these stories are more than tapes. The tape concludes with everyone pleading with future survivors to help others.

It's revealed the tape is being watched by a survivor named Wes, who is holed up in an old gas station store. He considers reaching out on his walkie but decides against it. He packs his things before pressing his ear to a locked door. He then stares at a "Take what you need" box before leaving.

Outside, Wes gases up a motorcycle as Logan and his crew arrive. Wes tells them he doesn't want any trouble but Logan tells his people to take his gas and demands to know where the oil fields are. Wes insists that he doesn't know and he isn't with the people on the tape, claiming he stole the gas. Logan admits that he likes him but has his people shoot up Wes' motorcycle so he can't follow them. Logan tosses him a radio and orders him to call Morgan's group for help with escaping an approaching herd and to tell them that they are making more enemies than friends out there, while his crew has more bullets than they know what to do with. Wes is then left behind as Logan's crew drive away.

Other Cast[]

Co-Stars[]

Uncredited[]

  • Raja Afghani as Skidmark
  • Luis John Soria as Philippe
  • Unknown as Ben
  • Daniel Cox as Caravan Survivor
  • Kimberley Pember as Caravan Survivor
  • Andrew John as Caravan Survivor
  • Lauren Alvarez as Caravan Survivor
  • Trenton Rostedt as Logan's Crewmember
  • Balint Pinczehelyi as Logan's Crewmember
  • AZ Alvarez as Logan's Crewmember

Deaths[]

  • Ben (Confirmed Fate, Zombified)

Trivia[]

  • First appearance of Tess.
  • First appearance of Wes.
  • First appearance of Philippe.
  • First (and last) appearance of Ben. (Zombified)
  • First appearance of the Caravan.
  • Last appearance of Jiro's Skyjump Dojo. (Video Tape)
  • According to Ian Goldberg, this episode will be filmed in found footage using Althea's video camera like The Office.
    • At the end of the episode, it's shown that the whole episode was Wes watching the tape.
  • The title of the episode, "Channel 4", comes from the note on the walkie Wes finds directing him to Channel 4.
  • Morgan's Group has abandoned Wittington's Denim Company in favor of becoming a convoy as the people they needed to help were too far away for it to be a practical base. Daniel has abandoned his warehouse to join them full time.
  • It's shown that Morgan kept and continues to use the remaining half of his staff. Strand now wields Alicia's sharpened barrel shroud.
  • It's revealed that Morgan's group found the oil fields Logan mentioned in "Is Anybody Out There?", which they have dubbed Tank Town and use its resources to keep their convoy going. Sarah also confirms that Logan was right about gas starting to go bad.
    • Logan was abandoned by the group because they knew he was just trying to trick them to get the fuel for himself and his crew.
  • Alicia is seen practicing with a staff with Morgan, fulfilling his promise to teach her Aikido. However, she does not keep it up, instead choosing to focus on finding out who has been painting inspiring messages onto the trees. As a result, Alicia abandons all use of a staff.
  • A painted tree similar to the one seen in "Is Anybody Out There?" is found by Alicia.
  • The group eats noodles around a campfire like in "No One's Gone", something that is commented upon to be a tradition.
  • The boxes now bear a new message: "take what you need, leave what you don't, help how you can."

Episode Highlights[]

TBA

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