"Fear the Walking Dead" Blackjack (TV Episode 2018) Poster

(TV Series)

(2018)

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6/10
Beer Sponsorship
Rob-O-Cop10 September 2018
So we've got a character who is valuable because he knows how to make good beer, and this week we've got a dying character who's last wish is to have a beer, and Luciana scores him a nice cold one. awww, beer is good. Buy beer. Fear the walking dead, brought to you by beer. Luckily other parts of the show were mercifully more entertaining. John Dorie and Strand stuck on an island with a nasty gaitor keeping them captive, one that can eat meal after eal after meal apparently, but I'll watch that for a dollar. At least Strand and Dorie can keep it interesting and likeable. The dying truck guy was interesting too, but they killed em off for that beer sponsorship deal so that was a waste.
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7/10
Luciana
ZegMaarJus21 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode marks the comeback of Luciana, a great character. Another event is Martha (Filthy Woman) who attacks the group on the ways.
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6/10
Does anyone really care about Luciana?
boomer-kris25 August 2021
I never saw the need for her character. She was fringe at best. I never thought she was anything but a minor character.
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9/10
Don't believe the haters
kgiovan4211 September 2018
FTWD continues to improve. The new cast additions are great. The storm and truck drivers have provided interesting storylines. I don't know what to think of the current villain, but that story is unpredictable. This episode was very entertaining. I was glad that the entire cast was in the episode.
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9/10
So much better than previous ones - like an entirely different programme
jrarichards19 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Just when we thought there was no hope left for the audience of FTWD4, we find in the episode "Blackjack" a plot offering a mix of unreasonable hope that works out and reasonable hope that ends up dashed. And, like many a good film and piece of storytelling before it, it relies on interactions of fate and coincidence that again and again seem to do more in our real lives than one might imagine. So why not here too?

The key characters are trying to get back together again, post-collapse-of-settlement and post-hurricane, and - how refreshingly - there are some innovative "extra factors" involved, not least an interesting storm-flooded Wildlife Refuge setting with an alligator of insatiable appetite and a noisy grackle that ominously does not form part of a flock, but is all alone. There is a lot of realistic plot value to be had from these recently-underused kinds of "novelty items" beyond walkers and beyond bad people, which were particularly strong suits in earlier seasons of FTWD - always anyway more scenic and diverse in this respect than the rather monotonous in-the-backwoods setting of TWD.

Where bad guys are concerned, we do now have a prime example in the shape of the cracked but interesting character Martha (Tonya Pinkins). Her activity may be rather senseless in and of itself, but it does mean something in the way of generating new plot possibilities. There's also a good (much-needed) dose of counterbalancing philosophising about what further good can come of doing good. It's the oldest quandary in the world, but - hey - we don't expect miracles from "Fear...", just a bit of reasonable storytelling. And here we have an interesting premise, a strong story, good acting (with the very welcome return to full form of Garret Dillahunt's great John Dorie, sparking repeatedly off Colman Domingo's Victor to great effect), and a sense of direction and renewed promise.

Doesn't sound like too much to expect, maybe, but these are items that have been in short supply in FTWD4 over the last few instalments.
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7/10
The episode focuses on John Dorie and Strand as they embark on a dangerous mission to find a way out of a dire situation
fernandoschiavi20 April 2024
John and Strand end up stranded on small island. John makes a raft in order to get to land and find Naomi and Charlie. Strand is disinterested believing that it is doomed to failure. A gator prevents them from swimming across and presents a hazard on the raft. Using a battery from a pickup truck they use the Walkers ad bait to keep the gator at bay. They get midway but the radio horn cuts out. Their boat gets attacked by the gator and quickly fills with water. Strand fires his gun to distract the walkers while they swim back to the island.

Meanwhile, Luciana searches for Charlie in a library but instead finds an old man named Clayton trapped in a car crash. After trying and failing to free him, he simply asks for a last request, one last beer. On the road, Luciana searches for beer everywhere but doesn't find anything. Suddenly, Luciana discovers the box Morgan had left on the road, with a beer left inside. Luciana returns to Clayton with the beer and he happily tells her he's glad she didn't give up. She asks what job he used to have and he tells her he drove trucks, before passing away in the car. She finds Morgan who has become aware of Martha's psychotic intents. As the look for the others, Martha chases them in Al's SWAT truck and opens fires the machine.

"Fear the Walking Dead," Season 4, Episode 13, "Blackjack," continues to explore the complexities of its characters as they navigate the challenges of the post-apocalyptic world. The episode focuses on John Dorie and Strand as they embark on a dangerous mission to find a way out of a dire situation.

The episode opens with John and Strand trapped in a car sinking in a flooded area, setting a tense and urgent tone for the rest of the episode. As they struggle to escape, their bond is tested, revealing deeper layers to their characters.

One of the most striking aspects of "Blackjack" is its exploration of morality and the lengths people will go to survive. John and Strand's journey forces them to confront difficult decisions and the consequences of their actions, highlighting the harsh realities of the world they now inhabit.

As the episode unfolds, John and Strand encounter other survivors, each with their own stories and motivations. These interactions add depth to the narrative and further explore the themes of trust, betrayal, and redemption that have been central to the series.
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10/10
A good episode
mjhuijbregts17 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Finnally!!!, a good progressive, interesting episode.

All better come back becuase only the good characters have been dying lately and we don't need any more of them gone.

And did anyone notice they were in DC? cross-over event? anyone?

Not worth a 10 though just upvoting.

that's all. PUEACEE!!!
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6/10
Dumb *** Villain
meltingmel2 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It WOULD only be Pyschos and survivalists left at the end of the world. Smh. This new villain is SO FRUSTRATING. I'm so sick of them putting these crazy soft spoken Pyschos in here and then of course they take forever to kill.

I'm speculating this is the truck drivers wife. She got salty he was helping people and just went crazy. This chick is like in her 60's - how is she still surviving and taking down young men?

Bring me back a Negan villain. I am so sick of these particular ones. And of course it's going to tape until rue end of the season to kill her.

It's just such BS. People WOULD be sabotaging each other at the end of the world. Of course they would.

And I do think I finally get why Al got sick. She must've drank contaminated bottled water from that pyscho who needs a terrible death.
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8/10
back to normal
rfgtdfgvdfg20 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
4x13 Rating: 8.5/10 after the last episode i thought this would go to bad but it didnt

Storyline: While the group waits for Quinn, a walker approaches their truck. Jim gets scared but Wendell uses his wheelchair spikes to impale it while Sarah finishes it off.

Jim notices the "Take what you need" message marked on its forehead and June immediately radios Quinn. However, she only hears walker groans on the other side, followed by Martha telling her he's dead.

Morgan recognizes the voice and radios her. Martha asks, "Is that you, Morgan?" and then tells him she knows a lot about him. She warns him to stop leaving those boxes on the road because it will make him weak. "I know who you are, I know what you're really capable of," she says ominously.

Elsewhere, John and Strand are marooned on a small island with a ranger station. Strand grabs a book inside a cabin while John chops wood outside to make a raft so they can get to the other side and find June and Charlie.

Meanwhile, Luciana searches for Charlie in a library but instead finds an old man named Clayton trapped in a car crash.

On the island, John finishes his makeshift raft as Strand watches him struggle to keep it afloat. Suddenly, an alligator swims toward them and John shoots at it, causing it to swim away.

Back on the road, Morgan decides that they need to find the rest while Sarah and Jim question him on what the woman meant when she said she knew what he was capable of. He says he has things to make up for and to trust him or he'll take their truck. When they challenge him again Morgan hits Sarah's knife out of her hand with a shovel, and they agree to follow him.

John spots a walker walk into the river only to get mauled by the gator. Strand walks up and tells John his efforts to find June are useless but John tells him they'll get off the island if they try hard enough. As John walks around, while thinking of a plan, he notices an overturned pick-up truck at the top of a hill.

Luciana tries to free Clayton from the wreckage but it results impossible. She asks if there's anything she can get him and he tells her he'd love to have one last beer. "You're going to get one," she promises and leaves him with a walkie before heading out.

Sarah and Jim question if they should keep leaving boxes on the side of the road knowing that it could get someone killed, but Morgan insists it's worth it. He adds instructions on the box to use radio channel 4, hoping John will eventually see it.

Meanwhile, Strand climbs on the overturned pick-up truck at the top of the hill and wrestles with a walker for a bottle of scotch. The movement causes the truck to roll down the hill, which impales the walkers with a branch while Strand miraculously survives. John questions his decision but Strand walks off.

On the road, Luciana searches for beer everywhere but doesn't find anything.

Back on the island, John tears apart the truck to makeshift a boat. After he finishes, he confronts Strand on his drinking, who tells him he drinks to forget. He laments that he only has things to look back on compared to John, who has something to look forward to. John tells him he can drink with him on the boat, which is even outfitted with a truck horn. Impressed, Strand finally agrees to come with him. John uses the truck horn to lure a walker into the water, so the gator can devour it and give them time to escape.

Luciana radios Clayton and tells him that the beer run was unsuccessful. Clayton tells her that in the past he used to be apart from people that cared about him because of his job and now he regrets it, but he is making up for it by helping other people. He tells her she doesn't need to worry and that she'll help someone else. Suddenly, Luciana discovers the box Morgan had left on the road, with a beer left inside and smiles in joy.

John and Strand paddle halfway down the river until the horn cuts out. The walkers roam away as their boat gets attacked by the gator and quickly fills with water. Strand fires his gun to distract the walkers while they swim back to the island.

Luciana returns to Clayton with the beer and he happily tells her he's glad she didn't give up. She explains she couldn't do anything for someone else in his last moments and she won't let that happen again. Clayton gleefully takes a sip, thanks Luciana, and instructs her to take his supplies in the back of his car. She asks what job he used to have and he tells her he drove trucks, revealing that he's Polar Bear, before passing away in the car.

Luciana constructs a memorial in his honor and then radios the channel written on the box, thanking them for helping. Morgan radios back asking if that's Luciana to which she reacts in surprise.

Strand and John sadly return to the shore of the island. Strand takes a swig from his bottle and holes up in the cabin while John eats one of his candies.

On the road, Morgan and the rest pick up Luciana and continue on their way. Luciana gives Morgan Clayton's journals, which have locations on several stashes of supplies, and tells him that Clayton would be proud. Suddenly, they are contacted by Charlie and Alicia on the radio.

Alicia tells them she found the channel from the box. Morgan tells her to wait at the mile marker and that they are gonna pick them, when suddenly, Martha radios both of them and tells Morgan, "I gave you the chance to be strong."

Morgan tells her he'll continue to find the people they're looking for until they find and help her. Sarah spots Al's SWAT truck appear behind them. Panicked, Morgan radios Martha to ask what she's doing and she tells him, "You lose people... You lose yourself." Morgan tells the group to get down just as the woman pulls the truck beside them, opens the gun hatch and opens fire.

A shocked Alicia and Charlie are left wondering what happened.
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8/10
S4.E13 - Very Decent Episode! [8/10]
panagiotis19932 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
(S4. E13) My Reaction / Review for Fear The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 13 ''Blackjack'': Episode 12 was decent and I gave it a rating of 7.5/10. Let's see if this one is better or worse. Nice to see Victor and Luciana again. John tried to make a wooden raft but it was an epic fail. I hope John will find June again. Victor doesn't seem to believe John though. Damn Victor almost killed himself trying to get that bottle of alcohol. It's nice that Luciana was able to find one last beer for the old dying man. It sucks that John's plan failed. This villain sucks to be honest. Overall a pretty good episode, better than the previous one, my rating is 8/10.
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1/10
Fear the Talking Dead
xxxNomadicxxx10 September 2018
Ever since Morgan came to the show, it's been down hill for it. They sat around and talked as they did every episode before.
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1/10
Fear The Walking Soap Opera. The tale of Morgan aka Morges the new Moses. Contrived Ridiculous Convoluted Nonsense, written by Zombies, for Zombies. Comedy Hour!
Bababooe10 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The amazing odyssey of Morges the new Moses. I lose people and then I lose myself. So, I save everybody, including a filthy dirty murdering psychopath. I'll save this woman and bring her to Alexandria. I'm sure Rick the Dick will welcome this nut-job and put her right next to Neegan. Yeah, that's a great idea Morges. We don't have enough problems, especially dealing with the little problem of ZOMBIES LOOKING TO KILL AND EAT YOU, that we have to now try to save this contrived serial killer.

Ok, so last week Multi-personality June and Hip Haircut Al hookup with Morges and his new best friends, Trucker Chick, Wheelchair Ninja, and Beer Jimbo. Dumbass June, with infections of love and caring from Morges, inadvertently gets her new buddy Quinn (Fool) killed by Wacko Woman. And we were all on the edge of our seats to see if the rest of the cast will come together.

And here we go, our new trucker team kills Wacko's last zombie and Morges talks with Wacko Woman. Very exciting.

Dumb and Dumber, aka Cowboy John and Vic the Drunk are stuck on an island with an alligator (cgi super reptilian monster) in the water. Cowboy ties some logs together as a raft and pulls a Gilligan and sinks. Plan 2, they find a car, somehow on top of a hill, with a zombie in the driver's seat. Vic while trying to dislodge the car, reaches for a wine bottle and crashes with the car down the hill. The zombie's head is impaled, Vic is perfectly fine after rolling in the car about 12 times. Vic the drunk is now complete. Cowboy builds another floater with duct tape, and hooks up a battery and a car horn to bring zombies to distract the alligator. This time Vic joins Cowboy in his Gilligan moment. When they're halfway across the water, wouldn't you know it, the battery runs out. Who could have seen this coming? The floater sinks but they make it back to the island. Cowboy loses his hat, and is very sad. Vic the drunk, he's ok, he saved the bottle. Alcohol is life. Vic has his past. He lost his drinking buddy, Madison. Cowboy wants a future, June. What a dilemma?

Lucy, still has the book that Backstab Char left at the mansion. Ok, ah, please take a moment and reflect. THERE WAS JUST A MASSIVE STORM! But this woman is just strolling around, still has the book, looks in the back and finds the library it came from, like Char will head back to the library after the storm. I guess this is what rational people do. Next, Luc coincidentally bumps into the trucker (Polar Bear) that Wheelchair and Trucker Chick stole the truck from. What are the chances? He's in a car, crashed and dying, and all he wants is a last beer. Luc now walks all over Texas and finds a beer in a care box Morges left. Bear tells Luc that he was away from his loved ones, and now that they're all gone he was leaving care packages for repentance. After Bear dies Luc calls the # on a walkie and hooks up with our new trucker team.

Backstab Char and Alyc call on a walkie and speak with Morges. Then Wacko gets on the walkie in a conference call. Here, Morges gets his big acting break. Morges says we're gonna find everybody then we're gonna help you. Nonsense. The only help this wacko needs is a bullet to the head. Just like Neeg needed his throat cut and head decapitated. Wacko, now is chasing Morges Trucker Team with Al's Swat van and machine guns the truck. What a cliffhanger.

So, here's the story. Apparently we have unlimited Non rechargeable batteries. Everyone has a walkie. Next we'll see these idiots, rather than survival mode will be roaming around with "SMART" or "DUMB" phones. Please look up from your own dumb phone and see all the people eyes glued to theirs walking baby carriages into on-coming traffic. After 5 or more years in the zombie apocalypse, batteries have no problem. But human brain cells, diminished. These characters reflect the mental capacity of the Writers. Dumb.

So we are left with another filler episode with a bunch of nonsense. Everybody hooks up. Everybody has walkies. Everybody is nearby. We have an adversary. We have the holy man, Morges. We have fashion (Al's hair). I still want to know how Wheelchair gets in and out of the truck. Please, please someone explain. Unfortunately, the only comedy is the Gilligan moment with Dumb and Dumber on the island.

Long Live George Romero, Night of the Living Dead!

Note to those who don't agree: Don't hate me because "You can't handle the truth"

Is it unreasonable to ask if those who praise this show, with unrealistic characters and scenarios, are being paid by the shows promoters? How much are they paying you? And if you don't get paid you're being ripped off.
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