Fear the Walking Dead (TV Series) Padre (2021) User Reviews

The writing is extremely flawed but Padre is a good mid-season finale with terrific acting performances

[Holt344 · 6/10 · 6 December 2021]

Michael E. Satrazemis directed this week's episode of Fear TWD. He does an amazing job with the direction and visual storytelling, the camera work and cinematography are all quite great. The sound editing and musical score is fantastic. I think the locations and scenery were perfect for the episode, the sets are improved immensely for this episode. There's not that many flaws with this episode, thankfully. But it's not perfect. The writing is where it's super flawed yet meeting the showrunners standard. Some of the writing and motivations are stupid and very forced, I found myself shaking my head but the episode ended up being quite entertaining, I just wish the writers would be capable of writing non stupid stuff and take a class in writing a smart script and story. But the showrunners are finally moving on with the story and it has lots of things I've been looking forward to, things I thought would appear in episode 2 and 3 but here we are with the mid-season finale and well we haven't gotten anywhere or well what we promised 7A would be and it took us 8 episodes to get to that point. The dialogue is actually improved. I do like how Alicia Clark have taken a leader role as that's what she should have been in season 5, but I just think her reduced role in this season have been bad for the show. The showrunners have failed in many ways and whilst this was a good mid-season finale, 7A have been extremely flawed with the overall story and character arcs being bad and the direction the showrunners took with the story is even worse.

Alicia enlists Morgan's help to search for a new home for her people, but Morgan soon learns the search is more complicated than he imagined. That's the premise of the episode and what to know about this episode is how it also gives us flashbacks to Alicia Clark and her escape out of the the room she was locked inside of in season 6. I will say this about Alycia Debnam-Carey's performance as Alicia Clark, she were terrific and shows through her acting capabilities that she's supposed to appear in every single episode like Lennie James and Colman Domingo, they are all fantastic in this episode. I just wish there would have been more characters involved in the episode as it is a mid-season finale but they got no screen time. Only Morgan, Alicia, Victor, Dwight and Sherry got screen time and that leaves half of the cast not appearing.

"Padre" was surprisingly mostly a good episode, it exceeded my expectations. It's among the better episodes but that doesn't say much. About the writing and the scope of things, how they're relying on the anthology format in what was a serialized TV show is something I'll keep complaining about as it's hurting the show. But having this episode focus solely on Alicia Clark was needed as we got to see how much the character had changed since season 6 and of course her motivations for this story arc. No spoilers but I did feel like the showrunners kind of went in the wrong direction, just slightly though with her character arc in this season. But it's nice to have the character back and to have another Clark back, I'm of course talking about what was confirmed and it's that Kim Dickens will return in 7B and back as series regular in season 8. That makes me happy and gives me hope of a more story focused eighth season, possibly removing the anthology format all together as that's for the best. Did this mid-season finale leave me satisfied? Surprisingly a yes. I think it would have been better if Luciana and those characters would have appeared, in the same plot or a subplot. But I hope they will have a bigger role in 7B.

Linear Storytelling Is Alien to These Writers

[ecatalan98 · 6/10 · 7 March 2022]

It seems the writers of "Fear The Walking Dead" have forgotten that good ole "linear" story telling is just as good as "non linear"'story telling. That whole thing of going back and forth again and again is becoming extremely old hat.

To be honest, I had forgotten about Alicia so by the time she reappears in episode 7 I couldn't care less. And Morgan's character and arch have become tiresome. I keep wondering how these people can survive for days, weeks, months and years without water and food ... or a good shower when the opportunity arises. Also I can't help to notice the amazing ease at which these survivors find guns, bullets and assorted weapons, gas masks and military gear. And bullets never seem to run low.

For a brief moment, when Alicia gets bitten by a walker, the idea that she was could be immune crossed my mind. Silly me: that would mean the end of a profitable if decaying franchise. But it would've been an interesting element that hasn't been even whisperer upon in the WHOLE "Walking Dead"'universe: the concept of a "cure".

As I mentioned in an earlier review, "Fear The Walking Dead" is just a "hair of a frog" better than the original "Walking Dead", but not by much.

Best episode of the season

[scooby_958 · 8/10 · 29 November 2021]

Great to see Alicia back finally and the development of her character was done nicely. To find out what she went through to get to where she is now. To all the other reviewers we've never seen an amputation like this one so how are you to say her sweats and what not are breaking walking dead rules. Also the first 3 seasons of this show were terrible. It got better from there. I'm shocked some people feel those were the best.

Just an ok episode

[thomasruiter-25636 · 7/10 · 24 February 2022]

This episode isn't bad but also not outstanding. Alicia is a fan favourite and i think they're going to kill her off. If that happens then half the viewers is gone so i hope they don't do it. I also have an unpopular opinion about Morgan. I absolutely love the character and i don't know why he gets so much hate. The ending of the episode was good and i hope its better then 7A. 7A 6.5/10 and this episode 7/10.

Another season finale that just sets the table for the next season.

[fredschaefer-406-623204 · 7/10 · 6 December 2021]

Somehow, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD has made it through 7 seasons, and it for us committed Walking Dead fans, it has been at times a torturous journey, as few shows ever have swerved from decent entertainment to great horror TV, to just downright awful as many times in between. There was a soft reboot which jettisoned much of the original cast (or so we thought), along with the welcome addition of some characters from THE WALKING DEAD which allowed the show to find its lane among the many post apocalypse dystopias that populate popular culture. When it is at its best, FTWD could surpass the show it was spun off from, but it's never quite been able to shake off the clunky plotting, inconsistent characterizations, and that general feeling that the writers and show runners where just making it all up as they went along.

Season 7 was set in the aftermath of uber psycho Teddy's successful launch of nuclear missiles that irradiated a good part of Texas, and forced most of the surviving cast to seek shelter underground, and often wear protective clothing when outside most of the time depending on which way the wind was blowing. It flesh eating Zombies weren't bad enough, radioactive ones are worse. Most of the episodes this season concerned the scattered survivors attempt to navigate this new even more deadly environment, attempting to reunite and find a safe haven. The central story lines were built around Morgan Jones and Victor Strand, the former having to contend with the hard truth that he was unable to stop Teddy, and still find a way to keep Grace and baby Mo safe, while the latter fully embraces his dark side, becoming Negan 2.0, although a more cynical and selfish version, setting up his own self sustaining community in a tower, and letting in only those whom he felt could be useful to him, and that did not include Morgan, and most of the others. The conflict the between these two was the main theme of Season 7, and for the most part, it worked. Notable episodes included "Breathe with Me," which centered on Sarah's search for Wendell, and Morgan's encounter with a new foe with has a connection to an old one; "Till Death," where Dwight and Sherry go on a road trip to find someone for Strand, and come to some fateful conclusions.

The season 7 finale, "Padre" was a mixed bag for me, an episode built around a meandering, and ultimately fruitless search for the title location, another supposed safe haven. This episode also marked the return of Alycia Debnam-Cary's Alicia Clark, last seen locked in an underground bunker by Teddy before the missiles went off. This was one of those episodes that turned on a tried and true Walking Dead trope of having characters focus on a McGuffin for the better part of the show while pertinent information is slowly revealed so that it can all come together at the end. In flashbacks we learn how Alicia was proclaimed the new leader of Teddy's murderous cult (not that she wanted the job, nor was it ever really explained why Teddy gave it to her in the first place), and how she met Gus Halper's Will (who was introduced and then met his fate at the hands of a treacherous Strand in the season's first episode). "Padre" had to turn on Alicia and Will's budding attraction, one that was cut short when she was bitten on the arm by the Walker Senator. After self amputating the arm, Alicia goes into a coma and wakes up to find that though she survived, she still has a reoccurring fever, one she fears will eventually kill her. Will leaves to find help for her, but never returns, and so she goes in search of the mysterious "Padre" whose location was known only to now zombiefied Senator. With Morgan in tow, Alicia's plan is to follow the Walker, hoping that some trace memory in the Walker's rotting mind will lead them to salvation. It only leads to a final confrontation with Strand, where Alicia learns of Will's fate, and vows war on Strand. This whole episode was pretty much all buildup, and an anticlimactic payoff, which just set the table for Season 8.

I think they pulled off the Alicia and Will attraction angle well, but her anger at him when she woke up from her fever made no sense, after all, he had done exactly what she requested by not putting her down if she turned. But the reoccurring infection from a Walker bite goes against everything we've learned so far, as was the nonsense about following a Walker hoping he will lead them to a specific location because of some memory. Even more puzzling was Alicia's sudden animosity toward Strand, whom she has come to know well, to the point of declaring war on him. At least she should have given him a chance to explain himself better, as the Alicia we've seen in previous seasons would have done; after all, she forgave her brother's murderer. Still, this episode had its good moments, including one where Morgan alluded to the death of his son.

Still, I'm down for Season 8, which will see the return of Kim Dickens' Madison Clark, something the fans have been clamoring for ever since she was dropped from the show in Season 4. Where has she been, and how will she react to everything which has gone down since she left? We will see.

Alicia Should NOT Die !!

[ProducersGuide · 8/10 · 4 December 2021]

Count my vote as 0 out of 10 if this most important character (Alicia) be killed off soon, which would be a real mistake ..

Let's see if they want to improve her character before making her the leader as what the show is telling in this Episode, it's OK and 10 out of 10

But again, 0 out of 10 if this most important character dies soon, which would be a real disaster !!!

Hopefully it will go well as we would like to see ....

The episode, largely centered on Alicia's quest to find the mythical place known as Padre, finally brings this subplot into the main narrative after much anticipation

[fernandoschiavi · 6/10 · 1 May 2024]

In flashbacks, after being locked in the bunker by Teddy, Alicia reluctantly becomes the leader of the doomsday cult and meets Will, who helps her look for a way out. Alicia learns of PADRE, a secret government location that supposedly has the resources to rebuild the world, but which only the undead Senator Elias Vazquez knows the location of. While trying to escape from the bunker, Alicia is bitten by the Senator and is forced to amputates her arm; Will departs shortly thereafter, feeling that he is causing Alicia more harm than good by staying with her. In the present, fleeing from the Stalkers' attack on her people, Alicia enlists a reluctant Morgan's help to follow the Senator to PADRE.

Covering themselves in walker guts for protection, the two wander around with the Senator, evading Strand's Rangers. Alicia later reveals to Morgan that she didn't amputate her arm in time and believes it is only a matter of time before she dies and reanimates. The search ends when the Senator follows Strand's beacon to the Tower and he becomes lost in the walker moat. Alicia considers accepting Strand's offer to take her people in, only to find and put down the reanimated Will nearby. After learning that Strand murdered Will, the furious Alicia declares war on the Tower.

"Fear the Walking Dead" season 7, episode 8, titled "Padre," aims to uncover some of the season's overarching mysteries but falls into a common trap of high expectations with little payoff. The episode, largely centered on Alicia's quest to find the mythical place known as Padre, finally brings this subplot into the main narrative after much anticipation. However, the execution leaves much to be desired, offering convoluted reveals and underwhelming twists.

The episode begins with Alicia, who has become increasingly desperate, leading her group through hazardous terrains, combating not just walkers but also the internal strife within her own ranks. Her obsession with finding Padre, believed to be a safe haven, is palpable and is portrayed with a palpable intensity. However, the mythology of Padre itself begins to crumble under its own ambiguity. When Alicia and her group finally encounter signs of this mythical place, the revelation feels anticlimactic-a mere shell of the utopia it was hinted to be, now just another desolate remnant of a broken world.

The standout scenes involve tense interactions between Alicia and the new characters introduced in this season. These moments are where the episode shines, diving deep into character development and the psychological impact of endless survival. Unfortunately, these interactions are interspersed with action sequences that, while visually compelling, do little to advance the plot in any meaningful way. The episode's direction, although competent, struggles to maintain a consistent pace, often wavering between rushed confrontations and prolonged, somewhat stagnant dialogues.

In conclusion, "Padre" serves as a mid-season finale that tries to tie up loose ends but ends up raising more questions than it answers. While it successfully builds the mythos around its central character, Alicia, it fails to deliver a satisfying resolution to the season's buildup. The episode encapsulates the show's current state: searching for a revival in narrative creativity but stumbling over its own convoluted plot lines. Moving forward, one hopes for a more coherent storyline that balances character depth with the high-stakes survival drama that originally defined "Fear the Walking Dead."

Pretty good, but confusing!

[ohmap-977-664810 · 8/10 · 6 December 2021]

Alicia has been bitten at least 3 times now. I think she may have worked up some immunity. Contrary to what Morgan said about the dead not having any sense of direction, I think his wife proved they do in episode 1 of the Walking Dead. His wife looked in the peephole of their very door several times, so how did she know where to go if there were no homing mechanism in her head? I think the dead guy could have led her to Padre.

Victor is not quite as gay as he thought. I think he loves Alitia. At least she is a real woman. The rest are lesbian, too old, or too young. Why else would he kill the guy when "he" said he loved Alitia. Alitia's friend was competition for Victor. Hey...I get it, in the apocalypse if there is competition, then get rid of it.

So now it is all out war between Victor and Alitia for him killing her friend! I will remind the writers that they are running out of "main" characters now. I don't think either will die, but you never know with these guys.

I still have some mild interest in the show and whether they ever find Padre, or not. Of course, we know what happened when Rick found terminus. It was almost terminal for Rick and his group. They sure had a way with those barbecued ribs! Rick would have stayed, but he didn't like he was part of the menu.

I wish they kept Teddy and Calamity Jane's daughter and let them live. They added lots of surprises; both were crazier than a March hare. I would have kept John Dorey because he was likable. I think Teddy also loved Alisia, but Teddy liked all the girls. I think Teddy thought of himself as some kind of god, and the women were his harem.

No doubt this show is hard to understand so I send my sympathy to those who rate it low. I recommend drinking whiskey while watching it; it makes it less painful. I will watch the second half to see how this story ends.

Keep watching folks...don't give up! The episodes are getting better.

S7.E8 - Good but Not Great [7/10]

[panagiotis1993 · 7/10 · 13 October 2023]

(S7. E8) My Reaction / Review for Fear The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 8 ''Padre'': Episode 7 was good and I gave it a rating of 7.5/10. Let's see if this one is better or worse. Finally we see Alicia. So their plan is to follow a dead man, a walker because he knows where padre is? What nonsense is this? Victor's men are trying to kill Morgan? What the hell? Alicia got bit by the walker? What? That's insane. Alicia got bit in the flashbacks too? What is going on? Is she immune? Alicia's left hand is gone? Alicia agreed to go live with Victor but she is still sick, I hope she wont become a walker. Alicia is one of the good characters. The episode ends in a dramatic way with Alicia threatening to attack Victor's place but it doesnt really make sense, did she get man because Victor killed her friend or something? Overall this episode is good but not great. My rating is 7/10.

festering wound

[Rob-O-Cop · 3/10 · 30 November 2021]

I didn't mind Alicia surviving a bite as much as some do. Some scientific progress in zombie world? Maybe teddy embalmed her when she was in captivity, who knows, maybe they've got an explanation that makes it more detailed, but I doubt it.

The rest of it was just nonsensical soap opera drama.

Why did she believe a guy she just met who tells her a walker may know the way to padre, but he admits to not knowing much at all. Why stake years of survival skill on something so tenuous. Cos it's the FTWD universe where insulting our intelligence is part of the equation. Certainly respecting it is off the table.

And she gets bit? Really, like she hasn't fought of hundreds, thousands of em ,and no body though to bash his teeth out? Nobody thought to wear body armor, shove a bar in his mouth? This is the best they can come up with?

Alycia Debnam-Carey is a good actress who deserves better than this. Certainly the loyal audience deserves better than this.

This is a game of bluff and they've got no decent cards in their hand.

The War Begins!

[ZegMaarJus · 8/10 · 10 April 2023]

This Episode begins with Alicia, she tries to escape from Teddy his headquarters. Alicia meets Arno for the first time. Alicia her people run because a toxic smoke cloud is coming their way. Sherry and Dwight got attacked by Victor his rangers. Morgan and Alicia get attacked in a gunfight. Morgan and Alicia jumped in the water when Victor arrived. Alicia saved Morgan. Alicia got bit by a walker in Teddy's headquarters. Alicia her arm has been cut off after the bit. Alicia tells to Morgan that she didn't cut off her arm in time, she has the infection. Alicia discovered that Victor killed Will. Alicia wants to take over Victor his tower. It is war between Victor and Alicia now. Nice Episode of Fear the Walking Dead Season 7, great to see that Alicia is back. The war begins!

Not even an intern could write this bad.

[mhorg2018 · 1/10 · 5 December 2021]

So now, "My body is fighting the infection", when everyone else, going back to Jim in Season 1 of The Walking Dead, dies and reanimates in 2-3 days? Some in only hours? Yes, let's change that. I'm surprised they didn't say that "Oh, the nuclear radiation mutated whatsoever is bringing the dead back to life." Alicia has survived what? Six years now? And she lets one crawling zombie bite her? And she suddenly thinks that walkers can remember their past life? Suddenly Victor feels bad and wants to let Alicia and her people into his little sanctuary? (How is he feeding these people and why aren't horses susceptible to radiation? Because it wasn't in the budget to give them at least masks? Take a look at some WW1 footage, they had gas masks for horses.) So now the last of the Clark's is gone. I never liked Alicia's mother, but she was a good (if up and down character). The last two seasons of this show, with Virginia and the saviors-light, to the idiotic Teddy the serial killer and the death of Dorey (who was probably smart to leave this dumpster fire and move on to something better), is on a mad downhill slide to below mediocrity. No sense to the writing, no understanding of science or reprogramming nuclear missiles, no stories with any logic to them in any way. Just bad, bad, bad.

One of the weirdest tv episodes I have ever watched

[tristan_19 · 5/10 · 28 November 2021]

The writing is so forced. The writers are just looking for ways to make the war happen at this point. They want to change Alicia's character, and are willing to make anything happen to get to that point.

Alicia gets bitten, fine. Then she amputates. When watching, you get the sense she didn't actually do it quick enough. It turns out the amputation didn't actually stop the fever. But the character has to survive and transform. Alicia doesn't die at all, but is turned to a shell of her former self. Like why are we making all this contrived stuff ? Just write a compelling story with a natural flow. Find a better way to show Alicia and Strand's difference in philosophy.

And now, we'll see the fall out of the last confrontation, but are we supposed to be excited and into the story, when we know that the last Clark is literally doomed and supposed to die, slowly, agonizingly, over time ? It'll be a torture to watch our main character fade out and just tire herself by fighting and fighting. Like why ? Strand and Alicia were some of the pillar characters of Old Fear. They deserved a good end to their story. Not that. I don't know what to think. I wanna continue watching, because I still like the characters... But I really do miss Seasons 1-3.

Truth is... Fear has an incredible roster of deep characters who all have great stories to tell. But the showrunners are wasting it with bad writing to fulfill their agenda. Rant over.

I cant belive what saw this weekend.... Deception and dissapointment in two shows in one day (WDWB and FTWD) 😵

[panamenito · 1/10 · 29 November 2021]

I have the idea that showrunners and Gimple loves to loose the viewers with their mediocres ideas. This used to be a great show with the Clark and Salazar families but now is nothing. Bye bye.

goodbye feartwd.

[fountasalexander · 1/10 · 28 November 2021]

This is it, the last straw, Alicia Clark has been bit and the infection has taken over her.

Why does Alicia think the walker is gonna lead her to PADRE? Did she also become a moron when she got bit?

She gets bit, chops off her arm, and apparently was "too late", has been infected for months yet hasn't turned???

Well done Andrew & Ian.

You have single handedly destroyed this series.

This series is nothing without the Clarks.

Don't care to watch 7B, Alycia Debnam-Carey deserves better then this garbage.

FTWD is dead.

[singhravi-00980 · 1/10 · 30 November 2021]

There is no story right now. No villain. Just some old pals messing around. A kindergarten kid could right better story than this.

This whole season was a complete waste.

World re-writing?

[rmmil · 1/10 · 28 November 2021]

Alright, so to push the narrative forward the Fear writers have now committed the ultimate IP "sin", retconning.

Alicia was bitten months ago and survived post amputation? Fine, has happened before. Alicia survives bite without amputation? Well, if TWD world rules still apply, definitely 100% should not happen past 2-3 days, max. There is no way she should survive past that mark. The Fear writers can do all the wonky stuff they want to with the laws of physics and science, but now they are breaking their own rules.

I feel like episode 8 finally giving us Alicia, and proceeding to have her then spend her only showcase episode wandering the radioactive wasteland searching for Padre, hoping a walker "remembers", like she's suddenly a complete moron, is a slap in the face to that character. Who is this Alicia?

This continues my theory that the Fear show runners actually hate the viewers of this show. Wow was this bad!

The writers are sick bas**rds

[athirn · 4/10 · 1 December 2021]

Otherwise who would make up such a clichéd twist for Alicia just to shock the audience? And everyone seem tired of this whole series. Slimy dialogs, useless movement, crazy ideas, that become more and more crazy with every next episode. The story came to nowhere, and now it looks like an end of the end. Like everyone's going to die, with no option, but the creators decided to make some more money out of one last season. It doesn't seem there's going to be a happy end, so why to keep spending time on this? I really don't like where the whole thing has come. Not my type of a story.

The Death Of Good Writing

[amdydedoff · 2/10 · 28 November 2021]

For the past 4 seasons ever since Andrew & Ian took over, the show has mostly been bad writing with some seconds of potential for good story. After this episode, all the potential is gone. This show has now gone past a point where it can be saved. And all is lost.

This episode destroyed what's left of Fear's integrity

[charliejones-47701 · 1/10 · 28 November 2021]

7x08 really jumped the shark just because the two bumbling idiot showrunners are not creative enough to write at least great stories and instead, probably creating their own lore with a certain plot point in this episode. Alicia's leadership has always been teased since season 5 but it's as if the writers use this story potential to bait her fans into watching, like dangling a carrot in front of them and not delivering on that promise. What even was the reason for all the mystery about Padre? Alicia also became dumber than Morgan in this episode so yeah giving this one a 1 star review because for me, it ruined what Fear stood for and I will forever stand by that.

Its getting embarrassing being a fan of this show

[matp-47600 · 5/10 · 29 November 2021]

The Writing this season has been so poor, especially considering the stellar season 6 we had. The whole nuclear storyline was such a big mistake, any logic and believability has gone out the window.

The other major problem this season (and even the last few) is that the showrunners just dont understand who their good characters anymore, or how to write them and direct them. Characters like Dwight, Strand, Alycia, June and Morgan have all been so lovable for so long now and all had some really interesting and promising plots and arcs in seasons 6-7, but of course, as usual, the writers find ways to make them all seem stupid, unlikable or just under-use them.

Ive been late to watching most episodes this season which is rare for me, as Ive been a long-time TWD fan and watch all episodes the day they come out. I (and probably a lot of fans) really want to like this show and enjoy it but thats just gotten so hard at this point. Do I give it another chance when the season returns? Can I even be bothered anymore? I honestly dont know anymore, this episode reminds me of the time they killed off Carl Grimes. Just seems like writers have shot themselves in the foot once again.

The worst of Fear

[grimeifyy · 1/10 · 30 November 2021]

This episode was so shocking and I hated it so much. Killing Alicia Clark off what the hell did you do that. You realise your views are gonna die with this show because most people aren't liking this new revolution with different characters. Since season 1 with the Clark family we watched it for them and your just killing that family and ripping it to Pieces, you'll regret this for doing this to Alicia. She's a badass and one of the most iconic characters on the show. I'm so disappointed and upset. This is pretty embarrassing for the writers who would of expected this for Alicia she's been through enough. #Bringbackmadison #clarkfamily.

A Disgrace to The Walking Dead

[astimegoesby-85347 · 2/10 · 28 November 2021]

After an uneven set of 7 episodes spanning from decent to bad to really bad, this midseason finale is the cherry on top of a season that managed to top Season 5's ridiculousness. And this episode brings back the fan-favorite Alicia Clark as the episode focuses mostly on her and the writers attempt to make up the lost screen time she's barely been getting.

And I thought: because the episode is Alicia Clark centered that it's be great? Well... I was wrong on all parts.

This was one of the worst episodes of the series & can be regarded as a disgrace to the franchise.

There's the out of character-ness of all our characters, to the point its now become an insult for everyone watching how out of character our favorites are acting. The coincidences & plot holes to a forced conflict between the two OG characters. It's simply an insult to everyone who loved the first 3 seasons.

Please either cancel this show or fire the writing team.

Get out

[ivp-21-896824 · 1/10 · 1 December 2021]

FTWD stopped making any sense, it is dead in the water. Not even a nuclear blast or Herbert West could re-animate this serie. To the remaning actors: Get out..

What happened

[reneeclinton · 2/10 · 30 November 2021]

This is just garbage now. Not sure what happened but it's awful stupid and makes no sense at all ruined a good thing may turn off. The writers have lost the plot. The acting is awful bring back Kim dickens might save it.