Humbug's Gulch: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox television episode

| title = Humbug's Gulch

| series = [[Fear the Walking Dead]]

| image =

| caption =

| season = 5

| episode = 3

| airdate = {{Start date|2019|6|16}}

| director = [[Colman Domingo]]

| writer = Ashley Cardiff

| length = 44 minutes

| music =

| guests = * Cooper Dodson as Dylan

* Bailey Gavulic as Annie

* Ethan Suess as Max

| prev = [[The Hurt That Will Happen]]

| next = [[Skidmark (Fear the Walking Dead)|Skidmark]]

| episode_list = List of Fear the Walking Dead episodes

| season_article = Fear the Walking Dead (season 5)

}}

'''"Humbug's Gulch"''' is the third episode of the [[Fear the Walking Dead (season 5)|fifth season]] of the [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] [[Horror fiction|horror]] [[television series]] ''[[Fear the Walking Dead]]'', which aired on [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] on June 19, 2019. The episode was written by Ashley Cardiff and directed by cast member [[Colman Domingo]], marking the second episode he has directed for the series.

This episode marks the first appearance of [[Dwight (The Walking Dead)|Dwight]] portrayed by [[Austin Amelio]], after his departure in [[The Walking Dead (season 8)|season 8]] from the [[The Walking Dead (TV series)|original series]]. He is the second cast member from ''The Walking Dead'' after [[Lennie James]] to join the main cast of ''Fear the Walking Dead''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uproxx.com/tv/dwight-fear-the-walking-dead-merger/|title=''Dwight May Be The Key To A The Walking Dead Merger With Fear The Walking Dead''|first=Dustin |last=Rowles |date=January 9, 2018 |accessdate=January 10, 2018 |work=[[Uproxx]]}}</ref>

== Plot ==

The group begins plotting out the locations of the walker roadblocks while Alicia begins searching for Max's family after hearing a message by them over the radio. John and June come under attack and take shelter in Humbug's Gulch, a [[ghost town]] that once acted as a theme park attraction. As they retrieve guns from the saloon during a [[dust storm]], [[Dwight (The Walking Dead)|Dwight]] attacks, eventually revealing that he is searching for his missing wife, Sherry. Dwight's search has taken him from [[Virginia]] to [[Texas]], following notes from Sherry who is on the run from "bad people". Dwight gets trapped by a herd while searching a car for the next clue, which turns out to be a dead end. June talks Dwight out of suicide and the three eliminate the herd together. Using his experience as a cop, John determines that Dwight was searching the wrong car and Sherry may still be out there. Dwight and Morgan are reunited for the first time since [[The Walking Dead (season 8)|the war with the Saviors]] and put the past behind them. Dwight leads the group to the biggest walker roadblock yet, but they are interrupted by a call from Max. The group finds a bloodied Dylan while Max and Annie set up another walker roadblock and plot to use Dylan to find out why Morgan's group is in the area before making sure they are not a threat to them.

== Reception ==

[[File:Austin Amelio by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Austin Amelio]] made his first appearance as [[Dwight (The Walking Dead)|Dwight]] in this episode, after his departure from [[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]].]]

The episode received mostly positive reviews, despite most episodes in the season receiving either mixed or poor reviews. It holds a 83% positive rating with an average score of 6.33/10 out of 12 on the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. The critics' consensus reads: "Fear the Walking Dead dusts off its spurs and has pulpy fun with Western tropes, although some viewers may feel that this installment's earnestness is unearned."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fear_the_walking_dead/s05/e03 |title=Humbug's Gulch Fear the Walking Dead season 5 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}</ref>

Writing for [[Forbes]], Erik Kain praised the episode and wrote: "All told, minus a couple eye-rolling moments, this was a pretty good episode. I liked the Western movie feel of Humbug's Gulch, and enjoyed more focus on John Dorie and June".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2019/06/16/fear-the-walking-dead-season-5-episode-3-review-humbugs-gulch-is-the-best-episode-of-the-season/#4b5829ee31a5 |title='Fear The Walking Dead' Season 5, Episode 3 Review: 'Humbug's Gulch' Is The Best Episode Of The Season |last=Kain |first=Erik |date=June 16, 2019 |work=[[Forbes]] |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}</ref> Writing for Tell-Tale TV, Nick Hogan gave it a rating of 4/5 and said: "Fear the Walking Dead is slowly balancing out its plot and character into a wholly satisfying show."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://telltaletv.com/2019/06/fear-the-walking-dead-review-humbugs-gulch-season-5-episode-3/ |title=Fear the Walking Dead Review: Humbug’s Gulch (Season 5 Episode 3) |last=Hogan |first=Nick |publisher=Tell-Tale TV |access-date= June 16, 2019}}</ref>

Noetta Harjo of ''Geek Girl Authority'' praised the episode and wrote: "It's actually good to see Dwight again. He has a lot to atone for".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/fear-the-walking-dead-recap-s05e03-humbugs-gulch/ |title=FEAR THE WALKING DEAD Recap: (S05E03) Humbug’s Gulch |work=Geek Girl Authority |last=Harjo |first=Noetta |date=June 16, 2019 |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}</ref>

David S.E. Zapanta of ''[[Den of Geek!]]'' gave it a rating of 2.5/5 and said: "Gulch" isn't let down by Domingo's direction. Rather, it's Ashley Cardiff's script, which would have us believe in the power of positive thinking in one moment, only to show us the folly of following one's heart in the next moment.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zapanta|first=David S.E.|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-season-5-episode-3-review-humbug-s-gulch/|title=Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 3 Review: Humbug’s Gulch|publisher=[[Dennis Publishing]]|accessdate=June 17, 2019}}</ref> Writing for [[Uproxx]], Dustin Rowles said: "That San Antonio split was hugely impressive. I think it may have given June the vapors. Six-Gun Sam is also a much better name that John Dorie".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uproxx.com/tv/humbugs-gulch-recap-kids-fear-the-walking-dead/ |title=What’s The Deal With The Kids On ‘Fear The Walking Dead’? |work=[[Uproxx]] |last=Rowles |first=Dustin |date=June 17, 2019 |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}</ref>

=== Rating ===

The episode was seen by 1.76 million viewers in the United States on its original air date, above the [[The Hurt That Will Happen|previous episodes]].<ref name="5.03">{{cite web |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/sunday-cable-ratings-june-16-2019/ |title=Sunday cable ratings: 'Fear the Walking Dead' stays steady, 'Big Little Lies' improves |work=TV by the Numbers |first=Alex |last=Welch |date=June 18, 2019 |accessdate=June 18, 2019}}</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://www.amc.com/shows/fear-the-walking-dead/episodes/season-5-episode-03-humbugs-gulch--1294 "Humbug's Gulch"] at AMC.com

* {{IMDb episode|9567818}}

{{Fear the Walking Dead}}

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[[Category:2019 American television episodes]]

[[Category:Fear the Walking Dead episodes]]