Review: Things Fall Apart
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2013
This series of episodes has been intentionally building to the Breakdown, the Collapse, call it what you will, as the country deals with soaring fuel prices, massive unemployment and growing food shortages.  Darrell and Mallory have so far been able to shield their family from the bulk of this mounting desperation, but as we saw in Episode Six at the Farmers Market, the cracks are beginning to be seen even in rural America.  I find this slow, gradual slide to be more realistic and scarier.This episode begins with a frantic phone call and results in a mad dash to San Francisco, and we definitely get a dose of the action fans have been clamoring for earlier.  We learn that Rick is more than a talker, and the action is fast-paced and shockingly realistic.  Along the way, we learn more about the crumbling state of the union and at least some of what the government plans to do to stem the tide.  With this episode, we see the first of Mrs. Cholley's expanded volumes and the dash to San Fran is only the first of several interesting events taking place in the course of the tale, but I will avoid any more spoilers.If you can hold out, the author plans to bundle these first seven episodes into Book One but for me I was willing to spend the 99 cents to stay up-to-date.  All in all, a thoroughly satisfying episode.  My only complaint is the teaser for the next set of episodes hints at waaaaay more action to come, and now I have to wait.