Moral Relativism

Lore & Background

In "Cobalt," the fifth episode of Fear the Walking Dead's first season, moral relativism emerges through the actions of characters facing impossible choices. Daniel Salazar tortures Corporal Adams to extract information about the military compound and the fate of his wife Griselda. Madison, though initially horrified, agrees to keep the torture a secret from Ofelia. Meanwhile, Travis is unable to shoot a reanimated corpse at a convenience store, frustrating the soldiers with him. The episode reveals that the military's plan "cobalt" means all civilians will be killed by guardsmen in the morning, forcing the survivors to plot escape. The New York Times review specifically highlighted the episode's "shaded musings on the moral relativism of the survival instinct" as a strength.

In Their Own Story

Daniel stood in the basement, blood on his hands. Adams, the National Guardsman who had flirted with Ofelia, was tied up, beaten. Madison stared at the scene, her face pale. "He knows where they are," Daniel said, voice flat. "Nick. Griselda."

Madison's throat tightened. "This isn't right."

"Right?" Daniel's eyes were hollow. "Right died when the dead started walking."

Later, Adams revealed the truth: "cobalt" meant the military would kill all civilians at dawn. Travis learned this and immediately began plotting escape. The moral line had been crossed, but survival demanded it.

Reader's Guide

The episode "Cobalt" demonstrates moral relativism through several key moments. Daniel tortures Adams for information, revealing the military's plan to kill all civilians. Madison agrees to keep the torture secret, prioritizing survival over ethics. Travis fails to shoot a reanimated corpse, showing his moral hesitation. The episode's reception on Rotten Tomatoes was 76% with an average score of 7.73/10, with the site consensus noting it "injects new life into its sequestered group of survivors." Matt Fowler of IGN gave it a 6.8/10, criticizing that "an evacuation plan needed to be brutally tortured out of a National Guardsman." The A.V. Club praised it with a B+, and The New York Times highlighted its "shaded musings on the moral relativism of the survival instinct." The episode was seen by 6.70 million viewers, slightly above the previous episode's 6.62 million.

Did You Know?

• "Cobalt" was the first episode of Fear the Walking Dead to have a higher viewership than its previous episode, with 6.70 million viewers.
• The episode marks Colman Domingo's first appearance as Victor Strand, who would become a prominent character.
• The New York Times review specifically praised the episode for its "shaded musings on the moral relativism of the survival instinct."
• The military codeword "cobalt" meant that all civilians would be killed by guardsmen in the morning.
• Daniel Salazar tortured Corporal Adams to extract information about the military compound and the sports arena containing thousands of reanimated corpses.