It's no secret that Fear the Walking Dead is the most inconsistent series on TV in recent memory.

The first three seasons were not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but under the leadership of Dave Erickson, certain aspects of those initial three seasons towered above the main series.

With Erickson's departure at the end of Fear the Walking Dead Season 3, there was a noticeable dive in quality, thanks to inconsistent pacing, poorly developed characters, and some nonsensical storytelling.

Every time the series has shown some semblance of quality, it has returned off the rails before we get accustomed to it.

Surprisingly, the first three episodes of Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 are some of the strongest since those initial three seasons, giving the sense that the latest revamp might bring the show to a close with some dignity.

Many shows don't get opportunity after opportunity to right the ship, so Fear the Walking Dead should think itself lucky it's getting this chance to say goodbye to viewers with a planned series finale.

This time, though, Kim Dickens is back as Madison Clark, helping to right the wrongs of Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss, who thought it was a good idea to write out one of the most critical aspects of the series.

Obviously, they wanted to make their mark, but it's hard not to think how well Fear the Walking Dead would be remembered had Erickson had creative control for longer.

After Madison's return at the tail-end of Fear the Walking Dead Season 7, there were concerns about how she would be brought back into the fold.

The good news is that much of the drama revolves around Madison in these early episodes of Fear the Walking Dead Season 8, giving the sense that she's reclaiming the role she lost all those years ago.

In the past, we've witnessed the lengths Madison will go to to save her children.

Nowadays, things have changed because one of her children is dead, and the other may or may not be alive, thanks to the bizarre storytelling on Fear the Walking Dead Season 7.

Dickens carries much of the emotional weight early in this final season, and the writing is pretty decent.

Lennie James is back as Morgan Jones, and the series finds the right balance of Morgan with the other characters.

When Morgan first arrived on Fear the Walking Dead Season 4, he took up a lot of screen real estate in what seemed like a ploy to solidify him as the show's new lead following Dickens' departure.

As a result, Morgan was used to tell many different stories throughout the last four seasons, forcing James to do a lot of the heavy lifting because the writers seemed adamant about keeping him as the face of the show.

Thankfully, with the more balanced approach to storytelling, Morgan might be getting a decent send-off -- at least if this is James' last time playing the role.

You can't rule anything out in the more expansive TWD universe.

I don't want to delve too far into spoiler territory, but the questions surrounding PADRE are answered relatively quickly, making the slow-burn nature of the storyline more worthwhile.

We meet up with familiar faces and meet new characters who will drive the story forward. In the past, the show has had a knack for introducing characters with little purpose.

That seems to have been remedied here, mainly because the common goal for many of the characters is to reunite with those lost during the time jump.

Taking to the future is another tricky aspect to pull off, but all of the characters who are present have storylines rooted in emotion that help us feel like we're reaching the end of a chapter.

Whether it will be a satisfying chapter, we don't know, but the initial impression is that the show could be going out with its most coherent season in years.

I've been burned one too many times with this show, but the next episodes will be the determining factor.

It may just be me, but I've always considered Fear the Walking Dead an experimental show for things that could happen in the wider TWD universe.

We've had a dam blowing up, nuclear warheads ushering in another apocalypse era, and other wild things.

Many concepts haven't stuck because the storytelling around them hasn't been strong enough to take full advantage.

As you've probably seen from the trailers, much of the action occurs in marshy settings, which complements the storylines in the final season very well.

The final season of Fear the Walking Dead gets underway Sunday at 9 p.m. on AMC.

As always, we'll have you covered with interviews and reviews as the series is airing.

Check out the trailer below.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.