Last week on Fear the Walking Dead, it looked like our main characters were saved (at least to them) by the arrival of the National Guard. This episode picks up nine days later than where last week’s episode left us, and the area that Madison, Travis, the Salazars and company are in is fenced in with the National Guard keeping watch and doing sweeps. The peace, or at least temporary reprieve from the riots last week, is tense and the National Guard isn’t telling everybody everything. There wasn’t much zombie action, but the drama was taken up a notch. Problems arise in the family for both Travis and Madison and the national guard aren’t endearing themselves to anyone with their standoffish behavior.
Normalcy
While some of our characters are trying to get back to normal, it is obvious that normalcy is a long ways away. We open up with Nick in a pool, Travis on a job as we see the fenced in area, and Chris sits on the roof giving his camera and us the viewer a recap on what has been happening in the nine days since the power went out. While video taping the aftermath of what happened around the area, he notices a house outside the safe zone (aka the DZ) with a light blinking on and off. Then too, domestic squabbles are brewing between Madison and Travis with the pressure of the situation wearing on both.
Pressure Building
Lt. Moyers of the National Guard reads off a list to the people of the fenced in zone and it is obvious that it is a tenuous relationship where the people are scared and want more information than the soldiers are willing to share. Lt. Moyers and Travis appear to have formed some sort of relationship and Travis is asked to go talk to one of his neighbors before Lt. Moyers is forced to “take him down.” His neighbor Doug, with whom Travis doesn’t have much of a relationship, is at his breaking point. Doug is unsure of what to tell his kids and the entire situation seems to be too much for him, but it appears that Travis manages to reach him.
Addiction
Alicia is roaming around the neighborhood and makes a stop at Susan’s house, who she witnessed get shot in the head in last week’s episode. Her thoughts are obviously with her boyfriend, and it appears that she knows he is already dead. Liza has been going around the neighborhood helping out those who are sick or injured. With her leaving one house where she helped this older lady with her sick husband, we see Nick hopping out of the pool and peeking through the fence. Nick’s addiction has taken back control as shortly after we see him under the sick man’s bed with a needle inserted into his foot. After being blown off by his dad earlier in the day, Chris takes his camera to Madison and shows her the house that seems to be signaling for help, and he might have found someone to believe him.
Information Blackout
Ofelia and one of the soldiers have hit it off as we find them with some one-on-one time, with things getting a bit serious. We find out in their conversation that Ofelia asked her soldier friend about the medicine and learns that it is being stockpiled for when the soldiers try and take back the city. We go from one heated exchange to another with Madison and Travis having some make-up sex in the car in their garage. Shortly after, we see that all isn’t right between them, as their kids are a source of aggravation between them along with how they are both are approaching what is happening. Madison is a lot more tense and worried than Travis, and the lack of information is driving her a bit manic. Travis has a bit more of a laid back approach and his belief that the soldiers will take care of everything doesn’t sit well with Madison.
Driving Range
Madison, after talking to Chris and seeing his proof, goes to the roof herself to try and signal that random house in the DZ. At the same time, Travis is rushing around the fenced in area looking for Doug when he finds his car abandoned by the fence. Travis then goes in search of Lt. Moyers to ask him to help find Doug, but Doug has already been taken care of and shipped off to headquarters. Interestingly enough, Lt. Moyers is just enjoying some golf, driving some balls into the DZ. Just before Travis heads back home, he tells Lt. Moyers of what his son saw, but it is quickly blown off by Lt. Moyers.
Beyond
We then head back to Liza, who was in search of a man she had helped. We meet Dr. Exner and find out that Hector (the sick man) had been sent away to get help. Dr. Exner quickly calls out Liza on not being a nurse, but with all the good she has done he asks to her to keep pretending for a little longer. Madison decides to go investigate that random house on the hill herself and sneaks out of the safe zone, and what a sight she sees and smells. Bodies lay everywhere as she tries to piece together what has really happened when a unit of soldiers heads down the hill forcing her to hide for cover under a car with a dead body.
Salazar’s Tale
Dr. Exner convinces the Salazars that Griselda needs surgery and Daniel, while not completely trusting, decides he will go with her. Liza leads Dr. Exner to Nick and we find out that Liza has mentioned Nick’s addiction to the doctor. Travis shows up as Nick gets examined, and while it is obvious that Dr. Exner is suspicious of Nick’s sobriety, it is the news of the people in need of care being driven somewhere else that draws Travis’ attention. Madison returns to the house and her and Daniel have a bit of a heart-to-heart. Madison tells Daniel what she saw and he tells her a story of when he was young. Daniel’s message is that whenever whatever is happening finally happens that she must be prepared. He then asks Madison to look after his daughter when he goes off with his wife.
Splitting Up The Family
Nick is losing control as Madison finds him roaming around the house looking for drugs. She isn’t having any of it and loses it a bit when her fear and anger overtake her, smacking Nick as he tries to crawl into a ball to avoid her slaps. Alicia finds Nick after that incident hiding in the bathroom. Nick doesn’t tell her what happened, but it appears that they finally have a brotherly and sisterly moment. Travis finds Madison hiding out in the garage after her run-in with Nick when the National Guard shows up at their house. They take Griselda, but we find quickly that they won’t let Daniel go with her. They are also looking for Nick. Due to Liza informing Dr. Exner of his addiction, Nick isn’t given a choice and is forced to go with them. Travis tries to play peacekeeper, but the soldiers won’t have any of it even putting a gun in Chris’ face. Dr. Exner convinces Liza to go with them as they need all the help they can get, while Chris watches her leave him. Everyone else is forced to watch them drive away, and Madison blames Liza informing Travis that did this. Travis finally appears to understand that not everything is going to be alright as he watches the house that was signaling them earlier get lit up with gun shots.
This week’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead was a good episode that slowed things down again action wise, but helped build up the tension. It is obvious that there is a lack of trust between the civilians of the safe zone and the soldiers, and a lot of that has to do with the lack of information being shared. The Clarks, Manawas and Salazars all have a member taken away at the end of the episode and it will be interesting to see if they will be able to reunite before things get worse.