Fear The Walking Dead – Ouroboros

By starrymag | April 27, 2016

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

Last week, we watched our group start to encounter new people and along within it, the reality of this new world they live in. But if last week’s episode was any indication of what’s to come, this week delivered an even more disturbing message.

 

“It’s okay, Alex.”

 

The episode begins with water, followed by voices and people swimming to the surface. As the picture comes into focus, the audience sees what is left of a wreckage. (Namely, the wreckage of Flight 462, a mini-sode aired during commercials for “The Walking Dead.”) And there, in a life raft, are the two passengers on the plane – Alex (Michelle Ang) and Jake (Brendan Meyer). They are aware of the outbreak along with a handful of passengers. Jake has been badly burned on his face, but Alex is adamant on treating his wounds rather than letting him die.

 

Fast-forward to a period of time later, Alex, Jake and one other surviving passenger remain in the boat. The other passenger urges Alex to end Jake’s suffering, as there is little hope for him to live with all of the burns on his face. But still, Alex still refuses to kill Jake.

 

“The longer we wait, the bigger the risk.”

 

Strand (Colman Domingo) tries to reach out to the person he was talking to in the prior episode, with a little less success. Meanwhile, while Travis (Cliff Curtis) and Madison (Kim Dickens) try to enjoy the alone time they have, the boat stops dead in the water. Strand, Madison, Travis and Daniel (Ruben Blades) convene as to determine what caused the boat to break down.

 

Travis volunteers to go down under the boat to see what stopped it, discovering a reanimated body stuck in the filtration system. It was the survivor from the life raft. While taking apart the filtration system to determine the damage, Travis advises Strand that the repairs may take the day, but Strand is adamant that the repairs need to be done immediately. They need to keep moving.

 

Daniel goes to check on Ofelia (Mercedes Mason), who is still recovering from her injuries from last season. Unfortunately, she has now run out of antibiotics and infection is starting to set in. Ofelia assures her father that he should trust the Manawa family in helping them get through this, but Daniel is adamant that they need to stick together.

 

“Stop putting us at the kid’s table.”

 

Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) starts yelling to get everyone to join her on the deck. In the distance, she has spotted luggage on the shore and debris from an airplane. As the others join her, she tells Madison that they should go ashore to check the luggage for supplies. Nick (Frank Dillane) and Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) want to go with her. Madison and Travis are reluctant to let their children go alone so Daniel steps up to accompany them on their mission.

 

Before gearing up to go, Daniel pulls Madison aside and shares his reservations about Strand. He has found the maps that Strand hid from view, showing that the intended location for them is in Mexico. Madison wonders why Daniel has entrusted her with this information, to which he tells her that she may be more diplomatic when it comes to conversing with Strand.

 

“Stay within view.”

 

Nick, Alicia, Chris and Daniel make it to the shore to rifle through the wreckage. Daniel only has one request: that the children stay within his view. Nick and Alicia are quick to comply with his request, but Chris decides to go off on his own. When he wanders off, he finds the cabin of the plane a little further down, discovering three bodies still in the seats – two reanimated and one with their eyes closed. As Chris goes to kill one of the animated, the third opens his eyes and begs for Chris to help him.

 

Unfortunately, as Chris goes to free the man and gets him out of his seat, it is discovered that the man’s spine is broken and death would be a more welcome help. Chris decides to give him the release he is requesting and kills the injured passenger.

 

“Where the hell are you taking us?”

 

While Travis is fixing the boat and the children are ashore, Madison confronts Strand about their new course. Strand confides that the boat is on its way to Baja, California. There, Strand has a compound with supplies and security. Madison bargains with Strand to go to the compound, even though Strand sees the family together as an issue for him.

 

When Madison shares the news of Strand’s new plan with Travis, he is reluctant to agree with her. Instead, he feels that him and Madison are drifting apart, on the boat and in their relationship.

 

“They’re coming. Run!”

 

As Nick, Alicia and Daniel continue to rummage for supplies, Daniel takes notice that Chris is no longer within his view. He goes in search of Chris while Nick and Alicia still search for clothing and medicine to bring back. Alicia then goes looking for Chris, leaving Nick as he discovers the antibiotics to bring back to Ofelia.

 

Daniel continues to shout for Chris and sees someone running towards him, thinking that it is Chris. Instead, it is Alex and she tells Daniel to run as there are reanimated bodies coming straight for them.

 

While Nick is filling up his duffel with medication, he hears the tell-tale signs of a reanimated body. Making his way over to the ledge, he discovers the body stuck in mud, being eaten by crabs. As he tries to maintain his footing, the dirt underneath Nick’s feet gives way and he falls into the trench with the walker. Fighting him off and stabbing him in the head, Nick then sees the beginning of the herd of reanimated coming his way, one falling into the trench with him.

 

“Where’s Nick?”

 

Alicia finds the cabin wreckage, where Chris has been this whole time. He assures her that he’s fine and they now make their way back to the raft, running into a panicked Alex and Daniel. The herd has finally come to the group.

 

On their way to the raft, it is noticeable that Nick is missing and they cannot leave until they find him. Therefore, the group prepares to fight their way through the bodies coming at them.

 

On the boat, Madison sees the threat on the shore and rallies Strand and Travis to show them. Travis knows that it is imperative that he now gets the boat up and running immediately so that they can leave and avoid the threat that is coming their way. Travis manages to clear the filtration system, which had a hand stuck in it and the boat starts up immediately.

 

“We need to make it stop.”

 

While the group on the beach are finding it harder and harder to get through the herd, Nick suddenly appears to help them out, covered in blood from one of the reanimated. With the blood on him, he is able to walk amongst the herd and kill them without fear of retaliation.

 

Successfully, Alex, Daniel, Nick, Alicia and Chris are able to get to the raft to head back out to the boat. But before they get to the boat, Alex says she needs their help getting something to bring with them.

 

“It’ll never hurt more than right now.”

 

As the raft approaches, Madison and Strand see that the main raft is towing another raft with it: the raft that is carrying Jake. When the group goes to bring Alex and Jake onto the boat, Strand refuses to let them on. He sees every new person as a threat and stands by not having anyone new on his boat. But Alicia is persistent and she doesn’t understand why they can’t help Alex and Jake out.

 

Madison then shares the new course to Baja with everyone and placates Alicia by saying that Alex and Jake can stay in their raft and be towed by the boat. Travis steps up to support her decision, which causes Strand to walk off while they help their new friends.

 

While Alicia does not agree with this arrangement, Madison lets her know that this is the best she can do. Alex and Jake remain in their raft and Alex assures Jake that it will only get better from here now that they have people. But it is Strand who gets the final say. As Madison watches the raft from the boat’s dock, Strand comes out and cuts the rope to the raft, effectively stranding Alex and Jake in the water.