Fear The Walking Dead – Pablo & Jessica

By: Kelsey Juntwait

Getting drunk is not proving to be the smartest thing during an apocalypse. Madison (Kim Dickens) and Strand (Colman Domingo) are buzzed on tequila and surrounded by the infected. We knew from last week’s “Fear The Walking Dead” that they obviously escaped, but the question of how still remained. This week, in episode Pablo & Jessica, fans got an answer.

Using anything they can find, the two begin fighting their way out, only to be interrupted by a frightened yet faint “Mom! Mom!” being yelled from afar (Alicia). Madison’s mind is abruptly focused on finding her daughter. She lures an infected into the bar back where she kills it and begins coating herself in its blood. Like mother, like son. So, now they are drunk, covered in infected blood and scurrying out of the bar (how they haven’t gotten sick yet is beyond me). The two run out of the hotel to track down the voice and see their truck is missing. Strand, convinced Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) took the truck, is trying to assure Madison that her daughter would do anything to survive and she shouldn’t worry about it.

They’re now cleaned up, a little (okay, a lot) hungover and discussing what comes next. At this point, they hear the voice again – Alicia. Busting the door open just in time, mother and daughter are reunited while Strand questions Elena (Karen Bethzabe) and Hector (Ramses Jimenez). Realizing the “hotel guests” want Elena dead after locking them in the hotel to die, Madison and Strand explain why the two groups should join together instead. They need to work together to “make this place a home.” Now, where have we heard that before?

After giving up the keys, the hotel guests realize maybe they do need to trust this group to survive. They start working together to clear out the dead from the hotel. At this point, Madison and Alicia begin to understand one another, respecting one another. After almost losing each other, they know what is at stake now and they recognize the need to work together. This mother daughter pair is quickly becoming the sister ship to “The Walking Dead” characters Rick and Carl.

A sign reading No Swimming: Dangerous Riptide gets Alicia’s brain turning. As Strand and Elena go room by room to unleash the infected, Hector and Alicia team up to collect the ones outside and Madison gets them out of the lobby. (Side note: HOW Alicia’s phone battery is still alive in an apocalypse is beyond me.) Madison conducts her band of groaning zombies out onto the pier. Meanwhile, Hector and Alicia battle the waves to reach the pier in time. Madison jumps off, making it to the boat, and leading the horde of infected into the rip current. These Clark women are big fans of dramatic water exits.

They settle down to celebrate what they’ve accomplished, but it seems the bride’s mother (Brenda Strong) and husband (David Grant Wright) are missing. The two are still dealing with the events that took place at the wedding. Strand, relating to them since losing Thomas, goes up and offers to “help Jessica.”

Cut to Nick (Frank Dillane) in La Colonia where he is wanting to make it up to Alejandro (Paul Calderon) for putting the compound in danger. Putting his “limited yet refined skill set” to good use, he comes up with a plan to mix oxy with baby formula so they can double the amount of drugs they’re able to sell. Alejandro thinks the gang running the supermarket will suspect something, but Nick reassures him and claims, “You’re a pharmacist and I’m a junkie. Trust me.”

While making these new faux pills, Nick asks about Alejandro’s “bite” and makes it clear he doesn’t believe in miracles. Alejandro explains that a boy (an addict), similar to Nick, took a drug that made the undead mistake him for the dead. He was horded and exiled with the infected. Trying to save him, Alejandro was bitten by an infected. Luciana (Danay Garcia) saved him, brought him back to the compound and waited with him until he turned. He never did, though.

Luciana is out playing soccer with the kids of the compound. Nick joins in, making us all melt a little for the compassion he feels for not only Luci, but for the young, innocent children of his new home. As they’re playing, a man runs up to Alejandro claiming “he’s in pieces.” Luci, aware of what’s happening, looks distressed. Nick asks what’s wrong and Luci says they’ve found Pablo, who we later find out is Luci’s lost brother. The two find common ground with both having a lost their family now, even though Nick chose to leave his.

Alejandro, acting like a father figure to Nick, presents him with a small trailer where he tells him this is his home now and that he deserves it for helping them. That night, Luci knocks on his trailer, claiming she can’t sleep. Viewers have noticed a spark between Nick and her all along, but it was confirmed when the episode ended in a passionate kiss.

As these two separate storylines are settling into safety, fans can only guess what unexpected danger lies ahead.