On last week’s episode of “Fear the Walking Dead” we witnessed the attack of the Zombie Altar boys and we watched as Strand’s lover, Thomas, dies from a walker bite. Chris and Daniel may both be losing their hold on reality and the nightmares keep coming. Team Travis is put to the test on this episode and the family must stick together.
Shiva
Shiva in Hebrew means seven. The days needed to mourn after a loved one’s burial. Celia’s plans to have Strand and Thomas take the communion wafers failed with Strand putting a bullet into Thomas’s brain. Celia wanted Strand and Thomas to be together in death. She wanted them to turn. Celia is so angry with Strand that she plans to kick him and Team Travis off the farm after Thomas is buried.
It’s important in this episode to understand where Celia is coming from and why we need to remind ourselves that Rick Grimes is still in that coma. It’s only been a few days and we can understand Celia’s belief that she is witnessing an evolution of sorts of the human race. Death is the great equalizer that shows no favoritism to neither the rich and powerful nor the poor and lowly. If the dead can walk again, then death has been conquered. In this new world, Celia doesn’t care that the dead feed on the living. She no longer fears death.
Nick
What “Fear the Walking Dead” has successfully done with this series is to shine light on the mindset of an addict. Nick, like Celia, is not afraid of death. His drugs were a living death before the apocalypse even began. He spent days in a stupor, mindless to his surroundings, only to venture forth when the hunger for another fix hit him. I think Nick is the ultimate survivor in a world of walkers. He only has to smear some of their blood on him and he becomes invincible.
Celia really does understand Nick better than Madison and that is why Nick is drawn to her. While he was looked upon as “sick” by his biological family, Celia sees him as a child of the new world. Nick is capable to move easily between the world of life and death. Nick thinks of Celia as family and that is why he brings Luis back home. Madison realizes that she is losing Nick, but she won’t give up easily.
Daniel
I like Daniel even though he is a man of mystery. He knows things and especially how to get people to talk, but it’s time we get to know about his backstory. Daniel has been hearing voices, but it isn’t until this episode that we realize that he’s hearing the voices of the people he’s killed during the revolution. Daniel is having nightmares where his daughter becomes one of the infected and he’s talking to his dead wife, which is pretty much a tip of the hat to Rick Grimes talking to the dead Laurie in S03 E06 of “The Walking Dead.”
The flashbacks tell a lot about young Daniel as we see him standing next to a stream full of dead people. The dead are political fodder for whatever revolution is taking place in Daniel’s country. In times of war, even the children are given guns and ordered to kill, but the sin of murder weighs heavy on Daniel and we watch, helpless as he gives into the madness. He even frightens Strand when he insists that Thomas not be buried. Celia has him locked up in the cellar.
Travis
Travis is forced choose sides when Chris runs away. Travis only needs to follow the dotted line of dead walkers to know that he’s on the right trail. I hadn’t understood why Travis was limping, but he’d forgotten his shoes before running off after his son. He does find Chris inside a farmer’s home. I’m not sure why the writers felt the need to have Chris lose touch with reality, but maybe this kid was dealing with a bad case of jealousy. Did Travis pay enough attention to his son after the divorce? Will Travis finally do what’s right for the boy?
Conclusion
I’m going to miss Daniel. He may have killed lots of people over his lifetime and, we don’t know if he was one of the good guys or the bad, but does it matter? War sucks! What we do know is that he knew how to keep people safe. He was apocalyptic worthy. Celia tells Daniel to seek forgiveness from the dead. Griselda’s ghost tells Daniel that he was also a victim. There is only one way for Daniel to end his nightmare. You will be missed, Ruben Blades.
Nick tried to explain to Madison why he didn’t fear death, but his mother didn’t understand. While Nick, covered in walker blood, goes searching for Travis and Chris, Celia takes Madison to the cellar to visit her pet walkers. I wasn’t sure, but after tonight’s episode, I truly believe that Madison is somehow related to Carol. She knew what she was going to do to Celia before she reached the cellar. Celia had done the unimaginable. She tried to steal Nick away from his mother. Madison locked Celia in the cell with the infected.
As Daniel sets fire to the cellar, he sees the faces of the people he’s killed over the years. His debt paid, he dies in the flames. Strand, Madison, Alicia and Ofelia escape as the compound burns to the ground. When Madison asks Nick if he found Travis, he says no. Nick remains behind with the dead. He’s with his own kind, now.
We’ll have to wait until August before the series returns, but for now, Team Travis is split up and I don’t know how or if they will find each other.
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