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Fear the Walking Dead: Just in Case

"People don't change. When pressed, when cornered, the artifice falls and the curtain drops. They always show you who they really are."

Oh, Naomi. You've turned out to be quite the slippery so-and-so, haven't you? At least you injected some life into a fairly boring slog of an episode.

After a very tense and nightmarish rope climb, we learned a lot about Naomi. If you've been watching Fear the Walking Dead or The Walking Dead for any length of time, you could probably finish Naomi's story before she finished telling it, not that it's any less tragic for it's predictability. Her daughter got sick, died, turned, and killed all her friends while Naomi was out looking for antibiotics. Since then, her guilt has been chasing her from place to place, but was any of her story true? If it wasn't, why go to such lengths and risk so much? If it's true, it's perhaps been heavily edited.


Strand spent much of the episode hating himself, and pouring that hate outward onto Naomi for being as cowardly and self-serving as he views himself to be. I still hold that Victor is a better man than he believes, or at least he's capable of it. He was right about Naomi, however, albeit for the wrong reasons. I predicted some weeks ago that Naomi was part of the Vultures, but I'm not sure if it's come true or not. Did she join up with them for the sake of survival? That seems likely based on what we know of her, but the way she spoke over Mel's walkie-talkie and the way she drove up to the stand-off by herself seemed to indicate some kind of leadership role. If she is indeed the secret leader of the Vultures, ala Henry Gale/Ben Linus, then she just got way more interesting and so did the Vultures.

Speaking of the Vultures, they came pretty close to being threatening this week, didn't they? When our survivors achieved a major victory over their wait-it-out ways, Mel dropped his smug, faux-affable persona for the first time to give Madison a pretty unveiled warning about what was to come. When they rolled up to the stand-off, we got a better idea of their numbers, but then they poured out of their trucks dolled up like hipsters. And there was Mel, with his stupid post-apocalyptic haircut. They looked like Mad Max characters from a student film, and I outright laughed.


Morgan, you idiot. I'm down for trying to find non-violent solutions, but there's a difference between advocating for peace and outright helping the bad guys. He didn't have to kill the Vulture that John interrogated in such a Raylan Givens manner, but did he have to give the Vulture freakin' advice? Just let him go. Don't tell him anything, Morgan, you big dink. Still, it was quite touching that he's grown to care so much about John Dorie. That said, John's actions at the start of this episode upset me a little: are we going to get a retread of the hundred other character arcs in both shows that involve a good man turning bad? I hope not. At least John was aware enough (and ashamed enough) to give his guns to Morgan for fear he wouldn't control himself.

Bits & Bobs

- If y'all are wondering why I haven't spoken about John Dorie being shot, it's because there's zero chance he's dead and I'm not falling for a dumb cliffhanger.

- Strand gave some exposition about post-dam life. Madison and Alicia nursed him back to health while Nick went looking for Luciana. They spent time in a cave. I'm kind of grateful we're not going to have a full flashback episode about their cave time.

- I'm calling it: Madison is dead. She's dead, and damn I am unhappy about that. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

- What was the plan to take out the Vultures? It seemed like the stand-off was the only possible outcome regardless of Morgan's idiotic actions.

- Even though this episode was mostly about Strand, Madison and Naomi, Alycia Debnam-Carey was the stand-out acting-wise. She communicates so much with those big doe eyes, and despite being cuter than a wellington boot full of kittens, she manages to bring out a hard-edged viciousness that's very believable. I totally got her rage, grief and sense of betrayal.

- Althea didn't do much in this episode, but I put a picture of her up there anyway, because I like her. That's how corrupt I am.

Quotes

Mel: You be careful, Madison. In my experience, the really bad stuff never see it coming.
Kind of a self-defeating threat, since Madison will now definitely see Mel coming. Cause he, y'know, threatened her.

Mel: Hey I'm sorry about your brother.
Alicia: Really? I'm not sorry about yours.

Two out of four cans of beans.

3 comments:

  1. I hope you're wrong about Madison, but I suspect you're right.

    - If y'all are wondering why I haven't spoken about John Dorie being shot, it's because there's zero chance he's dead and I'm not falling for a dumb cliffhanger. And here, I hope you're right. They wouldn't make us fall in love with him only to write him out this quickly. Would they?

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  2. I adore John Dorie and dont believe he is dead. I hope his character doesnt go the baddie route as time passes , but I also dont want him to turn into another Morgan.

    Morgan is a NARC.

    They are definitely leading us to believe that Madison is dead. Maybe she is injured and holed up near by and that is why she is not with the others. But that visceral anger Nick had towards Ennis before killing him and saying to Morgan you dont know what he (or they) did kinda makes me think Madison is dead.

    Naomi confuses me , I like her and then I dont like her over and over again.

    Thanks for reviewing Jonny

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  3. John Dorie better not be dead or we riot! Especially so soon after Nick and Madison being 99% dead. For a moment I thought she'll be the secret Vulture leader, but that would be too stupid.

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