With last week’s love affair between John and Naomi, it’s time to get back to zombies, killing, and continuous human betrayals on Fear The Walking Dead. While last week was a breath of fresh air as 90% of the episode was on John’s property where he found Naomi, gave her a new name, nursed her to health, and she eventually left him (she’s always leaving folks), this week we get back to the core group as they enact their plan of revenge against The Vultures.
The episode begins with one of The Vultures going about his normal scavenging for food and supplies. However, this unlucky fellow runs into John and Morgan. John quickly gets the drop on him and cocks his gun at the fellow. John gives him multiple warnings that he’s got the upper hand. However, the guy had to push his luck and ended up getting shot in the hand as John once again shows he the most badass cop-turned-cowboy of the apocalypse as he blows the man’s finger straight off. John is on a mission to find out the fate of Naomi (since Alicia told him that she’s dead). All he wants is information, but he’s so desperate that he’s willing to kill for it. Morgan talks John off the ledge, and John even gives his guns to Morgan after its deescalated. Morgan and John then warn the guy that Alicia, Luciana, and Strand are looking for them, and they should avoid going about their normal route.
We then go to the “Before” time period where everything a was a little simpler. Naomi is user her nursing skills to help take shrapnel out of Alicia’s arm. The people at the stadium are still very low on supplies as they must figure out a way to stretch a simple can of food amongst the entire group. They will have to once again go out and look for supplies. Even with the truckload of food and supplies that Strand “found” (which is causing friction between him and Cole), the group will have to go out for another run.
Naomi once again tries to leave. When stopped at gunpoint by another person in the community, Naomi says she is going to where she knows the food is. She explains that it’s at an abandoned military base, but it’s dangerous. Madison insists on going with Naomi to get the much-needed supplies. Strand, who knows that Naomi is very much like him, is openly hostile to her, calling her a coward after she tells him and Madison that she really was planning on leaving (with the promise to leave a map for the group). At this point, Strand is just deflecting as he knows he’s just a guilty. Speaking of guilt, he finally fesses up to Madison about how he came across the truck. He was creating his own stash “just in case.” While Madison is disappointed, she’s not upset with him. In fact, towards the end of the episode, she has Alicia do the same thing, “just in case.” The trio stays the night in a motel where they come across two zombies that seemingly have killed each other over a can of beans, obviously foreshadowing that something like that will probably happen in the future.
The next day, Naomi hotwires their car and heads to the site herself. So much for Strand taking her keys. Naomi arrives at the camp where she sees the former habitants who have all turned into zombies. She manages to sneak in through the unlocked back door where she goes into a supply closet. She opens a chest full of guns and finds a set of car keys labeled “JID” on them. As she tries to escape unseen by the zombies, one body catches her attention. It’s most likely he daughter as she has a breakdown. She reveals to Madison and Strand that her daughter caught pneumonia, and she had to leave to get medical supplies (eventually meeting Joe). Her daughter ended up dying and then killing the rest of the camp as a zombie. This has caused Naomi to carry a munch of guilt as a result.
She manages to become trapped by the zombies and escapes by climbing a scaffold, but this makes her trapped as a result. Lucky for her, Madison hasn’t given up on her and she and Strand come in and rescue her. She distracts the zombies while strand makes a tightrope for her to climb across so that the trio can escape. Naomi then comes across to the truck that was loaded with supplies by one of her friends at the camp, who prepped “just in case.” After killing the zombie version of that person, the trio leaves to head back to the stadium. When they arrive back at the stadium, they are given a hero’s welcome as they have all the necessary supplies for them to continue surviving. Having finally earned a victory, The Vultures then leave. Melvin realizes it will take longer than he is willing to wait but warns Madison that their luck will run out eventually.
Back in the “Now,” Alicia, Strand, and Luciana plan their attack on The Vultures with Al filming the whole thing. However, the only car that shows up at their supposed meeting place is Joe and Morgan. They advise them that they warned the Vultures not to come. Morgan who knows about long and drawn out fights, know nothing good will come of this. However, he thought their warning would keep The Vultures away. Instead, it gave them an open invitation for a firefight. Morgan steps in between the two camps as they are prepared to shoot each other to pieces. Just as they are about to attack each other, a car comes from behind… a Land Rover.
Out comes Naomi, who apparently is now with The Vultures! John is excited to the woman he loves and greets her as “Laura” and she’s surprised to see him as well. Alicia becomes enraged and tries to shoot Naomi, but John steps in the way, taking a shot to the chest.
Fear The Walking Dead, you already killed Nick. Don’t kill John!!!
We have to wait two weeks for the next episode, but it looks like we’ll finally have a faceoff between our heroes and The Vultures.
