What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Fear the Walking Dead

As Daniel’s boat comes in, a zombie is on the beach, caught in a fishing net with a starfish attached to its head. Daniel asks if Hawk has ever seen where the tankers came from, but Hawk says, no. Madison thinks this is a waste of time, but Daniel says, their fuel is low and they need to find out where PADRE gets their supply. She tells him that they’re giving Troy time to regroup, but Daniel says he lost a daughter too, and they’ll make Troy wish he’d died at the dam. The tanks are empty and zombies start coming out of the woods. Victor suggests they go inside the gas station. When they go in, they hear music playing, and Daniel says, whoever is in here, show yourself. He tells Hawk to shoot anything that moves, and goes to look around. It’s like a gas station/mini mart, and there’s a sign that says, take what you need. Madison asks what this place is, and Victor says, relics of a bygone era. Daniel comes back and says, they’re clear. Victor asks if Hawk is sure this is where the gas comes in, and he says he is. Madison sees a one-armed zombie and starts banging on the window, drawing the zombies to it. She tells Victor that there’s one missing a left arm, and takes Alicia’s mechanical arm out of her bag. Victor tells her that this isn’t healthy, and the agitated zombies scrabble at the window. It breaks and Madison falls back onto the floor, a zombie on top of her. Victor kills the zombie and helps her up, and the group takes off for the back of the building. They hear shooting outside, and the zombies fall. Daniel says, it’s not them, so who was it? Luciana walks in, and is shocked to see Madison. She says, Madison died a long time ago, and Madison says, she’s been getting that a lot. Luciana wonders why Victor is there, and Daniel asks if it’s really her. He’s been looking for her for a year. Luciana says, he found her.

Along with some men of Luciana’s, they clean up the zombie mess, and Victor asks if Madison is okay. She says, her baby was alive and she didn’t even try to look for her. She’s Alicia’s mother and should have never given up. Victor says, the last thing Alicia would want is for her to die in the process, but Madison says, if Troy was telling the truth and Alicia’s still out there, she needs to put her to rest. Victor says she will. If Alicia’s out there, they’ll find her. Madison tells Luciana that she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to trash her gas station. Luciana says, Daniel told her what Troy did to Alicia. Madison has nothing to apologize for. Madison hugs her, and Luciana says, so much has happened. There are fresh supplies in the back if they need them. Victor thanks her, and Daniel asks if Luciana’s been making gas. She says, PADRE brought her in years ago, and she didn’t have a choice. He asks who they used against her, and she says, him. She asked for his freedom in exchange. If she hadn’t, they would have killed him, since they considered him too old to be useful. He thanks her, and says he thought she was on the island, but she says they needed someone to refine fuel and she had to work in the shadows. Victor asks why she set up the gas station, since there are bad memories from the last time they holed up in one. Luciana says, if she was helping PADRE, she wanted to make sure she was helping others, and Madison asks what the place is. Luciana says, it’s a way station for travelers. There are 23 locations in the network throughout Arizona. As long as she delivers the fuel, they don’t ask questions. She can let them have gas as long as Troy doesn’t figure it out. She’ll send a tanker to the main road, and they can wait there for it. She needs to keep her operation safe. Daniel says, they haven’t talked in seven years, but she says she needs to protect the place. Daniel says, Troy didn’t follow them, when a truck pulls up. Luciana radios her people outside to tell Iron Tiger to wait. Madison asks who Iron Tiger is, and Lucina says, they should leave now. It’s safer for them to wait in the back. She goes outside, and Madison wonders if she’s telling the truth, but Daniel says, she wouldn’t lie to him. Victor says, she knew he was alive and didn’t look for him. She’s moved on. If it was a choice between them and her place, which does he think she’d choose? Daniel says he’s going to show them how mistaken they are, and he marches outside. He tells Luciana that the others think she’s up to something, and she says, he’s making this harder than it needs to be. The others have now followed him out, and Madison says, Luciana is making it harder. Who’s in the truck? Luciana says, it’s not him, and Victor asks what she’s worried about then. Madison walks closer to the truck, and Luciana’s people draw  their guns. Victor draws his gun, and the truck door opens. The driver steps down, facing away from them, and Madison says, turn around slowly. It’s Charlie, who’s surprised to see that Madison is still alive, and Daniel is surprised Charlie is still here. Daniel hugs her, and she says, June didn’t have what she needed at the Tower to treat the radiation poisoning, but PADRE did and Luciana gave it to her. Madison wonders why Charlie wouldn’t let them see her, and asks, what the hell is going on? Victor says, it’s complicated, but Charlie says, it’s not. She… shot Nick. She was scared and Ennis was dead. She pulled the trigger and she’s so sorry. Madison lunges for Charlie, but Victor holds her back and says, don’t do something she’ll regret. Luciana says, let her explain, but Madison says, there’s nothing to explain. Get the hell away from her, both of them. She flashes back to various times with Nick, and takes a sledgehammer to an old truck. She kills some zombies with it, and Victor brings her oxygen. She breathes some in, and she says, he knew? He says he thought Charlie was dead, so he didn’t think it mattered. She says, he didn’t? The girl she brought into the stadium killed her son. Victor says, she had no idea how it would play out. He should have told her. She hammers at an already downed zombie, and says, it’s not okay. If she hadn’t brought Charlie in, Nick might still be here. If she’d hit Troy harder, Alicia might still be here. If she’d done things differently, they might both be here. Victor holds her, and says, maybe he should take her back to the island. Daniel can handle getting the fuel. Madison asks how and why Charlie is still here. How was she let back in? Victor says, they gave her the same thing everyone else wants – a second chance. Madison asks if Alicia would want that, and he says, she’d be the first one to forgive Charlie. Madison doesn’t think she can forgive Charlie, but Victor says, no one is asking her to. Charlie wants talk to Madison, but Victor says, it’s not a good time. Madison says she wants to hear what Charlie has to say, and Charlie says she doesn’t blame Madison. She hated herself for a long time. She doesn’t expect Madison to forgive her, but she needed to say that since she doesn’t know when she’ll see Madison again. Madison says, Charlie just wants to feel better about herself, and Charlie says, she was 11, scared, and being used by  people older than she was. She’s so sorry she took Nick from the world, so she tried to turn her pain into something more. That’s why she’s doing what she’s doing, making things like this possible. As bad as Nick’s death was, something good came out of it. Just tell her if she can make Madison see the good. Victor says again, it’s not a good time, and Madison says, Charlie snuck into the stadium and fooled her, her son, and everyone. She wants Charlie to do the same with Troy. Charlie asks if Madison wants her to find out what he’s planning, and Madison says she wants something else. She wants Charlie to kill him. Victor says, don’t do this, but Madison says, Charlie took the stadium and her son. It’s the least she can do. Charlie says, Madison is right. She’ll do it.

Daniel says he thinks it’s too dangerous. They know what Troy is capable of. Let him do it. Madison says, Daniel won’t even get close to Troy. He doesn’t know Charlie and won’t see her coming. Daniel says, for years he thought Madison and Luciana were dead. He doesn’t want to risk Charlie. Madison says she knows what she’s doing; don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Charlie says, she’ll bring the fuel to Troy. He’ll be less suspicious if he gets something out of the deal. Luciana says, then what? and Charlie says, she’ll fix it for them. When she comes back, no one will have to worry about Troy anymore. She’ll also find out what happened to Alicia. Madison tells her not to pretend to care, but Charlie says, Alicia was her friend. She knows Madison doesn’t believe her, but she wishes she could take back shooting Nick. He was like a brother to her. Madison says, if he was, she wouldn’t have shot him, and Luciana gives Madison the keys to the tanker. There’s enough gas to last for months. Daniel asks if he can stay until Charlie returns, but Luciana thinks it’s best if he goes back to PADRE. She stays hidden to keep things like this from happening. Daniel says, maybe he shouldn’t have come, and she says she wanted to find him, but needed to protect everyone. He says he’s proud of her for that and her whole operation. Inside, Madison tells Victor not to look at her like that. She’s not letting that a-hole take the island. Victor asks, why, if it’s not what Alicia wanted? and she says, if Charlie is telling the truth, she’ll show them by killing Troy. Victor gets on the radio, and Madison finds a coffee can with a note on top of it that has her name. She says, this is her son, and Luciana says, they were clearing roads, and Charlie wanted to see where Nick was buried to tell him that she was sorry. Luciana didn’t realize how much she missed him until she saw his grave. Charlie said he deserved something better, so they cremated what was left of him and brought him here. He’d been buried in Field Hill country, so they could get to the weapon cache. Victor says, they were in a dark place, and Madison says, Charlie was right; Nick deserves better. Luciana says, they didn’t know where that might be, and Victor says, but Charlie thought Madison would. Madison asks if they can reach her, and Luciana radios for Iron Tiger. Charlie answers and Madison tells her to come back. She was right about Nick. He deserves better and Charlie should be there to say goodbye. Charlie says she can’t come back, but Madison says, Charlie doesn’t have to do what she asked. She was just a kid and doesn’t have to make up for Nick. Charlie says she means she literally can’t come back, and we see Troy’s men aiming their guns at the truck. Troy tells her, get out of the truck, and Madison ask, where is she? How did they find her? Charlie says, they were patrolling the road, when Troy opens the door, and hears Madison asking where she is. Charlie tries to make deal for the gas, but Troy asks why he should trust anyone talking to Madison. He tells her, get out of the truck. They have a lot to talk about. Luciana unplugs the radio and tells Madison that she can’t reveal where they are. Madison says she’s trying to do the right thing, and Daniel says, she wants to do the right thing now? They have to help rescue Charlie. Luciana says, they have to go, and Victor says, they’ve all suffered losses, but Daniel says, they have to try. Madison says, it looks like they’re going back to Troy.

Charlie’s wrists are tied to a chair in a room with shards of glass covering the floor. Troy is whacking the left arms off of zombies that are brought to him, and tells his men to bring in another when he’s finished. Charlie says, he doesn’t scare her, and he slices of her bonds with his sword. He says he finds it easier to talk when things are equitable. Don’t try to run. The last person messed up their feet so bad, they only got a half mile before the dead found them. She asks why he’s cutting their arms off, and he says he’s got to pass the time somehow. She says, he wants Madison to think they’re Alicia. Why did he kill her? He says, he’s the one asking questions. He’s not the only person who’s killed a Clark. Is what Madison said true? Did she kill Nick? Nick was a friend of his; he was like a brother. They were both better suited to this world than the last one. That’s what they thought anyway. Why was Madison trying to protect her? Charlie says, Madison was giving her a second chance, and he laughs. He says, if she believes Madison’s kumbaya bullsh*t, it’s going to get her killed. No one gave them a second chance. Charlie asks what he wants, and he says he wants to know where PADRE is. She asks why he cares, and he says he needs somewhere to set up shop, a place people like Madison can’t take from him. She asks, why not this place? and he says, they took it in one afternoon. They need someplace more secure that no one can take from them. Charlie says, someplace he can take from Madison, but he says, that’s just the icing on the cake. Charlie says she doesn’t know where PADRE is, and he puts his sword to her throat, saying, he doesn’t believe her. She says, she left the gas tankers for them to pick up, and tells him, drop the sword. He says he doesn’t believe her, so he guesses they’ll see how fast she can run with glass under her feet. He starts to unlock the gate keeping the zombies out, and she says, wait. There’s a map in the truck with a list of the drops. Maybe he can use it to figure out where PADRE is. He hears Russell on the radio asking for someone to check an explosion outside. The tanker just blew sky high. Troy says he wants a headcount now, and asks Charlie if it was on a timer. Is that why she wanted them to bring the tanker in? A man on the radio says, they need to get the fire out before it draws more dead, and Troy tells Charlie that she’s going to help him find PADRE whether she knows where it is or not.

Walking down the road, Madison and the others hear the explosion. They hear Russell on the radio asking how big the fire is. A man says, the whole thing went up and it’s spreading fast. Daniel says, it must have been the tanker, and Troy asks if Madison is there. She takes the radio, and asks, what the hell happened? He says, her tanker exploded, and she says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Daniel tells Madison that it must have been part of Charlie’s plan to be captured, and Troy says he has Charlie; she wasn’t in the truck when it blew. They must trust Charlie if they sent her in to kill him. He guesses they thought he’d be killed in the blast. Madison tells him not to hurt Charlie, and he wonders what Nick would think. She says, he’d get it. People do sh*tty things and come back from them. Troy says he’s glad she thinks so. She’s going to have to do something that will upset a lot of people. She says she wants Charlie back alive, and he says he wants to know where PADRE is. Victor says, they’ll hit him with everything they’ve got, and Daniel says, Troy doesn’t deserve PADRE. Troy says, the girl or PADRE? and Charlie says, don’t tell him. He kicks the chair over, and she lies in the glass. He puts the radio near her, and Daniel says he’s going to strangle Troy with his bare hands. They head back to their truck, and Troy asks if they hear that as Charlie gasps. He says he’ll kill her if they don’t tell him what it is he wants to know. Madison says, meet her in front of hotel, and she’ll tell him where PADRE is.

They drive close to the hotel, then walk. They see a burning zombie, and Madison says, it’s missing an arm. Where are they coming from?  Troy and his men meet them, and Troy tells them, hold it. There are a lot more of them inside. This better not be a trick. Madison says, no tricks; he has her word. He says he’s not sure that’s worth anything. He’ll hand Charlie over when she gives him PADRE’s location. Daniel says, if he hurts Charlie… and Troy says, let him guess. Daniel will take out his other eye. Daniel says, Troy will wish he did, and on the radio, Charlie says, don’t make a trade for her, but Madison says, Charlie is there because she asked her to be. She asks Troy how she knows he’ll hold up his end of the deal, and he says he’ll send his right-hand man to the location to find out if she’s bullsh*tting. He doesn’t care about Charlie. He just wants a safe place. Madison took everything from him, so he’s going to take everything from her. Madison asks if this is about Jeremiah, but Troy asks if she thinks he gives a sh*t about his old man. She says, then what did she take from him? but he says, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is PADRE. Victor says, there must be another way. They have people to consider like Frank and Klaus. They need assurance Troy won’t hurt the people there. Troy says, they’ll have ample time to leave. He doesn’t care about the people, just the settlement. Victor says he’ll drive, and Troy says, no weapons. Madison tells Charlie that they’re getting her out, and Charlie stabs one of the guards watching her. She says she just took out one guy, and she can take out another. Madison tells her, don’t do this, but Charlie says she’s not going to watch another place Madison built be taken away because of her. Madison says, it’s not her fault, and Troy asks why she’s doing this for Madison. Charlie says she’s not. It’s not what Alicia wanted, and Nick’s death has to mean something. Victor said Alicia’s last words to him when she thought she was dying was, make it mean something. Madison says, they’ll build something else, but Charlie says, he’ll just go after another place. They won’t kill her because it’s the only way for him to get what he wants. Daniel tells Troy, she’s right. If he kills Charlie, he’ll have no leverage and won’t know where PADRE is. Troy says, no one is shooting anyone. Put the gun down and they’ll work it out. Madison says, let Charlie go, and he can have PADRE, but Charlie says, don’t give him the location. Madison says, it’s not Charlie’s choice, but Charlie says, yes, it is. Madison won’t have to give him PADRE if he has nothing to trade. She flashes back to all the people she’s met and being with them, and Daniel says, no! Charlie calls up more memories, then shoots herself. Troy asks if the other guard can’t stop her, but he says, she’s dead. Daniel lunges for Troy, but Victor holds him back. He says, Troy is lying, but Troy says, Daniel heard the guard. Madison says she’s so sorry, and Daniel says he’s going to kill Troy for this. Troy says, this is not how he wanted this to go, but they can’t leave. He needs the map. A man radios that Tracy is missing, and Madison says, they have kids in there? Troy says, why did she think he wanted PADRE? The man says, Tracy said she’d never seen a truck running, and went to the tanker. Troy takes off running and calling for Tracy.

Troy goes to the burning tanker, continuing to yell, Tracy! He shoots zombies until he’s out of bullets, and pulls out his sword. A zombie gets him down, and Madison kills it. She asks what the hell he’s doing, and he says he’s not going to let another kid die after what happened. He opens the cab of the truck, and Madison says, whose kid? He says, she’s not in the cab, and a man tells him that there are dead everywhere, but Troy tells them to keep looking. Madison asks why he didn’t just tell her the truth, and he says, so she could take his daughter? Madison says she didn’t take anyone from him, but he says, that’s not true. His daughter’s mother is dead because of her, and he doesn’t have time for this. Madison follows him as he kills any zombie in his way. She says, he’s been cutting off their arms, making her think Alicia is everywhere she looks. They fight, and Madison gets him down. She asks who he thinks she took, and he says, the woman who rescued him at the dam. She gave him a second chance. He’s got to find his girl. Madison says, now he knows what it’s like wondering where your kid is, and Victor runs up. He says, they’ve got to get out of here, and drags her away.

On the road, Madison sits in the truck and watches Daniel on the truck bed looking despondent. Madison gets out, and we see he’s looking at Charlie’s hand sticking out from the tarp that’s been put over her body. Luciana tells Madison to use the fuel wisely; she won’t get more. They lost Charlie, and now Troy knows about her people. They’re at risk. She let herself get dragged into a fight that wasn’t hers. Daniel wants to go with Luciana, and tells Madison that they sent Charlie into a viper’s nest. There’s something fundamentally wrong with Madison. This is the second time someone dear to him died because of her. Madison says, they need him, but he says, they don’t. They need the army he’s assembled, if she can convince the parents of the children she stole that she’s changed. He tells Luciana that he wants to come and help take care of her like he’s wanted to for years, and she says, okay. He gets in the truck with her, and they drive away.

Victor tells Madison that what Daniel said isn’t true, but Madison says, it is. She sent Charlie to Troy to pay for what she did top Nick. It doesn’t matter that she changed her mind. Charlie is dead. Victor wonders why Troy thinks she killed the mother of his child, and she says she doesn’t know, but she can’t go back to PADRE with Victor. Daniel was right. She can’t ask anyone to follow her. He says, they’re not building it for her, but for Alicia, Nick, Frank, and Klaus. Madison says, if she stays it won’t happen. He has to keep the promise. He says he needs her; he can’t do it alone. She gives him the keys and says, he’s going to have to, and walks off alone.

Next time, Dwight confronts Troy, and Sherry is in big trouble.

🍭 Everyone Gets a Goodie Bag…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and what’s on Deck in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your black cat indoors on Halloween, and stay not making it harder than it already is.