How the West Was Won.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
First off, I just want open this review up with a quick shout out -- to the show itself, to Fear the Walking Dead -- for coming together nicely this season and, arguably, elevating itself up and over the original series. Who would have thought that killing off one of the show's stronger characters (stronger, at least, in the back half of Season 2) would help the series find a bolder voice while also better utilizing its unique landscape.
That being all that now, I wasn't crazy about every aspect of "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" (named after the Bukowski collection). Mostly, it was the contentious pairing of Strand and Daniel as they headed back to the hotel that felt a bit sore - with all of their trek based on Strand's lie about Ofelia. Last week's chapter, "100," was the best outing this show's ever had, though somehow the actual team up of Strand and Daniel, on the road, made for a frustrating ride. Fortunately, their side saga didn't take up too much time and Ofelia's whereabouts were at the heart of it. So as much as we all wonder, week after week, where she's at, there's at least one faction of this show that's actively searching for her.
So then, the question would be: Was Ofelia going to show up with the people who shot down the helicopter and killed Travis? We know she is, or was, in the area based on who we last saw her with. And even though she didn't step out into the open tonight, she still could be a part of Walker's crew. But she wasn't there when Madison, Troy, and the rest of the patrol showed up and got surrounded. So the mystery remains.
Ofelia aside now, it seems what we have going on here is a good old fashioned land dispute. Now that there are no more official boarders, or lines drawn upon maps, this guy Walker -- yes, it's a good thing they don't call the dead "walkers" over on this coast -- seems to want his land back in the name of his Native American people. Thematically it works really well - this sense of everything dissolving back to past eras and something like the Broke Jaw Ranch being in jeopardy because it no longer had the benefit of America's law on its side. Jeremiah prepared for certain scenarios, sure, but nothing like this.
The strongest elements this week centered around Madison's determination to simultaneously prove herself, find out who killed Travis, and undermine Troy with mind games. Everything about her character right now is working and while the show is attempting, somewhat, to paint Troy with some shades of sympathy, she's not going to hold back when it comes to her version of tough love. You could say that after years of dealing with Nick as an addict, and teens of all types in her Monday-thru-Friday job, that she's almost overqualified when it comes to dealing with zompocalypse dips***s. Right now, she's fashioning a clever psychological leash around Troy - one that makes him both despise and respect her. And in doing this, she's looking more and more like a leader to the others.
Back at Broke Jaw, Alicia and Nick had separate side stories involving moments that were more introspective and less gory baton-into-the-eye-socket (Madison does love her eye holes). Alicia wound up having sex with Jake (that was quick!) while Nick had some solemn moments with Jeremiah before trying to convince Luciana to stay with a candle lit dinner. Underneath Nick's story, running like background noise, was the question of whether or not Broke Jaw was a whites-only camp. Was Luciana even welcome? And does Walker's beef with Jeremiah go deeper than just a post-apocalyptic land grab? All of these queries sort of lingered while Jeremiah admired a Wild West Peacemaker-type pistol for its craftsmanship and tried to convince Nick of its beauty. Which in reality was Jeremiah trying to convince him of Troy's specialness.
By the way, the crow nibbling on that guy's brain was something special. This show, this franchise even, is no stranger to icky, splatter-y moments but that particular fate was unsettling in a way that was next-level menacing. We don't know much about Walker right now, but right out of the gate he's ruthless and extremely smart. This series doesn't have a comic book to draw from so there are no Governors or Negans to adapt, for better or worse. In the end though, it makes everything feel a touch more grounded and genuine. Even when we're presented with a pretty gruesome tableau like this one.
The Verdict
Five episodes into its third season and Fear the Walking Dead feels more confident and capable. Everyone's journey, both as a collective and as individuals, feels legitimate and un-forced. Nick's desire to make Luciana feel at home, Alicia's resentment of the future she's lost, Madison's hard-nosed survival mode - it all works. And gone are the days when dangers would descend due to their bad decisions.
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