‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Recap ‘Ouroboros’
In the latest installment of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’, Strand’s true destination comes to light and while on a mission for supplies, part of the group encounters another survivor. The episode opens with several survivors of Flight 462 in a liferaft. One by one they all end up in the water, except for two, one of which is in grave shape. But how will these two end up meeting our group? Didn’t take too long to find out…
As the Abigail cruises along south along the coast through the night, the boat suddenly loses power. Travis, who has become the resident fixer of all mechanical things, throws on some diving gear and checks the boat’s filtration system intake. Unaware that they had been sailing through a bit of wreckage from Flight 462, Travis finds part of its remains (or someone’s remains) stuck in the intake. While they are stopped, Alicia sees land with even more remains of the flight washed ashore. Daniel takes Alicia, Nick and Chris to shore to scavenge for supplies, but before he leaves he informs Madison that he had uncovered Strand’s true destination: Mexico.
Madison confronts Strand with this information. They have a tense exchange about trust, and how to proceed from this point. Strand tells her about another fenced in compound in Baja, but he only has a limited amount of time to arrive there. Madison gives him her best ‘Rick Grimes impression’ and tells him “Victor, you even look wrong at anyone in my family, I will throw you overboard”.
After her chat with Strand, Madison goes down into the boat where Travis is fixing the intake, and tells him the new plan. He wasn’t exactly receptive, and I sense that their relationship will see much rougher seas in the episodes to come.
On the Island…
Daniel, Chris, Alicia and Nick sort through the suitcases that washed up from the crash. Chris goes off on his own and finds part of the fuselage of the plane. After hearing a noise inside, he goes in and finds a bit more than he bargained for. A few infected, still strapped in their seats, and one man still somehow alive with a severely broken back. He somehow manages to find the courage to put the man out of his misery, but only time will tell what kind of effect this will have on him. Chris had to kill this man out of mercy, just as Travis did to his mother. I wonder if this will be the point where Chris is able to let some of his anger go and realize his father did what was necessary.
Once they realize Chris is missing, Daniel, Alicia and Nick go look for him. Nick finds a bit of trouble in a sand pit, Daniel finds a crash survivor fleeing a herd of infected and Alicia finds Chris at the fuselage. Eventually the whole group comes back together and they quickly get into a fighting formation we the viewers are very familiar with thanks to The Walking Dead ‘mothership’ in Georgia. Nick arrives just in time, covered in the blood of the infected, and learns another very important rule: their blood is camouflage against them. His arrival is what sparks the rest of them to hop back into the zodiac, with this new survivor, and head back to the Abigail.
Oh, but they need to make a stop first. Remember that liferaft with the gravely injured passenger? Yeah, they end up towing it back the Abigail. Want to guess how Strand welcomes his new guests? Pretty much how you’d expect. Madison and Travis insist on helping them, and after a menacing glance from Madison, he agrees to tow their raft along behind the Abigail. Until, several hours later, he changes his mind and cuts them loose in the cover of night.
‘Ourboros’ was a pretty significant episode for ‘Fear’s’ second season. We saw Chris have to kill his first human. We saw Alicia have to make her first kill. Nick discovered the wonder of zombie blood, and Madison made a devil’s bargain with Strand. She may not know it yet, but I believe that is what she did. Don’t get me wrong, I still say that Strand is one of the smartest men alive in the apocalypse, but I think that he is also starting to come a little unraveled. That could be from being wound too tightly, or whatever his real end game is, is beginning to float away just like the raft he cut loose.
The interactions in this episode are helping to set the tone between these people going forward. Nick is going to keep adapting to the world as it changes and crumbles around him. Alicia is either going to find strength in fighting for survival, or she going to break under the weight of having to do whatever is necessary to live. Madison is going to do what she needs to do to protect her children. She loves Travis and I think she’s going to try and keep him on her side, but I have no doubt that if Strand’s plan makes them fall on opposite sides, she’s going to take whatever path ensures the most safety for her kids.
What did you think of the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead? Is Daniel being unreasonable for not letting Ofelia ask Madison for help? Is Chris going to finally forgive his father for mercy killing Liza? Will Alicia eventually meet her CB boyfriend Jake? Tune in next Sunday to find out!
Writer of stories, watcher of TV. I am an avid horror and sci-fi junkie who’s been riding with the Winchesters since their dad went on a hunting trip in 2005. Current obsessions are The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files and The Dark Tower movie. Find me on twitter – @jryan_author – for your daily dose of sarcasm and poems about my unnatural love of coffee.
