‘Fear the Walking Dead’: “TEOTWAWKI” [Recap] and a Fan Favorite Returns

Episode 3 of the third season of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead entitled “TEOTWAWKI” (the end of the world as we know it), didn’t have much to offer in the form of action but it did give us an answer to one of the biggest questions of season 2. But before I get to that, let’s recap what has happened so far.

We open with Jeremiah Otto’s 90’s infomercial for his doomsday prep tape series TEOTWAWKI. We get a glimpse of his wife and a younger Jake and Troy Otto.

Present day, or should I say present day back in 2010, the Broke Jaw Ranch community has gathered for a memorial for Charlene who died after the helicopter crashes in the last episode. We get a sense that Madison, Nick, Alicia, and we can’t forget Luciana (Danay Garcia) in the infirmary, are not very welcomed. They are referred to as the ‘unprepared’ and are blamed for Charlene’s death. Madison (Kim Dickens) tries to do some damage control by introducing herself and her kids and talks about Travis. She thanks, everyone and states that they will repay the generosity that has been given to them.

Vernon, a community member asks what action is being taken against the shooter of the helicopter. Jeremiah (Dayton Callie) reassures him and everyone that whatever it may be, they “will act”.

While grabbing some food, Madison and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) meet Gretchen who is Vernon’s daughter. She invites Alicia to a “Bible study” where she will be able to meet Geoff to which Alicia tries to politely decline. Gretchen, however, won’t take no for an answer.

Luciana is finally looking like her old self. She tells Nick (Frank Dillane) that as soon as she is released from the handcuffs, they should leave. Nick is struggling with this telling her that he had a chance to kill Troy but she tells him he is not a killer.

Troy (Daniel Sharman) visits Madison in their dorm and they share a heart to heart. He admits that school was a challenge for him. Madison continues to try to read him. He tells her that she understands him and the was the reason he picked her for the sanctuary, but not Nick. She tells him that they are a packaged deal and that he will earn his place. She instructs him to remake the bed he was lying in.

Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) is driving towards a dam and then through groups of people headed towards it. We see them exchanging good for water. He goes up to the men handing out water and asks if they know Dante. They tell him nothing and to go to the end of the line. he refuses and insists on speaking with this mysterious Dante and the men wrestle him to the ground. He pleads with them that they are wrong and Dante appears, saying Victor’s name and telling him he looks like s**t.

Back at the ranch…hahaha, like that, huh? Anyway, back at the ranch, Madison admits that she is trying to get on Troy’s good side. Kinda like, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. She tells Nick to stay away from him because he’s just simply a wack-a-doodle. Nick wants to leave because he knows that the community might not accept Luciana and will have to leave. Madison tells Nick if it happens then he’ll have to choose.

Madison goes to Jeremiah to reassure her that they are safe. She asks him to keep Troy on a short leash. Jeremiah asks if she is a hard person to like and she agrees that she is especially if they threaten her family. She brings up the fact of Troy killing people in the name of science and threatens to tell the community. Jake tries to come to her defense but Jeremiah cuts him off. He asks Jake to show her the ‘tapes’.

Jake (Sam Underwood) tells Madison that he’ll take care of Troy as he’s setting up the tapes. She thanks him for saving Alicia and he states that she saved him too. You can tell that there will be something between Jake and Alicia.

Jake confronts Troy and orders him to stay away from the Clarks. Troy states that they are his friends. Now I am not sure if he is being sarcastic or actually believes that they are his friends but from what we do know about Troy, He is living in some sort of post-apocalyptic fantasy land and he might, in fact, think that they are.

Alicia, Gretchen and the rest of the Bible Study group head underground. She is surprised to find out that it is just a hidden place where they can be kids and smoke pot. Alicia joins in and asks where Geoff is. Gretchen opens up a barrel and pulls out a birdcage with a severed infected head, Geoff. She sets it in front of Alicia who studies it for a bit and then breaks out in laughter. The rest join in. Eventually, they ask each other questions through Geoff. They are curious about what has been going on out in the real world. They reveal that they know Troy is not a good person and that he took Geoff’s body but they put up with it because he does what they can’t, protect the community by fighting and killing. Alicia tells them that they can’t always depend on the ‘Troys’ of the world and they have to take care of themselves. They ask her what bad things she has done and how she feels about it. She admits that she killed a man and it was easy.

Madison finds outtakes of the infomercial. She witnesses verbal abuse between Jeremiah and his wife. He reveals to her that the woman in the tape was Troy mother and that drinking killed her. Troy would take care of her and she hated him for it. Madison connects with him because her dad died pretty much the same way.

Strand and Dante begin by taking shop talk and about Thomas. Dante walks with Strand to the dam where Dante’s men are holding a man over the edge. They throw him to a mountain of infected. They grab Strand and Dante asks him if he truly believed that they were once friends. Strand replies that they made each other a lot of money. Unfortunately, that does not cut it in this new world. Strand will somehow pay for his past con artist skills be working off whatever debt Dante feel Strand owes him. Dante accuses him of conning Thomas in regards to not truly loving him. Strand states that he did.

Nick goes off and unwillingly joins Troy on a hunt for wild boars. Troy watches Nick go off on his own and he follows. Knowing that Troy would follow, Nick hides behind some brush and tackles him as he walks by. Nick aims his gun at Troy and Troy begs him that if he does it, to note it in his journal. Nick stands and shoots…off to the side of Troy’s head…UGH! He then takes Troy’s journal and begins tearing out pages while laughing like a madman. They wrestle and after Nick gives up the journal, Troy states that they can now be friends. Huh? yeah, so confused.

Madison and Jeremiah connect some more. They share a smoke and talk about their kids. She reveals to him about Nicks addiction. He takes her to the huge storage pantry underground filled with supplies as well as an armory. She is eyeballing those guns. He tells her that he puts up with Troy because he broke him the old world and in this one, he has a purpose. He asks her if her family is up for creating a better world, she agrees.

Madison Stops to visit with Luci and Luci tells her she’s sorry about Travis. Madison tells her that they will survive now at all costs. Luciana is left confused as to what she meant.

Jeremiah asks for volunteers to go with Troy to go check on a group that when out. A few men volunteer and so does Madison to the surprise of almost everyone. She sits to eat with Troy and passes Nick and Alicia. Troy states the obvious and she agrees while motherly placing Troy napkin on his lap to eat. Ahhhhh…very smart Madie. Playing the mother role to get in his head and once he shows weakness, take him down.

Strand is given a canteen of water. He takes it and drinks that whole thing. He turns to look outside his cell and notices a familiar face…Ofelia’s father, Daniel Salazar whom we last saw setting the hacienda on fire in season 2. He simply tells Strand that he knew he would be his guardian angel. A call back to an episode last season to where he tells Strand the same thing.

The episode ends and we are left wondering whether or not Strand is hallucinating or if Daniel did survive somehow. I have always suspected he did. I knew that he couldn’t give up on Ofelia that easy.

But as we see in the preview of next week’s episode, we will get to see how Daniel got out of the burning house and how he comes to find Dante and this group of people.

I don’t really care but want to know at the same time. I am just so excited to have him back on the show. We all love Daniel Salazar and what he brings to the group and hopefully, he can team up with Strand and find their way back to the other group.

We will look more into Daniel’s return when I write my preview for the next episode.

Fear the Walking Dead airs every Sunday at 9 pm on AMC.