Part two of the mid-season finale of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD continues.  Jake attempted to parley with Walker.  Madison messed up the deal when she rescued Alicia from the reservation. Ofelia pretended to be ousted by Walker.  In reality, she has just attacked the camp by infecting the militia.  

READ PART ONE OF THE FEAR THE WALKING DEAD MID-SEASON FINALE “THE UNVEILING”

Flashback

In Season two, Ofelia Salazar (Mercedes Mason) left the Rosarito Beach Hotel and made her way north to the US-Mexico border.   Someone shot at Ofelia and she hid under a dead tree.  That someone was Jeremiah Otto (Dayton Callie).  

Otto takes Ofelia to his truck and asks where she is going. She tells him she is headed to Santa Fe. He is surprised that she is American.  He gives her water and tells her to go back where she came from.  

Ofelia asks for a ride.  Otto refuses.  He says she would be uncomfortable.  There are no brown people where he lives.  Otto leaves her in the desert.

Ofelia walks on. She becomes dehydrated and starts hallucinating. She see Daniel.  He tells her to stay awake.  She can’t and collapses.

Qaletqa Walker (Michael Greyeyes) finds Ofelia. He takes her to the Black Hat Motel.  He bathes her and offers her food.

Madison (Kim Dickens) catches up with Ofelia at her getaway truck. She smashed the glass and pulls Ofelia out of the truck.  She asks what Ofelia did to the camp as she beats her.

The next day, the ranch residents clear the dead.  Jake (Sam Underwood) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) take care of those who are sick, including Nick (Frank Dillane).  Madison informs them that Ofelia poisoned the militia’s coffee, but she doesn’t know what kind of poison it was.

Nick Clark (Frank Dillane) and Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) in Episode 8, Photo by Richard Foreman Jr/AMC

Madison checks on Nick.  Jake says they have antibiotics, but they can’t help him until they know what the powder is.

Madison takes Ofelia back to the reservation.  Ofelia insists the powder was supposed to make the militia sick so Walker’s people could easily take the ranch without bloodshed

Madison takes Ofelia at gunpoint to see Walker. She tells him that he killed her husband and now he’s poisoned her son. Walker says the ranch broke the parley. Madison admits she broke the parley because Walker took her daughter.  She demands to know what the poison is.  It’s anthrax and there’s no cure.  

Walker says Madison is free to go. She’s more of a man than Jake Otto and all of his relatives.

Walker says her son will survive if he’s strong. He warns Madison to leave the ranch. His fight is not with her.

She says they fought too hard and lost too much. They won’t run anymore. Walker tells her they will die.

Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) in Episode 8, Photo by Richard Foreman Jr/AMC

Strand (Colman Domingo) makes his way to the beach and sees the Abigail just off the shore.  He rushes to the boat.  There are a few infected onboard.  Strand finds a spear, knife and a gun.  He clears the boat of the infected.

Madison reports back to the camp that the poison was anthrax.  Those who don’t die will be too weak to fight if they are attacked.  

Jake orders Troy to get the militia ready, but Troy is the only one unaffected.  Madison suggests that they recruit the ranchers.  Jake reminds her that she does not’ lead the ranch.

He walks outside, followed by Troy and Alicia.  Jake says Madison is right and tells Troy to arm everyone. Alicia suggests they try to talk to Walker again. Troy says talk is only good if they have something to offer. They’ve already given Walker their water reserves.  Jake says that war is the last resort.  Alicia says there may be another way.

Strand looks around the boat. He finds a white jacket and a bottle of champagne.  He goes to the control room to see if the boat has power.  It’s dead.  He goes outside, puts on the jacket and pops the bottle.

Nick is awake. He watches Jake tend to others.  Jake is sick too.  He says he can’t let others know because they depend on him. Nick convinces Jake to uncuff him from the bed.

Nick asks for Otto.  Jake says he’s burying the dead.  Jake tells Nick that Otto will disappoint him.  The hell they are in is all because of Otto.

Nick goes to the mass grave. And looks at Otto.  He heads home and starts tearing up the floorboard.

Ofelia tells Walker that she cares about the Clarks.  He says she volunteered for what she did.  She’s angry because he gave her anthrax.  He turned her into a killer. He says he saved the nation.  

Walker tells her he almost left her in the desert. He thought she was dead.  He took her to the reservation because she is woman who faced death.  Ofelia is grateful to him for saving her life. He says the debt is paid. They hear screaming outside and runs to see what’s going on.

There are tipis on fire.  Troy and his men are spotted and the reservation guards start shooting at them.  

Madison and Alicia watch from afar. They hook up the Black Hat reliquary to their truck and leave.

Back at the ranch, Nick goes Otto.  He reminds him that Otto shot up his floor and said it had blood in it.  Nick pulls out a skull and asks who it was.  

Otto tells him that some of the members of the reservation started making trouble for Otto saying the land was theirs.  He insists the Indians sold the land to his family fair and square.  Otto says some of the young men from the reservation regularly stole from him and killed his cattle.  He killed three of them. One of them was Walker’s uncle. Walker’s father came to the ranch to find out what happened to his brother.  Otto killed him too. The skull belongs to Walker’s father.

Nick says he had Otto all wrong.  Otto is making sure the bodies stay buried.  He tells Nick to get with the program or leave his land.  Nick says the land belongs to the Indians.  Otto says he holds the land, so it’s his.  Nick says the Indians are coming and then they will see who can hold the land.

Troy Otto (Daniel Sharman), Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Jake Otto (Sam Underwood) in Episode 8, Photo by Richard Foreman Jr/AMC

The group returns with the reliquary.  Walker and his men are right behind them.  Otto doesn’t think their plan will work.  Nick asks if he’s scared.  Otto warns him to watch himself.  He says his hospitality is better than Walkers.

Nick shows Madison and Alicia the skull. Madison says it doesn’t change anything.  Alicia says they are on the wrong side.  Nick says he understands what Madison is trying to do and he’s with her, but here is a line that they can’t cross. Alicia says if they cross the line they are just like Otto.  Madison says they are alive.

Nick reminds her that Troy is alive because they lied for him.  He tells Alicia that Troy killed the Trimbols.  Alicia is angry with Madison.  She says she’s worse than the Ottos because she’s heartless. Madison says she doesn’t have the luxury of having feelings. She’s too busy keeping everyone alive.  She says someone has to be strong and keep them together.  

Victor Stand (Colman Domingo) in Episode 8, Photo by Richard Foreman Jr/AMC

Strand is listening to the CB radio. He hears two men singing. He answer them. The men are radioing from space. They tell him the whole world is infected.

Madison tells Walker they will return his artifacts to them and share their resources for peace.  Walker says he wants the land.  He says Otto’s time is up.  Madison gives him the skull of his father. He says it’s not enough.  He says it’s not his father, its an old white man’s shame.  

Madison tells the rest that Walker doesn’t care about the relics. He wants the ranch. They have until sundown the next day to leave or die.

Later that night, Strand gathers some supplies.  He gets several bottles of alcohol and pours it out around the boat. He sets the boat on fire and leaves.

Madison tells Nick and Alicia about her father.  He was a drunk and abusive towards her mother. She was a young girl when she shot him.  That’s why she never took them to her home in Montgomery, Alabama.  Madison says she would shoot him a thousand times to protect her mother.  She leaves to talk to Otto.

Otto is boarding up his home.  He doesn’t plan on leaving.  Otto offers her a drink and thanks her for standing by his boys.

Madison says she lied to Jake about Walker’s offer for peace.  Walker wants Otto’s scalp.  Otto reminds Madison that he took her in, fed her, gave her shelter and protected her and her kids.  She says she’s not going to kill him.  She’s tired of disappointing her kids.

Madison hands Otto the gun and tells him to kill himself.  She says this is his chance to do something right for his boys and save their lives. Otto refuses.  

Nick comes in. Otto tells Nick that Madison came to kill him.  He say she is tougher than Nick will ever be. Madison picks up the gun, but Nick is the one who shoots Otto.

Troy and Jake run to Otto’s house.  Madison and Nick made it look like Otto killed himself.

Jake and Troy put Otto in a coffin and put it in the barn. Madison goes to the barn and looks at the coffin.

The next morning, Madison meets up with Walker. She hands him a backpack.  Inside the pack is Otto’s head.  Walker nods at Madison and leaves.

Thoughts…

This was the most intense first half season of Fear.  Throughout the series, Madison’s limits have been tested to show just how far she will go to keep her kids safe. The only problem I see with that is she’s wrong sometimes. She overreacts and causes more trouble.  Madison is smart and strong. She is resourceful and can be manipulating when she needs to be.  There’s one other character in the Dead-verse that is like that….Rick Grimes.

Alicia and Nick have matured more while on the ranch. Maybe because they’ve had time to stop and reflect on everything that has happened.  Alicia is the moral compass of the three. She is always looking for a better way to deal with problems.  It’s too bad the moral compass is usually the next to die…and the hardest death to swallow. I have hopes for Alicia. She still has a lot of growing to do.

Nick.  I think he’s got it figured out. He is just like his mother. He will do whatever it takes to keep his family safe.  And he is very intuitive.  He figured out Troy and Otto quicker than Madison did.  He is different from Madison in that he is more patient.  Nick remains guarded, but he is open enough to find out the things he needs.

I was a little worried about the storyline with Walker and the Black Hat Reservation.  Native Americans are not always represented well on television and film.  The writers did a great job with the storyline.  Walker’s group was aggressive, but justified in their actions.  The history of the relationship of between Native American and the US hasn’t always been peaceful.   Thanks to Fear the Walking Dead for showing respect for the history of Native Americans and their struggles with settlers in this nation.

I was happy with how the story didn’t delve too far into the culture of the tribe.  That’s some tricky territory for any show.  They didn’t even really say the tribe’s name so they couldn’t identify with one culture or another. That was smart.  I hope to see more of the Black Hat Reservation.

Fear the Walking Dead returns with back to back episodes Sunday September 10 on AMC!

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