Fear the Walking Dead always reminds us that “People are People.” They are going to do what they want to do. Some weigh the cost of their actions. Others don’t. In “Today and Tomorrow,” Morgan (Lennie James) and Al (Maggie Grace) are presented with a new mission but their trust issued have to be ironed out first. Time is running out for Grace (Karen David).
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Building a Better Tomorrow
Al finally got Morgan to open up about his wife and son. He watches the tape of the stories he told her and smiled. Al says it’s time the rejoin the convoy, but Morgan wants to set up a few more boxes before they go back. They are almost out of gas and may have just enough to get back. But when Al goes to get a gas can, she finds one is missing.
That’s when they meet a man named Tom (Joe Massingill). When they first meet, Morgan tells him that he’s there to help, but that what the Settlers told him. Tom is running from the Settlers. He tells Al and Morgan that he lived in a condo complex called Paradise Ridge. It was secure, had a pool to filter water, and a rooftop garden to grow food, but it didn’t last. That’s when the Settlers showed up.
They told him the same story they told Luciana and the group last week. These ‘pioneers’ were building a better world. It was bigger than all of them. Their plans weren’t about today, it was about tomorrow. And that plan did not include Tom. They tried to kill him but he got away. He wants to go back and get his sister Janice before they kill her.
Morgan wants to go in and rescue Janice. Al thinks she can do it alone, but Morgan knows it’s about more than finding the girl. She doesn’t tell him, but Al is triggered by the part about building a better world for tomorrow. It’s pretty obvious she thinks Tom came from Isabella’s people. And she knows what will happen to Tom if they find him. She asks Morgan to trust her as she gets ready to sneak into the complex.
Welcome to Paradise
Later than night, Al is luring a walker towards the gate at the complex. Morgan shows up and kills the walker, ruining her plan. He wants to know who Al is really looking for. He tries to make her feel guilty for not being honest with him. Al turns the tables on him and asks why he’s staying away from the convoy. Morgan plays it off like he’s out there to help her, but Al knows better. Morgan is running from something.
The walker makes it to the gate. The security guard opens the gate to kill the walker and Morgan and Al run in. They hide in the stables and see a tanker roll in. Morgan recognizes it as one of theirs. Al says the tanker isn’t theirs anymore. Morgan admits that he has been avoiding going back to the convoy and says the reason is complicated. Now he’s worried about his people. He wants to talk to the Settlers to make sure they didn’t hurt anyone.
Al knows how dangerous these people could be and warns Morgan that they will kill him if they find him. She admits hearing the bigger and better world speech from someone’s organization might be working with the Settlers. She has been looking for this person, but didn’t think she’d seem them again.
Paradise City
Morgan tells her to go look for her friend. He will find Tom’s sister and get her out. Then find out how these people got their truck. Morgan goes to Janice’s apartment, but doesn’t find her. He finds a walker instead. It appears that these people tried to kill Janice, but she killed her assassin first and ran. Morgan fights off the walker and throw it off the balcony.
Meanwhile, Al finds a room with lists of food, medicines, supplies and materials, and maps of their settlements. Morgan tells her that it’s time to leave. When she exits the room, she runs into the walker that Morgan pushed off the balcony. They fall into the pool and Al is almost bitten several times. Morgan finds the and dives in to save her. That’s when Virginia (Colbie Minifie) finds them both.
Travelling Wilburys
Grace (Karen David) and Daniel (Rubén Blades) are looking for supplies. They know they have to head back to the convoy soon because they are almost out of gas. The convoy radios Grace to let her know that they lost the oil fields. It’s definitely time to go home.
Later that night, their truck breaks down. Daniel says it can’t carry the weight of the supplies. Grace feels responsible, but Daniel says she didn’t know what would happen. Being a realist is not a realistic option anymore. They grab supplies, vinyl records, Skidmark and start walking to find shelter for the night.
As they are walking the talk about Daniel’s journey. He says he was ready to just spend the rest of his life with Skidmark. A couple of walkers emerge and Daniel has to put the records down. More walkers come out of the woods, tripping over the records. It’s too much for Daniel and Grace to handle so they grab the cat and run.
Today and Tomorrow
The next morning, Al is sure that Virginia and her people will kill them for sneaking around their complex. When Virginia finally comes to meet with them, she brings them food. She knows them by name and their stories from the video. Al asks about Janice and she ran away shortly after Tom escape. Morgan asks about his friends and Virginia assures him they are fine. That brings them to the oil fields.
Virginia says she is trying to preserve Paradise Ridge and she can now that she has the gas to do so. She says they are helping people, but she has different ideas on how to do that. Neither Al nor Morgan like the fact that they kill people to preserve their way of life. She even offers to help Morgan by offering the help of their psychiatrist. Al has one last question. Do any of Virginia’s settlements have a helicopter? Virginia calls Al crazy for asking. She obviously doesn’t know anything about Isabella’s people.
Virginia lets Morgan and Al go after giving back their weapons and equipment. She even had someone fix his aikido stick. She says people need to see what they can do. She invites them to come back and join them. Morgan says she’s living in the past, trying to hold on to the past no matter what the cost. Virginia says she has the future, he just doesn’t see it yet.
It’s Alright
Grace and Daniel continue their conversation about Daniel’s journey. He says everything changed when he met Charlie (Alexa Nisenson). Must be the Dad in him. He wanted Charlie to hear the vinyl records. He asks Grace to watch over Charlie and Skidmark if anything ever happens to him.
Grace admits she is worried about Morgan. She wanted to help him, but she couldn’t and she doesn’t think she can. Daniel says she did help him. He saw it at the mall. Morgan’s smile was so big and Grace did that. He says she helped more than she thinks. Grace finds a guitar and says Daniel can play the music he wanted Charlie to hear. She starts playing and Daniel gets up to sing with her.
Borrowed Time
Al and Morgan meet back up with Tom. He apologizes for sending them to the complex for nothing. Al says they needed to see the complex for themselves and Morgan says they won’t give up. The truck is almost out of gas so they stop to fill up. Al turns on the camera for Morgan to continue his interview. He starts to say something, but then realizes something.
Morgan asks Al if she cares about the person she’s looking for. She says she does, but she also cares about where she’s from and what they were doing. It’s different than what Virginia’s people are doing. She hoped to find a connection between Isabella and Virginia.
Morgan told Virginia that she was holding on to the past, no matter the cost and he’s doing the same thing. He says he’s going to be okay and doesn’t need to talk about it anymore. He grabs a radio and calls for Grace. Daniel answers, telling Morgan that Grace is sick. She is running a fever and chills. Grace knows it’s the radiation.
Morgan asks for their location and Daniel answers. Morgan says he’s on his way. Grace hopes to see his smile one last time. Daniel covers her up, saying she’s going to be okay. She agrees and says she won’t be a realist this time.
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Thoughts
Fear the Walking Dead delivers another slow episode. They really could have elaborated on Virginia and her story a little more, instead we get the same story she told everyone last week. Now…granted, Morgan and Al weren’t at the oil fields last week and haven’t had any contact with their friends. So having them find out this way was interesting to say the least. We did get a glimpse of how Virginia’s people are living, but what I want to know is…who is she to decide who lives and dies?
We are getting parallel story lines with Virginia and the settlers. They remind me a lot of the Saviors from The Walking Dead, but Virginia isn’t as intrusive as Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) was. Since Morgan and Dwight (Austin Amelio) know all about the Saviors, they should know how to handle these folks. Will they have to resort to their old ways to save their friends? Or can they reason with Virginia enough to take over her complex and reclaim the oil fields? Only time will tell. Time is running out. There are just two episodes left folks. This one may bleed into the next season. Let’s hope it’s not as slow.
I really liked the duet between Ruben Blades and Karen David. If you’re wondering, it is the Traveling Wilburys and the song is “End of the Line.” I’ve been waiting to hear Blades sing.
News Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Editor. Coordinate breaking news, trailers and press releases. I also contribute reviews, recaps and interviews. Creator of the Indigenerd Wire, a column dedicated to the Indigenous creatives in pop culture.
GGA's resident Indigenerd, a little bit rez, a little bit classy...with a love for all things Star Wars, zombies, science fiction, and Indigenous. My ultimate goal is to start my own podcast.
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