FEAR THE WALKING DEAD Recap: (S05E16) End of the Line

Noetta Harjo

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It’s the “End of the Line” on Fear the Walking Dead.  Morgan (Lennie James) and his group found a home, but it’s overrun with walkers.  Their only option is to call for help from the one person no one wants to deal with…Virginia (Colbie Minifie).  What will happen when Virginia gets to the Gulch? 

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Dwight (Austin Amelio) is the only person to walk away from the deal.  He runs through the woods and falls. He hears someone call him on the walkie and immediately thinks it’s Sherri. It is a woman calling for Dwight, but he can’t get through to her. Then he decides it’s not Sherri and throws the radio away. 

Dwight sees the semi and SWAT van in the distance.  When he gets there, he tries to get in the van and hears horses approaching.  He ducks and prepares to shoot. When the horses get there, they don’t have any riders.  

The Gulch
The group thinks of a better way on Fear the Walking Dead season finale
Alexa Nisenson as Charlie, Peter Jacobson as Rabbi Jacob Kessner, Rubén Blades as Daniel Salazar, Maggie Grace as Althea, Garret Dillahunt as John Dorie; group – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Van Redin/AMC

Morgan reaches Virginia and tells her where he is.  She knows the place, saying it was the largest settlement she has ever found.  Their water source ran dry and their leader didn’t listen to her so they all died.  Morgan thinks there is enough room for them and asks her to help clear it out, but she refuses.  

Morgan asks her to take everyone and keep them together, but Virginia thinks that’s a bad idea. She places people based on what they have to offer.  Morgan disagrees with her methods, but she knows they will all die if he doesn’t agree to her terms. He reluctantly agrees. 

Morgan checks on Grace (Karen David), who is feeling better. She tells him a story about a guy she hooked up with before the plant blew up.  She knew it wouldn’t work out, but she thought it was the end for both of them. That’s why she stopped Morgan from saying anything to her. Morgan denies needing to say anything because there’s no need to. They are going to see each other again, but Grace knows better. She knows Virginia won’t take her because she’s sick.  Morgan says he won’t let that happen. 

All Hope Is Lost

June (Jenna Elfman) is sad. She’s afraid of becoming the sad person she was before she met John (Garret Dillahunt). They both know she doesn’t need him to be who she is. John says they have something to fight for and he intends to fight. 

They hear horse approaching, but it’s just Dwight.  He tells them about finding the horses and says the horses are alive because there is water nearby.  That means Virginia lied. They can make the Gulch work once they clear out the walkers. Strand (Colman Domingo) is concerned about the lack of food.  Daniel (Rubén Blades) and Al (Maggie Grace) remind everyone that Virginia will not give up without a fight. And they don’t have a lot of ammo. 

They come up with a plan to herd the walkers like cattle.  Morgan and Grace ride together with John, June, Strand, Daniel and Dwight.  Morgan comes up with the idea to use the herd against Virginia. He thinks they can surround her group and take what they need from her.  Then tell her to leave them alone. 

The Herd
Morgan, Grace and John herd walkers on Fear the Walking Dead
Lennie James as Morgan Jones, Karen David as Grace, Garret Dillahunt as John Dorie – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Van Redin/AMC

Dwight rides ahead and finds a field where they can keep the herd until Virginia gets there.  He also found the water source. Strand knows what road Virginia will use to get to the Gulch, so he and Daniel leave to watch for them.  Everyone else herds the walkers into the field. 

June thanks Dwight for giving them hope.  Virginia can take him to Sherri, but he’s helping them instead.  He tells her about hearing Sherri on the walkie. He thinks it was the heat, but also likes to think Sherri was leading him to do the right thing.  This way, when they do meet up, it will be the way they want to, and not because of Virginia.  

Doesn’t Add Up

Al helps clear out the stragglers in the Gulch and finds some of walkers wearing Virginia’s keys. She looks around and finds more.  Meanwhile Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Wes (Colby Holman) look for a place to paint. They all meet up in the barn and Al shows Sarah (Mo Collins) and Alicia the keys. She says some of Virginia’s riders were among the dead. 

Strand is worried about Virginia getting the SWAT van, but Daniel took the starter so she couldn’t take it.  He asks Strand if he thinks they should give up and go with her. Strand says they should consider it. He says it may not be as bad as they think it is.  Daniel doesn’t like that Virginia isn’t giving them a choice. 

They see Virginia’s convoy approach and radio Morgan’s group.  John instructs everyone on how to get the herd ready. Daniel see Luciana (Danay Garcia) among Virginia’s people and tells them to call off the attack.  They have to move the herd away from the road so Virginia doesn’t see them. Strand takes the starter and tells Daniel to go back to the Gulch. 

Save Dwight
Austin Amelio as Dwight – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Van Redin/AMC

Dwight gets into some trouble as the herd follows him. He falls off his horse and hurts his leg.  He has to leave his horse to get eaten and tries to run. Morgan and the others try to divert the herd away from him, but he tells them to go to the SWAT van. He says he knows what it’s like to live under someone who doesn’t believe in the same things as you do. He can’t let that happen to them. It’s a tough call, but it’s the right one. Dwight rins.  Morgan jumps down and runs after him. 

Morgan catches up to him and they are surrounded by walkers.  John, June and Grace catch up and lead the herd into the river, as Morgan and Dwight hide.  The walkers wash away down the river. Dwight says they can’t fight Virginia without the walkers.  Morgan says they are all still alive.

The Lie

When they return to the Gulch, Al tells them what she found out about the place.  Virginia tried to recruit the settlement and they refused her. She started shooting at them and they fought back, that’s why some of her men are among the dead. The horses belonged to those riders.  If they fight her, they will probably die too.  

Strand is with Virginia, smooth talking her.  Alicia wants to hold onto what they have, but Morgan says they are outnumbered and outgunned.  They aren’t giving up, they are surviving.  

Morgan says they did what they said they would do. They helped a lot of people.  And the only way it means something is if they are alive. Virginia can take them wherever she wants and separate them. But she can’t make them forget what they did or who they are. Everyone is pretty upset, thinking it’s the end.  Morgan says they still have time to live life how they want to.

Wedded Bliss
The Wedding on Fear the Walking Dead
Alexa Nisenson as Charlie, Rubén Blades as Daniel Salazar, Karen David as Grace, Holly Curran as Janis, Peggy Schott as Tess – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Van Redin/AMC

John and June decide to go ahead with the wedding.  The ceremony is short and sweet. Dwight gives them Sherri and his wedding rings.  He says when he finds her, it will be a fresh start for them. John’s finger is too big for the ring, so June ties the ring around John’s neck with a shoe string.  Jacob (Peter Jacobson) pronounces them man and wife. After the ceremony, the sun shines down on the barn and creates a glow that makes everyone smile. Jacob calls it the Ner Tamid. 

They hear trucks pull up. Times up. Virginia is there.  Morgan goes outside to meet her. Strand is with them. He gave them the starter to the SWAT and told them about their plan to stop her.  She asks if he has any more tricks up his sleeve. He says they asked for help and they will take it, but she has to take them all…sick and elderly too.  It’s all of them or none of them.  

Virginia says he doesn’t get to bargain.  He says she won, so she should let them win too.  They are all alive so they are priceless to her. The only way it works if they get a guarantee that they don’t lose anyone. Or they both lose everyone. Virginia reluctantly agrees to his terms.

Giving In

The kids stay together and Luciana assures them everything will be okay.  Dwight is sent away with a random group of people. Al offers to drive the SWAT, but Virginia doesn’t accept. Al lets her know that she’s on to her.  She knows Virginia rigged the game and it’s all built on a lie. So it won’t last. Virginia says it’s not a lie. And she wants to know all about the helicopter that Al saw.  

They separate Sarah and Wendell (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell).  Sarah is very upset. She promised that she would never leave anyone in the rearview mirror and she won’t leave Wendell behind…not because of Virginia. 

Wes and Alicia get in the same truck. Alicia asks Strand if she gave him the SWAT van. He says he needed to be in her favor and besides…they can do more damage on the inside. Someone grabs Alicia’s weapon, making her turn around. Virginia tell him to keep it. Alicia will need it.  

The Hardest Goodbye
John and June say goodbye on Fear the Walking Dead
Garret Dillahunt as John Dorie, Jenna Elfman as June – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Van Redin/AMC

Daniel walks by Strand and asks why he gave them the starter.  He tells him to remember who he is in there. Charlie (Alexa Nisenson) runs up. Daniel promises her that everything will be okay. He will find her.  Charlie leaves and he sees them take Skidmark away. Daniel tries to get the cat back, but they won’t give it to him. 

John and June say goodbye to each other.  He tells her several times that he loves her before they drive him away.  June leaves in another truck immediately after. 

Morgan promises that their doctors will take care of her.  He admits that he felt something for her at the mall. It scared him because he only ever felt it with his wife.  That’s what he wanted to tell her. Virginia introduces Grace to a doctor that will help her. As they take her away, Grace tells Morgan that she felt it too.  

End of the Line

Virginia and Morgan are the only two left at the Gulch. She intends to leave him there, saying she has to protect the future.  He has his stick in hand and swing at her. She shoots him in the shoulder at the same time. Virginia stands up and grabs another gun from a dead body.  She says she resents his face and pulls the trigger. The gun is a fake, so nothing happens. 

The doctor radios Virginia to tell her that Grace isn’t sick. She’s pregnant. About three or four months along.  She’s okay but severely malnourished. Virginia starts laughing and tells the doctor that she will meet him at the lodge.  

Morgan says Virginia would have left Grace out there to die.  He says she was wrong about what they were doing not having a future.  A group of walkers approach. Virginia says she hopes Morgan dies, but it’s not about that anymore.  Now she hopes he heard her. Virginia leaves Morgan on the steps of the barn.  

He crawl to the door of the barn and gets on the radio.  He says what they were doing wasn’t about doing right, it was about the future. They fought for the future. They made a hard call for her…for all of them.  He tells Grace to live…they all need to live. The group of walkers reach Morgan. 

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Thoughts

Not every season is going to end on a high note, but this is the worst finale ever.  There was hope. There was a way to live free. Morgan gave in too quickly and by the time he found hope, it was too late.  Instead they spent 20 minutes trying to herd the walkers for no good reason. Everything they did was for nothing. 

There were signs that Virginia was going to betray Morgan.  She has always gotten rid of the leaders. Tom being the prime example. He should have seen that coming.  I’m not sure why Virginia needs to control people, but she knew she couldn’t accomplish her vision with another leader around.  Virginia knows all their stories. She knows their strengths and most importantly, fears. 

The only hope I have for the group comes from Victor Strand.  He has always been about self preservation. If this plays out like I think it should, season six is Victor’s time to shine.

I’m not happy with season.  I thought the point of it all was about redemption, but the finale shows me otherwise.  They spent so much time having the same conversations.  There were a lot of rookie mistakes and missed opportunities for growth. And the underutilization of Alicia is frustrating.   I don’t get it. 

 

 

 

 

Noetta Harjo
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