Episode Title: Los Muertos
Original Airdate: 8-28-16
Thankfully Nick is not the main focus this week, as we catch up with what Madison, Strand, Alicia and Ofelia have been up to since escaping the compound. Apparently, they just drove around for two days looking for Nick and Travis and coming up empty. Strand finally convinces Madison that they have to go back to the boat, but when they get to the beach, the Abigail is gone. So it’s time to find shelter, which they do in a nearby beach resort. The place seems safe enough, with no Infected littering the downstairs or hallways. However, when Alicia and Ofelia begin inspecting the individual rooms, they realize many are filled will the undead. Meanwhile, Madison and Strand decide to raid the hotel bar, getting drunker and louder by the minute, attracting a group of undead from a building across the street. Soon the Infected trapped in the rooms upstairs begin falling over the balconies to find the source of the noise as well, trapping Strand and Madison with no chance of escape and no weapons for defense. Upstairs, Alicia realizes what’s happening with the falling dead, but Ofelia has disappeared, leaving the youngest member of the Clark family alone with more Infected bearing down.
Nick, on the other hand, has once again gotten mixed up with some religious zealots. He accompanies Luciana to a gang-run “grocery store” to stock up on supplies, with payment in loads of Oxycontin. Before this happens though, one of the members of their group voluntarily walked into their “wall” of Infected, essentially sacrificing himself, as everyone looks on, chanting, because…reasons. When Luciana explains the reasoning to Nick, it’s sounds like a lot more of bogus religious propaganda, put forth by their leader Alejandro, who supposedly survived an Infected’s bite, without having to amputate anything. Rather quickly and easily, Nick seems to drink to the kool-aid offered him without question, again.
It was nice to do something other than watch Nick wander through the desert on the verge of death. Strand and Madison, who’ve always been at odds with one another, had some nice screen time and chemistry as the two let loose in the hotel bar, which was still a stupid thing to do, but I don’t expect much at this point. I liked that we learned a little bit more about Madison, or at least her past, as she reveals that her husband did not really die by falling asleep at the wheel, but seemed to have some of his own demons with addiction, much like Nick. And the two frenemies did a a nice job teaming up to fend of the attacking Infected at the end. Of course, I’m not worried that anything will happen to either, as both are the two most interesting characters on the show for now. But I am curious what miracle will save them next week.
Alicia and Ofelia were just okay. Ofelia had a little more to do this week as she tried to deal with the death of her father. She’s now lost all hope, which gives her more personality than she’s had since the show started. Here’s hoping the writers flesh out her character more with this new angle. Alicia continues to be an annoyingly optimistic teenage girl, but whatever.
As for Nick’s new “friends,” I am curious about Alejandro’s supposed bite, but I have a feeling it’s all a ruse to get followers. Yet they’ve piqued my interest, so we might as well ride it out. However, I hate that it has once again, and so quickly, resorted to a herd of sheeple and some make believe fanaticism. It feels extremely lazy.
I’ll just sit here and wish for new ideas in this world, hoping we’re not tapped out already.
Channel: Superhero 