A hotel resort and spa seems like a great place to hunker down as the world ends on Fear the Walking Dead. And that’s exactly how Madison feels once she and Strand are reunited with Alicia. But first, there is a lot of work to do as they make nice with the wedding party and clear the hotel of walkers in this episode, “Pablo and Jessica.” Back at the Colonia, Nick figures out a way to ration some drugs to help out Alejandro at the pharmacy.
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Making Nice
While Alicia is encountering Elaina and the other hotel/wedding guests, Madison and Strand fight their way out of the bar by covering themselves in walker blood and walking among the dead. They head outside to see the truck gone and then make their way into a resort that’s filled with clothes and water. After they clean up and figure out a way to hunker down for the night, they hear Alicia in the hallway. They let her, Elaina and Hector in.
After the introductions, Madison thinks they need to go after Ofelia. Strand is convinced that she’s gone off in the truck. Alicia doesn’t really seem to care about Ofelia and whatever decision she’s made. So, instead, Madison turns her focus to securing the hotel as a place to live. Elaina explains the hotel, what she’s done and how the wedding guests want her gone.
Madison goes to reason with the group, which is led by Oscar, the groom. At first, he’s hesitant, and the bride’s mother is adamant that she doesn’t want Elaina to live. However, Oscar’s tune changes when Madison says they are taking the hotel and clearing it of the dead either with or without them. Strand later tells Madison that after he helps clear the hotel, he’s leaving, as this is not his home.
Clearing the Dead
At first, they decide to go room by room to kill each of the dead inside. It takes a while, and on day one, they’ve only done one floor in one building. There’s 17 floors and three buildings. Alicia says it will take weeks, and Madison’s concerned that they don’t have weeks. She’s worried that other groups will find the resort and get hostile. And I don’t blame her. Alicia then realizes that there’s a dangerous rip tide under the boardwalk. They explain the plan to the group to basically draw the dead out, lead them onto the dock and straight into the water, to get pulled away by the current.
The plan seems to be executed beautifully, with Madison’s crazy jump to the water below, as all the walkers follow her. Later on that night, both groups have a delicious feast prepared to celebrate. The table is missing Oscar and the bride’s mother. Strand goes up to Oscar’s room, where he’s keeping watch of his dead wife inside. Strand explains that it’s time to let go and kill her. He offers up his help. Finally, Oscar obliges, and Strand goes into the room.
A Grand Drug Plan
Back at the Colonia, Nick goes to see Alejandro and explains that he has a way to ration the pills, both at the community and to give to the drug dealers. He crushes some oxy and mixes that powder with some powdered milk, then he presses the powder and makes a pill. At first skeptical, Alejandro realizes this is a good thing for the community, which will bide them some time.
While they are making pills, Nick asks Alejandro about the incident where he was bit. Nick tells Alejandro that he doesn’t believe in miracles or that the story actually happened. Eventually, back outside, Alejandro tells Nick about the time he was bit and how Luciana saved him. He says he waited for death to come, but it never did. It’s clear that Nick is still skeptical, but he doesn’t want to press the issue.
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A New Friend
While playing soccer with some kids, a man returns from a mission and tells Alejandro that Pablo is dead. Luciana is clearly saddened by this news. On their run to deliver the drugs, Luciana opens up to Nick about her family.
Later on, pleased with the run and the pills, Alejandro gives Nick his own home. While he’s studying some Spanish, Luciana stops by. They bond a little bit more, discussing his family. She falls asleep for a bit but then goes to rush out. Nick questions why she’s “testing” him. And instead of explaining, they share a passionate kiss.
Now They Get It
It took a while for Madison on Fear the Walking Dead to “get it.” But then again, it took a while for the whole world to jump on the end-of-the-world bandwagon. I’m glad they are staying at the resort and clearing it of the dead to try and live a normal life. And while I understand Madison’s sense of urgency about clearing the dead and fortifying the resort as quickly as possible, I just don’t understand why they freaked out when they saw how long it would take to clear the rooms. I mean, it’s the zombie apocalypse; those people have all the time in the world to get stuff done.
I’m curious about how long they will stay in the hotel. To me, the hotel is similar to the prison on The Walking Dead.
We still don’t know where Ofelia really went. And we don’t know the outcome of Chris and Travis. I still think that Travis is in a tough pickle and that Chris shot that farmer in the previous episode.
And I can only imagine that Nick’s new pill-making scheme will only last for so long before the drug dealers catch on. Then I imagine things in the Colonia will get bad pretty quickly.
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.
(Image courtesy of AMC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
