The latest instalment of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead saw the surprising revelation that Wes’ (Colby Hollman) brother, Derek (Chinaza Uche), was still alive and living with a community at a location called the Holding.
It was a heartwarming reunion that saw the brothers fondly embracing.
While Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey), Luciana (Danay Garcia), and Althea (Maggie Grace) did not trust Derek, Wes hoped his brother would not only protect him but leave the cult-like community.
As FTWD introduced the community, a burning question soon arose — did Derek know Wes was at Tank Town when the Holding was intent on destroying it?
Wes discovers his brother is still alive
Episode 11 of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 saw Alicia’s small group infiltrate the community where Derek lived. Previously, viewers learned from Wes that his brother went out for creamer and never returned. The presumption was that he had died.
However, it was soon revealed that Derek had survived and that he returned to where Wes and he had been staying, but Wes had since moved on.
Things looked pretty good at the start as the brothers filled in each other on what they had been up to since parting ways. Then, a question hung in the air about whether Derek knew about Wes being present at Tank Town when the Holding community destroyed it.
Members of the Holding community destroyed Tank Town after infiltrating the oil field group. At one point, they had even blamed Wes for the explosion that saw the destruction of the town.
It is unclear in the latest instalment of Fear whether Derek knew his brother lived at Tank Town, leading to speculation among viewers asking whether his brother really cared for him or if the Holding community had truly brainwashed Derek.
Derek betrays Wes in Episode 11 of Fear the Walking Dead
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the series showrunners spoke specifically about Derek’s allegiance. After all, his brother seemed convinced — particularly at the start — that he would never betray him in such a manner.
However, Derek truly had gone over to the dark side.
“The final ruling would be, he did know. And it just speaks to Teddy’s power of persuasion,” Andrew Chambliss revealed before explaining that Wes also worked out that his brother put the Holding community above their blood tie.
“What’s heartbreaking about it is that Wes sees that his brother is not the same person that Wes knew. That Wes has been completely brainwashed and corrupted by Teddy. And he’s not going to be moved off his course of destruction. And Wes is sort of left with no choice but to choose the family that he’s found. And it means, unfortunately, that Derek has to meet a bad end because of the choices he’s made, the person he’s become.”
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC.