So, is it just me, or is Fear the Walking Dead awesome again? This week sees Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and a small group infiltrating the “End is the Beginning” group, and as we all suspected, it’s a big old messy cult.
Along with this is the startling revelation that someone is alive who we all thought was dead.
No, it’s not Madison (Kim Dickens). Although, she does get a mention in this week’s episode when the “King of the Crazies” — or Teddy (John Glover) — is having a heart-to-heart with Alicia.
Firstly, though, the group has to get to their location, which is called the Holding.
The Holding is found deep underground
Last week, Dakota (Zoe Colletti) mentioned that when her mother, Virginia (Colby Minifie), was trying to track down this group, there had been a mention of them going underground. The assumption was made that the term meant they were going into hiding.
Dakota then suggested that perhaps they should be actually looking underground — and it turns out she was right with her hunch.
So, Alicia, Luciana (Danay Garcia), Althea (Maggie Grace), and Wes (Colby Hollman) head off to find them, and this week’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead deals with their infiltration of the community.
For those who were unsure why it’s so important to find this group, as Comic Book points out, this community infiltrated Tank Town, where an oil rig was set up and destroyed it from the inside. So, yeah, they’re a nasty mob.
Which means that Alicia is totally justified in making out like her group are just hoping for a nice new place to stay, but really they just want to return the favor.
And, the Holding looks lovely too. There’s plenty of food being produced and Alicia’s group gets fed well — but then, so did the crew when they arrived at Terminus in The Walking Dead…
Also, the Holding is creepy AF since it is underground and, already, it looks like once you enter, you can’t leave. Oh, and the top guru dude, Teddy? A recording of his voice plays on loop over the top of everything while everyone works.
But, Alicia’s group perseveres and makes it through several layers of hell just by playing dumb.
But then, Derek (Chinaza Uche) shows up.
Surprise, Wes’ brother isn’t dead!
Don’t remember who Derek is? That’s okay, I didn’t either, but I had my suspicions when Wes gave the image of a tree painted on a wall the side-eye and suspected it might be his brother before the character actually turned up, and Wes confirmed it.
Now, the plan had been to act dumb and try to find out as much as they can about the Holding before escaping. But, now you just know that Wes is going to be the weakest link.
I mean, I don’t entirely blame him since he thought his brother was dead.
However, once Derek starts talking like he’s all for drinking the Kool-Aid, Wes needed to step the f*ck back, which he didn’t. Instead, he mentioned Morgan’s (Lennie James) name, and that’s when Derek tried really hard not to look like that was the most interesting thing that Wes had ever said.
No one is falling for Derek’s crap except Wes
While Wes might think that their blood ties give them all immunity down in the Holding, everyone else is like, “Whoa, back up Wes and quit talking.”
Which, he doesn’t.
So, they decide to do a sneaky scout of Derek’s room while he is topside. During this search, maps and other incriminating evidence is found linking this community not only to the devastation at Tank Town but to the CRM as well.
This gets Althea more than a little nervous, not just because the CRM — or Civil Republic Military — appears to be a big bad (especially for those who watch The Walking Dead: World Beyond), but because Althea has a thing going with one of the women in that group.
Wes has to admit that things don’t look good and that his brother might have actually known about Tank Town — or worse, that he was there when they destroyed it.
Still, he tries, though.
And, this just gets them all captured by Riley (Nick Stahl), who seems to be head of the community while Teddy is hanging around outside somewhere. Oh, and if they don’t reveal where Morgan’s new community is, they will all get embalmed.
Not creepy at all…
This is when you just know that Derek is really the worst kind of scum because he just ratted on his brother so the Holding can find out where Morgan’s new group is so that they can add it to the list of places they want to destroy.
Although, at least Derek does seem to want to save his brother — so long as he joins their stupid little cult.
Look at the flowers poster
So, the people of the Holding refer to the undead as “posters.” Yeah, we’re all pulling the same face as Althea did right about now. I have no idea why.
I also don’t know why they have one of them wrapped in ivy and situated so that everyone can gaze upon it should they so wish. Although, if I had to hazard a guess, it probably represents the cycle of life since they keep spray-painting “The End is the Beginning” all over the place.
Derek wants Wes to understand the significance of it so bad that they have a big chat about it all. Wes is all a bit gutted about the fact that his brother might not even care that he’s killing people for what this cult considered the greater good. And, ultimately, they want to get rid of absolutely every last living soul topside before they shut themselves underground for good.
Wes finally gets sick of his brother’s sh*t, and a struggle for Derek’s gun ensues. This takes them closer and closer to the undead monument in the middle of the room before Wes can push his brother into it and he gets bitten.
Honestly, this was the only sucky bit about this episode. I felt like Derek’s death was just kind of brushed over by Wes. And then, the group tries to escape once more.
They manage to lock themselves inside a dark room that has a bunch of embalmed people who obviously wouldn’t join the cult. At least their mouths are wired shut, though, and the group sneaks through so that they can escape.
Except for Alicia. Who decides to be a hero.
Once she realizes that the embalming fluid can be released once the undead person’s throat is slit, she sets out doing that with the intention of setting fire to the place.
And, mostly, it works. Except that she is somehow captured, and Teddy finally shows up in all his creepy glory, stating that Alicia is his chosen one and wants her to drink the Kool Aid.
To be fair, I’m pretty sure she won’t. However, viewers will have to wait until next week’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead to find out whether she flat out refuses or if she tries to mess with him first by playing along with his bull***t.
Back at Morgan’s community
While Alicia may be stuck in the Holding for some time yet, the others do make it back to Morgan’s community.
They have a good old chat about how interested Teddy and the Holding seem to be in Morgan and he’s asked why.
Giving a shrug, he’s all like, “Nope, no idea.” However, we all know that he’s got that key he found a while back, and it seems likely he’s just keeping a lid on that for a little while longer.
But, if I had to guess, I imagine that Teddy wants it back so he can access the huge nuclear submarine we all saw back in Episode 1 of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6. My bet is that they will then have access to a nuclear arsenal once they get that key back, which will make it easier to get rid of everyone left topside while they hide it out underground.
Also, as to be expected, Althea is headed out on a mission to find the CRM and to alert Isabelle (Sydney Lemmon) to the potential threat.
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC.