Fear the Walking Dead: Paradise Turns to Hell

First Aired September 18th, 2016.

The episode opens with a man sneaking his wife and daughter out of the community because they fear it’s not safe. They use walker blood to move through the large horde surrounding the community, but are captured by the thugs who run the supply warehouse and the thugs demand more OxyContin.

Ofelia (played by Mercedes Mason) searches a taco shop, and seeing the beach reminds her of the day her fiancé proposed. Back at the hotel, everyone appears to be living together peacefully and enjoying the place’s comforts. However, Ilene (played by Brenda Strong) stabs Strand (played by Colman Domingo) in a fit of rage for killing the walker that used to be her daughter. While one of the residents tends to Strand, Madison (played by Kim Dickens) orders Ilene be locked up and warns that any violence will result in exile. When Nick (played by Frank Dillane) and Luciana (played by Danay Garcia) learn about the family that left and inform Alejandro (played by Paul Calderon), he is furious. He orders nobody to leave the community, leaving Nick and Luciana unable to deliver more OxyContin to the gang, and upsetting Luciana when he questions her loyalty to him.

Everyone looked like they were on vacation in that hotel, so of course things were going to go south. The hotel and community plots are producing lots of great material that is driving the tail end of the season beautifully. In particular, the internal fighting among everyone and the gang storylines—aside from walkers themselves—are what make Dead a great show. However, the scenes with Ofelia added nothing to the episode and only distracted from the main storylines. The random flashback and watching her explore an empty restaurant were merely excuses to give the character screen time after being absent for several episodes. If Ofelia had ended up with Nick’s community or back at the hotel then at least it could be said there was a purpose to her inclusion.

Madison, Oscar (played by Andres Londono), and Elena (played by Karen Bethsabe) head to the gang’s warehouse to get medicine for Strand, and Madison learns one of the gang members is another nephew of Elena’s. While inside the warehouse, Madison and Elena overhear the leader Marco (played by Alejandro Edda) interrogating the couple for their community’s location. When she learns that Nick is at the community, Madison attempts to talk to them but is forced out by Marco and Elena and is unable to convince her nephew to come back to the hotel. Nick convinces a scout to accompany him that night to trade OxyContin for water—against Alejandro’s orders—but unfortunately later that day Marco and his gang find the community. Ofelia recalls planning to leave with her fiancé, but after hearing her mother Griselda (played by Patricia Reyes Spindola) recount what they went through to get to America she’s unable to leave them.

If Ofelia was going to have another pointless flashback, it should have at least included her father Daniel (played by Ruben Blades): a complex character who’s been sorely missed. Toward the end, it looked that she was going back to the hotel. Which is good, because at least then we won’t be stuck with pointless scenes featuring just Ofelia. Madison might not have been thinking clearly, but you’d think she would have come up with a better plan. Marco and his thugs have been set up as the villains of the season, yet so far they’ve been talked about but haven’t been in the foreground. Now that there’s a clear leader and they are actively coming after the main characters there is a legitimate threat. Nick’s community is screwed either way; Marco will kill many of them if his group get in or they will continue to live under the thumb of the shifty Alejandro.

When they get back to the hotel, Madison turns on the hotel’s signs in hopes of Nick seeing it and finding them. Alicia (played by Alycia Debnam-Carey) is furious that Madison put the group in danger and nearly cost them the medicine Strand needed. She convinces Madison to turn off the lights, but from far off Travis (played by Cliff Curtis) sees the signs and heads toward the hotel. Madison is falling apart fast. If she’s not careful, she’ll lose the authoritative role she’s earned or possibly be ousted from the group. Travis may have found his way back to Madison, but that reunion won’t be happy for too long. He’s still with his troubled son Chris (played by Lorenzo James Henrie) and nobody will be happy to see him.

Quotes/Thoughts

“I understand grief but this is a bit extreme.”

Note to the production: if you’re going to put the Spanish subtitles in white, then stop putting them so close to white backdrops.

“I miss who he was, I don’t know that I miss who he is.”

I’m surprised Alicia wanted surfing lessons considering all the walkers they’ve encountered in the ocean.

If you enjoyed Manny’s review, you can find the rest of his work right HERE on Sci-Fi Bloggers. You can also follow him on Twitter @KN_Manny.

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