Fear the Walking Dead: EP Erickson talks Strand and Abigail
By Susie Graham
We’ve learned more about Victor Strand’s past on Fear the Walking Dead. Executive Producer Dave Erickson talks about Victor’s emotional side going forward.
Everyone wanted to know more about the mysterious Victor Strand ever since he arrived on the scene in the pen last season taunting Doug and befriending Nick.
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We got a bit of information last week as Victor flashed back to what brought him to Los Angeles and the boat just as things were falling apart and now he was floating in a raft as the boat was being taken from him by pirates.
The Walking Dead and its producers are known for misdirection when discussing the show. Dave Erickson seems very straight forward in his answers to Entertainment Weekly, but is he channeling his inner Strand?
"We revealed that Abigail is a man. Abigail is another person in his life that he met and fell in love with and built this relationship with, and then essentially became business partners — partners in life, partners in business — and it’s really setting the stage for the revelations that are going to come later in the season.I think [Colman Domingo] plays those moments really beautifully and it was just an interesting relationship and an interesting backdrop for an understanding of who he is, because up to this point we’ve introduced a Strand who is somewhat maniacal when he needs to be, and can be incredibly cold when he needs to be, and this is an indication of a more emotional side to this guy."
Even Dalton Ross questioned the entire thing as shady and asked if everything wasn’t perhaps a con. That’s exactly where my mind is. I’m not sure who is conning whom or who really feels for whom. Or if anyone has any feelings at all. Dave seems to want to point us in the direction of love.
"Yeah, and what’s interesting to me about that dynamic is — and he says it later on — it’s almost as though Abigail and Strand, coming off of their first encounter, had something of an understanding. And when Abigail shows up later and they discuss what Strand has done with the card, I mean, the reality is Abigail never turned the card off. He never called the company and said, “My card has been lifted.” So I think there’s sort of an unspoken agreement between the two of them. And when Strand says in that subsequent scene he’s going to pay it back with interest, I think that was his intention all along. Deep down I think that they both wanted to reconnect at a certain point, and they did."
Victor Strand is still as mysterious as ever. It will be interesting now to see how he recovers from the latest incident. He will find himself obligated to Madison in more ways now, yet possibly more irritated with Daniel.
Even in irritation, these people have started to become his connection to people and survival in the new world. A new family, like it or not. And practicality may allow Victor to see that in Mexico Daniel may be helpful with language and with killing skills.
Next: Victor Strand is still mysterious
There are also new players involved. Things should start to get more complicated. The group may have learned some things from Victor and his strictness, but Victor may have to stop keeping score and soften his rules of the boat to adapt to this next world.