Fear the Walking Dead season 3 episode 1 season premiere recap: ‘Eye of the Beholder’

Fear the Walking Dead is back with a two hour season premiere, “Eye of the Beholder.” Here’s your complete recap of all of the action.

We start tonight’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead with a literal fork in the road. Madison, Travis and Alicia are being led down the road by a group of militiamen. Alicia says they’re looking for Nick. Dead bodies are strewn everywhere. The militia has taken over a military base. They’re loaded into trucks and taken away in separate directions. The compound is massive, well guarded, and full of weapons.

Travis is taken to a holding cell. He hears screams and a gunshot. He sees men writing the time of death on one of the men. Travis is measured, weighed, and his temperature is taken. He’s given the number 42, then he’s locked in a room with other people. They all look tired and resigned to their fates. Across the room, Travis spots Nick and Luciana. Nick opens his eyes and sees Travis. They say nothing, knowing it isn’t safe.

The door opens again and a guard comes in, and after he leaves Travis moves across the room and tells Nick that Madison and Alicia are there. Nick asks about Chris and Travis can’t answer. Nick knows. Travis realizes Luciana is with Nick since she’s resting on his arm. They thought this place was a refugee camp, but it’s not. Nick can’t believe that they came looking for him. Travis promises that they’ll get out of there.

Madison and Alicia are locked in an office. They look for supplies but the room is clean. Alicia says they shouldn’t have gone looking for Nick. Troy Otto comes into the room with tea and says their men shouldn’t have treated them so roughly. They need to be processed before they are allowed into the group. Troy wants to know why they were coming from Mexico and Madison explains. Troy writes down their answers and says that there are no other Americans in their camp except for their own people. Madison begs him to let them go so they can find Nick, and he reveals his own mother is dead. Alicia wants to know what happens next, and he promises that they will be given supplies and sent on their way. He leaves.

Troy returns to the shower and listens as they talk about the man who was killed earlier. They have him tied up and they’re waiting to see how long it takes for him to turn. He sits and watches as the man comes back to life. They document all of this information as Travis listens to them.

Troy goes in and sees Travis. He asks if he’s Mexican, but Travis says he’s Polynesian. He didn’t have contact with his family in New Zealand before the fall. Troy was curious. Nick asks about his mother and sister. Travis says that Luciana is dying and needs care, and Troy promises his best. But clearly that doesn’t mean much.

Madison continues her search for an escape. Alicia thinks Troy is going to kill them, but Madison doesn’t see it that way. She gets frustrated when she can’t break the chair, so Alicia offers her the knife in her boot. She’d hidden it when they got captured. Madison says she’s willing to kill to get them out, but she will be the one to do it.

Travis watches as guards come in and out. Another man says that his women are in danger. Though they aren’t there, Steven says they are in danger. He knows a way out but he needs Travis’ help. Nick, Luciana and Travis are take from the room and lined up in the shower while a man is killed. Luciana sobs as the man dies. Travis is very calm, as is Madison, who holds Alicia close as she sleeps.

The dead man in the shower has become Infected. Steven says he won’t die like that. He says he can get them out with his strong will to live. He knew these guys before the world fell apart, so he knows this depot well and knows there are tunnels nearby that lead to the border. The new guard says they’ll kill two this time, in a race. It breaks Troy’s rules, but he thinks it’s ok.

Madison wakes up to find Troy sitting there writing. Alicia is asleep on the couch. He brought coffee for them. Madison asks what he’s writing, and he says it’s observations. He’s always been a nature guy. Madison asks if they passed, and they did, with flying colors. But Travis has different criteria. He says he’s not a bad person. She asks if Travis is dead and he wants to know if it would hurt her if he was. She says she loves him, and he asks if he loves him more than herself.

Travis asks about the dead bodies at the perimeter. Troy figured that the Infected keep away from the stench of the dead. Travis asks if the people outside know what they’re doing. They believe in their cause and they’re genuinely under the impression that they are doing this for science. They move to take Nick, but Travis volunteers. While they get him ready, Nick and Steven attack, releasing the Infected.

Troy says they’re leaving and they can take Madison and Alicia with them. He promises to release Travis if they go with him. They’re interrupted by a gunshot, and Troy runs out.

Travis and the group run away, and Travis stays behind so that they can stay safe. Nick and Luciana make it to the tunnel but Steven is shot. The guards slice his throat and toss him down the hatch.

Travis is taken back inside and Troy intercepts them. He wants to know what happened and when he learns what happened, he says it mucks things right up. Troy says he’s going to take Madison and Alicia home and keep them safe. Troy doesn’t want him to be taken back to the lab, rather he’s to be treated “special” and taken out back.

Luciana needs to stop. She’s slowing Nick down, but he’s not going to leave her, ever. He kisses her and says they need to move.

Troy returns to the office and doesn’t see anyone. Madison jumps him from behind the door but she drops the knife. Madison stabs him in the eye with a spoon and sends Alicia out to find a car. Outside, she sees a helicopter flying overhead.

Nick and Luciana see light at the end of the tunnel. Outside the hatch they are surrounded by hundreds of Infected, who charger the tunnel.

The guards who have Travis share their information about the Infected with him. They lead him to a pit full of Walkers and throw him inside.

Madison leads Troy outside and he tells his people to give her a wide berth as they move to the pit. Travis is fighting the Infected off while the guards cheer him on. Alicia finds a car, but then she spots one that is being loaded with supplies. Travis continues to fight for his life, and he’s doing pretty well. The guards seem upset that he was so successful. They’re impressed, and they laugh when he chucks a cinder block at them. They open the gate and let more Infected in.

Troy’s brother Jake begs Madison to let Troy go. He knows that his brother brought this upon himself. She agrees, and Jake pulls Troy away from her. He learns Travis is in the pit.

Nick is attacked by Steven in the tunnel. Outside, Alicia hears their struggle and calls to him. She tosses a knife down the hatch and Luciana kills Steven, but Alicia is captured.

Madison is taken to the pit, and she sees Travis standing among the bodies. Jake orders that they let him go. He tells her about Nick, and Alicia is brought to them. Eventually Nick is brought to them and they share a hug. Travis watches, but he doesn’t join in.

Jake offers them refuge at his father’s sanctuary. He promises that Troy is the outlier. Madison looks at Travis and sees how tired and weary he is, but she thanks him for what he did. Travis says he had to get Nick back. She cleans him up while Alicia helps Luciana. Madison says she’s sorry about Chris and she’s here. His family is there. He says they’re going to be back in the action soon, and he’s with her now.

Jake asks for the room. He talks to Troy and says that he was only there to get fuel. Troy says he was doing research. He claims it was for his father, but Jake points out that their father sent him out on purpose. “Cast one out to save the many.”

One of the guards returns to pack his things and he hears something in the wall. Of course he’s dumb enough to take the grate off and look, and he finds himself surrounded by rats who are fleeing an Infected man. Buh-bye.

Jake tells Madison that he understands why she’s afraid, and he says that he knows why she doesn’t trust him. But he wants her to see what they are building. There is a gunshot and the Infected are everywhere.

Madison gathers her family but she’s quickly surrounded. Alicia takes Luciana to the chopper but can’t carry her. Travis helps, but they can’t wait anymore. Madison and Nick are surrounded. Troy rides up and shoots the Infected away from them and tells her to get in with him. The chopper leaves and Troy assures her that they’re all going to the same place.

The trucks leave. Travis tells Alicia that they’re clear of the danger on the ground. He looks out of the chopper and sees Mexico below them as they head back across the border.

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Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.