Fear the Walking Dead 309 recap: ‘Minotaur’

Fear the Walking Dead is back with season 3 episode 9: “Minotaur.” Here’s your complete episode recap!

Tonight’s episode begins with Madison waking up in a bed. She gets up and goes to the window to see the guards at the gate. The music playing says “Death is not the end” as a herd of Infected approach Nick, Troy and the militia who guard the fences. Madison washes her face, but outside the wells are running dry as Alicia tries to pump water.

Troy tells Nick not to daydream and burn the bodies so they don’t destroy the soil.

Alicia gets water as Jake wakes up. He says he needs coffee but she thinks he looks pale.

The militia moves out to mend fences. Troy calls Nick a poet, saying that poets kill as much as anyone else.

Madison looks around Jeremiah’s office and sees the blood on his desk. She sits in his chair and the irony is not lost that she is the new leader. Kind of, anyway. She looks around in his desk.

Nick stops Troy and points to the caravan approaching the ranch.

Madison tries to open the desk drawer but can’t.

When Nick and Troy make it back to the ranch, Jake is already out greeting Walker. He shakes hands with him while Madison, Alicia, Nick and Troy look on. Walker signals his people and they drive through the gates. One of the ranch residents says it’s wrong that they’re coming in.

Jake takes Walker to the supply storage area. Troy doesn’t want Ofelia inside, but Walker says she’s a hero to his people. Walker wonders how they can welcome them if they can’t welcome her, but Troy says they aren’t welcome so much as they’re tolerated. He storms off and Walker wants to know how many people feel the way he does. Jake says most of the people are more concerned with surviving. Jake shows Walker their arsenal. There are two keys, one for each of them, and they have to be together to open it. Together, they can survive, Jake says.

Nick checks on Troy, who is at Jeremiah’s grave. Troy wants to dig him him and kill him for leaving them they way he did. In their situation, with Walker moving in. Nick says he understands Troy because he lost his father too. Troy asks if it was before the apocalypse and Nick says he died in a wreck. He also reveals that he doesn’t believe that his father died falling asleep at the wheel. This is a revelation. Troy asks if it was closed casket and says that having it open forces people to see consequences.

Daniel asks Lola if she’s ready. He wishes she’d stay behind but she doesn’t want to. Efrain thinks she should. Daniel says she’s the leader so he thinks she needs to remain behind because of that. She wants to be the one people see out there.

People coming into the ranch are checked to ensure they aren’t carrying weapons. The militia is working with Walker’s men, and they form an uneasy bond. It’s what Jake and Walker want.

Madison asks how Jake is doing. She says better, but MAdison doesn’t believe her. She warns her not to lie, and Alicia says that it would be better for her not to undermine Jake by dealing with Walker. “Lying’s not useful, mom,” she says.

Lola promises that the folowing week they will try filling a cistern. The people from the town have gathered for water and Daniel watches, looking for Ofelia. The Infected approach, and everyone scatters with their water.

Later that evening, Madison and Walker gather the groups together. Jake addresses the groups and says that they can move forward if they don’t hold grudges and instead forgive. If they share, they can have a peaceful community together. Walker gets up and says they’re all afraid of each other. Fear creates fury, so they need to forgive. His grudge died when Jeremiah sacrificed himself. He says that they should direct their fear and fury to the Infected.

Nick goes to Ofelia’s cabin and asks if she’s hiding. She says she killed people. But she’s glad he survived. He asks about guilt, and she admits that she’s a lot more her father’s daughter than she imagined. She asks about his guilt and he looks away. She says they aren’t that different.

Madison watches the people after the meeting. Walker offers her a drink and she says this should be a wake. He asks if she’s prepared to handle Troy if need be, and she says she will. As Jake and Alicia walk by, Troy says they’re sleeping with the enemy. Troy stirs the pot at his table, getting everyone to think that they’re at risk with Walker there.

Alicia finds Walker in a field. He asks if she wants to join him. He says it’s best if his people don’t see what he’s doing with the bones of his elders. He says they do want peace, and she says he should look to Jake and not Madison. Walker says Madison does what’s necessary for peace.

Madison finds a set of maps talking about water levels in the drawer. This is what she needed.

Troy watches as Terrence walks up to the mess tent. One of Walker’s people asks Troy how the coffee is and he pours it out as Terrence raises his gun. Nick barely manages a warning when Terrence fires the gun, shooting Walker’s man, Mad Dog, in the leg. A fight breaks out while Troy watches. Mad Dog chokes Terrence and Walker breaks it up.

Alicia tells Walker that Terrence is going to asphyxiate and Walker says that he was fed poison by Troy the night before. Alicia tries to reason with him but Walker says that they disarmed, so if the people of the ranch are allowed weapons then they should have them, too. He goes to the arsenal and demands the key, but Jake says they’ll be prisoners on their own land.

Later, Cooper goes to the residents and asks for any weapons they have. “It’s how it has to be,” he tells them.

Nick tells Madison that Troy is not going to go easily. Madison says she can take it on because she can handle it and she knows Nick killed Jeremiah for her. If Troy ever finds out then he is in danger. Big danger. They go to Troy’s house and Troy taunts Blake for being part of the flock. They need his weapons and Troy points out that Madison lives there. Nick tells Troy that there is no need for him to die on his doorstep. They go inside, but Troy pulls a gun from his dad’s desk. Nick blocks him and tells everyone to leave. Troy won’t shoot Nick, but he’s furious that Nick stood in his way.

Outside, Walker tells his men to go around back. They will take care of this quickly. Madison begs for a chance to talk Troy down. Walker points out that Madison can’t control either of the boys.

Inside, Troy turns off the lights and says they will be a beacon. His father died to make them something special. Nick reminds him that the people are just trying to survive, but Troy is busy pulling rifles from the cache under the floorboards. Nick says that this isn’t the answer, but Troy says it was always going to be the answer. He tells Nick to pick up the rifle. Nick says that his own father died for nothing. Troy wants to know why Nick cares about him.

Madison is outside and she tells Troy that everyone else laid down their weapons. She says she wants to save both of them, and all of a sudden shots are fired. Walker pulls her away but the house is under fire and Nick and Troy run for cover.

Walker’s men try to enter the house but Troy starts shooting back. He hits one of Walker’s men and one of Walker’s men tries to stab Nick but Troy stops him, cutting his hand open in the process. They run upstairs and Troy says that he can still make a fist so he can still fire a gun. Troy thanks Nick for being there and having his back, which is not something he ever imagined.

Daniel sees that more Infected have gotten inside the walls. Lola tells him that they can clear them out the next day. Daniel can’t sleep. She knows he’s looking for his daughter. He thinks she’ll show up in a line for water some day. Lola admits that everything looks bad, but hope is still ok. It’s the waiting that’s problematic. He jokes that he’s immortal.

Nick covers his head as they’re under fire. He says he doesn’t want to die and he doesn’t want Troy to die. Troy says he backed the wrong horse. Troy keeps shooting and so Nick knocks him out and holds him down, calling for a surrender. Troy gets away and so Nick tells him what really happened. Jeremiah was going to let everyone die from spite, so Nick killed him. Troy freezes, then points his gun at Nick. Then he drops the gun and bows his head. The two young men sit there together as the room is raided.

Walker says that peace can’t happen without justice. Madison says that Terrence is going to die soon, and she knows that they need to deal with Troy but they can’t martyr him. Walker suggests exile and she says that’s fair. Walker says Nick needs to answer for his role, but Madison says he ended the gunfight and so he gets to stay.

Efrain and Lola hand out water when one man says that they stole the dam and the water. People riot and Daniel tries to keep the peace. They make it back to the truck and drive away.

Jake pays a visit to his brother. He asks what happened to Troy’s hand. Troy jokes that if the other hand matched he’d be Jesus. Jake tells him that he’s being sent away to the Wasteland and he can’t come back. Troy says he understands and doesn’t blame Jake for it. He won’t fight it but he needs Madison to drop him off. He doesn’t trust Walker with his life, but he trusts her. Jake agrees. The brothers hug and the emotion shines through in their embrace.

Walker gives Troy water, a knife, a gun and a bullet. This isn’t a death sentence. While Madison drops him off, Nick will be in a little outhouse prison cell. They drive off.

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Once they arrive at their destination, Madison gets out and tells Walker’s man there’s no need for the gun. She tells him that he’s banished from his land and she knows he won’t come back because he wouldn’t cause problems for his brother. As Troy is freed, Troy kills Walker’s man and Madison holds a gun to him. She tells him that she doesn’t want to kill him. Troy asks if it is guilt and she says that Jeremiah had to die. He wants to know why she let her son kill him. He grabs her and he holds her down. He says he doesn’t surrender. She gets away and pulls the gun on him again. He reminds her that she said she wanted him with her and she needed him. He says he’s tired and he takes the bag. And then he walks away.