Fear the Walking Dead: About those Otto Brothers

The introduction of the Otto brothers was the infusion of energy that Fear the Walking Dead needed in season 3. Where do they go from here?

SPOILERS FOR FEAR THE WALKING DEAD 312 “BROTHER’S KEEPER”

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

When Jake and Troy Otto came into Fear the Walking Dead’s third season I was intrigued. Under their father Jeremiah, Troy and Jake were two brothers raised in a family of preppers. One brother, Jake, was sent out into the world to learn about the way things work while the other brother, Troy, stayed home and honed his survival skills. When the zombie apocalypse arrived, Troy’s survival skills were a lot more helpful than Jake’s law degree, but Jake had so much potential to do great things.

After his death in “Brother’s Keeper,” I can’t help but wonder if killing Jake was a big mistake.

There will always be death in the world of The Walking Dead and Jake Otto was dangerously close to becoming too much of a “moral compass” to be allowed to survive for too long. While I won’t go so far as to say the wrong brother died (more on that later) I can’t help but wonder if Jake should have been allowed to go on longer.

I wanted to see Jake and Alicia develop as a power couple. I wanted to see Jake admire Alicia’s gumption and support her decisions when he was unsure of the next steps. Now that Broke Jaw Ranch has been overrun by the Infected, it would have been nice to see the group move away from the border and closer to one of the other prepper communities Jake hinted at. His death came too soon for him to leave any big legacy behind, which is unfortunate because he could have been useful in deciding next steps for the community.

That brings me to Troy. Troy is definitely more interesting than Jake ever was. On the one hand you have to feel sorry for him as he clings to Madison early in the season, but at the same time you know he’s a stone cold killer. It’s hard to feel sympathy for a character like that…but you do. That’s what makes him so intriguing.

Anyone at the Ranch who thought Troy was gone after being banished was foolish. He’s a survivalist who studied that terrain the way Jake studied the Constitution. He knows the ins and outs of the landscape. Of course he would be back. But now that he’s back and he’s the reason for the herd of Infected taking over the Ranch, are his days numbered?

I hope not.

In many ways, Troy is a lot like Shane towards the end of Shane’s life on The Walking Dead. They are both dangerous, and they’re both liabilities. But they’re also helpful when it comes to doing things people don’t want to deal with. Shane would be a huge asset in All Out War, while Troy, like Daniel, is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the group. So if Daniel gets a pass, why not Troy?

I know what you’re thinking: Troy is way too unstable to be trusted. This is true. But if Jeremiah’s death liberated him, perhaps Jake’s death will serve as a sober reminder of his actions, thus tempering his erratic behavior.

The problem comes in keeping the secret. The Clark family had to hide the fact that Otto didn’t kill himself, rather Nick is the one who pulled the trigger. Can Nick keep Troy’s secret?

More from Undead Walking

Though we know death is inevitable for so many characters on Fear the Walking Dead, I’d like to hope we have some more time with Troy. It would have been nice to have more time with Jake, but since we don’t have that option, let’s keep Troy around a bit longer, ok?

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

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