Power Pair for Fear The Walking Dead episode 402 Another Day in the Diamond

Fear The Walking Dead steps back in time in season 4 episode 2. Did we find a Power Pair from the past?

We see a lot of our original Fear The Walking Dead characters in episode 402, but the location has changed. The Clark family has taken up residence (with about 60 other people) at a baseball diamond. They have crops, livestock, and showers with hot water. It is an impressive setup. (Actually, I could not help but wonder if the Clarks also received a copy of “The Key” from The Walking Dead‘s Georgie?)

We also meet some new characters again this week. A young girl named Charlie has joined the Clarks at the baseball diamond after telling Madison that she was separated from her family. New comrade Naomi appears when Madison, Luciana, Alicia, and Victor go to scout out the area Charlie said she came from.

It is the new group of characters at the end of the episode that most caught my attention, however. A band of mysterious vagabonds called the Vultures set up camp outside the Clarks’ compound and refuse to leave until Madison and company yield to them. In a clever twist, we learn that young Charlie is actually a member of the Vultures who ran a con on the Clarks.

The relationship between Madison and the duplicitous Charlie is impactful in several ways.

• Charlie’s arrival at the diamond gives the viewers a look at, shall we say, Madison 2.0. This Madison is still hard-working and providing leadership. However, she also seems a little kinder. Kinder does not necessarily mean soft, but she clearly cares for Charlie, wanting her to have a place of her own at the compound. Madison gently probes into her past instead of demanding all the answers up front.
• Charlie’s ploy is a painful reminder that it’s hard to know who to trust anymore. How will this betrayal effect Madison? Will she revert to the more hardened character she was earlier in the series?
• The arrival of Charlie on the scene has resulted in a standoff between Madison’s group and the Vultures. This seems to be a significant marker of time, the delineation between “Before” and “Now”.

Madison trusted and nurtured Charlie. She was then deceived by Charlie. This was a huge twist in the story, one that could have major ramifications going forward. Therefore, I designate Madison and Charlie as this week’s Power Pair.

Power Pair 402: Madison and Charlie

Next: Review of Fear The Walking Dead 402: Another Day in the Diamond

The dynamic of the Vultures is quite menacing. I think they scared me more than the walkers in the tank this episode.

Does Charlie really want to return to the Vultures after spending time at the baseball diamond? Could Charlie ever be given a chance to return?

Tune in for Fear The Walking Dead episode 403 on Sunday, April 29th. Maybe we will get a few answers!