Fear the Walking Dead 405: Four to Fear For

Fear the Walking Dead opened up on John Dorie’s past, finally revealing how he met his beloved Laura. Meanwhile, in the present, the fate of the besieged community at the stadium remains a mystery.

Last week’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead provided plenty of insight into John and Naomi’s past. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn anything more about the others. Each passing episode with no new information brings a sense of foreboding for those missing in action. And, with dangerous days ahead for those who did make it out of the stadium, there is plenty of cause to be concerned for their safety. Here is this week’s “Four..to Fear For“:

Naomi (Laura)

Naomi washed up on John Dorie’s doorstep injured and in need of medical attention. Meanwhile, John had been living a secluded existence, having sanctuary and supplies, but no contact with the living. Despite the open-ended offer to stay at his cabin, Naomi was determined to move on. At one point she even tried to steal his truck and leave with some of his supplies. Other than her former life as a nurse, she reveals nothing about herself to John, not even her real name. When John offers her boots to protect her from the dangers of wading in the swamp, she refuses. Her reason: in case she needs to run. To call Naomi mysterious would be an understatement, and there is clearly much more of her story that could be told.

Alicia told John that Naomi didn’t make it out of the stadium alive. Simultaneously, she was attempting to recruit him to her campaign against The Vultures. This provides some circumstantial evidence to cast at least some doubt on Alicia’s claim. We are sure to learn more about Naomi and what transpired at the stadium, but it is also incredibly tempting to presume that she and John will also reunite in the present. Sure, it’s possible that Alicia was telling the truth, but we hope not.

Cole

Cole’s introduction in the second episode left a memorable impression. His rapport with Madison portrays him as a trusted member of the community’s inner circle and someone we are sure to learn more about. He expressed an early interest in Strand but for a time it seemed that his advances were being rebuffed. When Cole and Strand were finally paired up on a scavenging mission, they began to share details about each other.  As it turns out, Strand had been reluctant to reveal his true nature to Cole until that day. He took Cole to a supply-laden vehicle, hoping to run away together. Cole rejected the offer and Strand brought the supplies back to the community.

We don’t know what has happened to Cole since the “day that changed everything”, but we do know that Strand has a strong hate on for The Vultures. Strand can survive on his own so he doesn’t need to look for a fight. Perhaps after Cole changed Strand’s mind about leaving, something began to blossom. Strand already lost one lover to the apocalypse and running solved nothing. It makes sense that losing another could trigger an unnatural instinct to seek revenge when he could simply just save himself.

We will have to wait and see, but with Cole missing in action, his fate back at the stadium doesn’t look promising.

Madison

Madison’s status is among Fear the Walking Dead‘s more ominous secrets. After reuniting with her family and starting a new life at the stadium, Madison was determined that their days of living on the move were over. For a year their community grew, developed self-sufficiency and provided all of the security they needed. Until Mel and The Vultures arrived. Madison made it clear to Mel that they would be giving up nothing and that they were prepared to defend themselves.

But not everyone at the stadium shared her confidence. Over the course of their confessionals in “Buried”, Alicia, Strand, and Luciana revealed similar regrets for having followed Madison’s bravado. Some had even plotted to abandon the community in order to fend for themselves. This paints a discouraging picture for those of us waiting to see Madison alive in the present. No one has said she didn’t make it out of the stadium alive. No one has said she did either.

Alicia

Alicia crosses over from the “Four to Fear” list this week because there are also plenty of reasons to fear for her future. First, there are obvious risks to running towards a fight. Alicia is determined to locate The Vultures so she can attack them with her small militia. In fairness, we don’t know how many Vultures there are. It seems reasonable to assume that a final confrontation at the stadium would inflict casualties on both sides. Still, the numbers don’t appear to be on Alicia’s side.

There also seems to be a disheartening trend developing when it comes to the Clark family. With the majority of the Season 4 narrative coming by way of flashbacks, could this be the end of the “Clark” storyline and the beginning of a new chapter? Morgan’s arrival and the multi-year time jump would certainly make this a plausible direction for the show to take. Alicia has proven that she is a strong survivor, a capable leader and someone to watch out for, but no one is ever “safe”.

Next: Fear the Walking Dead: Laura ratings beat NHL Finals

Find out who to fear next week by watching Episode 406: “Just in Case” on AMC, Sunday at 9 PM EDT!