What’s next for Fear the Walking Dead survivor Victor Strand?
By Jamie Brewer
Victor Strand has eluded danger and death for four seasons of Fear the Walking Dead, but he’ll never escape his connection to the Clark family.
Strand’s survival saga on Fear the Walking Dead began with a simple plan. Escape to Baja by boat and take shelter with his lover, Thomas. His plan was interrupted though when he was confined to the LA detention facility where his entanglement with the Clark family first began. Since meeting Nick, Strand’s destiny has been tied to the Clarks. He saw Nick as a tool that he could use to aid in his escape. He certainly didn’t set out to befriend a party of seven strangers, nor did his plan involve inviting those strangers to join him on his boat.
Despite destiny, he has tried to leave the Clarks’ sphere of influence on many occasions. At one point he chose to abandon his boat and face certain death on a sinking raft, only to be saved by Madison and returned to their orbit. If it were up to him, he would have gladly abandoned them at sea and sailed on without them. Instead, they would join him in Ouroboros. There, he would learn that Thomas had been bitten and their future together had come to an abrupt end. Strand had lost everything and was left among the strangers.
A relationship begins
In the midseason finale of Season 2, Strand sought to part ways with Madison’s family again. As Celia’s compound burned, he said his goodbyes. Moments later, he returned as a timely hero in a newly acquired pickup truck for all to escape in.
When they reached the hotel, Strand and Madison formalized their non-friendship into a civil partnership over many drinks. This would form the first of many strong bonds Strand would develop with Madison. After a series of violent incidents at the hotel though, he chose not to go with her when they had to leave. He would remain at the hotel a while longer, using his pre-apocalypse charm to acquire a new sports car and a new start.
His freedom from the Clarks was short-lived. A scheme to partner with dam “owner” Dante fell apart and his lies to Daniel about Ofelia nearly got him killed. Later, fortune would reunite Madison and Strand at El Bazar. Madison was there to buy a tankerful of water for the ranch. Strand was there as a prisoner due to heavy debts owed to Proctor John. Despite telling Madison he would stay until his debt was paid, she gambled again on her former acquaintance, using the ranch’s water fund to bail him out.
Madison’s lasting impact
After everything went south at the dam, his fate was once again secured by Madison. She would rescue him and keep him alive. Madison later explained that she stuck with him all of this time because she knows who he really is. A revelation that would affirm his self-worth and transform him into a different kind of survivor. The tragic circumstances at the Stadium revealed a changed person. Rather than run from danger alone, he faced it alongside those who mattered to him. He then took revenge on the Vultures for taking away his friends and everything else he had earned.
When Fear the Walking Dead returns in August, Strand will have reclaimed parts of his old identity. The Episode 9 preview shows him in a gated mansion, sipping wine and acting like his old self. The elimination of the Vultures would have made for an easy and natural exit point for the old Strand, but things have changed for him. Madison’s enduring friendship through the worst of times left him with a new perspective on surviving together.
Next: Synopsis of Fear the Walking Dead season 4B
What’s Next?
Strand doesn’t appear to be going anywhere and that should be good news for the group. He offered objective counsel to Madison and his resourcefulness would be a strong pillar to support Alicia’s leadership.
The midseason return has only teased us with a few glimpses so far, but for now, he is staying with the people he trusts. Relieved of a few inner demons, Victor Strand knows who he is now.
Fear the Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, August 12.