Fear the Walking Dead: What game is Strand trying to play?

Renee Hansen

Colman Domingo as Victor Strand - Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 15 - Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC

Fear the Walking Dead season six is coming to a close, with the season finale airing on June 13. This season has been a whirlwind of emotions and storylines that take you in a direction where you think things will go smoothly, and then they take a hard turn to something unexpected. Like this week with Strand. What is he up to?

The most recent episode, “USS Pennsylvania,” had the makeup of a season finale, making viewers question, “What could happen next?” We will find out next week, and fans are expecting something big.

This episode saw stand-out performances from John Glover as Teddy and Zoe Colletti as Dakota or Sioux as Teddy dubs her. Both of these actors have taken up their roles with gusto. You might hate the characters, but you can’t dismiss the talent of these two actors.

Victor Strand always looks out for #1, but what is he playing out in this episode?

Colman Domingo as Victor Strand, Lennie James as Morgan Jones – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 15 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC

Strand, trying to come out as the hero, literally pushes Morgan to what we think will be his demise. What is going through his mind at that time? To just get the glory by being able to stop Teddy and Riley from launching the nuke? Or is there more?

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunners Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss explained some of what is going on.

Strand is still trying to redeem himself in Alicia’s eyes. He has told her that he must do some terrible things for the good of everyone. So, are we to believe he pushed Morgan to save himself, to save everyone, or to look like the hero?

Earlier in the season, he separated himself from Alicia, sighting that he would need to forget himself to do what needs to be done. Sacrificing Morgan so that he could stop the missiles from being launched would prove that a decision like that would ultimately be for the greater good.

Strand’s plan backfired, Morgan survived and one of the missiles was launched. Now how will he spin this story? The season finale is bound to get really interesting as this plays out.

Fear the Walking Dead’s season six finale will air on AMC on Sunday, June 13.

AMC+ members can stream this episode on June 10.

Renee Hansen

Renee Hansen, a contributing writer for Undead Walking, joined the Fansided family in 2019. She has written for numerous sites, including Netflix Life, Winter is Coming, Show Snob, Audio Phix, and Stairway to 11. She covers a wide range of pop culture topics, from horror, zombies, and romantic comedies to music and period dramas. Renee has also conducted interviews with many notable figures, including Lennie James, Steven Ogg, Tom Payne, Josh Hamilton, Carrie Genzel, Cooper Andrews, Dan Fogler, and Vince Neil. She has also hosted panels at various events, such as The Camp Events and Atlanta Comic Convention. When not writing, Renee enjoys watching new TV and movie releases, revisiting 80s movies, or rewatching The Walking Dead.