Fear the Walking Dead 306: Red Dirt
Red Dirt starts off with a bang – several in fact as Jeremiah schools Nick in the finer art of target practice. Nick’s education in firearms comes to a halt though when Madison, Troy and the others limp back into the compound. Their inglorious return elicits concern and raises more than a few questions from members of the community. Jeremiah’s need-to-know method of information dissemination doesn’t go over well and things get even rockier when it’s revealed that Walker and his people are behind this.
With Fear the Walking Dead set in the early days of the apocalypse, it’s interesting to hear modern political discourse filter through the dialogue. Native American land claims, the history of the American south and even liberal vs. conservative values are broached when Madison, Jeremiah, Troy, and Jake discuss the best course of action to deal with Walker. Things become heated when Madison comes to Troy’s defense and some of the fire that still resides in Jeremiah quickly comes to the surface.
Cracks in the foundation begin to appear when Gretchen bumps into Madison. Fear is starting to spread through the camp and those who’re looking to avoid conflict are seeking a way out. Colorado is the new land of salvation, one that Gretchen’s father thinks will suit them better. Without government to control things, the balance of power has shifted and the fight for ancestral land will determine who survives along the now irrelevant boarder. With this in mind it doesn’t take long before Walker begins to turn up the heat.
So far this season, Alicia has been the most intriguing character to follow. Her maturation has been a slow, consistent one but it’s in recent episodes that she’s hit her stride. Her words of wisdom, her ‘religious’ awakening, sleeping with Jake and learning to handle firearms are potentially preparing Alicia for greater things. It will be interesting to see how prophetic Jake’s words will be as the season progresses.
There is a war within a war brewing. Troy’s determined, albeit unconventional struggle to keep the community unified and strong has an unlikely ally in Madison. It’s amazing how shoving a spoon in someone’s eye can lead to a better understanding. Jeremiah, at odds with both of his kids, finds solace in Nick. Unable to calmly discuss the difficulties of running the compound with his either Jake or Troy, Jeremiah vents his frustrations to Nick. With people leaving the compound and Jake, Troy and Jeremiah on different sides of how to run things their greatest threat might actually be from within. It’s a threat Madison is well aware of and is more than prepared to handle.
