Fear the Walking Dead 414 – MM 54
A little bit of backstory regarding the Filthy Woman kicks off MM 54 the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead. Disillusioned by the lack of generosity afforded her after a tragic car accident, the scars of the event lay the groundwork for the motivations behind the woman causing all sorts of havoc for Morgan and the group in the present. One of the themes running though Fear and The Walking Dead is that in the apocalypse people are victims of their circumstances. While that certainly is a determining factor for the paths people choose the decision to aid in society’s rebirth or its destruction is still a choice – even if it’s clouded in madness. The crime spree originated by Filthy Woman, or Martha as she was once known, as a way to rationalize what happened to her husband can’t be justified.
Her current run of mayhem finds her throwing a hail of bullets courtesy of Althea’s van at Morgan and the crew on the side of a highway. The assault comes to an explosive end leaving everyone worse off than before the conflict began. With walkers on their tail and with few options the group finds refuge in a hospital where June begins administering medical care to those who need it.
Alicia and Charlie aren’t far behind them but when their search appears to be a futile one a new plan is put in place. Much to Charlie’s surprise, Alicia intends to take them to the beach to fulfill a promise she made to her young companion not too long ago. In a world where most things are out of one’s control sometimes it’s the simple things in life that help to restore some order to the chaos.
The move to the hospital isn’t as smooth as hoped and Morgan soon finds himself thrust into a leadership role to keep everyone safe. Not making matters any easier is Jim who constantly highlights the negative in any situation. For a guy who specializes in making beer he sure does produce a lot of whine. Unfortunately for him, he has a good reason to be pessimistic about things when he discovers the true nature of his back injury.
MM 54 has everyone grasping at straws. Not much hope springs eternal with Morgan’s crew stranded on a hospital rooftop, Jim coming to terms with what’s left of his future and Alicia and Charlie Miles away from any sort of surf or sand. However, like the famous song once reasoned you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need. Alicia and Charlie’s meanderings do just that bringing them to water and with that a familiar object floating near the shore. John’s discarded hat offers them hope and for the first time in quite a while a smile to Alicia’s face. Perhaps this is the start of something positive. One can only hope.
