Fear the Walking Dead: Ep. 309 Minotaur
Minotaur marks Fear the Walking Dead’s return from mid-season hiatus to find life at the Ranch under new leadership, the Clark family coming to grips with the changes and Jake not feeling as perky as he should be. Throw in the return of the Salazars and some narrative twists and Minotaur sets things up nicely for an interesting ride towards the season finale.
Now that Jeremiah is worm food, Madison settles into his vacated chair and rummages through his office just as Walker pulls up to the gates of the Ranch with his people. The compound has gotten a tad more crowded now that an uneasy peace has been brokered between the two warring parties. Troy’s displeasure is on full display particularly when Ophelia joins Walker’s crew as they get a tour of the facilities.
Troy and Nick do some bonding as they talk about their fathers and how they died. Nick reminisces about his dad’s death and Troy deduces that there’s more to Nick’s story. The scene takes an ironic turn when Troy sours over the fact Jeremiah committed suicide even though his father’s killer is standing right beside him.
A changing of the guard is the order of the day in Minotaur. Lola is in charge of the dam now that Dante, courtesy of Daniel, is no longer among the living. Now in control of the water Lola begins to share it with the locals but her generosity is cut short when some walkers decide to crash the party.
Jake and Walker try to broker peace between the two parties but the Ranch’s limited space threatens to intensify the feelings that existed before the merger. A cold war in the desert is building fuelled by mistrust within and between both sides. The Anthrax attack is still fresh and Ophelia’s participation in the affair weighs on her. While some have recovered, others like Jake still feel the effects of the poison.
There’s an interesting rift forming between Alicia and Madison, one that’s been hinted at for some time. Disapproving of Madison’s handling of the Otto/Walker conflict as well as her continued support of Troy has disillusioned Alicia and forced her to see her mother in a new light. With Alicia’s allegiances shifting towards Jake, Madison is now in the middle of a delicate balancing act. Trying to reign in Troy and keeping Walker at bay while guiding her children through the perils of the end of the world has forced Madison to make some tough and questionable choices.
Minotaur’s final act is where the episode really takes off. A shootout at the Not-So-OK Corral leads to some interesting revelations and a couple of narrative twists. Some of the twists will please viewers while the actions of some of the characters will frustrate some of the FTWD faithful. Either way Minotaur is a solid return for Fear which continues to set itself apart from its sister show.
