Spoilers And Spoiler Speculation: Anarchy In The USA

[SnarkyTart]

16 hours ago, Nashville said:

This the same old couple Nick was watching dance together on his night walk, before the "boar hunt"?

I bet you're right.  That would be a nice dramatic touch, and one that makes it even sadder.

20 hours ago, SnarkyTart said:

Daniel loses it, ditches Strand's ass and takes the car, leaving Strand all on his own.

This is the part that disapponted me.  I'm so hoping for Strandiel to become the new post-apococalyptic power couple after Madison becomes walker chow.  I'm not giving up hope yet, but splitting their story arcs at this point isn't encouraging.

[nodorothyparker]

Finally, one of these shows addresses the elephant in the room of all the different sleeping arrangements we've seen and not ever taking any precautions against someone turning in the night.

[Nashville]

5 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

Finally, one of these shows addresses the elephant in the room of all the different sleeping arrangements we've seen and not ever taking any precautions against someone turning in the night.

Er, TWD already did - the influenza outbreak in the Prison.  Geekboy (Patrick?) dies from the flu in the shower room, turns, and starts spreading the joy through D Block.

[nodorothyparker]

Fair point, although I still count that as more of a why you don't sleep in big communal group if you can possibly help it or just Close Your Damn Doors situation.  That feels like a million years ago now.

[Ohwell]

It is a scary thought to know that if you're sleeping with someone and they die that they will turn and try to eat you.  

[Nashville]

14 hours ago, Ohwell said:

It is a scary thought to know that if you're sleeping with someone and they die that they will turn and try to eat you.  

Hell, you just described 99% of my entire college dating life.

[SnarkyTart]

Detailed spoilers from Fear The Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page for this week's episode 6 - "Red Dirt"

Quote

Q&A: 306 - "Red Dirt"

1. How does the episode begin? The episode opens with Jeremiah teaching Nick how to shoot, but Nick is visibly distracted because the search party hasn't returned yet. But, before they are done, the group finally arrives, and everyone runs to the gate to meet them. Troy doesn't want to freak everyone out and asks to speak to his Dad in private, but that idiot Mike can't keep his mouth shut. He shouts that it's Indians and they slaughtered all their friends.

2. Does Madison find out anything about the ranch guys? Their past? She finds out a lot about Vernon Trimbol and his family. Vernon was one of the 4 "founding fathers" of the ranch, along with Jeremiah, Russ, and McCarthy, and Jeremiah and Vernon go back over 30 years. We also learn from Jake that McCarthy "was not a good man," and we are led to believe he may have gotten what he deserved. Oh, and it becomes abundantly clear that Jeremiah Otto is a complete racist with the tirade he goes on after he learns it's Walker who shot down the helicopter and killed his men.

3. Is there a fight between some characters? What happens? There's a huge fight between Troy and Jake when the Trimbol family decides to leave the ranch because they don't think it's safe there anymore. Troy takes issue with the fact that they loaded up their RV with food and supplies from the ranch and blocks the gate, refusing to allow them to leave. Jake intervenes, and then, Troy starts throwing punches. Jeremiah ends up having to jump in and punch Troy to get him to stop.

4. Is there any mention of Walker and his group? Yeah, we get the full history of Walker and the Otto family and the ranch. We learned in the last episode that Jake was an attorney before the apocalypse, and he actually knew Walker since he was a tribal lawyer. Walker had tried to sue the Otto's multiple times for rights to their land, but lost every single time. Also, someone sets close to 20 small fires around the perimeter of the ranch as a scare tactic, and it's assume it's Walker and his men.

5. Anybody dies? If so, who? Yes, the entire Trimbol family. Vernon, his wife, Mike, and Gretchen.

6. How is the relationship between Alicia and Jake? By the end of the episode, very strained. Troy wants to fight Walker, but because Jake had a relationship with him before it all happened, he wants to go find him and try to reason with him. Alicia calls it a suicide mission, but Jake leaves anyway.

7. What happens between Jeremiah and Nick? Does he want to shoot him? No. Jeremiah doesn't know what to do and ends up falling back into his old habits. He gets completely drunk and ends up at Nick's house. There is a point where he grabs Nick's gun, which scares the crap out of Nick, but he only fires off shots at the floor.

8. Does Madison have a new plan? What are the family going to do now? Madison's plan is what Jeremiah and Troy end up deciding. It seems obvious that Walker may have the numbers, but he doesn't have the fire power to attack the ranch. Otherwise, he would have already done it. So, they plan on staying put on the ranch (which means no one else leaving!), as opposed to outright launching an attack.

9. Anything about Nick? Does he have a new plan about Luciana or his future? Not that we know of. The only time Luciana is even mentioned is when Troy asks about her. Nick responds by nearly tearing Troy's head off for even mentioning her name.

10. How does the episode end? The episode ends with a great speech by Madison that ultimately convinces the people of the ranch to stay, instead of leaving out of fear. She is also very supportive of Troy and puts him in the likely position of inheriting the ranch (instead of Jake) once Jeremiah is gone.

BONUS: Jeremiah, Nick and Madison ultimately figure out that Walker and his men aren't the ones who killed Vernon Trimbol and his family, even though everyone else thinks that. Troy is the one who did it and finally admits it to Madison at the end.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear The Spoiling Dead Fans facebook - detailed spoilers for episodes 307 and 308, the 2-hour mid-season finale:

First - episode 307 "The Unveiling"

Quote

Q&A: 3.07 - "The Unveiling"
1- How does the episode begin? The episode begins with Jake making his way to the Black Hat Reservation over very rocky terrain and then, Alicia finally catching up with him. We are then led immediately into the scene from the promo at the gas station on the reservation. You can hear a bunch of yelling, and then, Walker emerges wearing a bloody apron and holding a sword. He then drops his apron and a bloody head of a pig drops to the ground. Jake and Alicia are just in time for dinner!

2- What happens when Jake arrive to talk with Walker? Jake immediately puts on his lawyer hat and tries to negotiate with Walker, but that only seems to piss Walker off. Walker also mentions Russ Brown and Vernon Trimbol, and that's when Jake tells him that Russ Brown died in fire. Then, Alicia tells him that Vernon Trimbol's entire family is dead and that Walker killed them. Walker seemed legitimately surprised, and that was the beginning of Alicia having doubts.

3- What does Alicia do? Does she follow Jake? Yes, she follows him and they go to the reservation together. Also, when Jake finally gets Walker to work on a parley, Alicia agrees to stay behind at the reservation, while Ofelia goes back with Jake to deliver Walker's message to Jeremiah Otto.

4- How do Madison and the Ottos realise that Jake and Alicia went to Walker? Jeremiah Otto is the one who really figures it out. He can't find Jake anywhere, and then, when he finds out from Madison that Alicia is also nowhere to be found, they put two and two together. Madison wants to go and find them, but Jeremiah says absolutely not. He can't afford another search party.

5- What is the reaction when Alicia sees Ofelia ? Alicia is royally pissed. She screams at Ofelia that she almost got her killed, and then, took off and stole their truck. She almost got everyone killed when the hotel was overrun.

6- Is there a fight? They want to kill anyone? Yes. Madison is adamant that they try and rescue Alicia, and convinces Troy by using her secret about his killing the Trimbols. So, they ambush Walker's camp, take Alicia and kill several of Walker's men in the process. Jake then tries to smooth things over by honoring the parley, returning Ofelia and delivering what Walker asked for -- their entire reserves of bottled water. But, Walker is done negotiating and decides to scalp Jake. However, Ofelia stops him at the very last minute.

7- Anybody dies? If so, who? Several of Troy's militiamen.

8- 10. How does the episode end? It ends with Troy's militiamen being poisoned and several of them dying, reanimating and then, killing others. In the final moments of the episode, Nick also falls to the ground, obviously poisoned like the rest of the militia.

9- Who cuts Nick's hair or why does he do that? He does it after he officially joins the militia, so as to fit in better.
*********************************************************
BONUS:

It's Ofelia who poisoned the militia! After Walker sends Jake back to the ranch, Ofelia is dumped there as well, badly beaten. She claims that Walker did it because he thought she gave them information about the reservation. It's all a trick. Jeremiah decides to let her stay and gives her a job as a cook, and she poisons the coffee she gives to the night watchmen (however, to her credit, she didn't know it would kill them and neither did Walker. It was only supposed to make them sick).

It is NEVER revealed to Madison or anyone else at the ranch that Jeremiah found Ofelia in the desert and left her to die. In fact, when Ofelia arrives (the first time, not after she is beaten), she is locked up, and Jeremiah visits her. He basically threatens her to force her to keep her mouth shut about what happened in the desert.

Madison's pretty pissed. Especially since Alicia is left behind at Walker's reservation. Nick doesn't have much a reaction, but he is the one who spots Ofelia sneaking out when the militiamen start dropping like flies and puts it together that she's the one who did it.

Walker is NOT a villain.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!!!!!

Next, episode 308 "Children of Wrath"

Quote

Q&A - 308 - "Children of Wrath"

1. How does the episode begin? It begins with a flashback. Ofelia is walking and someone starts shoting at her and she takes cover. Jeremiah is the man who does it. Jeremiah tells her there’s no place for her at the ranch. He leaves her. She has to walk a lot, she is exhausted and starts imaging things, she even sees and hears Daniel and then passes out.

2. How does Ofelia end up with Walker and his men? A rider finds her when she is in the ground and brings her to the Blackhat Reservation. The man is Walker. He gives her all she need to be comfortable.

3. What happens after they get poisoned? They are being treated and Nick has fever. Actually, Madison is the one who tells everybody that Ofelia poisoned the coffee. In fact, Madison confronts Walker and he tells her it was Anthrax and there’s no cure. Walker tells her to take her family out of the ranch or they will die.

4. Do we get to know more about Walker and Jeremiah past? Yes. Nick goes to the adobe house and open the floor where Jeremiah shot. After that, Nick shows Jeremiah that he found a skull. Jeremiah tells him that Phil, Russ, Vernon and him fought against the Native Americans. They killed walker’s father, walker’s uncle and other native americans. Then, the founders buried them under that house.

5. Is there a discussion between the Clarks? Yes. Nick confess to Alicia that they hide the truth about Troy killing the Vernon family and Alicia explodes. She says to Madison: You are heartless!

6. Does anyone die? If so, who? Madison goes to talk to Jeremiah to make peace. He is drinking in his house and Madison takes out her gun. She wants him to kill himself because “If you don’t, everyone will die.” He doesn’t want to do it and becomes unruly and threatening to Madison, and that’s why Nick comes and shoots Jeremiah in the head. He was drunk and belligerent, and so, Nick basically becomes Madison in that story of when she was a young girl. (See the bonus) -- he protects his mother from a dangerous drunk.

7. What happens with Strand? He is on the beach and sees Abigail. There are walkers on it but he kills them all. The yact doesn’t look good so he opens the last bottle of champagne and says: “It’s good to be home.” But, he hears someone on the radio. It’s a russian cosmonaut in space. They talk but then he loses the signal.

8. What happens at the end of the episode? They prepare him for burial. But, Madison late at night go to the box. The next morning she carries a backpack to the gate and hands it to Walker. It is Jeremiah’s head. Bringing Jeremiah's head to Walker was the one term in the peace agreement Madison made with Walker. That is, if Jeremiah dies and she brings his head to her, the war will end. However, in episode 7, Walker explicitly stated he wanted both Jeremiah and "the youngest son" dead. In other words, he's also got a beef with Troy, and I suspect until Troy is dead, they truly won't have peace.

BONUS:
Madison tells a story about a Little girl in Montgomery and her father was a politician that everyone loved, but he was an alcoholic who beat her mother all the time. One day, the Little girl took his gun and shot him while he was sleeping. After she tells the story, she tells Nick and Alicia that after she did it, her mother looked at her with the same shock that they are looking at her now. But, she could live with that because she’d do anything to protect her mother.

Troy is the only one who cries for Jeremiah.

After Ofelia poisons the militiamen and Madison beats the crap out of her, she takes Ofelia back to the Black Hat Reservation at gunpoint. She threatens to kill Ofelia unless Walker tells her what he poisoned them with. That's when he tells her anthrax and asks how old her son is. She says 19, and then, Walker indicates he'll probably live since he's so young. Ofelia never leaves the Black Hat Reservation after that.

Strand set the Abigail on fire, and then he packed some stuff and left.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!!!

This will make 4 episodes since Daniel and Strand were featured.  Not to beat a dead horse, but that was my main reason for thinking FTWD could turn into something of value (to me).  Here we have the two-part mid-season finale, which should be two hours of the best the writers can deliver.  Yeah...it's all Madison all the time, with literally only a few seconds of Daniel (at the end of 307) and a small feature for Strand in 308 (again, with the divergence of the two story arcs).   It looks like we're going to be left with the cliffhanger of "ZOMG!!11!  Is Nick gonna dieeeee??" and what will Madison do to save her precious, divine son?  You know what, writers?  I don't care.

[raven]

I figured old man Otto was going to buy it soon, leaving Madison et al to ally with Walker and then possibly come back to Strand & Daniel at the dam, either to strengthen their alliance or cause conflict, depending on what happens with Ofelia I suppose.   I wonder if the Strand scene burning the Abigail is a flashback?

Thanks for posting @SnarkyTart.  Maybe we'll get more Strand/Daniel after the break, the WT teams love to come back to someplace other than where they left off after a break.

[JackONeill]

I may change my opinion after watching the episodes (assuming the tequila holds) but the thing that's sort of annoying me about this is the role of Ofelia. Part of it is fault of TPTB. At the beginning we had too many characters, so someone was bound to be short-changed.

I know some people don't like the actress who plays Ofelia or, maybe, they don't like they way she was presented on this show. (I'd argue that her character was never even close to being fleshed out.) 

But, I certainly don't know or understand why she fled the hotel, leaving Alicia high and dry. But then instead of dealing with that, we get an episode in which we learn about her FIANCE!!!!!!!!!  And that tells us nothing. Then she becomes a female Rambo, and she had shown no sign if that before.

And now, she's the Big Bad, to the point if I read the notes above correctly, she and Madison get into a fight. (Of course, I think we all agree that just because Madison thinks something, doesn't make it right.) But does anyone care, or even remember, Ofelia? And because of that, how exciting will this story line be?

[What's interesting is when Chris went on his walk-about, some viewers wondered if he would "come back" as a Big Bad. I guess TPTB read that and liked it but saved it for Ofelia.]

And what of Daniel? I mean that in more than one way, but for this conversation what I mean is: If the two camps are split [the Madison/Troy/Otto/The Ranch camp and the Walker (but not Chuck Norris or a dead Walker) camp and Ofelia is with Walker, whose side will Daniel chose IF he shows up?  I realize that won't happened this go-round, but maybe it will when the show resumes. (By then I should have more tequila.)

And, yes, I realize all this might come clear in the next few years of watching Fear The Walking Dead. And, yes, it just dawned on me that the show is called this because it takes so frigging long to sort anything out. And I fear running out of tequila before it starts to make sense. Does that make sense?

Edited July 9, 2017 by JackONeill

[Guest]

There was nothing in the spoiler to make me want to see either show.  Ofelia - meh.  White man mistreats red man storyline - meh.  Ofelia poisons and kills a bunch of people whom she's never met - only if she's killed off immediately. 

Where are the walkers?

[nodorothyparker]

So it takes all of about a half dozen episodes to completely upend the power structure of an otherwise functioning group that took them in and kill their leader? Yep, that's our group.  

It's going to be a looooong two hours.  Better buy more booze.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Show has one episode featuring Strand and Daniel. It's by far the best episode of the entire series. (IMHO, of course.) Show decides to not feature those actors for the rest of the first half of the season, instead of focusing on boring family. 

There's not enough alcohol left in the world to help this. I may actually watch the second half tomorrow. 

[SnarkyTart]

5 hours ago, Superclam said:

Show has one episode featuring Strand and Daniel. It's by far the best episode of the entire series. (IMHO, of course.) Show decides to not feature those actors for the rest of the first half of the season, instead of focusing on boring family. 

There's not enough alcohol left in the world to help this. I may actually watch the second half tomorrow. 

We're singing from the same choir book, I see.  I'm actually hoping the show reveals that Geoff, the zombie head from the Bong Church, survives...because between him and that Duo of Dismal that is Madison and Nick, Geoff is easily the better actor.  And the more interesting and likeable character as well. 

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 1:30 PM, raven said:

I figured old man Otto was going to buy it soon

I sure thought all the foreshadowing that he had a brain tumor was going to serve some logical purpose.  I should have known better.   All that time spent telling us that Jeremiah was having crippling headaches?  Because? 

[mightysparrow]

This is pure undiluted fuckery.  Has there been some underground 'If Ofelia doesn't get a major story line WE RIOT!!' movement that I haven't heard of?  Because I can't think of another reason to have her on the show.  I thought her purpose in life was to give Daniel a reason for being so evil and to make Madison and Alicia interesting in comparison.  The only reason I can see for featuring Ofelia is to reunite her with Daniel.  HE is the only interesting thing about her.

Clearly the folks at FTWD have inherited the mothership's deplorable tendency to shove interesting characters (especially interesting MINORITY characters) into the background.  After reading Steven Yeun's recent interview, I can't wait for the 'Walking Dead' tell-all.  I might make having to watch all of this bullshit worthwhile.

The most interesting episode was the one featuring Strand and Daniel.  The least interesting was every other fucking episode.  If it wasn't for the snark here, I'd be long gone.

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear the Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page:

Quote

Q&A: 3.09 - "Minotaur"

1. How does the episode begin? It begins with what appears to be right after Otto is killed and buried. Madison wakes up in what was probably Jeremiah's bed in the "big house." Nick is out with the militia clearing out walkers along the perimeter of the ranch. Then, it immediately cuts to the scene from the promo of Walker and the rest of the Indians arriving at the ranch.

2. What is the new living arrangement in the Ranch (With Walker people and Ofelia there) and how do the people react? The native americans are put on 1 side of the ranch while the rest of the ranchers stay on the other. Walker is given a tour of the armory and is also given 1 of 2 keys to it, with Jake having the other. The armory can't be opened without both keys, and so, this is to kind of force the 2 sides to work together. Most people seem to be OK with the arrangement because as Jake puts it, "Most are on the side of survival and don't care where it comes from." However, there are some who are very unhappy about it, especially the fat dude we see in the promo, Terrence.

3. What is happening at the dam? What is Daniel doing and who is in charge? Lola is now officially in charge of the dam, with Daniel being her right-hand man and chief of security. However, rumors are circulating that the people in charge of the dam (i.e. -- Dante and his cohorts) had been murdered and Lola, Daniel, etc. had done it to take over. Obviously there is a great deal of unrest brewing.

4. What is Troy doing? What does he want to do? (His plans) At first, Troy doesn't seem to have much of a plan -- he just voices his disapproval but doesn't cause any problems. But, then, Terrence pulls a gun and tries to kill Crazy Hat (Walker's 2nd-in-command), and after that happens, Walker insists that everyone's house or tent must be searched and all weapons handed over. That's when everything goes to shit and Troy begins thinking about overthrowing the Indians.

5. What is going on with the water levels? There is 1 locked drawer in Jeremiah's desk, and after Madison manages to break into it, she finds records Jeremiah had made of the water levels going all the way back to 2010. He had estimated that unless they get a great deal of rainfall, the water would be depleted in just a few months.

6. Is there a fight? What happens? A fight? More like a battle. Troy refuses to hand over his weapons when Walker and his men come to his house to collect them, and instead, opens fire and barracades himself inside the house. Nick stays in the house with Troy, primarily to try and reason with him, but in the end, most see it as a sign that he's siding with Troy.

7. Do Madison and Walker have an argument? Yeah, they have a big argument about how to handle Troy and Nick after the big firefight. Walker wants to execute Troy and quite possibly Nick too, but Madison says 'No way.' She finally talks Walker down to exiling Troy and putting Nick in the "hot box."

8. Does Troy find the truth about Nick killing his father? If so, how? Yeah, during the big shootout, there's nothing that can calm Troy down. His mind was already made up, and they would have to kill him before he backed down. So, Nick, now being desperate to do something to rattle Troy, tells him that his father didn't commit suicide but that he killed him. This works and shakes Troy up long enough for Walker and his men to break through the door and disarm Troy.

9. Does anyone die? If so, who and how? A few natives in the shootout. And, even though it doesn't happen on-screen, we can assume that Terrence dies too. When he tries to shoot Crazy Hat, he is subdued with the choke-hold and it crushes his trachea. Madison is later informed that Terrence will be dead soon because there's nothing that can be done for him.

10. What do they decide to do with Troy and Nick? Troy is to be exiled from the ranch, and Nick is to be put in the "hot box" for 24 hours.

11. Is there a problem at the dam? Yep, a big uprising is about to happen, and Lola is delusional and thinks she can keep everything under control .

12. How does the episode end? It ends with Madison escorting Troy out to the middle of nowhere. Troy attacks and disarms her, begging her not to do it and seems like he is about to kill her. But, she head-butts Troy and gets her gun back. Troy finally gives up and walks away.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear the Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page for 3:10 "The Diviner", part 2 of the two episode mid-season premiere (part 1, "Minotaur" in above post):

Quote

Q&A: 3.10 - "Diviner" (this sunday we'll have 2 episodes, 3.09 is in a previous post)

1. How does the episode begin? It begins with one big hallucination by Nick in the "hot box." At first he thinks he sees Troy as a walker, but then, it seems Troy is just messing with Nick's head. Troy stops pretending to be a walker and starts taunting Nick, calling him "killer" and then, shutting the only opening in the box for Nick to get any air. Then, it is finally revealed it is just a hallucination.

2. Do we get to see Strand? Yes, Strand is back! Madison and Walker have to go on a road trip to Mexicala to try and find water and make a trade, and they run into Strand at the trading post. Apparently, he had gotten himself into some trouble by running a scam and ripping off some big wig. He's a prisoner there until he is able to work off his debt.

3. Is there any confrontation? Yes, major confrontations at the ranch. Because they're running out of water, Madison and Walker put in place strict rationing before they left for Mexicala. Each person gets 2 gallons of water a day, no exceptions. People are NOT happy. Then, the militia starts accusing the native americans of double-dipping, fights break out, and then, the native americans try to take control of the water just like they now have control of all of the weapons. Alicia is trying to figure out how to keep peace while Nick seems more inclined to helping the militia and fighting back.

4. Does anyone die? If so, who? No, no one dies.

5. How did Strand have to work off his debt? He had to work as part of a human shield surrounding the trading post to protect it from walkers. He's chained to a fence and has to fight any walkers who get close to the fence. He would have definitely been killed if it weren't for Madison.

6. Do we get to see Madison and Strand talking? There is 1 great scene where Strand asks Madison if she ever found Nick. She said she did, and that her "children are safe." At that moment, Strand figures it out and realizes Travis is dead. After he figures it out, he puts his arms around Madison and she cries on his shoulder. It's the best scene of the episode.

7. What happens at the end of the episode? Walker had brought a stockpile of gold coins with him to purchase 5,000 gallons of water for the ranch, and he is about to make that deal at the trading post in Mexicala. But, Madison steals Walker's gold and uses it to pay off Strand's debt so that he is freed. Walker is, of course, furious, but Strand had told them about the dam. In Madison's eyes, if Strand can lead them to the dam, that could be a permanent solution for their water problem instead of Walker's temporary one of buying the 5,000 gallons of water.

Best quote of the episode -- "My, my, Madison, who is this handsome fellow you're travelling with" -- Strand to Madison, referring to Walker.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!!

 For me, too much Madison and Nick in both episodes.  Not enough Strand or Daniel.  YMMV

[Gobi]

Any episode with Madison has too much Madison. The wrong spouse died in that helicopter.

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear the Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page:

Quote

Q&A: 3.11 - "La Serpiente"

1. How does the episode begin? The episode opens with Madison, Strand, and Walker on the road to the dam. Apparently, Strand didn't say where exactly the dam is located, and so, when Walker sees the "Tijuana -- 30km" sign, he's pissed and says they are not going to Tijuana. Madison says, oh yes, they are, and they continue on the road. Then, they encounter a herd on the highway, and once again, Walker points to Strand and shows him what he got them into. But, Strand is a quick thinker and uses a distraction to get the herd off the road. Once again, Strand shows Walker up.

2. How is the travel to Mexicali? What do they do while they are going to the dam? It's pretty rough. Besides the herd on the highway, they also have to go through tunnels and wade threw sewage to make their way to the dam. Strand gets lost multiple times, which causes Walker to get even more angry that Madison trusted Strand in the first place.

3. How is the interaction between Strand and Walker? Very strained. Walker thinks Strand is a fraud and an idiot, and he takes his frustrations out on Madison.

4. How is the encounter between Madison, Strand, Walker and Daniel? When the group emerges from the tunnels, at first Daniel sees only Strand and is ready to shoot him on the spot. Then, he sees Madison, and that stops him. Madison then tells Daniel that Ofelia is alive, is with them on a ranch, and that Walker found her and saved her life.

5. Do they make a deal for the water? What happens? Yes, but it's Strand who pulls it off. Madison completely fails in her negotation with Lola. Strand realizes that in order to get Lola to budge, she has to think she needs the ranch. Madison had offered her weapons and ammunition, but Lola said they don't need it, even though Daniel is adamant that she does. So, Strand causes a big explosion, pins the blame on the locals, and that convinces Lola that the dam needs weapons to protect themselves.

6. Is there any confrontation or fight? Yes. Towards the end of the episode, Walker gets completely fed up with Madison because she can't make a deal with Lola. He tells her that he's going back to the ranch and that the ranchers must leave, including her children. The water is too scare now, and his people are his only priority.
7. Does anyone die? If so, who? No, no one dies.

8. How does Daniel react when he realizes Ofelia is alive? It's a really touching moment, and he actually gets teary-eyed. However, he's not very impressed with Walker. Of course, he's thankful Walker saved Ofelia's life, but when he finds out that Ofelia is a soldier and actually poisoned people for Walker, he's extremely upset.

9. How does the episode end? It ends with Madison and Strand heading back to the ranch with a tanker full of water, and then, picking Walker up when they find him walking down the highway back to the ranch.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!!

Lots of Strand and Daniel, so it's probably a worthwhile watch for me.  I like that Walker gets fed up with Madison and deserts her, but sad that she'll probably get the credit after Strand figured out how to get the water, and she'll be able to resume her ridiculous charade as a "leader".  

[Nashville]

On 9/10/2017 at 7:47 AM, Gobi said:

Any episode with Madison has too much Madison. The wrong spouse died in that helicopter.

You're half-right.

Both spouses should have died in that helicopter.  In each other's arms.  Screaming would be preferable.

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear the Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page, spoilers for episode 3.12 "Brother's Keeper"

Quote

Q&A - 3.12 - "Brother's Keeper"

1. How does the episode begin? The episode opens with Troy in the desert and his finally making his way to the outpost. Several days have passed, and it doesn't look like he's slept or eaten. He finds a few cans of tuna and then, goes and sit in the chair on the rocks where Phil had gotten his brains plucked out by the crows. Interestingly enough, even though many days have passed, Troy still has the single bullet in his gun. He then either hears something or feels a breeze to his back, which causes him to get up and take a look. He smiles BIG, raises his gun in the air and fires his one bullet.

2. What are Troy’s plans? Revenge, plan and simple. What Troy sees when he fires his gun is a massive hoard. He fires the shot so that it will change direction and start heading toward the ranch.

3. Why does Jake want to leave? What does he want to do? He wants to leave because he feels the ranch is lost. There's no water, and he doesn't believe Madison and Walker will find any. As a result, the cattle have no water, and one by one, they are having to kill them and butcher them for their meat. He wants to take Alicia with him and find another place.

4. Is there any confrontation among the ranchers? Troy ends up coming to Nick's house in the middle of the night, warns him that something big, something "biblical," is coming, and that he wants Nick to to tell Jake. He wants Jake to see it for himself. Nick of course has to tell everyone else about Troy's visit, and there's a lot of arguing about how to deal with the situation. It is finally decided that Nick and Jake will leave to find Troy, and Jake has every intention of killing him.

5. What does Nick and Alicia do while Madison is out the ranch? Nick leaves with Jake to try and find Troy, and Alicia becomes kind of the de facto leader while Jake is gone.

6. Anyone dies? If so, who and how? Yes. When Nick and Jake finally find Troy and the massive hoard, there's a big fight, Troy pushes Jake down a hill, and he's bitten on the arm. They do cut his arm off, but he bleeds out and dies anway. Coop is killed by Alicia out of mercy when he's attacked by walkers after the ranch is overrun by the hoard.

7. What does Ofelia do? She fights alongside the ranchers when the hoard attacks and defers to Alicia as the ranch's leader, which was kind of surprising.

8. How does the episode end? It ends with the ranch being overrun by the hoard. The ranchers try and stop it by lining up all of the RV's, but of course, it doesn't hold. So, everyone ends up running inside the pantry and locking themselves inside. All the while, Nick and Troy see the entire thing go down from a distance on a hill.

BONUS:
Something else you want to share with us about the episode? Troy can't bring himself to put Jake down after he dies, and so, he ends up reanimating. It is only then that Troy musters up the courage to do it.

Also, Troy's use of the word "biblical" made me think he was referring to Cain and Abel. Basically, his intent is to kill his brother by raining a hoard attack down on the ranch, and that's why Troy told Nick he wants to make sure Jake sees it.

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!!!!

It's nice that at least Troy remembers there are zombies in a zombie apocalypse.  I'm not sorry to see Jake meet his maker, as the show never really figured out who his character was or what to do with him anyway.  Sure, Troy's a psycho, but at least he's a fairly well developed character and the actor can emote.  Speaking of emoting---no Madison in this episode!  YAY!

ETA - This is another perfect example of why Madison is such an effective, badass leader (not!).  If she hadn't argued that Troy should be exiled rather than killed, none of this would have happened.  So Madison's brilliant leadership has resulted in getting the entire ranch wiped out.  Way to go, Madison!   

Edited September 22, 2017 by SnarkyTart

[nodorothyparker]

I can't remember.  Did we have an over/under on how many episodes we thought it would be before the Clarks' mere presence coincided with the destruction of this otherwise well stocked survivalist compound?  Having this group show up at your gates is every bit as lethal as having Rick and Co. swing by.

[Nashville]

Damn.  And just this morning I was thinking about getting a pool going on how many episodes it would take for them to kill the ranch....

[Gobi]

So I guess Jake buys the farm (ranch) in this episode?

[raven]

Well people wanted zombies, they're going to get them. 

2 hours ago, Gobi said:

So I guess Jake buys the farm (ranch) in this episode?

[Haleth]

On 9/22/2017 at 3:04 PM, SnarkyTart said:

So Madison's brilliant leadership has resulted in getting the entire ranch wiped out.  Way to go, Madison!  

It was only a matter of time.

What's the over/under on the dam blowing up?

[Nashville]

5 hours ago, Haleth said:

It was only a matter of time.

What's the over/under on the dam blowing up?

I'm betting the dam is gone by Ep. 15, 16 tops.

[SnarkyTart]

3 hours ago, Nashville said:

I'm betting the dam is gone by Ep. 15, 16 tops.

That sounds about right.  The episode tonight is episode 12 of this 16-episode season.  That puts Madison going back to the dam as soon as episode 13 (after destroying the ranch in ep 12).  We all know the dam can't be long for this world once Madison encamps there. The show can save a chunk of their CGI budget for a "spectacular" explosion to devastate the dam, with an ensuing flood of biblical proportions.    It would make sense for it to happen in the season finale, leaving as a cliffhanger the question of whether there could possibly be any survivors.  We could hope for the world to be washed clean, with only Strand surviving by escaping in the modern equivalent of Noah's ark.  Total reboot for season 4.   

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear the Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page for episode 3.13 "This Land is Your Land"

Quote

Q&A 3.13 - "This land is your land"

1. How does the episode begin? The episode basically begins with the scene from the promo where Alicia realizes that the air vent into the pantry is blocked and that unless they fix it, they're going to run out of air. In this scene, she also sees the militia dude, Blake, hiding and looking at a bite wound on his side.

2. What do Troy and Nick decide to do after the infected attack the ranch? They try to get to the other side of the ranch where the fuel is stored so that they can cause an explosion to distract the horde. But, they don't make it and end up trapped in the helicopter.

3. What hard decisions Alicia has to take as leader? After Alicia realizes they are running out of air and that the militia dude (and probably others) may be bitten, she makes an announcement that anyone who has been bitten to please come forward. Because she calculated that they have barely over 2 hours of air left, her plan is to convince those who have been bitten to sacrifice themselves in order to conserve air. At first, no one comes forward, but when the militia dude finally speaks up, the others do too. In total, around a dozen people had been bit. Alicia finds a case of morphine in the pantry, and puts these people down by giving them a shot to knock them out and then, stabbing them in the neck. This all really messes with Alicia's head, as it causes flashbacks to when she killed the man at the hotel in order to save Travis.

4. Do Madison, Strand and Walker arrive to the ranch? If so, how do they react to the horde? They're the ones who really save Nick, Troy, Alicia, Ofelia and Crazy Dog. They are able to get to the fuel drums on the other side of the ranch and cause an explosion, which creates a distraction for most of the walkers in the horde.

5. Anyone dies? If so, who? Everyone at the ranch perishes (including the Native Americans) with the exception of Alicia, Ofelia, Crazy Dog, Nick, Troy, and of course, Madison, Strand, and Walker. They all suffocated in the pantry and then, reanimated before Ofelia and Crazy Dog could find the blockage in the air vent and fix it.

6. How do Madison and Walker react when they see Troy there and what he caused? They don't have any reaction because Nick lied his ass off AGAIN for Troy. He tells everyone Troy saw the horde coming and came to warn them, but it was too late.

7. How do Nick and Alicia react when they see Strand? No real reaction since everyone is pretty much in shock at what has happened with the horde and everyone being killed.

8. Does Madison tell Ofelia about Daniel and the deal with the water? Yes, and the news that her father is still alive brings Ofelia to tears.

9. What do they decide to do now that the ranch is dead? Madison, Strand, Walker, Ofelia and Crazy Dog decide to take up Lola's offer to live at the dam. But, Alicia is really broken after everything she was forced to do to try and save everyone at the ranch. So, she decides to go off alone to another one of the survivalist camps that Jake told her about. Madison freaks but Nick calms her down by saying he'll follow her, kind of like a "scouting mission," so that they'll have a 2nd place in case the dam doesn't work out. Madison agrees, and tells Nick to take Troy with him.

10. How does the episode end? The episode ends with the 2 groups parting and going their separate ways, while you see the ranch burning in the background.

******************************************************************
BONUS: After it is all over, Alicia asks about Jake, and Nick is the one who has to tell her that he didn't make it. She breaks down and cries and really takes it hard

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!!

Yikes.  I don't know if I'm ready to watch an episode where every single man, woman and child trapped in the ranch siege dies, with the coincidentally miraculous exception of Alicia, Ofelia and Crazy Dog.  Then we have Nick lying to the survivors about Troy, making them believe Troy's a hero. Nick takes Troy back into the fold as a trusted member of the group, which we know isn't going to end well. Unless "not ending well" means that Troy eventually kills Nick, (which I won't complain about), it's much more likely this show's writers will have Troy kill Alicia because, you know, she's somewhat likable. Now with Madison leading one group (Strand, Walker, Ofelia, Crazy Dog) back to the dam, and Nick leading one group (Alicia and Troy) off on a quest to find a new survivalist camp, the Clark family can be responsible for the destruction of two more surviving communities.  Who could have predicted that? /sarcasm

[nodorothyparker]

Gee, who could have seen the destruction of the entire ranch indeed?  Considering that they're still pretty early in the ZA timeline, the Clarks may actually be more lethal to otherwise surviving groups than Rick's crew.  And yet another cast split up for yet another walkabout.  Sure, why not.  The next group to be destroyed from exposure to the Clarks isn't going to find itself.

[Ocean Chick]

;I hope the next survivalist camp is already planning how many suicide pills they'll need once Alicia, Nick and Troy get there.  Madison et al ARE worse than CDB.  So on original recipe we have the visuals of Hershiel's farm burning to the ground, and on 2.0 we get the visual of the ranch burning to the ground.  I was hoping Madison and Troy would get bit, but no such luck.

[Gobi]

I'm starting to worry that Troy won't die this season.

[nodorothyparker]

I'm starting to worry that he and Nick and Madison are going to end up in some squicky mommy issues threeway.

[SnarkyTart]

From Fear the Spoiling Dead Fans facebook page.  Spoilers for episode 3.14 - "El Matadero"

 

Quote

Q&A - 3.14 - El Matadero

1. How does the episode begin? The episode opens with the group on their way to the dam. The camera zooms in on Ofelia riding on the back of the truck and her opening and shutting her eyes, like she is about to doze off.

2. Why Crazy Dog is screaming because of the truck? Because Ofelia falls off the back of the truck. When they stop and she gets up, a walker bite is visible on her shoulder.

3. Where does Alicia go? Does she arrive where Jake told her? No, she doesn't arrive where Jake told her (yet). Instead, she stops along the way at a small town looking for food and supplies.

4. Who is the girl she meets? What is her story? We don't know the girl's name yet, but she's played by Edwina Findley. She's a girl who's very much like Alicia and who decides it's better not to make friends and to travel alone.

5. What happens with Nick and Troy on their way to meet Alicia? The bromance is going strong! They just talk about the ranch, and Troy asks Nick why he decided to stay when he could have easily left. Nick says a bunch of stuff like Luciana was sick, he had to be there for Alicia, blah, blah, blah. Then, Troy says he thinks Nick stayed because he loved him.

6. Do Madison, Walker, Ofelia and Crazy Dog meet with Daniel? What happens? No, only Madison does. After Ofelia is bitten, she makes Madison promise that she will take her to meet her father so that she can say good-bye.

7. Is there any confrontation? Yes. When Daniel finally arrives at the trading post (he comes alone), Ofelia is already dead, and he is so consumed with grief that he threatens to kill Madison if she doesn't leave immediately.

8. Anyone dies? If so, who? Ofelia.

9. How does the episode end? It ends with Daniel finally making amends with Madison and offering to take Madison and the group back to the dam. Nick and Troy stay behind, with Nick claiming that he "can make some deals" there for additional provisions for the dam.

Also, Daniel is the one who puts Ofelia down by shooting her in the head. Strand is captured once again by Proctor, and in response, Strand says he has something big to offer him, something bigger than he has ever seen. We don't know what Strand meant by that.

**More questions will be posted in the comments soon**

THANKS TO OUR AWESOME SOURCE!!!

Oh, Ofelia, we hardly knew ya.  Why couldn't it have been Madison, someone we know all too well, and most of us hate?

Is the show really going to go there with Nick and Troy???  I would be so shocked if they did, and it would add a whole new dynamic to the show.  How interesting! 

And Strand...what are you up to?!? 

Edited October 6, 2017 by SnarkyTart

[raven]

Ugh, not happy about losing Ofelia; I thought her arc was believable.   As for Strand, I forgot who Proctor is LOL.  So we'll see.

6 minutes ago, SnarkyTart said:

Is the show really going to go there with Nick and Troy???

I wonder!!  The vibe is definitely there IMO. 

[SnarkyTart]

Addendum(s) to above spoilers:

Quote

The girl does end up staying with Alicia in the end after her car breaks down and Alicia convinces her.

We don't really know who Proctor is (yet).

We don't see Ofelia as a walker, as Daniel shoots her before she can reanimate.

Walker of course is upset about Ofelia. He stays with her after Madison gets some meds for the pain and up until she leaves with Madison to meet her father.

It looks like we also don't know how/why Troy and Nick end up following behind Madison when they started out following Alicia in the opposite direction.  I had ass-u-me'd that Proctor was one of the guys who held Strand prisoner at the trading post.  I'm still thinking so, yes?

[raven]

@SnarkyTart I also ass-u-me you're right about Proctor, it just seems I should know who he is.  All the bad guys tend to blend together after a while.

[SnarkyTart]

@raven I think we can take comfort that even the Super Duper Fans at the facebook spoiler's page don't know who Proctor is.  If he's a prison guard at the trading post, he's never been named; so you and I aren't both losing our minds. :-)

[nodorothyparker]

So all the where's Ofelia hype they were trying desperately to drum up the first half the season and she gets taken out by walker bite we only see after the fact?  That's the terrible kind of resolution that sounds about right for this show.

Apparently I've paid so little attention I have no idea off the top of my head which character Proctor even is.  I know I could Google it, but I don't even care enough.

[SimoneS]

Farewell, Ophelia. How on earth did they miss her walker bite? Very convenient. I wonder if it means that Madison gets to ride hot Walker.

Edited October 7, 2017 by SimoneS

[SnarkyTart]

Also in 3.14 - "El Matadero" --- from TVgeektalk.com --- how excited will all of you be to see the return of Junkie Nick?

Quote

Some of the other characters, particularly Nick (Frank Dillane)  and Troy (Daniel Sharman),  have some scenes that are equally stunning. Because it seems like ages ago, it’s easy to forget that Nick was once an addict. After all, the last time we saw Nick abuse drugs was back in season 1, and even when he had access at La Colonia, he took the high road and instead, used his skills as a dealer to try and benefit the community. Unfortunately, I’m very sad to report that Nick officially falls off the wagon in this week’s episode. To make matters worse, he not only steals some oxycontin pills, but he steals them from someone who’s dying. Nick, you officially suck.

Then, he decides to drag Troy down and take him along for the joyride as well. With pills in one hand and tequila shots in the other, Nick gets beyond wasted, and it’s actually quite sad to watch given how far Nick has come. During these very chaotic scenes, we also learn that Troy doesn’t drink (which makes some sense given his father was an abusive alcoholic), but Nick does finally convince him to try the pills. So, now, we have not just one but two boys high as a kite, which in the zombie apocalypse, is quite dangerous. On the upside, Troy doesn’t down nearly as many pills as Nick, and so, when Nick decides it’s a cool idea to cover them both with walker guts and walk through a mini-horde while laughing and singing at the top of his lungs, it’s Troy who stops Nick and brings him back down to earth.

https://tvgeektalk.com/previews/fear-the-walking-dead-advance-preview-el-matadero-photos-video/

[SimoneS]

They are doing a FTWD and WTD crossover with one character. Clever or desperate, they have got to get those ratings up somehow.

http://tvline.com/2017/10/07/the-walking-dead-crossover-fear-the-walking-dead-amc/

[SnarkyTart]

1 hour ago, SimoneS said:

They are doing a FTWD and WTD crossover with one character. Clever or desperate, they have got to get those ratings up somehow.

http://tvline.com/2017/10/07/the-walking-dead-crossover-fear-the-walking-dead-amc/

Interesting.  I wonder which it will be - a character from TWD temporaritly transporting to the past timeline of FTWD to develop a backstory for him/her while he/she remains as a character on TWD?  Or, a character from FTWD transporting to the future timeline of TWD and remaining on that show permanently? 

[raven]

I don't know why but I'm thinking a time jump on FTWD.  Maybe this season ends with everyone more or less settled at the dam and then they jump forward a bit?

TWD wants to push Daryl as a Lone Wolf, I could see him going west. 

[SnarkyTart]

From Michael Cudlitz twitter account, yesterday and today.  Could it be?

Since FTWD is about 2 years behind TWD timeline, approximately at Hershel's Farm, Abraham hasn't joined Rick's group yet.  And, since Abraham said he was part of a group in Texas prior to meeting up with Rick, and with the FTWD group getting pretty close to Texas, I'm going to guess it's Abraham.  I can see where they'd think returning Abraham's character would give FTWD ratings a boost too.

[SimoneS]

I like Abraham so this would definitely be a boost for FTWD. Kirkman and Gimple should just add Abraham to the FTWD cast. 

[nodorothyparker]

Holy hell.  That was my wild guess in the mother show's spoilers and speculation thread.  Although Houston, where Abraham and crew claimed they started out, isn't that geographically close to where this particular group of idiots is, they did enter telling a story about how all their original group had been wiped out and that's why they needed to glom onto the existing people on that show.  It'll be just too much if the Clark family ends up getting to take credit for that too.

[Gobi]

I'm guessing it will be Negan. Hear me out. It's his origin story. He starts out as a nice guy, maybe a minor league ballplayer. He keeps joining up with groups of similarly nice people, but each time he does, Madison and her brood show up to destroy everything. Thanks to them, Negan becomes the embittered, soulless man we've come to know and despise. Eventually, he heads east to Georgia to get as far away from the Clarks as he can. What do you think, sirs?

Edited October 9, 2017 by Gobi

[nodorothyparker]

Not a sir but if they managed to somehow pin the creation of Negan on the Clark family and their ever widening path of destruction, I would have no choice but to declare that the most brilliant cross over tie-in ever.

Have we ever gotten any indication how Madison feels about too small motorcycle jackets?

[SnarkyTart]

We could get really wild with the Negan backstory theory.  I'm not a comics reader, but I've read from others who are that Negan was originally a high school gym teacher.  That could be the Madison nexus, since she was a high school guidance counselor.   Maybe Madison was having an affair with her co-worker, Negan, which was discovered by her now-deceased husband, leading to his depression and suicide.

Although that would be kind of fun, I'm still betting on Abraham, with Cudlitz dropping anvils on his twitter account.  Since the showrunner said the crossover won't occur until some time in 2018, that gives the Clark family enough time to get to Houston so Madison can somehow manage to wipe out Abraham's entire community.

The best thing about either of these possibilities is that both of them still mean that Madison is an evil, awful human being.