S03.E03: TEOTWAWKI

[raven]

Still finding their place, Alicia and Nick fall in with new crowds while Madison discovers Otto's past mimics that of her own.

[Primetimer]

Maddie's trying to work all the angles against a charismatic leader who's definitely no angel.

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[MrsRafaelBarba]

 Crappy episode, glad about the Strand and Daniel reunion.

[raven]

OK, I was entertained.   Bible Bong Study would totally happen.  Even the severed head, I could see that happening , LOL. 

I'm interested in the prepper camp and Strand's side story.  And Daniel is back!

Madison does realize they're outnumbered?  Is she going to try to romance Troy (ewwwwww) to get control of the camp?  She'll need to bump off old man Otto.

[Gwen-Stacys]

So.....how long before Alicia (with an "I") and Jake hook up? And in that vein, how long before Madison and Troy have a creepy quasi-hook up? 

I'm liking this season more than I did last season and I think part of that is that everyone is together (minus Victor, Daniel, an Ophelia) 

[oakville]

So.....how long before Alicia (with an "I") and Jake hook up? And in that vein, how long before Madison and Troy have a creepy quasi-hook up? 

I'm liking this season more than I did last season and I think part of that is that everyone is together (minus Victor, Daniel, an Ophelia) 

I enjoyed the episode. Otto is well prepared for the apocalypse. Nick is an idiot to try & kill Troy again. Madison is using her guidance counselor skills on Troy. I don't know why Strand was jailed so quickly. I thought he was a friend of Dante.? I was shocked to see Daniel again.

[Glaze Crazy]

As I said in the live thread, I'm more apathetic than hate for this show. With the return of Daniel I'm mildly interested in how he ended up with Dante's group. Anyone holding control of water in the desert brings drama all by itself, so Dante's position is powerful and yet dangerous.

Back at the ranch it has potential to get interesting if they manage to swing the good guy arc over to Troy after starting with him being rather twisted and sadistic last week. Really liked the teen "bible" group bonding over a severed head. This group is similar to most of the kids in ASZ, sheltered (so far) from the worst of it. Basically walker chow once the fences get breached. Which I expect will be happening at some point.

I hope they don't regret killing off Travis. I think dueling father figures between him and Otto might have been an interesting theme. Travis was a good guy who's been out there vs. Otto who's been hiding in the hills since some time before the ZA.

[Cigale]

1 hour ago, oakville said:

Madison is using her guidance counselor skills on Troy. 

Troy needs a mommy.  We learned from Jeremiah that Troy's mom was an alcoholic and resented him for taking care of her till she died.  I think that's what Madison is aiming for.  Placing that napkin on his leg was a very  mommy like gesture.  

[loki567]

I thought that was pretty good. That's not even sarcasm. Dayton Callie is a great addition, even using some of that Deadwood chemistry to get some good scenes out of Kim Dickens. Troy's pretty good as well, off-putting in an unusual way. The, "We're Jewish," reaction to Bible study was the only time I can remember the show getting a laugh from me and even that took a surprisingly turn. 

So keep it up, show. 

[JackONeill]

Not that anyone cares, but in the interest of preserving the historical record, I zoned out right around the bong party. I agree there were, before I left, a few interesting things, but overall, I feel like it's just so much of the same, over and over again.

I don't know if I'll be back. I may just keep dry what little powder I have left for TWD.

[tiredofwork]

I only watch because there is absolutely nothing else on television at this time on a Sunday during this season, no sports I watch, no other series..

I love things Zombie.  I don't love this "Zombie" show because it never is about the Zombie's, it is about the dysfunctional family dynamic.. This is Parenthood or some shit with dead walking things all around them that seem to be the afterthought, not the primary issue.

So, I watch always with the optimistic thought that something is going to happen.  This is season 3 and still not a "mo fo" thing has ever captured my attention..  It is just a slow production of actors I don't like, characters I don't like and no intriguing plots or action.

But I am a fool.., I guess I will still be sitting with it on in the background while doing work on my laptop, hoping one day to be blown away.

Edited June 12, 2017 by tiredofwork

[nodorothyparker]

I'm as surprised as anyone to realize I didn't hate this one and actually found some of it pretty interesting.  Sure, there was still plenty that was clunky or just plain painful to sit through, like so much of Strand's back and forth with Dante (Seriously, if you know the guy has a usable skill set what difference does it make what his romantic entanglement with a guy who's now dead was?) and Madison so unable to emote or convey, well, anything that I wasn't sure when she parked herself next to creepy ass Troy at the picnic table if she thought she was trying to be motherly or seductive.   But how many seasons between this and the mother show have many of us been calling for our survivors to meet people who were prepared and had some clue what they were doing, who weren't surviving months or years into the ZA purely on sheer dumb luck or because the storyline said they were?  I'm intrigued by the isolationist preppers with their vast underground bunker full of survival gear enough to want to see where it goes.  I do realize that because it's this show it will likely end up squandering one of the few truly interesting ideas it's had to eventually go all shitty and predictable and the compound will inexplicably go up in flames when it seems if anyone should be able to withstand one of our groups, it should be these people.

The Bible study kids using that as a cover to hide out taking bong hits with a zombie head in a cage was one of the more realistic depictions of teenagers I've seen on either show as well as being pretty amusing.  The grainy VHS cold open of the Clinton-era apocalypse starter bucket infomercial was also a hoot.  Please whatever zombie deity exists for this show, do not let this turn into any sort of triangle or psuedo family arrangement with Madison and the Otto father and son.  While Otto junior and senior appear to be played by competent actors, Madison is not.

[Ed McCauley]

Kuods to whoever thought up the pre-credits teaser scene. Lol! The infomercial was a hysterical Starship Troopers-flavored send-up. All Jeremiah needed to say “Would you like to know more? Well, for $49.95 you can!”

But the over the top-ness didn’t stop there. We also get a bong scene with a severed zombie head in a parakeet cage! Did a Harold and Kumar movie crash into the Walking Dead? I have to admit that the lead prepper girl got me. I had no idea she was talking in code about bible study.

Strand’s story was more routine. The main thing I got from his exchange with Dante (it can’t be coincidence that we met “Dante” in the same episode where Alicia was talking with Nick about different “circles of Hell”), is that I’m wondering if they tried to plant seeds of doubt about Strand’s sexual orientation in case they really do want to pair up Strand and Madison later.

It’s great to see Ruben Blades back, but why? He probably should be dead, dead, dead. Who’s going to come back next, Celia? Ofelia is still gone, but I didn’t even notice.

There has been some speculation (including the recap for this episode on this site) that the show would be better if Madison turned into a real baddie (not the wanna-be baddie she thinks she is). Well, my wife kinda went that way in her thinking when Madison had that short scene with Danay Garcia. Since Madison loves Nick more than anyone, when Luciana suggested leaving the compound ASAP, my wife figured that Madison would off Luciana THAT MOMENT since she could pin it on someone else and then Nick wouldn’t have any reason to leave. That would be cold, cold, but Madison already did that to Celia so we know she has it in her.

[nodorothyparker]

I've figured all along that the idea was to paint Strand as an equal opportunity sort of opportunist, which has the added benefit of being able to plug the character into any relationship they choose.  (Please don't say Madison, please don't say Madison.)  That's all I really got out of it too between zoning in and out and wondering what difference any of it really makes to this guy.

In the hands of a better actress, the Madison-Luciana scene I think would have had more of an air of sizing up the competition.  It sort of did anyway knowing about Madison's near inappropriate Nick obsession and she had no real reaction to Luciana assuming they'd all be leaving together as soon as she's up and around.  But again, that could just be the actress.

[Doyounot]

This was surprisingly good! Although i fear that it was only because learning about the camp and the people in it was interesting. The set up was good now i hope it doesnt fall apart. Shit they got me again. Not all great but decent enough for a summer show.

[Lady Iris]

15 hours ago, raven said:

  And Daniel is back!

Right! Ruben Blades. But how? Didn't we last see him burning in Casa de Crazy? I didn't watch last weeks ep. I may watch this one since it seems a bit more interesting and Daniel's back. I don't suppose he explained anything?

Edited June 12, 2017 by Lady Iris

[MVFrostsMyPie]

I was pleasantly surprised by this episode. I actually paid more attention than to what I was browsing on my laptop, so that's a win. I don't care about Madison or Nick, so I guess I'm just rooting for Strand and Alicia with an "i". I'm enjoying Sam Underwood though (he provides the eye candy that Nick's greasy hair doesn't provide) and hoping he doesn't become as creepy as his Dexter & The Following characters. 

[SnarkyTart]

I just nominated Madison in the Previouslies Awards category for: Worst So-Called "Badass" 

She's so deserving!

[diebartdie]

So I watched the episode and didn't hate it for the writing...didnt hate it for the acting...didnt hate it for the lack of zombies.....I hated how it was filmed. Half the shots were obscured by objects that were not important to the scene or they were shot up close and personal straight up a nostril or up close and personal and up the nostril while obscured by whatever. It pissed me off to o end. This show is just dumb and weird.

[thuganomics85]

Hey, Daniel's still alive!  Normally I would roll my eyes at a "sudden return", but since I think Ruben Blades is probably the best actor on this show (along with Colman Domingo and, now, Dayton Callie), I'm all for him being back.  Plus, it seems like he'll be involved with Strand, and those two together area always interesting.  Interesting seeing this Dante character again, and how he is totally not buying what Strand is selling.  I'm sure Strand will somehow get out of this, but I'm still curious to see how he will play this.

So far, this new settlement is a bit more interesting then most of the the normal "Fear' stuff.  Jake and Troy are a bit by the numbers, but fun enough for now, and Jeremiah is great mainly due to Dayton Callie.  I still think he's even making Kim Dickens better.  Sure, it will probably end with most of them dying thanks to the Clarks, but I'll enjoy them while I can.

Guess it's good to know that some things never change, and even in an zombie apocalypse, kids will get high and drunk (along with a severed zombie head!)  Hey, considering the shit she's put up with, Alicia deserves it!

I have no idea if Troy and Nick are going to end up trying to kill each other or start making out.  That's assuming Madison doesn't try something first.

And so goes another round of "Where in the hell did Ophelia, go?" 

[Haleth]

Just recently I've started seeing an ad on tv from a prepper for packaged meals that have a shelf life of 25 years. Sure sounds like ol' Jeremiah. These people are nuts.  Mom looked like KathieLee.

The continued insistence that Madison is a badass that will protect her family is ridiculous.  Both her kids have far better understanding of how dangerous their situation is.

4 hours ago, SnarkyTart said:

I just nominated Madison in the Previouslies Awards category for: Worst So-Called "Badass" 

You beat me to it!

19 hours ago, sisterspoon said:

 Placing that napkin on his leg was a very  mommy like gesture.  

And telling him to make his bed.

I have no doubt that somehow the Clarks are going to screw up the ranch by the end of the season.  

Hello, Daniel!

[rmontro]

On 6/11/2017 at 10:07 PM, raven said:

OK, I was entertained.   Bible Bong Study would totally happen.  Even the severed head, I could see that happening , LOL. 

That was just what this show needed, a sense of humor.  I think that's why I've preferred Z Nation over this show.  It just doesn't need to take itself so damn seriously.

If they continue to lighten things up a little, it might just become tolerable to watch.

I kept thinking "Should have gone to Bible study, Nick". 

It was also kind of amusing the way he and Troy bonded.  "What's wrong with you?".  Probably not a good idea to fire a pistol off into the ground by someone's ear.

[Nashville]

On 6/11/2017 at 10:19 PM, oakville said:

I don't know why Strand was jailed so quickly. I thought he was a friend of Dante.?

As Dante took pains to say clearly:

1. Dante and Strand were business associates, not friends.
2. Dante firmly believes Strand (a) has no friends other than himself, and (b) feigned closeness to Thomas as part of a long con.

 

On 6/12/2017 at 0:22 AM, sisterspoon said:

Troy needs a mommy.  We learned from Jeremiah that Troy's mom was an alcoholic and resented him for taking care of her till she died.  I think that's what Madison is aiming for.  Placing that napkin on his leg was a very  mommy like gesture.  

Plus - as we saw from Jeremiah's shill tapes - Madison bears more than a passing resemblance to Troy's mother.

[Raven1707]

The Sunday Cable Ratings are in for "Teotwawki":

Sunday’s episode of “Fear the Walking Dead” tied a series low among adults 18-49, but it was still just good enough to lead the day’s ratings.

The AMC series drew a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic Sunday, tying the low set with the second of two episodes the previous week. [2.504 million viewers]

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/sunday-cable-ratings-june-11-2017/

Here are the Live + Same Day ratings for Season 3 so far:

06-04-17 “Eye of the Beholder” 3.109 million
06-04-17 “The New Frontier” 2.698 million
06-11-17 “Teotwawki” 2.504 million

[Red Bridey]

I don't remember Dante.  Who is he?  And I love Strand's Spanish.  I can understand it; first time ever in a show that has Spanish-speaking characters, even though I only know the littlest bit of Spanish.  Something about his bass voice makes me go all squee inside!

[raven]

3 hours ago, Red Bridey said:

I don't remember Dante.  Who is he? 

He was the guy Strand had a drink with, someone he knew before TEOTWAWKI.   Dante is controlling the water supply, had one guy killed by dropping him off the dam and threatened Strand with the same before putting him in the cell.

[slf]

On 6/12/2017 at 8:06 AM, nodorothyparker said:

and Madison so unable to emote or convey, well, anything that I wasn't sure when she parked herself next to creepy ass Troy at the picnic table if she thought she was trying to be motherly or seductive.

Oy. This. I honestly can't tell what they're going for and it's creepy and if ever there was a storyline that made me wish Kim Dickens was a stronger actress it's this one. 

[ChipBach]

I was kind of hoping that she was going to offer him a spoon, but then that would have been "humor"...

[maystone]

I'm enjoying this season so far - aside from the fact that they killed off Travis. On the other hand, I don't know how well he would have fit into this particular story arc. The rest of the main characters are past the "OMG what have I become?!" phase of the ZA while Travis was right at the crisis point in his. I'm not sure that  Ott would have taken someone into his group who was so obviously on the edge, but that's become a moot point.

I like Maddie, and I like the way that Kim Dickens plays her. (But then I've really liked KD in everything I've seen her in.) Maddie is a woman who is wound so tight she may never loosen up, certainly not in public and in the middle of a crisis. She's determined, she's smart, she loves her kids, and she's clever, although probably not as clever as she thinks she is. I think she's got a good foil in Jeremiah, and I'm looking forward to watching how this plays out.

[Raven1707]

The Cable Live +3 Ratings are in for "Teotwawki":

“Fear the Walking Dead’s” June 11 episode made solid ratings gains with three days of DVR viewing — but not enough to take over the No. 1 ranking among adults 18-49.

That title still belongs to “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” whose 1.8 in the Live +3 ratings is a tenth of a point higher than “Fear’s” 1.7. “Better Call Saul” made the biggest jump, growing by eight tenths of a point.

“Fear the Walking Dead” did climb to No. 1 in total viewers. It added 1.3 million viewers to its initial audience for a three-day total of 3.803 million.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/dvr-ratings/cable-live-3-ratings-for-june-5-11-2017/

Here are the Live + Same Day and Live +3 ratings for Season 3 so far:

06-04-17 “Eye of the Beholder” 3.109 million; 4.656 million
06-04-17 “New Frontier” 2.698 million; 4.180 million
06-11-17 “Teotwawki” 2.504 million; 3.803 million

[Daryleena]

This is now officially a better show than the original TWD. This episode was solid, and I am finally interested, and not just watching for the hell of it.

 

 

edit for typo

Edited June 22, 2017 by Daryleena

[TVJunkee]

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 11:10 PM, Daryleena said:

This is now officially a better show than the original TWD. This episode was solid, and I am finally interested, and not just watching for the hell of it.

 

 

edit for typo

I agree with the bolded part of your comment but love the original WD crowd, living and dead, much more.  As usual, for whatever the reasons the various show runners on TWD just became obsessed with stuff people don't want to watch (Neegan, hospital, porch dick and his family) and forget about what made the show so originally compelling--the characters we LIKE fighting to survive in interesting zombie situations.   I am pleased with the way the storyline here is going, but certainly don't hold any character or actor is as much regard as the real TWD

. 

[Raven1707]

The Cable Live +7 ratings are in for "Teotwawki":

In viewers, “Saul’s” 2.45 million-person gain was 738,000 more than the second-best show, “Fear the Walking Dead” (1.72 million). [4.222 million viewers; 1.8 rating]

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/dvr-ratings/better-call-saul-triples-in-cable-live-7-ratings-for-june-5-11/

Here, too, are the Live + Same Day; Live +3; and Live +7 ratings for Season 3 so far:

06-04-17 “Eye of the Beholder” 3.109 million; 4.656 million; 5.076 million
06-04-17 “New Frontier” 2.698 million; 4.180 million; 4.628 million
06-11-17 “Teotwawki” 2.504 million; 3.803 million; 4.222 million

[Parker]

This wasn't bad.    I still like Strand and it was a good surprise to see Daniel.  He's such a good actor.

The ranch stuff is neither great nor bad.  

This show doesn't seem to have the magic of WD.  But, maybe because WD has about 5-10 characters better than anyone on this show.

I look forward to the next ep.  Let's see if they can pick it up.

[UNOSEZ]

I know it wasn't explicitly stated.. But this encampment and most if the inhabitants give off a right wing/ libertarian pseudo-white only ( or maybe just heavily preferred) vibe...  From the vhs tapes showing Clinton and Ed koch.. The shots of riots... The way Troy's soldiers spoke to Travis nick and his girlfriend and the fact that everyone is white... Weird it hasn't been brought up... Maybe when luciana is up and about she'll point it out... Tho it's odd.. I mean Madison was married to Travis... Alicia started the show dating a blk kid..then was kinda into that Spanish pirate kid.. And as I mentioned before nick is now with luciana... U figure those 3 woulda made some note of it by now 

[SolidSnake2003]

Is there any behind the scenes videos for this episode?

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, SolidSnake2003 said:

Is there any behind the scenes videos for this episode?

 

;>

[SolidSnake2003]

52 minutes ago, Nashville said:

 

 

;>

So I guess there is no BTS stuff for the episode ok