Fear The Walking Dead Recap With Spoilers: So Close, Yet So Far

In the "So Close, Yet So Far" episode of Fear The Walking Dead, Arty, the Principal, walks the empty school hallways with a radio in-hand. Sirens ring out outside the school. Birds shriek on the empty school grounds. Alicia walks in the middle of the street with headphones in as kids on skateboards ride past.

Alicia walks into a house - Matt (her boyfriend)'s house. Her headphones continue playing music, despite being out of her ears, as she walks through the already opened door. She explores the creepily empty house in search of her nonresponsive boyfriend and there appears to have been a struggle. The music intensifies and Alicia hears a zombie-like gasp for air before seeing something on the living room floor and letting out, "Oh my god!"

Travis flies out of the aqueduct in reverse and narrowly avoids being T-boned by an 18 wheeler. Travis and Madison scramble to connect phone calls to warn people of what's going on. Nick searches the radio stations for news but the disaster people are talking about is in regards to their team losing a quarterback. He is puzzled by no one talking about this. Travis says they need to grab their families and get out of town. Madison recommends a desert and Travis agrees. Alicia calls calls Madison, who wants to run far away, but Alicia wants her family to come look at Matt. Madison urges Alicia to stay away from Matt. The cell phones cut out.

Chris, Travis' son, gets on a public bus and moves to the back. He sees his dad calling and ignores it before putting his headphones in.

Travis parks in Matt's family's driveway. Alicia is keeping a cold compress on his head. Madison wants Alicia to keep her distance but won't until Travis wants to talk to him. Matt tells Travis his parents should be home soon. His symptoms started yesterday. Travis asks Alicia to get some water.

Nick searches Matt's house for drugs.

Travis peels Matt's shirt back to reveal a bite on his shoulder. Madison and Travis wonder if that's the cause. Alicia insists on sitting with Matt. He tries to dismiss her but she says she won't leave. Matt tells her he loves her, too, while stroking the heart he designed on her forearm and tells her she has to go.

Chris sees an ambulance race by his bus. A man gets on the bus and informs everyone a cop shot a "homeless dude," "like 20 times!"

Travis, Madison, Alicia, and Nick arrive at home. Mrs. Cruz is across the street setting up for a party and invites them over. Her daughter is turning nine but most people have cancelled because of "the bug that's going around." Another neighbor packs his car and coughs. Madison looks on with concern. Nick looks out the window and asks Madison, "Mom, are you gonna tell them?" Madison tells him they don't know what's happening but will talk to her anyway. Nick is extremely concerned to the lack of attention people are paying. Sirens are heard outside.

Madison tells Nick he saved them, referring to running over Calvin. Nick tells his mom, "I'm about to step into a world of s**t." Madison is supportive.

In the kitchen, Travis talks about how he can't get in touch with his ex-wife or son and Madison tells him to go get them. Travis rushes out the door and uses the hose to clean the blood stain left by Calvin off. "Call me if you're gonna be longer," Madison insists, to which Travis responds, "If I'm longer, go without me. I'll catch up." Madison won't do that. The two kiss and Travis goes out for his family. Madison walks across the street to talk to the neighbors.

Liza gets out of her car and answers a phone call from Travis but tells him she's busy. He tells her he's on his way over. Liza tells him that their divorce made things clear and he doesn't get to just show up and pick up their son. "I'll see you next weekend," Liza says before hanging up. Travis is stuck in traffic.

Chris wanders around downtown and sees a police officer with an apparent bite mark on his arm.

Alicia unplugs her headphones and Madison calls out for Alicia to "get the bucket." Nick is struggling on the couch. Madison is on the phone with his doctor, trying to get his medicine. Alicia says Nick won't be able to travel and is generally pessimistic but Madison wants her to stop talking like that. Alicia starts spitting out ideas on how to help. More sirens sound outside. Madison comes up with an idea and tells Alicia to stay home and look after her brother.

Travis tries to avoid traffic. A woman cuts him off because she wants to ask an officer what's going on. The officer, stocking up on water, responds, "It'll clear up past Sherman Oaks." Travis notices the officer, in car 13, is loading his trunk.

Madison pulls up to her school and walks inside. The metal detector sounds as she walks in and looks to see if anyone is there. No one is - that she can see. She continues to the Principal's office and gets a key. Madison opens a closet with a piece of caution tape on it. Inside, is a body outline on the floor. She opens up a medicine cabinet and removes various medications. Tobias walks in and terrifies her. He says "Hello Ms. C," and asks for his knife back.

Police block off a road filled with angry civilians, claiming the man who is laying dead in the street didn't deserve to be harmed. The police want to clear the area but the angry on-lookers won't leave. The cop wants Chris to put his camera down but one of the on-lookers tells him not to.

Tobias and Madison continue to explore the school. Madison hands Tobias his knife after telling him to be careful. Madison looks at he Guidance Counselor office, probably for the last time.

Alicia brings Nick some food and water. She insists he drink but he says water isn't what he needs. The little girl across the street is crying, probably because no one showed up, and Nick throws up again.

Alicia puts on her backpack and starts to leave. Nick gathers himself to beg her not to go outside. He tells her if she leaves, she won't come back. "You let mom go," Alicia says, but her brother tells her, "Matt is not safe!" He pleads with her about the dangers but Alicia leaves, for Matt's, anyway. Nick starts convulsing on the floor so Alicia runs back inside to take care of him.

Travis pulls up to an infuriated Liza's house. Travis to explain what is happening but has trouble. Liza is skeptical. Travis uses Liza's phone to call Chris.

Chris, now chanting in a protest at the crime scene, answers the call. He tells Travis he's at a protest, it's important, and he's a part of it, then hangs up. Liza sees the protest on TV and knows where he is.

Madison and Travis walk around the school. Tobias knew Nick his freshman year. He explains how looters work to Madison. He asks her if he's seen any "of them" yet and she lies, saying she hasn't. Tobias guides her to the food pantry and calls it the motherload. He gets a cart to load it. Tobias advises her to stock up, too, but she dismisses the advice.

Alicia cleans the floor where Nick threw up. He wakes up and apologizes. Alicia is worried, Madison should've been back by now. Nick is thankful for help. The family across the streets sings happy birthday as the power cuts out.

Madison and Tobias continue through the school. Tobias tells Madison the desert is a good idea. He breaks down how things will happen - electricity, servers, internet, everything will fall. "When civilization ends, it ends fast," he says. Madison is still skeptical. They're about to leave when they hear something on the Principal's class room monitors. After getting closer to the speaker, they hear the zombie struggling for air before the metal detector goes off.

Madison and Tobias hurry down the hallway. A piece of food falls off the cart and Tobias grabs it despite Madison advising him not to. Madison sees the Principal and calls out for him. Tobias wants to leave, badly. Arty has blood down his back and white eyes as he approaches Madison. Madison wants him to stop and offers help but Arty just wants to eat her! Tobias draws his knife and stabs the Principal in the chest before trying, and failing, to jab the knife him into his head. The two tumble down the stairs. Madison grabs the fire extinguisher as Tobias struggles to stay unbitten. Madison hits Arty in the head but Arty comes right back. She hits him again, harder, before bashing his head in.

Madison and Tobias leave the school, shaken up, without the food. They get into Madison's Camry.

Christopher is in the middle of the protest. Travis and Liza search for him but there's a lot of people to sift through. They find him. Liza crouches to see the dead man and the cover blows off of him and his gory face is revealed. They rush Chris out. Police in swat gear approach the protest. A girl approaches a police officer, non-responsive to her orders to stop. Police open fire on the girl who falls to the ground. People run around frantically. Liza, Travis, and Chris flee.

People destroy property in the streets. Liza leads Chris to a barber shop, where Daniel is closing up for safety. Daniel wants to ignore their pleas to come in for safety but his wife insists he let them in. Travis questions the safety and searches the place. Daniel wants Travis, Liza, and Chris to wait near the front but Travis wants to stay away from the door. Ofelia enters and questions what's going on. Travis insists his family wants to ride it out and then they'll go. Ofelia directs them to room up front.

Madison arrives at Tobias' house. The radio station advises people to stay inside. Tobias gets out of the car and Madison invites Tobias to stay with her until this is all over but Tobias says, "It doesn't end." Madison is creeped out by his eerie words. Madison sees kids wearing masks drive by.

Daniel and his wife pray as the lights come back on only to go off again. Travis thanks Daniel but Daniel tells him to thank his wife. Cars are heard speeding and people are heard rioting outside. Liza asks Travis what he knows. Travis tells her, he's seen what people do - or what they don't do. "They don't die, Liza," he tells her. "They come back." Travis wants to get far away.

Madison gets home and asks how Nick is doing. She also asks if Travis called before hiding the blood on her jacket. Nick is excited to hear she brought drugs and tells Madison Alicia tried to leave. "I stopped her," he says. Alicia calls her boyfriend and closes herself into her room. Madison goes through the drugs she brought home in the bathroom and cleans her bloody sleeves in the bath before breaking down. Her phone rings - it's Travis. She wants him to come home but he's stuck waiting in the shop. He asks about Nick's meds and she tells him she got enough to weed him off of drugs. Travis hears a loud explosion and urges Madison to go to the desert. The cell phones cut out.

Madison goes into Alicia's room, who is shocked to see her crying. Alicia asks what happened but Madison just walks out. The principal lays dead at the bottom of the steps in the school. Madison packs the car. Riots continue in the streets near where Travis is held up. Nick sleeps with candlelight. Madison tries to call Travis. Alicia looks out the window with a flashlight. The phones are dead, again. Alicia wants to know what's going on. A woman shrieks outside. The neighbor gets attacked by Mr. Dawson, who was seen coughing earlier. Alicia wants to help but Madison won't let her outside.

Daniel's wife prays. Travis sits, staring at himself in the mirror. The candles for prayer are blown out.