‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Recap With Spoilers: Sleigh Ride

A house decked out with Christmas lights and decorations on the inside is explored to the tune of “Sleigh Bells.” Photos of Travis and others hang on the wall. Notably absent is Chris.

Madison is in the kitchen preparing a dinner for everyone. Out the window, she sees a desert with a truck quickly approaching. She is dressed nicely, taking off her apron, grabbing a coat, and walking out the front day. She walks past a graveyard for all three members of the Otto family, and eventually comes upon Nick and Luciana (who is holding a baby) standing by Alicia’s grave. Madison invites them inside but they ignore her. Madison grabs Luciana, who is also revealed to be wearing an engagement ring, but she whips around with a cold look and the baby makes the sounds of a walker.

Nick and Luciana leave Madison behind.

The Fear the Walking Dead logo takes the screen.

Continued

Alicia rides on a boat with John and his gang to the dam. Their men are waiting for them at a dock. Strand is waiting, as well. Alicia is surprised to see him but doesn’t say anything. “Someone tipped off the dam you were coming,” Strand said. John, however, is angry to see the corpses in the water and to have lost a dozen men. John walks away, ordering Alicia to change his dressing. 

Strand starts to dock the boat and Alicia quietly asks about Nick and her mother. Strand insists they work together to get out of this. 

Inside, Nick and Madison discuss her killing Troy. Nick asks if she ever wished him dead while he was using. He thinks she did. “He needed to be put down,” she insists. Nick says she always lived in that world but now she can show her true colors. She insists she could never hurt him but he claims she can and will. 

Moments later, Daniel is treated by Lola. She insists he should be dead before heading off to find Efrain with his gun. 

Elsewhere, Alicia is changing John’s dressing, offering compliments which he responds to with narcissism. He begins questioning how she knows Strand. “Strand helped my family escape from Los Angeles,” she reveals. “I thought my mother was here. Her and Strand are friends.” John tells her that Madison is here. He knows because a part of Strand’s deal was to spare Madison. Alicia questions if he will but he tells her the negotiation collapsed because of Strand’s lies. “I’ve served you well in a short time. I can continue to do so. You can trust me. Spare her,” Alicia demands. 

“I will,” he tells her, but she has to come with him to Houston. She will go.

Madison and Strand’s room is approached but it’s Strand. They hold a gun to him. Strand insists he is trying to help them. “Alicia’s here” is what gets Madison to lower the weapon. Strand gives them clothes to put on which will get them through the group unnoticed. “What did you do?” Madison asks to his begging. “Who was it?”

“Daniel,” he tells her. “He was alive when I left him! I didn’t kill him. It was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Nick puts on the uniform and tells Strand there’s “hope” for him since he couldn’t kill Lola. 

Meanwhile, Lola discovers her office has been raided and Efrain shot in the head. She weeps for him before heading out on a mission.

Continued

Strand escorts Madison and Travis across the bridge with a gun pointed at them. He orders them to do as he says, eventually telling a proctor gang member he was ordered to dispose of these two himself. Lola shows up guns blazing but is eventually shot in the back of the head by John. Strand is terrified to see him.

Daniel awakens in the depths of the dam. 

Moments later, John has brought Strand, Madison, and Nick into an office. He pistol whips Strand. Alicia tries to calm him but is ordered to be silent. Strand doubles down on Daniel being dead despite John discovering Lola having been alive. Madison vouches for him and introduces herself. John orders Alicia to her mother. John turns his attention Nick. He asks where Troy is. “He’s dead, my mom killed him,” Nick tells John. 

“He was more threat than friend,” Madison said. John insists Alicia has been good but he’ll have to kill Alicia because he has kill Nick and then he won’t be able to trust her. Madison will have to watch.

Strand, Madison, Alicia, and Nick are escorted to the edge of the dam. THe family hugs one another before being pulled apart. Nick hugs Strand before heading back to his mother. Strand suddenly tells John there is a plan involving C4 which can take them all down but John doesn’t want to hear it. Strand backs up, reaching for the detonator, but Nick took it. He reveals it and has guns pointed at him, as well as his family. Strand pleads with him not to blow it.

Continued

Back in Madison’s dream scenario, she serves food to Qaletaca, Daniel, Jake, Jeremiah, Troy, and the Ranch’s militia man. The doorbell rings and she welcomes Victor Strand to the party. He has arrived with many gifts wrapped. The group is excited to see him. Madison brings flowers to the kitchen. Strand tosses presents around, including one to a happy Daniel. 

Suddenly, Madison sees Jeremiah’s head on a platter with Qaletaca standing in front of it, dressed in his Native American gear. He chops Sam’s arm when he tries to reach for his father’s body. Everything is unraveling. Strand gets up to leave the party and Madison follows him outside where she sees nothing but desert a graveyard. Everything around her becomes a graveyard. She looks to the sky and sees an airplane.

Suddenly, it’s back to the dam. Nick holds the detonator above his head. A gun is pressed to Madison’s head. Everyone is waiting on Nick. He orders everyone to put their guns down and observes what’s around the dam. “My mom and sister are gonna take a zodiac across the lake,” he said. Alicia begs Nick to go with them but he can’t because the detonator has a range. “This is my suicide note,” Nick said. Madison covers her face in disbelief. 

Nick pleads with Madison to just go. Madison takes Alicia’s hand and leaves. Nick sends Strand with them, as well, and tells John he won’t survive this, either. Nick has tears streaming down his face as his family flees the dam to a boat.

Daniel stumbles a couple of men before taking their gun and putting them all down. 

Nick watches his family get in a boat as John tries to reason with him.

Alicia starts the boat and they begin to leave. 

John continues to plead with Nick, echoing sentiments from Jeremiah Otto.

The boat stalls and the trio are stuck in the water.

The men close in on Nick and demand the detonator. Daniel comes upon Lola’s body with a note on it. He puts a rosary in her hands before continuing on his path. 

Nick is approached when suddenly bullets kill the men surrounding him. Qaletaca and Mad Dog are sniping them. Each man who attempts to kill Nick is shot by Mad Dog’s rifle. Daniel catches the men who are trying to flee. Nick blows the dam as everyone looks on. John is rushed away but stands by Nick as the ground crumbles beneath their feet. 

Alicia tries to maintain the boat but their boat is drawn into the flood. Qaletaca looks on as they are sucked into the dam. He and Mad Dog will now head north. 

Efrain and Troy’s bodies are washed out. Daniel rushes to Nick’s side. The boat is sucked into the dam.

Continued

Back in Madison’s dream scenario, she ponders Jeremiah’s grave. A hand raches up and pulls her into the ground. She fights it but is pulled underground. 

At the dam, she sinks beneath water filled with debris. Above her, the light fades. The air is leaving her body. The dream sequence sees her hand com above the ground. Travis pulls her up but she falls back down. In the water, she opens her eyes and tries for the surface, eventually finding it with a gasp of air. 

She swims to the side as other bodies float past her. At the edge, people are rushing to full buckets with water. A little girl stands before Madison and greets her.