Jeremiah and Nick have a little target practice on the edge of Broke Jaw Ranch. Jeremiah catches Nick’s distraction and encourages him to stop worrying, prompting him to start shooting.
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Meanwhile, Alicia and Jake lay in bed. Alicia wonders where the group is. She sits up and gets dressed. Jake insists she need not worry.
Then, Madison and the group are soon walking to the Ranch barefoot. The community rushes to them and many collapse. Troy pushes on and walks in. Alicia and Nick give Madison water. Troy wants to talk privately with Jeremiah. Others want to hear about what happened. One soldier bursts and out and says, “They were indians. They slaughtered them.” Troy insists he stop yelling to everyone but he tells everyone, “If we stay, we die!”
The opening credits play.
Later, Troy is being scolded by Jeremiah for leading the group to a bad situation. Madison defends him. Madison asks about the Ranch and why the other group thinks they have a right to it. Jeremiah insists it was rightfully given to him. Jake explains Walker is a tribal lawyer who lost several times. Jeremiah rattles off some belittling phrases about the man but Madison insists this man is a threat. Jeremiah sends Jake to talk to Walker, armed with threats, before storming out of the room.
Madison and Alicia take care of Madison’s feet. She is in a lot of pain as they care for her. Nick reveals that Luciana left.
Outside, Jake is using a rifle for target practice. Alicia joins him. Jake explains how many people have died, though he didn’t know many of them, but insists he is not scared. The border has always been a dangerous place. Alicia asks for a lesson on how to use the gun, which he provides. She takes aim and continues the conversation. He insists people look to anybody they can for leadership and they could eventually look to her. She starts taking shots at the targets.
Madison sits on her bed as Alicia is heard shooting in the distance. Gretchen walks in and asks for Alicia. Madison asks about Mike and Gretchen reveals that Mike credits Madison for saving his life. Her entire family is scared of this new threat. Her father helped create this place and he is scared enough to want to leave for a colony in Colorado.
Continued
Jeremiah sits by himself in his office and pulls out a bottle of liquor. He stares at it for a moment, contemplating a drink. He walks outside, hearing something. Then, Nick walks outside. There are fires lit all around the Broke Jaw Ranch. The community is scared and huddle together. Jeremiah looks on from his balcony.
The next day, the fires have burnt out. Jeremiah, Jake and Madison examine the charred wood. Jeremiah insists that if Walker was going to come, he would have, but he isn’t capable of taking the place over.
Nick heads into the basement where all of the supplies are. Troy cuts him off and asks about Luciana. Nick doesn’t want him saying her name anymore. Two residents try to leave with supplies and Troy stops them, insisting they put the supplies back. They insist to have spoken with Jeremiah about it. Troy walks out, frustrated.
Moments later, Jeremiah is approached by Madison, experiencing a migraine. Vernon approaches and wants to have a word. He starts by recalling the long-lasting friendship and says his priority is his family and to protect them he will leave. Jeremiah encourages him to leave if that’s what he wants. Troy asks if Mike is going, too, and Vernon says, “My family’s leaving Troy!” Jeremiah says men have kids and it turns them into women. Madison encourages him to provide a reason to stay and Jeremiah thinks he offered enough already.
Troy charges toward the gate and insists they keep it closed. He tells Vernon to open to the door. They won’t open it. Troy approaches and insists they can’t leave with Ranch property. They have Ranch gas and supplies. Jake tries to stop him but ultimately punches him. Jeremiah rushes in and punches Troy as a result and Madison breaks it up. The gate is opened and Vernon’s family leaves with Gretchen waving farewell to Alicia.
Continued
In the armory, Troy preps weapons. Madison approaches and asks if he is going after his family. He’s not. He explains that all he ever had in his life was this place. Troy is struggling to accept how Mike and Vernon quit on this community. Madison insists they were just doing what they thought best for the family and that she will help prevent any one else from leaving.
The soldiers are all here ready for orders from Troy. He doesn’t want to hear the name “Mike” again and tells them, “From now on, we set an example.” They will enstill a chain of command. If they don’t make people feel safe, they will leave. “This place is all we have and right now, it is teetering, and the only thing that can save it is us.” He insists all of these soldiers are with him. Madison proudly looks on.
Nick enters a house to find a drunk Jeremiah moving furniture. Nick turns down a drink and request Jeremiah slow down the drinking. Nick asks what happened to his hand and he insists it distracts from the headaches. Nick encourages him to grab some sleep here. Jeremiah begins discussing how important this ranch is to him. He flips the table in anger. Nick goes to pick it up but Jeremiah brings his gun over and shoots three holes through it. Nick is startled and takes the gun from him. “I’m sorry,” Jeremiah said. “Your home, your gun. There’s blood in it. It’s in the Earth.”
Continued
Madison catches Alicia sneaking around from Jake’s. Alicia insists it is nothing serious. Madison reminds Alicia how important it is not to get pregnant before Alicia reveals that she does like him.
The next morning, Jeremiah finds Nick outside the house and Nick relieves him by saying he wasn’t around last night, clearly playing along. Jeremiah sees a horse outside of the gate. It’s Vernon’s. He yells to Nick to go get his mother.
Moments later, a truck leaves the ranch. Madison tries to be optimistic about Vernon and his family’s fate. Jeremiah, however, insists they are dead.
Back at the ranch, Alicia finds Black Hat Reservation plans on Jake’s bed. He is going to speak with Walker. He’s taking a back way but Alicia is worried for his safety. Jake wants to step up for the camp and feels good about what he can do based on beating Walker in court. Alicia pleads with him not to go. Still, Jake takes the map and heads out.
Jeremiah, Madison, and Nick exit their truck having found Vernon’s RV. It’s been shot and ravaged. There is a zombie slamming around inside. Jeremiah puts two down with two shots. Nick examines gun shot on the side of the RV. The zombies inside were Vernon and Kathy. Mike is dead behind the RV. Behind the RV, Gretchen and other walkers are eating a horse on the trailer. Madison freezes. Nick puts Gretchen down. Moments later, they have gathered the bodies. Madison is taken aback by the fact that Gretchen is Alicia’s age. Nick and Jeremiah think Troy killed the family in an effort to scare everyone. Jeremiah tries to believe Troy couldn’t do this. Madison insists everyone turn around and go back, so they do.
At the gate, Troy is waiting. The pick-up truck and RV pull in. Madison reveals the dead bodies to the community. She gives a speech to the community, including a wish that her husband Travis could have made it here but the same people who killed him are the people who killed Vernon and his family. Nick isn’t buying it. She insists there is nothing outside of Broke Jaw Ranch for these people and they have to fight for this land.
Later, Nick sits and watches people return supplies to the basement and compliments his mother’s ability to tell such a lie and get sleep. She insists that with Nick and Alicia being safe, she can sleep. Nick understands though he isn’t a fan. He just wanted to be a part of the plan and reminds her not to forget “what he is.”
Continued
Madison approaches Troy at the fence. He promises he didn’t “go out there to do that.” He wanted Mike to look him directly in the eye and Madison realizes he didn’t want to do that. Troy says, “He said some things and I did some things and it went bad.” Madison reassures him he did what was right and they he is the survivor here. She says the only thing that matters is that Troy can control his rages, claiming he is integral to saving them from the fight that is coming.
Madison walks away from Troy, leaving him at the gate.
The end credits play.
