Episode 13 Synopsis: Shiva

"This is not the apocalypse.  This is our beginning, Nicholas.  The end of death itself.  Life.  Eternal."  - Celia Flores

It looks as though IGN and I have split again in rating the midseason finale for Season Two.  They rated it just under 7 as an "okay" episode.  I actually might be more of a 8.5 or 9.  In my opinion, the story lines are getting more interesting, and we are also learning more about the components of the team, as opposed to the "sum of the parts," and what each individual is contributing.  Maybe, I will concede, the writers are getting a bit predictable.  As an example, during a scene involving Daniel Salazar, my husband and I both said out loud, "He's turning into Morgan."  Though I feel as though Morgan will end up doing something stupid to get his tribe and himself killed, I can't help but like him.  I happen to think Daniel's character is very savvy and smart and I really really like him, like, a lot.  Plus Ruben Blades was featured on Talking Dead post show, and I nearly peed my pants because I LOVE RUBEN BLADES.

I will say this about the episode.  There was a LOT going on.  Dream sequences, hearing voices (looking at you, Daniel), families divided (the ones we "choose" versus blood), dead, living.  Memories and demons.  And guardian angels, if you believe in that type of shit.  It was easy to get lost, but if you follow me, there is a clear pattern of narrative and connection.

Episode 12 left us with Strand shooting Thomas in the head once he had passed.  If there is anything we know, when it comes to dying, is that we are all infected, and a traumatic brain injury is needed to fully *pass*.  However, in that same episode, we see that Celia Flores, I guess the "house mother" of the Abigail vineyard, sees things a bit differently.  I know it's especially prevalent in Mexican culture, and some Latin American cultures that the dead walk among us, it's just that they are not visible. (Editor's note: my husband is Boricua, and he says that his mother honors her passed loved ones on November 2nd, the Day of the Dead, but it's not nearly as a big a thing as it is in Mexico).  The writers did a great job of incorporating this way of thinking.  Besides Herschel in the main show, no one ever though of the infected or walkers being a "good thing" (unless you are using one as bait to ward off more infected). 

The difference though between Celia and Herschel is that Herschel kept the dead "living" because he felt there might be a cure for this virus, so it was "humane".  Celia is a little more sinister: she is playing g*d, acting as though it's better for them on the other side, that death is peaceful, it's just another form of life.  Now it's just out in the open.

Oh, for the love of Pete.

The way the writers left things at the end of this episode, it seems like we will see some separate stories come about for each of the characters, as opposed to the group staying together.  Strand has been a solitary man but has pretty much used the Clark/Manawas and Salazars as a means to an end.  He's found them useful, but it seems as though Maddie is the only one he really relates to.  In fact, though they are both "alphas," he kind of digs that she doesn't defer automatically to him and challenges him somewhat.  I think most of the audience was looking to Travis to be the "leader" since he is a guy.  It appears as though we are going in a different direction, as Madison is priming herself to be the Rick of the group.  Which I think is good because she seems pragmatic, smart, cold to a point (where she can make decisions without emotion) and can even show a little more compassion than Strand ever would.  Think about what Madison was doing in the very first episode: she is an administrator at the school, knows everyone's strengths and weaknesses and is seen as a go-to.  Travis, on the other hand, is a follower.  He likes order and structure and a clear pecking order.  I think it's evident after this episode, he may resent this leadership quality about Madison in their relationship.  Just a hunch.

So everyone is woken up by the gun shot that we heard in the last episode.  Madison and Alicia were sharing a bed, when they woke up by the noise, Chris was standing above their bed with a knife.  This has also been a source of contention with Travis and Madison, that he feels as though he was more supportive of her trials with Nick as an addict, than she is with Chris and his falling apart.  What Travis fails to consider is that Madison's coldness is establishing priorities.  Chris falling apart is hurting the team; Nick's addictive personality seems to help them (though she clearly has a problem with this as well).

Everyone gathers in Strand and Abigail's room.  Celia is losing her mind.  Strand believes this is the humane thing to do, and she obviously has a different point of view.  Nick and Celia have formed a connecting bond since meeting.  She sees the culture of death and killing is wearing thin on him, and she senses a weakness that she can exploit to her advantage (well he's an addict, what the fuck do you expect??).  Nick pleads with Celia, hoping to use their new found relationship to his advantage.  She says that she wants them all gone by sundown.

So we start to see the first divisions of the families.  Travis asks where Chris is.  Alicia flips out, says that he was holding a knife over Madison and her as they lay sleeping.  Travis is in disbelief.  I don't know if he didn't believe her, but maybe he just doesn't see the magnitude of Chris falling apart that badly.  Looking for Chris, he sees him running through the vineyard, and Travis chases after him.  Of course, he's not wearing any shoes and runs for miles and miles to catch up.  Very John McClane of him.   Perhaps in the biggest symbolism of the night, Travis and Chris are now separated from Madison, Alicia and Nick. 

So then we have the relationship of the Salazars, Daniel and daughter Ofelia.  What we have learned about Daniel is that he was part of special ops in El Salvador, and in the last episode he had visions of a child being choked.  We learn this child was him.  He's been surrounded by death his entire life, and escaped it by coming to America to start a family with his wife, Griselda.  As we remember, Griselda was one of the first casualties of the new world order.  In the last few episodes, Ofelia has seemed to make peace with her mother being gone; Daniel, on the other hand, is feeling some guilt by not giving her a proper burial or saying goodbye.  This coupled with all the death that's around (and the death ranch of Abigail's in Mexico), a lot of stuff is coming to a head with Daniel.  He starts having recurring dreams about Griselda, how she is haunting him, and he feels the earth and soil at Abigail Vineyard is "unclean" and "unholy."

Travis continues to search for Chris.  His feet are all sorts of fucked up.  He sees someone has killed an infected person - Chris, with the knife he took from Madison's room - and he takes the knife as a weapon.  He notices a gun is missing - implied that Chris took it as well.  Travis appears upon a house, and takes refuge.  A Spanish speaking man is there, and trying to help Travis but is simultaneously rushing him out.  Travis notices an English language kids book, and asks about his kids.  He notices a door is closed - he breaks the door down, and there is Chris, holding this guy's son hostage with the gun.  Smooth move there, ex-lax.  Chris demands to be left alone.

If I was Travis, I'd have fuckin left him there.  But as we know, the new world needs to hold onto the old world somehow, and we gotta keep the family together and all that shit.  Clearly, Travis is going to choose his own son over the blended Clark side of the family.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch (uh, literally), Madison is in survival mode.  Taking Celia's words to heart, she says they need to leave and gather supplies to get back to the boat.  Alicia and Nick balk - they are not going back there.  Nick is so laid back and arrogant too, he says, "I'll talk to Celia to get us to stay."  Like, NBD, right?  Madison warns them, these people are not our friends.  When Travis returns with Chris, we make our move and leave. 

In a peace offering gesture, Nick retrieves Luis' body from the boat.  He brings him to Celia.  Celia with her belief system is obviously touched, that this is her son.  He's different, but still him, nonetheless.  She wants to Nick to stay, that he is not fearful of death.  He negotiates to have his family stay.  She agrees, but says that he is responsible for their actions as long as they are there.  He agrees.

It makes sense, you know, that Nick would want to walk among the dead.  Most addicts I've come into contact with, once they've gotten the courage to want help and end their problems, they say they wanted to come as close to dying without dying.  Almost like if they overdosed, it would be no big thing.  Nick walking among the dead without fear has given him probably a high like heroin.  If you look at this way, he keeps going back.

Madison is concerned about Nick.  How he is going on errands for Strand, retrieving Luis, he's different.  Nick tells her that these people are not dead...wow, a complete 180 from the episode where they saw their neighbor Susan in Season One, where he was the only one who acknowledged that Susan had passed.  Giving Luis as a peace offering to Celia has kept them safe on the ranch.  Madison feels no safer there than on the water.

Daniel sees an opportunity to leave with Ofelia, and she tries to stop him, not understanding what he's doing.  The Abigail estate "muscle" take him away and separate him from Ofelia.  Very Governor-like, he is kept in a holding area, tied up in a chair by Celia and her henchmen.

Strand is burying Thomas.  Prior to being imprisoned, Daniel pleaded with Strand to not bury Thomas here.  That the soil is unclean and unholy, that he won't rest.  Strand continues to dig, and Madison talks to him.  He plans to go back to the boat once sundown comes.  Madison wants to go with him; however, she doesn't want to leave without Travis.

Travis is going through some shit of his own, because Chris pulls the gun he had on Travis.  Travis knocks it out of his hands, only to have Chris pull a knife on him.  Chris is going rogue.  Travis sees this.  So on one hand, I can see Travis wanting to hold onto the old Chris, but Chris needs to put his fucking big boy pants on and deal with it.  But we are seeing how a villain is being born.

Nick locates Travis on the grounds.  The family is waiting for him.  Travis tells him to let the rest of the family think that Nick didn't find him.  Chris isn't ready to come back, and he can't leave Chris.  I can only presume that Nick likes this arrangement.  He goes off and leaves Travis and Chris together.

Madison and Celia talk back at the house. Madison says that Strand shouldn't leave, that he saved and helped them.  Celia says that the only reason she is still in this house is because she sees the light in Nick.  What's funny is that Celia and Strand were on the same page about Nick.  They saw something in him that Madison either didn't nor appreciated.  Celia starts to use Nick against Madison, says that he will choose between the two of them.  Madison tells Celia that she wants to learn what they know.

Clearly, Madison is playing Celia, and gets Celia to take her to the cellar where she has locked the dead.  Celia, who is worshiping the dead, sees no problem with going in there.  Keep in mind though...SHE IS STILL FUCKING ALIVE.  But Madison quietly backs out of the cell, locks her in there.  It's implied that the dead, once they are done gorging on whatever animal they are eating, will turn their energy to Celia.   THAT SHIT IS COLD MADISON.  (I like it though. Keep that shit up).

Daniel, meanwhile, is having visions of Griselda, who has served as a center for Daniel.  He starts having visions of being a child and taking a gun.  Griselda assures him, the first victim was you.  I think Daniel honestly just needed to hear that this suffering then and now were never his fault.  I do believe there is a goodness in Daniel, but he's just been asked to do things that conflict with his conscience.  He's had no choice as he's had to choose survival over anything.  Which of course makes him fucking PERFECT for this new world.

The Abigail henchman named Jorge comes into the cellar where Daniel is being held.  Daniel attacks him with the chair and manages to escape from being tied up.  While Strand is being escorted off the property (and he makes it to the truck), Daniel torches the holding cell where the dead are.

Strand makes it back onto the ranch and takes Maddie, Alicia and Ofelia.  Ofelia, seeing the flames, believes Daniel is dead. They do not know he escaped, nor that he was the one who set the fire.  (Editor's note: in Talking Dead post-show, it's implied that Celia is gone, but Daniel is still coming back...it was tough to understand the Daniel scene mostly because he was having flashbacks, but seemed at peace with his decision, that was doing the right thing for everyone's survival).  Now that the fire has spread and quickly, the only refuge the team has is to leave and do it quickly. 

Nick returns and tells Madison that Travis is missing, he couldn't find him.  Just like Travis had told him.  Madison actually seems oddly calm about it all.  I think she realizes that she can't wait anymore and needs to escape, whether or not the group is intact.  Strand implores them to get in the truck.  Nick tells her that he is staying.  He walks among the dead, protected by the dead's blood.  Madison goes cold turkey by no longer enabling him.

Three women and Strand make their move to leave the property.  Sounds like a movie.

So what I found most interesting is that each family is now torn apart.  Forget Clark/Manawas, the Manawas are together, but now the Clarks are disjointed, joining Strand's new team.  Ofelia believes Daniel is gone, but she escapes with the new tribe.

Who doesn't believe that they will not be reunited by the last episode of the season?

Rest of the season starts in mid-August.  Dig it.