"There is no more good. There is no more bad, right or wrong. It's us or them, kill or be killed." - Chris Manawa
Travis had left Maddie and her family to be with his son. He left with the idea that he may never return. Madison was separated from Travis and her own son. Her daughter, Alicia, stayed behind with her. Yet they've never really dealt with the underlying issues of Alicia and Nick's father's death prior to the apocalypse, and how Madison treated her children differently before and after this event.
In the previous episode, we saw Madison come off her rocker once she heard about a gringo with ratty hair dealing drugs to the thugs at the warehouse. Lighting up the hotel for the entire world to see, she is talked down by Alicia who convinces her that she is putting the entire tribe at the Rosarito Beach Hotel at risk.
We saw that one person who saw the lit up hotel in the distance was Travis, who had been separated from the Rosarito since the mid-season finale. Travis, as we know, took off with his son Chris, who had a tough time adjusting to the new world, his life without his mother (who was one of the first casualties of the infection) and being linked to a family that he really had no other connection to than the fact that his father was attached to them. Last we saw of them, they had teamed up with a couple of "bromigos" who crossed the border just days before the shit hit the fan. Chris liked them. Travis, needless to say, did not. When we last saw them, the group had taken residence at a farm that appeared abandoned. Turns out the owner was still there, but when he shot "Baby" James (one of the bromigos - hat tip to Talking Dead for calling them that), Chris in turn shot the farmer dead.
When we saw Travis in the distance, peering at the lit up beacon of a hotel, he was Chris-less. At the time, we didn't know that Chris was no longer in the picture. We just sort of guessed it, though, because it seemed as though it was a matter of time before Chris left him.
In addition, Travis was not the only person who saw the hotel. Several others have stormed the gates, demanding to be let in. Elena, Hector, Oscar, Andres, Alicia and Maddie are all standing guard, apologizing, saying it was a mistake, etc. etc. Now, the irony is, Maddie had told the group that another group could come and they will take. These refugees are essentially benign, and rather than "taking" they are begging to be let through the gate.
Maddie sees Travis in the distance, she allows him access. He shakes his head, silently, when asked about Chris' whereabouts. What's interesting about them now is that both of their sons have left them, when they desperately tried to hold onto them against the odds.
Like many other episodes this season, we are treated to a flashback of more recent times, and more precisely, what happened after Chris shot Señor Suarez (who we find out was named Elias).
Baby James is writhing in pain from the shot from Suarez, which had gone through his leg. On one hand, it was a good thing the slug wasn't lodged in his leg. The other hand, he would need stitches and medical help. Of course, that's not happening here. Keep in mind, Ofelia was shot in season one, and it took her weeks to fight the infection and get at least close to 100%. James is now a liability, injured and needing immediate medical attention.
Travis, being the adult in charge, ransacks the house to find anything that can stitch him up or any pain medications. He makeshifts a stitching of the wound, says that he needs rest and a few days before they can leave while James recovers.
The bromigos killed a chicken and start to cook it up. Travis said something like, they should be eating eggs. At first, I thought it was a bizarre thing to say, then it made sense: a chicken will keep laying eggs, even if they eat the eggs. Eat a chicken, the chicken AND the eggs are gone. Ah-ha! Of course, they don't listen. James tells him also that on a scale of 1-10, his pain was like a "3 or 4." It was clear that he wasn't being honest. Travis feels for him, thinks he is holding back with him. Turns out, he guessed right.
Travis takes Chris aside and confronts him about shooting the farmer. Chris says that he had to do it because the man shot his "friend." Travis in incredulous: these boys are not their friends. He calls them "savages." Chris says that he is a "savage" then.
Chris related a story from when he was in grade school, how he used to come home crying becayse of bullies. Travis had told him to play the game, to find his place. Which was probably the worst advice that Chris could hold onto now. Chris suggested that Travis has "proved his worth" to the guys by saving James. "You could come out of this as a hero." Travis doesn't want to be the hero: he just doesn't want them to kill him and Chris too. Chris says that they need them, Travis disagrees. Well, *I* do, says Chris.
Chris didn't fit in as a youngster in school. A young kid with anger issues in this new world is now trying to find his place. Travis is trying to help him, but to no avail. He's going to ally up with a bunch of strangers who think he's a cool kid, Travis will always be his annoying old man.
Several days pass in the flashback. The bros say that they've gone through all the chickens, and they need to leave. Travis has his "I TOLD you so" moment about eating eggs. Travis says that they can't leave James behind, he's still recovering and it's much too soon to move him. James reluctantly agrees to go, tells Travis his pain is basically zero. The bros say they are going back to San Diego. Travis says that San Diego is no longer there (he's told them this before, as well). Chris says, "Well, we didn't see San Diego."
Before they leave, Travis creates a cross for Señor Suarez's grave, discovers his name is Elias and his birth date. He also realizes that he has no idea what day or month it is, he's only guessing that the year (2010, when most of the people at the farm has perished). As they drive away, the activity causes James to pass out from the pain. Travis implores them to stop: he's not going to live if they keep going.
Brandon, Derek and Chris discuss the fate of James. "He's not getting any better." Travis, in protect mode, grabs a gun. Brandon mocks him, says that he doesn't have the "balls" to use it. Of course, Chris being the sullen teenager is all, "Geez, Dad, stop embarrassing me!"
When Travis goes back to James, he asks why Travis has a gun. Travis is honest: he says he's protecting him from his friends who would think nothing of killing him. Travis asks out loud, "Why not just leave you here?" James then tells the story of when they first crossed the border, they were a foursome, and a buddy named Troy was with them at the Sea of Cortez. Troy got bitten before they knew what was going on. Troy knew he was going to turn, made them promise to "take care of him" (meaning: kill him). However, Troy lost his nerve, got scared and begged them not to. James took care of it.
Travis says that this is different: you are not dying, he tells him. James says that it doesn't matter...they *think* he's dying.
Most of all, he is holding them back. Or rather they have the perception that he is.
Travis stays locked in the barn with James, keeping watch over him. Judging by the amount of empty food cans around them, it's been a few days. Chris brings Travis more food. Travis pats him down, checks for weapons. Chris empathizes with Travis, says that he gets what he's doing, that James' life still matters to him. Even says - hey, they've known James since he was like six years old. Imagine what they'd do to me. Travis falls for the bait, tells him they will be all right, hugs Chris, but Chris in turn holds him down, the others come in and shoot James in the head.
Earlier in the episode, Travis had asked Chris where his remorse was. Chris not only didn't feel or show any remorse, he allowed the others to hold Travis at gunpoint after they took care of James.
Chris is preparing to leave with the remaining bromigos, and head back to the states. Travis tells him that this is forever, that if he leaves, they won't find each other. Chris tells him that his way of doing things won't work in this world. To Chris, Travis was weak and wouldn't do what needed to be done. He talks about how when his mother was bitten, Travis had it in him to take care of Liza. Travis says it was different (of course it was: Liza was bitten and there was no cure; James was just injured and needed time to recuperate. In Travis' mind, James didn't need to die).
Chris drives away with the bros, while Travis yells out, "Goddamn you, Chris!" Travis buried James on the property, then started his journey to the Rosarito Beach, which took two days, then found the hotel lit up.
Travis says that if he hadn't found Madison, the hotel and everyone else, he wouldn't have had to tell a soul that he left his son, that he didn't do right by him. Travis promised Liza he'd protect him, and he didn't. He told a story about when he was a young boy, he had the biggest heart. By the time Maddie came into his life, he was so angry, and Travis' reaction towards Chris' anger only deepened their wounds.
His last words to him before he left was "Goddamn you, Chris." He had regret that he didn't tell him that he loved him. We are now living minute by minute.
Now remorse, regret. That's the prevalent theme in this episode. In the normal world, we do live minute by minute, as Travis says. However, there's always this promise of "tomorrow" that whatever it is, can wait. Their own mortality is staring them right in the face, and now that families are getting torn apart, Travis is expressing some deep regret about not going along with what Chris decided.
Madison leaves Travis, heads to the parking garage at the hotel, which is now serving as a triage for some of the refugees. Alicia and Andres are examining some people, to see if they are healthy and can pull their weight. They seemed grateful for the help, as Alicia said.
Madison takes Alicia to the pier to talk. Taking a cue from Travis' theme of regret, she tells Alicia that when their father died, the car accident...wasn't an accident. The kids were told he fell asleep at the wheel. Madison tells her that was not the case. His suicide note was found in the glove box of his car.
"I love you all, but enough is enough."
Alicia asked if Nick knew. Madison told her that Nick is the reason why she kept it to herself. He's too much like his father for his own good, and that she was afraid he'd be like his father.
I never loved you any less, she tells Alicia. I just thought you were all right. Alicia tells her that she had to be all right.
Travis finally cleans up, washes away the last few weeks of filth and negativity. In the dead of night at the gates, a few people pull up to the hotel. Two of the faces are familiar.
They are Brandon and Derek.
Chris is not with them.
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