"We're building a new nation. This is the safest place to live in a world gone mad." - Jeremiah Otto
So this episode started off with a bang. Literally.
While the first episode solely looked at the Clark tribe (Madison, Nick, Alicia and Travis) as they reunited, this episode goes back and forth between their new habitat at the Otto ranch ("Brokejaw") and those who stayed behind at the hotel, notably Victor Strand, who is quickly becoming my favorite character on the show.
As the premiere episode ended, Madison was on the ground with Nick and part of the ranch crew in a pickup. Travis was in Jake's helicopter with his co-pilot along with Alicia and an infirmed Luci.
They've been up in the air for awhile, as it was light when they left and now dark. They say over the radio, "About 20 out." I'm no pilot, but I guess that means they are pretty close. All of a sudden, there's gun shots, and the helicopter becomes compromised. No one was hit...well, except for Travis. He looks up stunned, makes eye contact with Alicia. He opens his jacket, and he's hurt. Bad. Like, he's gonna fucking die no matter what. The copter is losing hydraulics, and going down quickly. Travis saves the crew and jumps to his death.
And that was it. Just like that, a major character dies without any warning, no fan fare and absolutely no rumors. And it was completely anti-climactic yet dramatic at the same time, as Alicia screams out to stop him from jumping.
We go back to the Rosarito Beach Hotel. This is literally how long since the Clarks left - maybe a day or two, tops? Refugees are starting to revolt, demanding to be let in. The hotel has power (thanks Madison!), rooms, water, safety. People are ill, one woman is pregnant, they need medical attention immediately.
Victor comes out, tells the people to calm the fuck down and demands to Elena that they be given shelter. There is plenty of room, he says. Give them the empty rooms. Oh yeah, and he also tells them he is a DOCTOR. Yeah, this shit will end up well.
He performs simple procedures at first, like stitches, then the woman goes into labor. Well, of course Victor now has to deliver a child. Ya gotta be shitting me here. Well at least he can add that to his resume now.
Meanwhile back at the ranch (see what I did there?), Madison, Nick and Troy arrive. They are greeted by the others, but the other group (Jake's group) hasn't arrived yet.
Madison and Nick talk amongst themselves. Nick asks what if they don't return? But Madison wants to stay put. She tells him to hug his mama. He finds a gun on her person, that she confiscated during a fuel stop on the way. "We get our family, take what we need, stop anyone who gets in our way." Cool story, Madison.
Jeremiah Otto then greets Madison at the gates and offers her coffee. He cuts right to the chase. "Any reason to think your husband could have diverted the aircraft?" She said he'd do anything to get daughter to the ranch safely. She admits that she was the one who hurt Troy by putting the spoon in his eye. Jeremiah deadpans, "Happy it wasn't a fork." So I guess they're cool with each other.
He tells her that they are two families with missing loved ones. They wait it out together.
(PS Remember in the second to last episode of season two, when Ofelia was approached by who I thought was a "border guard?" The guard (who was clearly not a guard) was Jeremiah. When I first watched this episode, I thought she may have been held prisoner on the ranch...to be continued...)
Jeremiah's goddaughter was Jake's copilot in the copter. She takes off to be on watch. Alicia and Jake hear a noise, he investigates and find some infected. Alicia follows him and takes one out. They also find the copilot, dead. Jake shoots her in the head as Alicia walks away.
Victor meanwhile is having a celebratory drink after delivering the baby. Elena and Hector tell him the family wants to name the baby after him, it's their custom. However, his lie is now their lie, and he needs to leave immediately. No cars, just his own two feet to get out of there. Hector though tells Victor that before he leaves, he needs to visit one last patient who is on a hunger strike.
The patient is Eileen, Jessica's mother from season two. And remember, she also stabbed Victor after he killed Jessica after she turned. Riiiiight. But the meeting was surprisingly tame. He offers her food, and opens the sliding door to the balcony to get her some fresh air. She recalls stabbing him, and she apologizes. She tells him that he is an angel, that he freed her little girl. He tells her that he delivered a baby earlier, and if this child lives, it's a start of a new generation.
She asks if he knew where he would go if he left. He said he had a place in mind. (What, did you think he didn't?). She then gives him the "wedding gift" that had been marked for Pablo and Jessica. He takes a look, smiles. Then in a dramatic finish, she tells him, "But there are no more generations." As he admires his new gift from Eileen, she leaps to her death off the balcony. This was probably one of the best scenes in the show, to be honest. I could watch it over and over.
Jake, Alicia and Luciana make their way to the ranch. Luci is still badly hurt and goes unconscious, so Jake has to carry her the rest of the way. They make it to Brokejaw, they are greeted by Madison. When she realizes Travis isn't there, she knows what happened and now has to reconcile that he died without her saying goodbye and him being alone. That was tough to watch. But honestly, out of the family, Travis was the weakest. He was afraid of change and knew there was a natural pecking order to life. Madison would've been held back had he stayed alive.
Jake then tells Jeremiah they were shot down, but doesn't know by who.
And here comes Troy with the gun, saying, welp gotta put Luciana down, she's as good dead. When the family pleads to put her in the infirmary to rest and recover, he's like, whatever she could die and turn and compromise us. Later!
Nick blames him - tells everyone that it was Troy who shot Luci and almost killed them both at the border. Then he says, that if anyone should kill Luci, it should be him. He cares about her. Troy, despite all his survivalist training, hands Nick the gun. You know how this turns out. Nick turns the gun on Troy, demands they let her in. Jeremiah is a voice of reason, says if she has a pulse, they will let her in. But "secure her before you treat her."
He then says that a Beretta 418 went missing from the fuel stop earlier. He asks her to sign for it, and she does. So there's that. He's okay that she has the firearm. They seem to have an understanding. Which I guess is good since it looks like the Clarks are gonna stay for awhile.
Later, Madison, Nick and Alicia are finally reunited and are out of harm's way...for now at least. Madison tells them she wants to stay, that they will make it a home, even if they have to take it over. They all suffered to get together and Travis died to get there. Now, she says, she wants to hear how it happened.
Just before that last scene with Madison, we went back to the hotel with Strand. Eileen's gift? Oh, only a fully loaded fucking brand new Jaguar that has been sitting in the hotel garage since the wedding night. Victor, being Victor, drives off in style. Because that's how he rolls.
Off to the future generation.
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