Looking Back

Fear The Walking Dead’s “Pillar of Salt” connected storylines and saw the return of a character that has been absent for weeks, and one that we really had no clue what had happened to. Ofelia Salazar. She left Alicia in the hotel, and she is now on her own traversing Mexico in a truck with a handy dandy hammer as her weapon of choice. Like the others, she is adapting quite well to this new world, and thanks to a series of flashbacks, we finally understand her decision to leave. Her parents had left Mexico seeking something better, seeking hope and seeking safety, and Ofelia is now following in their footsteps.

Meanwhile, over in the colonia, things aren’t going too well. Francisco and his family left the community without anyone knowing, and it just so happens that he was supposed to be meeting with Marco and the rest of the gang to drop off oxy. So the colonia is in a bad spot, and Alejandro has no intention of letting anyone leave, despite Nick’s insistence that if they don’t get the oxy to Marco, they will be in trouble.

Luciana trusts Alejandro, and because she is in his inner circle, she offers the other residents reassurance that everything will be okay. Nick, on the other hand, isn’t having any of it, and he isn’t willing to sit by and wait for something to happen, and so he takes matters into his own hands. He makes plans with one of the guards to go to the warehouse and give the oxy to Marco, because not doing so would put La Colonia at risk.

At the hotel, everyone is working together to make the place a home. They are settling in quite comfortably and even have the luxury of electricity, ice, and surf lessons. But all is not well, and Eileen now holds a grudge against Strand for “killing” her daughter. Her revenge comes in the form of a stabbing that leaves Strand in critical condition, and the only way to save him is by getting medicine that isn’t kept at the hotel.

Madison, Eileen, and Oscar decide to go out with a list of supplies, and it turns out that they are headed to the same warehouse where La Colonia does business and Francisco and his family are being held. Antonio, one of the men in the gang and Hector’s brother, assists them and demands that they stay put. But Madison hears voices and when Elena translates “gringo with ratty hair” she knows that they are speaking of Nick, and her motherly instincts kick in. She demands to know where Nick is and where he is staying, putting her life in danger, and while she gets the medicine needed, she leaves with no answers.

Her determination to find Nick is only fueled by the rumor that he is still out there, and when they get to the hotel, she makes the rash decision to turn on the hotel sign. It may draw Nick there, but it will also attract the attention of anyone else in the vicinity, including Travis, who is alone and sees it.

“Pillar of Salt” was very much an episode about looking back. Ofelia is looking back on her life prior to the apocalypse and her parents’ decision to come to America. Madison is looking back on Nick and her instincts to protect him, but she is neglecting to realize that she has a child right there with her who has chosen to stay. Nick has once again won Madison’s attention, she isn’t seeing Alicia, and while Alicia was forced to raise herself in the old world, she is also being forced to raise herself in this new world. The problem with looking back, though, is that it can be dangerous, and just as Lot’s wife in the Bible turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back at Sodom, these characters risk their lives if they don’t focus their attention forward.

 

Bullets:

• Where’s Sheriff Rick Grimes when you need him? I’m sure that he could solve this kidnapping case.
• Ofelia is pretty good with that hammer. Nice weapon of choice.
• There is a generator. They have electricity and ice. Oh, and Alicia can charge her phone…I mean, it makes for a good tool if you need to gain the attention of the infected.
• Madison channeled her inner Rick Grimes this episode and laid down the law…too bad this law may come back and bite her in the buttocks.
• Anyone else getting the feeling that there is a possible relationship blossoming between Alicia and Hector? Hecticia? Alictor?
• La Colonia is beginning to crumble. Alejandro’s authority and leadership is beginning to be questioned.
• I’m a sucker for the relationship between Strand and Alicia. They were pretty much arch nemesis in the beginning, but over the season they have almost found a common ground. Alicia was the only one to bid Strand farewell when Celia kicked him off of her villa, and Strand is the only one who actually sees her now.
• Ofelia is heading back to America. Will she make it?
• Uh oh…Marco knows where the colonia is. Nick’s prediction that skipping the trade would come back to haunt them is probably correct.
• There were a lot of poignant moments in this episode, but the ending scene between Madison Alicia was probably the biggest. Last episode saw their relationship mending, but this episode saw it breaking once again.
• We saw Travis, but where in the world is Chris?!
• Travis saw the hotel lights, but who else did? And will the hotel now be put in danger and the group be forced to flee?

Don’t miss an all-new episode of Fear The Walking Dead Sunday at 9 EST on AMC.