[RECAP] Season 4, Episode 6 of Fear The Walking Dead, "Just in Case"

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By Carolina Gallardo (@carolgallardo)

This episode of Fear the Walking Dead entitled "Just in Case" again, plays around with time, which is the only way that we get further visibility to Madison and her potential role within this scenario.  Unfortunately, we still do not have answers as to where in the world is Madison or if she is even alive at this rate.  But this episode will likely serve as another piece of the puzzle that will eventually fall into place (we hope).

We start off the episode by John Dorie and Morgan still walking down the road and coming across a man who we eventually uncover to be a vulture.  Prior to his run in with them, we see the man enter a building and completely strip it of any and all useful parts and components.  This includes goods, of course, but also light bulbs and even the metal hinges off of a door frame (very odd).  As he exits said building, John Dorie and Morgan creep up on him for behind with a weapon, causing him to raise his arms.  This is an interesting moment of tension considering that we only see this scene from the point of view of the vulture, but we don't actually SEE John Dorie and Morgan here, but rather, only hear John's voice, describing to the vulture what his options are.

Inevitably, things take a turn for the worse and, much like he had to do in his past, he fires a "warning" shot at the vulture, shooting off a finger.  He becomes incensed and holds him against a car, demanding information on where he is going and on Laura's whereabouts.  They finally uncover a hand scratched map from him that they decide to follow to see what they can uncover.

We then move into the past where we are exposed to more of Naomi and Madison at the stadium.  Naomi is proving herself useful by using her nursing skills to remove shrapnel from Alicia's arm.  It's at this point that Madison shares that they are running dangerously low on food and she's going to have to go out and venture out to see what can be found.  In the meantime, we see that the Vultures are still hanging out outside the stadium...waiting.  Talk about ominous and persistent.  Madison and Strand take this all in while talking and taking swings from the same bottle of alcohol.  Eventually they hear some commotion and when they run down, they see that Naomi was attempting to leave.  She insists that she knows of a place where they could get seeds and other items they need so they let her proceed...but accompanied by Madison and Strand.  

Nightfall hits and their vehicle stops at what appears to be an abandoned motel for the night.  It's during this time in the motel that Naomi reveals that her original intention for this trip had nothing to do with getting supplies back to the stadium, but rather to return to the FEMA outpost she came from.  Strand is livid over Naomi's wishy-washiness and demands her car keys from her, for safe keeping.  Little did Strand know that Naomi is an expert at hot wiring cars which is exactly what she did as they slept.  True to her word, she drives until she backs it back to the FEMA outpost she mentioned.  She eventually enters and finds a trunk full of various useful items (maps, instructions on gardening, landscaping etc), but as she continues to explore the space, she begins to notice the random dead bodies on the ground and the finally children's artwork hung up on a fridge.  It's the sight of this artwork that brings Naomi to her knees and creates a noise disturbance attracting the heard of walkers already inside.  She runs and climbs an interior scaffolding that allows her to sit perched above it all, tearfully apologizing to the walkers below.   

Luckily for her, eventually Madison and Strand burst into the building and, after a tense makeshift zip line, Naomi is rescued and they all leave the building.  Once outside, Naomi finally shares her story: She and her daughter once lived at this FEMA Center with many others that became their friends.  Sadly, her daughter inevitably became very sick, forcing Naomi to go out and score the area for antibiotics.  She eventually was able to get antibiotics but by the time she returned with them, her daughter had taken a turn for the worst and she died.  She couldn't bring herself to kill her before she turned and that decision allowed for the FEMA center to fall apart from the inside.  It's for this reason that Naomi carries this immense burden of guilt and remorse, primarily because she feels largely responsible for the death of all these people.  Ironically, it's Strand that reassures her that if he was not beyond salvation, surely she is still redeemable, at least in their eyes.  

They then load up a Range Rover and a truck with all the supplies found at the FEMA Center including goods, seeds, and various other agricultural supplies that are critically needed at the stadium.  They then all return to the stadium triumphantly with their newly found goods, much to Mel's surprise.  Madison and him have an exchange and while he and the vultures collect themselves up and leave, it is not before Mel gives Madison an ominous warning that things could easily go bad very quickly.  This seems to stick with Madison since while everyone is in a celebratory mood, prepping the land for all the seeds that will need to be propagated, she stands at a post looking around at the landscape.  When Alicia comes to her to see what she is doing, she instructs Alicia to take some of the goods and supplies and pack them in the Range Rover.  Just in case.

We finally return to the present day where we see that Morgan and John Dorie have arrived a track of some sort.  They are surprised to find our crew in Althea's SWAT car ALSO arrive at he same spot, apparently all following the maps drafted by the vultures.  Alicia holds John Dorie and Morgan at bay with her space age looking gun (though for reasons not completely clear to me since she knows who they are).  It's at this point then, that we see a caravan of cars and trucks arrive and we realize the vultures have arrived at their apparent meeting spot.  Mel immediately exits and we get a sense of anguish and emotional pain on his face.  Everyone has a gun raised at each other and Mel manages to tell Alicia that he's sorry about her brother (Nick).  Unfortunately, Alicia says she's not sorry about his.   SAVAGE. 

This moment of high tension however, is broken by the sound of a woman's voice on the walkie talkie, asking Mel what's the hold up.  The owner of this voice then arrives.  In a Range Rover.  And out of said Range Rover exits Naomi, looking more powerful in a leather jacket and hair done in plaits.  John Dorie immediately says her name, Naomi says his and he goes to her, Alicia (for reasons again, I'm not entirely clear on) shoots John Dorie on the side.  He immediately goes down and we are left with the image of Naomi and Morgan tending to him, as his life hangs in the balance.

So what happened between these two groups to cause this level of emotion?  At this point, it seems to go far beyond one group simply wanting the other group's "stuff".  And again, where is Madison?

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