Fear the Walking Dead picks up on Sept. 10 where we all left off at the mid-season finale of the AMC series’ third season, but, uh… where did we all leave off again? It’s been a whirlwind few months where new characters and the loss of more familiar ones is concerned.
It hasn’t been a super-easy season for our heroes. Their lives grow increasingly complicated with each passing day as they figure out which alliances are worth having and which ones could potentially cost them their lives. But Nick, Alicia and Madison have managed to stick beside one another for the most part, and that unity has clearly saved their skins on occasion.
You want specifics, though, right? We don’t blame you. Summer has a way of wiping the ol’ memory bank clean. So, to catch you up before Season 3 resumes, here’s a briefer on where we left off with each of the key characters.
Madison Clark
Suffice it to say that poor Madison hasn’t had it easy so far in Season 3, but she is finally starting to come into her own. After Travis dies (#RIP, Trav), Madison seems to find a renewed sense of purpose as her family’s protector. She builds unlikely alliances at Broke Jaw Ranch, including slightly unhinged Otto son Troy. Ultimately, she facilitates the death of Broke Jaw’s owner, Jeremiah Otto, and delivers his head in a backpack to Black Hat Reservation’s Qaletqa Walker to broker peace.
Alicia Clark
After a few seasons of basically being a wet blanket, we can finally say that Alicia is officially interesting. Throughout the first half of Season 3, Alicia has remained loyal to her family. But in addition to occasionally speaking forcefully to Madison when it’s warranted, the Clark family daughter somehow always manages to find time for dating in the zombpocalypse. Her latest hookup, of course, is the handsome and seemingly benign Otto brother, Jack.
Nick Clark
Let’s be real: FTWD arguably wouldn’t survive without its scrappy anti-hero, Nick Clark. There’s never a dull moment when he’s around, that’s for sure. This season so far, he has remained steadfastly devoted to his love interest, Luciana, risking life and limb to get her the medical treatment she needed for the gunshot wound she sustained in the Season 2 finale. He has also worked alongside Madison and Alicia to secure a place for their family at Broke Jaw Ranch, despite his reservations about Troy. In the end, it’s Nick who puts a bullet through Jeremiah Otto’s head so that Madison can make peace with the rivals at Black Hat.
Luciana
While we presume Luciana is still alive, the last suriviving member of La Colonia is currently MIA. She spent most of the season thus far in grave peril due to the gunshot wound she suffered in Season 2, and she was none too thrilled at the prospect of settling down at Broke Jaw Ranch. Despite Nick doing his best to romanticize the idea (even having a candlelit dinner for her), Luciana up and leaves in the middle of the night with the intention of making her way to a friend in Mexicali.
Ofelia Salazar
Oh, Ofelia! Perhaps she is a bit more like her ruthless father than she let on — or at least it would seem that way, since she was willing to infiltrate Broke Jaw Ranch on Walker’s behalf and poison the militia. In her defense, she didn’t realize the poison she had been armed with was anthrax. After basically wiping out most of the militia and nearly taking out Nick in the process, Ofelia confronts Walker, who hails her as a hero.
Daniel Salazar
Surprise! Daniel’s alive! Ofelia’s dear old dad did not perish in that fire during Season 2. Rather, he somehow managed to escape and avoid being eaten by walkers as he roamed around. He was shown kindness by a stranger named Efrain, whom he essentially betrays down the road on the orders of a man named Dante. He redeems himself by eventually turning the tables on Dante and killing him. Daniel isn’t seen in the mid-season finale, other than as part of a hallucination Ofelia has.
Victor Strand
For all his slick-talking talent, Strand couldn’t save himself from some seriously dodgy situations in the first half of Season 3. After leaving the hotel, he runs into former business associate Dante Esquivel. Unfortunately, Dante double-crosses Strand, leading to his imprisonment. Strand manages to convince Daniel Salazar to spring him, but Daniel ditches Strand in a throng of walkers when Strand fails to help him find Ofelia. Strand escapes and finds his yacht, but it’s compromised. As the first half of Season 3 closes, he sets Abigail on fire and smirks as she burns.
Troy Otto
Raise your hand if you were creeped out by Broke Jaw Ranch son Troy Otto this season. *raises hand* Not only did he seem to take pleasure in crushing walker skulls, but he also seems to have an affinity for killing those who aren’t infected. Case in point? The Trimbols. Still, Madison does a good job of neutralizing Troy for the time being. He doesn’t even flinch too much when his dad turns up dead.
Jake Otto
Another new character. We still don’t know a ton about Jake Otto, but here’s what we’ve deduced so far: Based on his demeanor and negotiating skills, he is clearly the level-headed Otto sibling. He tends to stand up for the things he believes in and had his father’s respect. And, of course, he has a fledgling romance going on with Alicia.
Qaletqa Walker
Although the trouble for Qaletqa intensified when he and his tribespeople shot down the helicopter carrying Travis, it actually went back much farther than that. Much of the drama of the second half of this third season has centered around the rivalry between Broke Jaw Ranch and Black Hat Reservation. Qaletqa, as we see by the mid-season finale, is a driving force in this new frontier.
Efrain Morales
Efrain is seen surprisingly little this season, but his role is pivotal nonetheless: he is the person who finds Daniel Salazar, pulling his injured body from beneath the car he was hiding under. He then offers Daniel shelter, medical assistance and treatment. Sadly, Daniel essentially ends up betraying Efrain. (Although, to be fair, he does ultimately set him free.)
Crazy Dog
Aside from the fact that Crazy Dog is Qaletqa’s right-hand man, next to nothing is known about the character. Here’s hoping he is able to step outside of his boss’s shadow and pick up his own plot line when FTWD returns.
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