‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘Divine Providence’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 714 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

Whether we like it or not… there is going to come a time in our lives, where we will make some awful mistakes. The kind that will rattle and embarrass us to our core and likely hurt people we genuinely care about. For we are flawed beings through and through, that don’t always think with our heart and minds in unison and well… when we’ve made our mistakes, how we respond to them is paramount. For in that moment, we are faced with quite the crossroads, wherein we can simply move on and let the mistake be a defining moment for us, which can lead us down a potentially dark path full of regret and sorrow… or we can try and redeem ourselves and try and earn forgiveness from those we hurt… and set things right. 
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Of course, the latter of those two options are what people choose in that situation, simply because no one wants to spend their lives filled with regret over what could have been and what once was. But even then, there is so much more that goes into redemption than a mere honest apology, and the long road back from our mistake is top of mind today, because it just so happened to serve as the focal theme of last night’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead. But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. For when we catch up with just about everyone in ‘Divine Providence’, the showdown that we’ve been waiting for, appeared as though it was about to take place. For Alicia and her band of warriors had arrived at the gates of Strand’s Tower and they were ready for war.

Which… led to quite the surprise. For rather than have his rangers open fire and attempt to lay waste to good people in need, Victor instead invited Alicia inside the walls of the Tower, in the hopes they could have a little chat. The kind where perhaps he could talk her into staying permanently so she could finally see that he wasn’t the villain that everyone made him out to be, and that he was trying to build something beautiful here. He was just handling it the hard way through and through. But of course, once Alicia rejected his offer… his tone and demeanor and plan to accomplish his goals, quickly changed. Since he locked her inside the Tower and ordered his Rangers to signal the radioactive dead from the crater to the Tower, effectively creating a death sentence for the good souls outside. So that one way or another... she would see his side of things.

A move that of course led to a counter offensive on Alicia’s part, where she was able to isolate Strand in the elevator in a desperate attempt to stop the Beacon from doing its damage. But her raging illness and the manner in which she brings out the best in Strand… allowed for him to lower his guard and begin to ponder upon the mistakes he’s made in building this new world. Which in turn, motivated him to strike a deal so that all could live, a deal… that ended up proving to Strand that he’s created a nightmare instead of a sanctuary, and engendered hate and fear, instead of the hope he confessed to Alicia he believed he was creating. All because Wes basically pulled a mutiny on Strand when the deal was announced, in the name of Victor's ‘values’, forcing Strand and Alicia to get creative to save the day.

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For Daniel Salazar followed Alicia into the complex in the hopes of seeing Ofelia and well… his reunion with Strand is really when this episode began to explore the true nature of redemption. Part of which, involves honest apologies and being transparent. Because eventually, Strand had to be honest with both Alicia and Daniel, something that does not come easy for him. But he finally opened up and told the truth to both of them about his motivations and his fears and vulnerabilities and even his hopes for the future with them at his side. Which allowed for Daniel to stand down, and finally face his pain regarding losing his daughter and perhaps find peace in the matter by standing by Charlie as her time on this earth narrowed to a close and it also allowed for Strand to finally tell Alicia what she means to him and how much he admires her.
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Which… in any other story, and in other situations, would likely be enough for redemption. But Strand killed people in the name of his vision, and he genuinely hurt people emotionally and physically in addition to ending lives and well… that requires more than mere words to move on from. Especially when one considers that Strand was quick to kill again when Wes threatened Alicia’s life. A move that led to all that goodwill fading away and a grand fight on the rooftop that eventually led to an equally as grand fire. One that might doom the Tower after all and rob everyone of what it could stand for and what it would accomplish and well, that sour ending is what expressed specifically… what must be done to truly find redemption through and through. 

Which is… forgiveness and a changing of one’s course. Because we must first forgive ourselves for what we’ve done and accept our actions, and ask that forgiveness of others… and show them we mean business by never making that same mistake again. But since Strand doesn’t fully understand his emotions and his actions, and only acts upon the bad habits he knows... now everyone is going to pay the price for his inability to really look at himself objectively, and reject his demons to really find the connections he craves. Because there is a fair chance that the end of the Tower is night, when one considers how fast and furious that fire turned out to be, and it's unfortunate that such a precious and safe place will be lost because of ego and foolishness. 

In the end, this was just… a supremely inventive and moving episode when all is said and done. Since it basically found a way to move this conflict forward without having the two sides engage in ‘All Out War 2.0’ and because… it finally showed us the real Victor Strand and the man he aspires to be and how little he understands about connecting with people. Which also makes this… a grand tragedy as well. Since Victor once again has screwed the proverbial pooch because he cannot get out of his own way and doesn’t understand how to let go of the darkness that once served him well. Not to mention, this episode deserves a round of applause, for exploring such a fascinating topic, and not bringing it to a happy resolution. For danger is everywhere once again, and that is bold, and it will be interesting to see what comes next for these tired and weary survivors and whether or not Victor Strand can find the redemption he so desperately seeks. Until next time.  

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