'Fear the Walking Dead' Recap: 'Minotaur' & 'The Diviner'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Despite being a hardcore fan of Fear the Walking Dead over the past three and half seasons, there is still one chief complaint that I harbor in the back of my mind, in that…to this day I still feel as though the first season of this zombified spinoff truly missed a few key opportunities storytelling wise. Sure, it gave us our first big budget look at the zombie apocalypse but at the same time, it rushed to get to the finish line and missed out on the chance to truly show us the collapse of the modern world, where the worst parts of mankind came to the surface to help bring us to our knees at the slimy hands of walking corpses.
 
I make mention of that, because when I settled in to watch last night’s midseason premiere, that was suddenly on my mind as something incredible unfolded before my eyes. It was clear early on in season three that the series is trying its best to right its wrongs and provide us with a far more intense viewing experience as a whole, but I never expected the series to try and also course correct when it came to that titular first season mistake; but it most certainly did and holy cow was it impressive. Because ‘Minotaur’ and ‘The Diviner’ dug deep on some incredible issues and finally gave us that insightful look as to how and what could cause mankind to divide and lose the fight for survival by way of several thematic concepts.
 
Now the first one that popped up on the series last night, was our inability to let go of the past and much of that came by way of the aftermath of Jeremiah Otto’s death. If you recall, shortly after Madison made a deal with Walker to deliver Otto’s head, the Black Hat tribe moved into Broke Jaw Ranch and we were all left wondering as to whether or not there would be peace at last and it didn’t take long for the series to answer that question in angry fashion. There would seemingly be no peace, simply because neither could side could let go of the garbage they carried in their hearts when it came to yesterday. 
 
Everyone was skeptical of everyone and firmly believed that trouble was brewing and sadly, because of that…trouble came to Broke Jaw in swift and disturbing fashion. Without his father to keep him in check, Troy ran amuck, influencing one of his neighbors to attack Walker’s people with impunity and rather than see a path forward, Troy held steadfast to his father’s dream of war with Black Hat and sucked Nick into an impromptu and bloody battle at the cabin wherein Nick was forced to embrace the past and confess to Troy that Jeremiah Otto died at Nick’s hand instead of his own and that revelation, that his father was not a hero in the slightest, finally allowed for Troy to stand down and eventually be exiled. 

---

​While one would have expected that to be enough however when it comes to the series atoning for its mistakes, Fear wasn’t quite done yet. In addition to that fascinating storyline, it also brought about the need for honesty in the midst of the crisis since we learned that Broke Jaw is running out of water, a chilling fact that sent Madison and Walker into the wild to find more while everyone back home was forced to ration and by not knowing the truth…people once more turned the issue into a vendetta of sorts as lines were drawn over resources, as if such matters were no big deal and that of course led to more tension in this place and if it wasn’t for Alicia’s admission of the truth…then perhaps we would not have received the powerful ending that dropped into our lap.
 
Because her ‘confession’ led to a hopeful ending, and perhaps the most powerful commentary of the night by bringing up the age old and wholesome notion…that nothing will ever truly be accomplished unless we as a people, work together as one. With the water supply dwindling, it seemed that all-out war was coming to the ranch, revitalizing the ‘holding onto the past’ theme as well since Nick was embracing violence and his darker side once again by taking charge of the small insurrection building within the confines of Broke Jaw. But seeing his sister working with the people of Black Hat to find water so that everyone could survive was enough to allow for him to put down his weapons…and do the right thing and inspire others to join in as well and that’s the first time in a long time, that we’ve seen this series end on a hopeful note.
 
Granted, it doesn’t repair the deep divide that these two camps have dug between one another, but it’s definitely a start and oddly enough, the series still wasn’t quite done giving us more fascinating moments about what the world could look like after the complete collapse of society. Because the whole storyline of Walker and Madison arriving at the trader’s arena, wherein people tried their hardest to keep the old life going by bartering away items that no longer have meaning was fascinating to watch and I love the fact that Strand was there and his return to Madison’s world now ties together Daniel and the Dam he now works to protect since Madison plans to head there to solve the Ranch’s water problem.
 
When all is said and done however, I really enjoyed this midseason premiere. It was filled to the brim with tense moments and powerful commentary and I am truly appreciative of the fact that this story really took the time to examine the divide between these two communities and teach them, if only for a moment, that there is something bigger than their silly hang-ups and past issues and I’m hopeful that this is the start of some actual peace and progress over at Broke Jaw Ranch. Provided of course, Troy doesn’t come back to start any trouble. Either way, this is another fine entry in the saga’s finest season to date and I can’t wait to see where the story is headed next. Until next time. 

---