‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘Reclamation’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 706 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’.
​
One particular phrase that tends to get under our skin, that we hear often in life is, ‘everything happens for a reason’. And it irritates us, simply because when someone mutters it to us, we’re going through some tough times. Where we don’t want to hear about how the world or God or whatever we believe in is inherently cruel and fine with letting us suffer in an effort to teach us a lesson. But it also gets under our skin… because it is a phrase that is inherently correct, for there are lessons to be learned from hardships and strife and often times… we don’t realize that until we’ve reached our lowest point or stepped away from the situation that is keeping us up at night.
​
If anything, this particular learning experience is top of mind today, because it served as the focal theme of this week’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead. For ‘Reclamation’ saw one character learn that all powerful lesson in their farewell episode from the franchise and what’s amazing… is that it sure didn’t seem as though this lesson was going to be part of the episode at all. Because early on, it appeared as though this story was going to be mired in another examination of what happens when the stress of a double apocalypse bears down upon our soul and Althea was going to champion that examination. For when we catch up with here, she’s in a dark place and is ready to return to some old habits to find some kind of peace.

For she firmly believed she should be back on the road and interviewing people once again to give future generations an understanding of the world that once was. But… before she could resume that work, she had to deal with quite the unpleasant surprise. Specifically… the return of the Civic Republic Military. For they wanted their chopper and their lost soldier to ensure their usual secrets were kept as that. Prompting Al to ponder upon her next moves and how best to re-secure her camera from them… since they seemingly discovered it, and that’s when yet another surprise dropped into her lap, in the form of Morgan and Grace. For once they discovered she quietly escaped the Pennsylvania convoy, they opted to find her and save her from making any mistakes, but Morgan quickly learned his efforts might be too little… too late.

Because Al was genuinely hell bent on two things, protecting Isabelle now that the CRM had returned and getting her camera back to continue her work and that motivated her to send Grace and Morgan away so she could lure the soldiers to a secret location and kill them. A plan that failed of course when the CRM realized such an act was a ruse, prompting them to instead capture Grace and Morgan. A plan that also failed since this is Morgan Jones we’re talking about here, and that in turn… led to a grand showdown at Al’s location of choice. One that finally brought the CRM soldiers down in the most epic way imaginable, and finally allowed for the exploration revolving around what we learn in times of strife, to begin. 

---

For once the dust settled, Al was finally able to be open and honest with Morgan and explain that she saw herself as a failure and a charlatan. One that constantly let people down because she found safety behind the camera, and she didn’t think she could ever relinquish that. For it really did give her peace and allowed for her function and it was her desire to return to her roots as a journalist that also cost her time with Isabelle, since she made it clear that the camera and the story would always take precedence over anything and anyone. But discovering that the CRM found the lost chopper and would likely soon find her love, prompted quite the epiphany to pop into Al’s mind.
​
One that finally helped her to realize, that she wasn’t listening to the world and what it had to say to her, and it was offering up quite the powerful message. In that, hiding away and in the past was doing her more harm than good. In fact, it was keeping her from any semblance of happiness or forgiveness and if she continued down this path, she would remain miserable and alone and full of regret and well… that motivated her to make quite the bold set of decisions. The first was to bid farewell to the group at last and set out on her own after all. Simply to find her love and make amends and once goodbyes were said, she did just that and found the cabin where Isabelle was hiding and made amends in the boldest way imaginable. 

Wherein Al smashed her camera and abandoned the past… so that she could finally have a future with someone that made her happy and that is… quite the powerful lesson to find within a story buried in apocalyptic sorrow. Since it speaks volumes to the fact that when we are at our lowest, we do indeed need to take an objective look at our lives and our situation and look at what we can learn and gain from it. Since we cannot do anything to change what is currently happening and thankfully, Al figured that out before it was too late and hopefully someone currently going through that, can pick up the same message from the show and gain a little guidance in a time of need.

But all positivity aside, it is going to be weird not having Al and the MWRAP on the show going forward. Since that truck kicked a lot of butts in its time and because Al was quite the quirky and unique character. One that offered up some unique moments and perspectives and hopefully the show can check on her down the line and hopefully she and Isabelle get their happily ever after. Or as happy and as peaceful as it can get at the end of the world and well, now that we’ve reached the end of this grand farewell… one that offered up some uplifting and fascinating commentary, the time has come to turn our attention to next week’s tale. Where it would seem, according to the teaser, Strand’s rule as King of Texas is about to put to the test. Until next time.

---