Fear the Walking Dead recap: 'Teotwawki' 

Ruben Blades, Mercedes Mason, Cliff Curtis

The tale of Broke Jaw Ranch is becoming a tale of two brothers. One remains the loyal son of Jeremiah Otto, faithfully guiding the needle of the colony’s moral compass north. The other’s sense of humanity has been tainted by the brutal world, transmogrifying his core self into something unhinged. The biblical and literary nods of their saga, such as Alicia’s underground “Bible study” where she’s “turning water into wine” and her remark about “the circles of hell” draw further parallels to stories like the parable of the prodigal son and (depending how their relationship progresses) Cain and Abel, both of which see siblings at odds. But the political elements of season 3 place their dueling relationship within a new context.

“Teotwawki,” referring to a survivalist phrase for the end of the world, begins with Jeremiah’s preparation video and the words, “Our country is ablaze. If only our ancestors could see the chaos of modern America.” Jake and Troy have different approaches to that concept. The former is more compassionate and works toward the betterment of this new country and its citizens, while the latter is the product of those who felt forgotten by an America filled with “feckless fiddles” for politicians.

In the second scene — a funeral for Charlene, who fell trying to see Alicia, Jake, and Luciana safely to the ranch — Madison seems to foreshadow further friction between the successors of the Otto empire. “Travis, he was our compass,” she tells a crowd turned sour by their presence. (The people brand the ranch’s latest refugees as “The Unprepared.”) We’re still learning what the void he left behind means for her and her children, but the loss of their compass puts a spotlight on the Ottos’ compass. As Troy fans the flames of frustration by promising to take revenge on those who shot down their helicopter, Jake is there to quell the heat. “We can’t afford to lose ourselves. We’re more than a mob,” he says, which begs the question: What would become of the colony if its beacon of hope should be snuffed out? What would become of Troy?

Seeing the brothers along this journey are the Clarks. It’s not surprising Alicia finds more kinship with Jake and Nick pairs off with Troy; Madison’s remark to Nick about Travis’ death suggests she still sees him as a lost boy and his sister as the cherished child. Alicia herself, though, is adrift after killing Andres and witnessing Travis falling from the chopper, and Jake seems to be looking for something hopeful to grab on to after losing Charlene.

Nick, as much as he would hate to admit, has more in common with Troy. Both believe what they do is for the greater good of their family, but they are treated as less than. Luciana wants so much to leave the ranch when she’s deemed fit for duty, and Nick is keen to agree as he, too, is an outsider. It’s still frustrating to watch Nick continue to make reckless choices as he goes hunting in the woods with his tormentor in the dead of night. But Troy’s attempt to catch his prey off guard brings out more of Nick’s darker tendencies, and the younger Otto son says they can be friends now.

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