In this week’s episode, Fear The Walking Dead goes underground to introduce a new villain – and a fresh way of living within the zombie apocalypse. The Holding, as the subterranean dwelling is called, has benefits like poultry farms and daily rhubarb pie, but you’ll have to ignore the embalmed walkers and doomsday cult fanatics lurking in the pantry. Here are the key takeaways from Fear The Walking Dead season six, episode 11…
Something tells us we’re not gonna like it here. Don’t miss a new #FearTWD this Sunday or stream it now with @AMCPlus. pic.twitter.com/gV0461Y2XO
— FearTWD (@FearTWD) May 1, 2021
A new villain: everyone meet Teddy
Who is Teddy? This question dominates the new episode, as citizens of a new underground settlement repeatedly reference the mysterious Teddy’s vision for their future. Whether someone is “ready” to join depends on how they view a monument: comprising a walker tied to a tree overgrown with weeds. “I see a walker that should be in the ground,” Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) says, when several of our survivors discover The Holding. Wrong!
Eventually, we’re introduced to Teddy (played by Smallville‘s John Glover) in the episode’s closing sequence. After a run-in with embalmed walkers, Alicia sets the place ablaze so Althea (Maggie Grace), Wes (Colby Hollman), and Luciana (Danay Garcia) can escape. She’s not so lucky, and is now trapped inside their settlement with zero interest in Teddy’s ideas. Like the audience at this point, Alicia just wants to know what he wants, whether he’s going to kill her, and if this storyline will stretch into next season.
If Virginia (Colby Minifie) was a paranoid cowgirl, Teddy feels like a kooky philosopher on the brink of megalomania. He has undisclosed plans for Alicia, and as The Holding looks to close its doors forever and continue civilisation below ground, we have a concerning suspicion those chickens aren’t the only things he’ll be looking to breed.
Wes’ sibling reunion doesn’t last long…
Wes takes the spotlight in this episode, as he’s reunited with brother Derek (Chinaza Uche) who he believed had died. It’s a nice callback to an exchange from season five, where Wes told Alicia the story of Derek’s apparent demise.
It turns out that Derek escaped the walker attack Wes thought had done for him. Their happy reunion doesn’t last long though, with Derek’s notebooks revealing how they orchestrated the previous attack on Tank Town — despite knowing Wes was there. The Holding citizens are out to cleanse the surrounding areas before they permanently live underground, for reasons not fully explained outside of it being leader Teddy’s wish.
Wes confronts Derek about the fact he killed innocent people, who shows no remorse for his actions. During a scuffle before the walker tree, Wes pushes his brother into the zombie’s radius — who rips a chunk from his neck. It reduces their reunion into a convenient plot device which unfolds too quickly – a shame considering their dynamic felt fresh and a nice break from the show’s usual cast.
Discussion point: how will Fear fit into The Walking Dead‘s final season?
The Civic Republic – a connecting plot device between The Walking Dead and its spin-offs – is an organisation designed to rebuild the future of civilisation. We got a better glimpse at them in Amazon Prime Video spinoff World Beyond, and Fear has established their presence through Althea’s love interest and helicopter pilot, Isabelle (Sydney Lemmon).
After a scary moment when it looked like Isabelle had been turned into an embalmed walker, Althea is more determined than ever to track her down. Her pursuit will have to end somewhere, but what can Fear’s position in The Walking Dead timeline tell us about the Civic Republic?
Fear The Walking Dead season six takes place before World Beyond and The Walking Dead’s current point – could the show’s final season reveal the Civic Republic’s origins? Fear’s original purpose was to establish what happened at the outbreak of the virus, could it circle back around to the foundations of the second beginning? You’ll have to wait and find out.
This week’s biggest question: are The Holding residents hunting Morgan for his key?
Teddy is desperate to find Morgan, shown in Derek’s alarmed reaction when Wes explains he’s from his settlement. The reason why is still unclear though. It might connect back to that mysterious key from earlier in the season, which Morgan pinched from hitman Emile.
There are many theories about the key – including one which relates to a nuclear bomb and a submarine seen in the first episode – but we’re yet to see any solid proof as to its importance.
Most ominous quote: “I know you don’t believe in us yet, but you will. I’ve been looking for someone like you for a long, long time” – Teddy to Alicia
‘Fear The Walking Dead’ airs Monday at 9pm on AMC in the UK (exclusively to BT TV customers)
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