The Good Man

"The Good Man"
Director: Stefan Schwartz — Writer(s): Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman — Aired: October 4, 2015 —    prev   next

"The Good Man" is the sixth episode of the first season of Fear the Walking Dead. It aired on October 4, 2015 on AMC.

Synopsis

"As civil unrest grows, and the dead take over, Travis and Madison try to devise ways to protect their families."

Plot

Editing - MikeLacey - 5 Oct 2015The opening scene is an aerial shot of Los Angeles lit by the moon, it's calm and beautiful but there are no lights on in the city. When the view changes we can see that no one is trying to fight the fires which are burning in some parts of the city.

When we finally see a lit building it's the arena Daniel checked at the end of "Cobalt". The stairs and doors are still lit and we can see, even from a distance, that the dead are still throwing themselves at the chained doors. It's only from the top of the stairs that the violence and ferocity of the attack on the doors becomes apparent.

Madison and Travis are packing supplies when Alicia and Chris get back. They tell the kids that the Guard is pulling out and Alicia and Chris tell the adults they've seen the soldiers looting.

Alicia is scared and wants to know why, she says that she thought things were getting better and Chris wants to know what they're going to about Liza, his mom, and how they're going to do it. Travis doesn't have an answer for him straight away.

In the basement of the Tran home, Andrew Adams is still tied to a chair with duct tape over his mouth. Daniel is standing over him and talking when Travis and Madison enter. Daniel tells Adams that he's found the arena, it's close to the base and that "We can use it." He's holding a pistol down by his side as he talks and Adams can't stop himself looking at it. Daniel turns to them and says that he thinks Adams has told them all he can. Madison and Travis argue with him, he says that he can't be allowed to escape because he will tell the soldiers before the families can get away. They continue to argue, finding reasons why Adams should not be killed.

Madison pulls off the duct tape so that they can hear what Adams is trying to say. He tells them that even though they know where the compound is they still need him to tell them where their people are inside it. Travis makes a decision - that Adams is coming with them. Daniel walks out without a word. Madison wants Adams in the pickup with Travis and not where the kids will see. When Travis asks if there's something she's ashamed of she tells him that he'd do anything if Chris were in danger. Travis doesn't answer her, but he's deeply troubled.

Daniel goes to find Ofelia, she is packing. He tells her they are going to find her mother, Griselda Salazar, and that he needs her help. She asks about "Andy", Andrew Adams and Daniel tells her that he is coming with them. He doesn't mention that he would have preferred to kill him and that he was moments away from doing just that. She is trying to come to terms with her father being a torturer rather than one of the victims as he and her mother had always told her. He asks her if she would rather that be true? She doesn't answer.

Madison picks up car keys from by the mirror near the front door. She stops to look at the many marks on the wall there, recording the height of her children as they grew. Her own height and that of her husband Stephen Clark is also on the wall and she touches the pencilled marks for a moment before leaving the house.

On the drive she tells Alicia to get in the car and then looks over at a man walking his dog. Ofelia asks "What?" and Madison answers that her neighbours don't know. Ofelia is bitter. "They did nothing when they came for us" she says, and puts her bag in the car. Neither she nor Madison go to speak to the man.

At The Military Hospital Dr Exner is talking to someone on the radio, listing the people she has for evacuation, patients and staff. She is visibly relieved when she gets confirmation that transport is on the way and then also gets an ETA of 0215. She tells her staff that Edwards Air Force Base has room for them and that critical cases will be flying. Liza wants to know what arrangements there are for Chris, and wants Travis as well. No one else though. Dr Exner agrees.

Adams puts pressure on Travis as they walk out to the pickup truck. He says that Travis might as well kill him now as Daniel will do that later. Travis argues but his heart isn't really in it. He doesn't believe that Daniel will want to release Adams after he's tortured him. Eventually Adams says "Please. There's no story here that doesn't end with me dead." and Travis hesitates.

Daniel loads and gets into an SUV and they drive off in a convoy of three vehicles. Madison, Alicia and Chris in Madison's car. Daniel and Ofelia in the SUV and Travis in his pickup, we don't see Adams. As they drive away Madison and her family look in the windows of one of their neighbours. The family are sat around the table and laughing, they look as if they're playing a board game. From above we can see that the families are the only traffic on the road and when they get to the checkpoint it's deserted. Daniel gets out and figures out the controls to open the gate and they all drive out, leaving the gate open behind them.

At The Military Hospital we listen in on two Guardsmen talking at the top of a lookout tower. "So they're saying 'Edwards'", "Who's saying Edwards?". Daniel appears carrying a torch and casually walking towards them. The challenge him to stop and he tells them to save their ammunition, and looks behind him as walks casually past. They follow his gaze and see the large crowd of the Infected he's been leading to them. The soldiers report the breach and open fire. The tens of Infected become many tens and hundreds. From our view point above the sentrys we can see that the hundreds of Infected are followed by thousands.

Daniel jogs into the underground car park where the rest are waiting for him. He tells them that he's led them to the north gate and that the soldiers are distracted now. Ofelia is still not looking at him. Daniel sees that Adams is not there and is angry, he says to Madison "You see what doing the right thing gets you." when she sides with Travis. They make final arrangements to go and find Nick, Liza and Griselda. Alicia and Chris are to wait here in the car park for them and are told to go to "the camp ground" if there's trouble or if they don't return. Chris argues with his Dad but accepts it when Madison asks him to take care of Alicia, she then hugs Alicia and tells her quietly to take care of Chris. They all troop off, with Daniel bringing up the rear and looking very angry. Alicia and Chris are left standing by the SUV.

In the holding area Victor Strand is calmly sitting and waiting. When Nick bashes the fence he tells him not to attract attention. Nick is agitated and Strand distracts him by asking where he's from. Strand has not only heard of El Sereno he knows about he area, and says he would "gentrify" it. The power goes off, causing the internees to be alarmed, leaving them with only emergency lights. Strand starts looking for something in all of his pockets and Nick asks where they are going and then makes Strand smile by giving his key back...

Exner and Liza are on the roof looking out at the compound, she can hear the helicopters but there's also firing, shouting and the growls of the infected. Exner looks scared, she knows that the Chinook won't land if the crew know the area is compromised. She goes back down into the building with Liza following her.

The families, led by Ofelia with some big bolt cutters, are exiting the underground car park up near the perimeter fence. Madison stares at the large group of Infected who are collecting by the fence a few hundred yards away. As Ofelia cuts a padlock from a gate Daniel remarks that "the hard part is done"; she asks him how they're going to get out if the Infected get in? Daniel replies that "That would be the harder part". Travis does remember to close the gate behind them as they go in. He's carrying the The Tran's Shotgun. Daniel has Adams' pistol and Madison a ball pein hammer.

Exner is on the radio to the crew of the Chinook she can see hovering above the compound. She asks what the delay is and says that the compound is secure. The crew know, can probably see, that she's not telling the truth and aren't about to land. Exner makes her decision and sends her staff out to the waiting ground transports, saying that she will "take care" of the patients herself. The only patients left appear to be the critical ones. She watches the big twin rotor military helicopter fly off and tells Liza to go "Run!". She turns off a monitor and then stands there, looking at her patients.

Alicia and Chris are in the SUV (he's in the driver's seat, 'though he can't drive). Chris is getting impatient and gets out. After a moment Alicia gets out as well. She tells Chris that they will come back, they're snappy with one another, both nervous. And both saying things their parents might say with Alicia being very pragmatic and Chris more idealistic. A loud noise, a gun shot and some disturbance, startles them both. After a moment Alicia carries on "You can't save everyone." and Chris would probably make an argument of it except that he sees movement behind her and they both get back into the SUV and hide.

The shouting in the holding cells is louder, with some of it directed at Nick and Strand as they walk out. Strand doesn't see the "Value-Add" in helping people and Nick trails along behind him, looking at the people in the cells but not helping them.

In the SUV Alicia and Nick are both scared, they are crouching down in the front seats and Alicia says "If they're dead they'll just keep walking, right?" They both crouch lower as three (living) Guardsmen approach. The soldiers try the doors for a moment then smash a window, dragging the two of them from the car. They want the keys and get physical with Chris, pushing him onto the hood (bonnet) of the car. One of them (Jones) probably wants Alicia as well - Alicia shuts this all down by telling them in a loud voice that she has the keys and gives them to one of the soldiers (Johnson). Jones touches Alicia's hair, asks her if she's sure she doesn't want to come along and Chris goes for him. Twenty seconds later Chris is knocked out on the floor and Alicia is looking at three large and desperate looking men.

Travis is following the directions through the build that Adams gave him, a checkpoint and a sign marked Administration.

Liza finds her way outside using her pass key. It's chaotic and frightening, the dead are pushing at the fence while the soldiers shoot ineffectually through the fence, not generally aiming for the heads and weakening the fence. The dead break through at several points and Liza has an opportunity to get onto one of the trucks taking people to Edwards. She refuses and starts to make her way back inside. On the way she sees an African American soldier attacked by an infected man who bites the solder on the neck. The soldier draws his sidearm, puts the Infected man down and tries to stop the bleeding. He runs over to a helicopter which has its rotors turning and appears to ask the crew for help. The crew aren't able to help him and he runs down the side of the helicopter and attempts to run under the tail. The tail rotor, almost invisible while turning, esp in the dark, strikes his head and kills him instantly. There's a major breakthrough at the fence, including a sentry tower falling down, and the dead pour through. Liza runs for the building.

Inside, Strand and Nick make their way along a corridor avoiding soldiers and hearing gunfire from downstairs. They run past a stairwell and through a door into an area where there's obviously been a firefight, there's a lot of damage and lights are flickering. Strand pulls the door shut behind him and, as they go further into the badly damaged area, we see the light on the door's card reader go red and hear the lock click. This part of the building seems deserted, apart from dead soldiers on the floor and and undead man eating one of them. Nick pulls back but Strand knows enough to be quiet.

He salvages a torch from one body and sees that the man being eaten isn't dead yet, and is Melvin Allen. He walks across to Melvin, who recognises him and calls him by name. Melvin is deeply in shock and close to death. Strand retrieves his cufflinks from the pocket he saw Melvin put them in earlier but doesn't bother with the watch. Melvin asks Strand to kill him, Strand refuses. More of the dead break in and Melvin goes out the way they came in, he calmly takes the time to collect a pistol and a spare magazine from the body of the other soldier. He tells Nick that he doesn't know what they're going to do now because Melvin was to have been their "ride".

Travis and Madison's party find the holding cell area. There appears to be a couple of hundred people in there. They run along the cells asking for Nick and Griselda or for information about them. Some of the internees tell them they've seen Nick and the man in the suit, Maddy lets them out and gets more information, Daniel shouts that there's no time but the other three break the locks on as many cells as they can. Ofelia still has her bolt cutters and makes good use of them.

Running along a corridor, making good time but with the zombie horde just behind them, Nick and Strand reach the doors that Strand had so carefully shut behind him earlier. The doors are securely locked, there appears to be no way out of the corridor, and the zombies are approaching them at a fast walk. Strand remarks that "That's unfortunate." and, for the first time, appears to be in a hurry. He uses the pistol to try and slow them down but without much effect. Looking through the glass panel of the door Nick can see Travis and Madison running towards him.

On one side of the door, Madison et al are trying to open it with a hammer and a shotgun. On the other side Nick is looking through the glass panel while Strands wastes ammunition by missing headshots. The zombie horde continues to approach at a fast walk. Nick, watching his mother try to move heaven and earth to save him, actually becomes calm and puts his hand against the glass. Madison touches the glass in the same way and they both appear calm for a moment. We see Liza running up behind them. She tries her pass card over and over in the card reader until it works and the doors open in time to let Nick and Strand get through. There's not time to shut them to block the dead though and they follow the group down the stairs. They pass through a kitchen that's been abandoned 1/2 way through preparing a meal, Liza leading the way. An infected man leaps out and grabs her. She is in real trouble until Ofelia steps up and despatches the Infected man with her heavy bolt cutters. They all fight well - Madison with her hammer, Daniel with Adams' pistol and Travis with the butt of the shotgun. Liza and Ofelia, in particular, are an effective team. Madison gets taken by surprise, drops her hammer and is struggling until Nick (Nick!) picks it up and puts down her attacker. As the leave the kitchen, Strand knows just where to find something to lock the doors behind them (a long mop handle) and walks calmly away from the doors as the dead approach it from the other side. "Who the hell are you?" asks Madison and Nick replies "He saved my life."

Daniel leads the way through a locker room but then stops and asks Liza where Griselda is. Ofelia stops to talk to her as well. Daniel accepts what Liza says but Ofelia becomes angry and wants to see her mother's body. Daniel tries to dissuade her but in the end it takes Liza saying "There's nothing left to see" to convince her.

Liza leads the way into the hospital ward area. The bodies of the critical patients are on the beds, each neatly tagged and each with a wound from the captive bold device in the centre of the foreheads. Bethany Exner is still there, having taken care of her patients in the only way left to her. She is sitting and staring at nothing. Madison scavenges drugs while Liza asks Exner for the way out. Exner eventually tells her but refuses to go with them because there's "nowhere to go to". As the families leave Bethany Exner picks up the captive bolt again and looks at it.

As they go where Dr Exner has told them, Strand suggests that they go to his house, that he has supplies and is prepared.

As they leave the building, they see what's left of the bodies that have been incinerated. Ofelia and Daniel in particular are devastated by the sight of the pile of ash, bones, partially burnt bodies, and the bulldozer that was used to move it all around.

Back in the underground car park Travis calls out for Chris. They see that the car is not there and get louder, causing Daniel to tell them to be quiet and not attract the dead. Travis shoves him out of the way and ignores him. Alicia and Chris appear from a door at the far end of the car park. Travis, Madison and Liza greet their children while Ofelia sits down on the floor by a pillar, drained. Daniel calls out "We must go now".

Andrew Adams appears, with a pistol and says "Salazar!". He points the weapon at Daniel and Ofelia gets up to intervene. She talks to him and tries to stop it escalating further until Andrew suddenly changes aim and shoots Ofelia instead.

Travis, overcome with rage and guilt, leaps on Adams and hits him over and over. We hear Liza say to Ofelia and Daniel - "It's ok." but Travis doesn't hear and doesn't stop. The whole group are stunned by his reaction which doesn't stop until Madison tells Travis to leave him, even Daniel does not intervene when Madison gets Travis to stop. Adams is badly beaten but still alive.

We see another aerial shot of LA, day time. There is a vast area of the city that has burnt out, the edge of that fire is still advancing and other fires can be seen in the distance.

The two car, Madison's car in front, are on a derserted stretch of road. Daniel, Ofelia and Liza are in the back of Travis' pickup. Chris is in the front with Travis driving. Madison is driving her car with Alicia in the passenger seat and Strand in the back. They are discussing the best route to take to the sea; they pass some (undead) pedestrian traffic bu see little else. Two of the main office blocks in the city are burning. At Strand's suggestion they turn left off the main road and onto the concreted LA river, where it all started for Madison and Travis and where Nick killed Calvin. There's very little water and no traffic at all. They pass a crashed and burnt out military helicopter with a badly burnt but still active Infected man struggling to get at them from the wreckage. They can't see from down in the river, but an aerial whot shows us roads completely blocked with cars and many more fires. The concreted river bed is clear and straight though. It takes them to Strands home with no problems.

Strand lets them into the property with a code, he explains that there's a generator that starts automatically when the power goes off. They all go in, Liza and Daniel helping Ofelia who, while she is walking, is obviously in a lot of pain. Strands home is beautiful and looks very expensive; you can hear the sea and the sea gulls as you walk up to the house. Strand lets them in the front door asks them to help themselves to food. The group are very wary as they enter. Daniel, Ofelia and Liza go to sit in a family area. Chris and Alicia get a drink of water and Madison and Nick are outside, looking at the sea and talking.

Madison tells Nick she's sorry, he asks "For what?" and she says it's for letting him be taken, but she shakes her head as she says it and the impression is that it's for more than that. Nick, doesn't feel she has anything to apologise for. He talks about his feeling that everyone is catching up with him - that now everyone is as lost as he has always been

Liza is giving Daniel a bag of medical supplies and instructions on how to care for Ofelia's injury. She is reassuring and they thank her. After, speaking to the Salazars she finds Chris in the kitchen and tells him that Ofelia will be ok, and that she loves him. As she hugs him Madison can see from Liza's face over Chris' shoulder that there's something badly wrong. She's tearful as she walks away and Chris looks puzzled, but not concerned. Madison is worried and follows Liza out of the house and to the cliff path, after a few moments Travis follows Madison.

In a large bedroom Strandis packing a bag with expensive shirts and other clothes. Nick comes in and asks where he's going and if the family can stay here. Strand is picking up a small picture to pack, he looks at the picture and says "No, no we cannot. No one stays."

Nick asks where "Abigail" is, and why have they come here if they're not staying. Strand doesn't answer and Nick asks if he's insane. He still doesn't answer and Nick says "Strand!" to get his attention. Strand unsettles Nick by saying "The only way to survive in a mad world is to embrace the madness." and beckons Nick out onto the patio and a pair of mounted binoculars. He aims the binoculars and calls Nick over to look through them. Nick sees a large and expensive looking yacht, Strand says "Abigail"

Liza has worked her way down to the rocks by the sea with Madison still following. Madison runs to catch up and Liza turns back to her when she calls. Madison asks what is wrong and Liza shows her that she's been bitten or badly scratched, just over her right hip. Madison asks what they can do and Liza tells her there's nothing and shows her the gun she has tucked into waist of her scrubs. Madison tries to argue with her, and when Liza asks here to do it for her says that Liza can't ask that of her. Liza calmly points out that Madison had asked the same thing of her a few days before. And Liza echoes what Madison said when she asked. "Don't make Travis do it. It'll break him." Liza is very calm and persistent, even joking with her; Madison eventually takes the pistol from her, just as Travis arrives.

Travis asks what is going on, he sees the pistol and Madison tells him that Liza is bitten and infected. Travis says it's ok, that they have medications now but Liza tells him otherwise. She tells him that nothing will work, that she's seen what will happen and that she doesn't want it. She tells him that everyone turns no matter what the cause of death, and that the infection from a bite is not treatable. She convinces him eventually, and he takes the pistol from Madison.

Nick and Strand are still looking through the binoculars, Daniel is on the loungue with his daughter and Chris and Alicia are eating what look like popcicles when they hear the shot. Chris and Alicia race down to the beach.

Travis has gone off on his own and is kneeling at the water's edge, digging his fingers into the sand. Chris kneels by his mother's body as Alicia stands off a little way, looking devastated but not knowing what to do. Madison walks up behind Travis, puts her hands on his shoulders and then kneels down beside him as the waves from the incoming tide start to break over them.

Deaths

• Williams, after being bitten kills himself by running head first into a helicopter's tail rotor. It's been suggested that this was a deliberate act.
• Guardsman #1 and Guardsman #2, killed when the tower collapses due to the infected, quickly devoured.
• Bethany Exner commits suicide using the cattle gun.
• Sgt. Melvin Allen is attacked by an infected when they overrun the facility.
• Liza Ortiz, after being bitten on the torso; killed by with a shot to the head by Travis Manawa at her own request after she'd asked Madison and been refused.
• Helicopter crewman in a crashed helo in the LA River, seen by Madison Clark as they drive past.

Cast

Main Cast

• Kim Dickens as Madison Clark
• Cliff Curtis as Travis Manawa
• Frank Dillane as Nick Clark
• Alycia Debnam Carey as Alicia Clark
• Elizabeth Rodriguez as Liza Ortiz
• Mercedes Mason as Ofelia Salazar
• Lorenzo James Henrie as Chris Manawa
• Rubén Blades as Daniel Salazar

Guest Cast

• Colman Domingo as Victor Strand
• Shawn Hatosy as Andrew Adams
• Sandrine Holt as Bethany Exner

Co-Cast

• Emy Aneke as Soldier #1
• Ese Atawo as "Internee #2"
• Artine Brown as Lt. Jones
• Megan Danso as "Internee #3"
• Khaira Ledeyo as Nurse Hodges
• Toby Levins as Sgt. Melvin Allen
• Tony Marin as "Young Chris (Boy on the Beach)"
• Jaren Moore as "Internee #1"
• Panou as "Guardsman #1"
• Christian Tessier as "Guardsman #2"

Trivia

• Forbes have sayed that one of the leaders could die in this episode.
  • Apparently, this doesn't happened as the magazine speculated