"We All Fall Down" is the Second episode of the second season of Fear the Walking Dead. It aired on April 17, 2016 on AMC. [[Category:second Season Episodes]]
Synopsis[]
| “ | Our group seeks shelter with a survivalist family. Madison tries to uncover the family’s true motives. Daniel Salazar works to uncover Strand’s intentions. | ” |
— Official Synopsis |
Plot[]
On a beach, two of the dead wade out of the sea after they've been washed up there. Two children turn up and play, they both look about 5 or 6 years old; they don't seem to see the dead.
Eventually we see that the dead are separated from the children by a sturdy wire fence; they press up against it as the children bring their shells and rocks to show to the infected.
Madison, on The Abigail, is telling Nick off for risking his life investigating the capsized yacht (in "Monster"). Nick isn't taking a lot of notice. Travis arrives with the log book that Nick retrieved from the yacht; they take it to Strand and tell him that San Diego has been fire-bombed as well.
Strand isn't happy to take the log from the yacht at face value, but is more concerned with the much larger boat that's shadowing them and matching them turn for turn. Strand needs somewhere to lay low for a while and avoid the radar of whatever boat is following them. They choose the island of Catrina, which has a ranger station, which presumably has supplies etc.
Travis tries to talk to Chris, who is still not interested in talking to him.
They get to Catrina when it's dark, as they get close Madison spots the lights of a house on the hillside. They dock at a wooden jetty, the Manawa family and the Clark family walk ashore to investigate, leaving the Salazar family to keep Strand company. He says he's ok without company but Daniel insists.
They approach the house which is mostly in darkness now. Travis calls out and a small boy, the boy from the beach, runs out of the front door towards them. A man (George Geary) calls the boy (Harry Geary) back. They introduce themselves and Travis explains they're only here for a little while - and that the Gearys have nothing to fear from them.
Inside, Travis is looking at George's bookshelves. George offers him a beer and says Travis is welcome to take a book. Travis says he doesn't have time to read, George tells him that now they have nothing but time. Travis takes a book.
They talk about the fire-bombing of the cities. George knows about the destruction of Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, as well as San Diego. He has been in touch with the other Ranger stations, including those further inland. He's mapped the fall of half the US, east of the Rockies, by talking to people like himself. He also knows that the military have shut down the border to the south. The closure of the border is confirmed by the log book Nick found.
Melissa Geary is grilling Madison, finding out how she feels about kids, especially little kids. Seth Geary arrives, Melissa tries to introduce him to Madison but he doesn't really acknowledge her. Seth asks where his dad is and goes out again.
Daniel and Ofelia are looking at the island from the jetty, Ofelia wants to stay on the island and seems amused at her father's suggestion that they would need to be invited first. They talk for a minute or so and then Ofelia ends the conversation by saying that the new world is teaching her how to understand her father, that both her father and the world are cruel - before going back aboard The Abigail.
In the house Chris and Alicia each have a glass of wine and Harry is teaching Nick how to play a handheld video game (is this a Sony PSP?).
Willa, the girl from the beach and Harry's twin sister, is singing the US version of Ring a ring o' Roses and spinning in the middle of the room. She asks Alicia what a posy is, Alicia tells her and explains that the song is about the Great Plague of London.
Harry asks Nick if he'd like to see his room and Nick agrees, he tries to get Chris to come as well but no luck there.
In the bedroom Nick makes a show of liking the room, which pleases Harry. Harry shows Nick his action figures, he's named each of them for a family member or neighbour that's died, and each of them has a red dot in the centre of their forehead. He explains to Nick that's what has to happen now when people get sick. Harry says he won't get sick because he has "Power Pills", Nick plays along but has no idea what these are - and nor do we.
Back on The Abigail, Strand and Daniel are in The Wheelhouse waiting for the others to get back. Strand is impatient and wonders aloud what is taking them so long. Daniel needles him and tries to get information out of Strand while he's distracted by the absence of the others and having to remain at dock, Strand quickly realises what he's up to and Daniel gets nothing from him. Daniel asks him which of them he's planning on leaving behind, points out that they don't have many supplies. Strand doesn't bite back and Daniel doesn't learn anything, except that Strand is a difficult one to get information from.
Travis and George are talking, George telling Travis that this is nature's course correction. He's noticed that Travis is of Maori origin, talks about "you people". After a while Travis gets up to go, saying that they'll move on the next day. George shakes his hand and says he's pleased to have made new friends.
On the way back to The Abigail Travis tells Madison about the conversation, esp about the cities that have been firebombing. It also comes out that George told Travis that they "never" go to the mainland, it doesn't sound as if he means since the dead started walking. Madison says that she believes the light was turned on deliberately to attract attention. They've both picked up that something is wrong.
Late that night Alicia goes out on deck wrapped in a quilt to find Nick already there, wrapped in his quilt on a bench. They're both thinking about the day, the Gearys, and can't sleep.
| “ | Something's off here. | ” |
— Nick |
| “ | Everthing's off, everywhere. | ” |
— Alicia |
Morning of the next day and Chris is up exploring the Cafe area, looking out at the sea and back at the land. He sees Seth come out of the house carrying an axe and follows him down to the beach. Seth says that he can help with his chores if he likes.
"Chores" turns out to be putting down the dead at the fence on the beach. This has to be done first thing in the morning, before lunch and at the end of the day. Chris has a turn. Travis gets up and looks for Chris, catches up with them at the beach. Chris is enjoying himself. Travis goes to the beach and doesn't like what he sees. Seth goes and Chris stays to finish off the last one. Travis calls him away, but Chris puts down the last of the dead before he goes with his dad.
Travis talks to George about the dead turning up at the fence, he's troubled with seeing Chris put the dead down with an axe. George reassures him, sort of, and they go maintain a fence. George points out where there are a couple of hundred infected, in the seaside town a mile or so away. That's what he maintains the fence against. He tells Travis that he doesn't think there's anywhere left to be safe and Travis asks how come he's given up. George replies that he isn't giving up, he's "mending the fence". In the distance Travis can just see the dead by the water's edge.
Alicia goes exploring the visitor centre, music playing. It's neat and well looked after, normal. There's still a list for people to sign up or bird watching trips. Alicia signs it with the symbol Matt Sale drew on her arm in the episode "Pilot".
Nick makes the most of the Geary's house being quiet by ransacking the medicine cabinet. He doesn't find anything. He does find some yellow and black pills hidden in an ornament, and little Willa Geary sees him do it. She drags Nick off to do some drawing.
Daniel and Strand are in The Wheelhouse again. Daniel is getting on Strand's nerves a little, Daniel's fine with that. An expensive sounding, quietly insistent, alarm sounds and gets Strand's attention - it's the large boat on the radar again. Strand says that they "sail with the tide", takes the keys from the ignition and goes downstairs. Daniel explores The Wheelhouse while he's gone.
Maddy finds Melissa gardening and joins in. She asks Melissa about the light from the night before and Melissa eventually admits that it was deliberate, that she's been watching Maddy and hoping that she'll be able to give her two smallest children, Willa and Harry, a chance. She tells Maddy she has MS, she's obviously worried about how long she'll be able to look after her family. Madison offers them all a place on The Abigail but Melissa tells her that both George and Seth would refuse. She wants her to take Willa and Harry.
Back at The Abigail Maddy tells Travis, who is uncomfortable with the idea of taking the children at all, let alone without George's consent. He says he'll "talk to" George.
Daniel opens a chest in The Wheelhouse and finds maps of Mexico and an automatic weapon, a weapon that would have been illegal before The Fall.
Ashore, in the Cafe Strand is talking on his satellite phone, saying that "it's all clear now". He promises to be "there" by "sundown", and hangs up.
Nick returns to The Abigail and tells Maddy & Travis about the pills he found. He says that he thinks George is planning on killing his whole family at some point. Nick thinks the pills are poison.
At the Geary house, Maddy, Nick and Travis are waiting downstairs. Melissa comes down with two children's bag saying that the children will be right down. She tells them little things about the children, how to care for them, the things they like. Maddy promises to keep them safe.
George arrives and wants to know what's happening. Melissa starts to explain, tearfully, and George is listening when Harry comes down teh stairs and says that Willa is sick. The adults run upstairs to find Willa dead in her bedroom, she's taken one of the pills Nick found. Willa turns as Melissa is holding her and bites her mother's neck.
George comes to a sudden decision and tells them to take Harry away from this. He refuses to go with Travis and sits down in the children's bedroom.
Maddy, Nick and Travis run back to The Abigail, Nick carrying Harry. They get on board and Maddy tells Harry that his parents wanted them to take care of him. Strand is not pleased to see the boy and wants him put back on the jetty. They argue bitterly until Seth turns up with a rifle and demands that Harry go back with him. Daniel points a gun a Seth's head, ready to kill him. Seth calls Harry and they leave the boat; Seth's last words to Madison are "You caused this."
On the jetty, Melissa, now one of the dead, is stumbling towards The Abigail. She is blocking Seth and Harry's way home.
Seth turns Harry around to wave at Madison - they wave at each other, Harry focusses on her and doesn't see when Seth puts down his mother. Alicia and Nick can't watch, Daniel can't watch. Chris can't look away.
Deaths[]
Main Cast[]
(details from IMDB[1], and therefore subject to change)
- Rubén Blades as Daniel Salazar
- Cliff Curtis as Travis Manawa
- Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark
- Kim Dickens as Madison Clark
- Frank Dillane as Nick Clark
- Colman Domingo as Victor Strand
- Lorenzo James Henrie as Chris Manawa
- Mercedes Mason as Ofelia Salazar
Guest Starring[]
- Jeremiah and Maverick Clayton as Harry Geary
- Catherine Dent as Melissa Geary
- Aria Lyric Leabu as Willa Geary
- Jake Austin Walker as Seth Geary
- David Warshofsky as George Geary
Also Starring[]
- Noelle Therese Mulligan as Water Zombie
Crew[]
- Casting Wendy O'Brien-Cabrera
- Music Paul Haslinger
- Editors Victor DuBois, Marc Clark
- Production Designer Bernardo Trujillo
- Director of Photography Michael McDonough
- Produced by Avram Butch Kaplan
- Consulting Producer Brian Buckner, Brett C. Leonard
- Producer Alan Page
- Producers Pablo Cruz, Arturo Sampson
- Co-Executive Producer Adam Davidson
- Co-Executive Producer David Wiener
- Co-Executive Producer Kate Barnow
- Executive Producer Robert Kirkman
- Executive Producer David Alpert
- Executive Producer Greg Nicotero
- Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd
- Executive Producer Dave Erickson
- Written by Carla Ching, Kate Erickson
- Directed by Adam Davidson
Trivia[]
- The title of this episode "We All Fall Down" has been used numerous times as the title of novels, songs etc. It's arguably best known as a line from the nursery rhyme "Ring a Ring o' Roses". In the episode, Willa Geary sings the version most common in the US, "Ashes, ashes." instead of "Atishoo, atishoo." The rhyme is quite old, probably from before 1790 and its origins are far from clear. It's commonly said to refer to the Great Plague of London (with a rosie complexion being a symptom of the disease, a pocket full of herbed posies [flowers] carried as protection, and "we all fall down" meaning death after sneezing "atishoo"), just as Alicia says, though those who study such things disagree.
- Alicia tells Willa Geary that the Great Plague of London was caused by a virus, though Bubonic Plague is caused by a bacterium.[2]
- Nick mentions that George Geary plans on "Jonestowning" his family. This is a reference to Jim Jones, a cult leader and founder of the Peoples Temple who was infamously known for Jonestown Massacre, a mass murder-suicide in 1978 that resulted in the deaths of 918 members, including Jones himself.
- The song that plays while Alicia is walking around the ranger station is Coxcomb Red by Songs: Ohia.
- The sets for "We All Fall Down" are physically at Baja studios and were already built, Adam Davidson saw them and decided to use them. They were built by Bernado, the same person who built The Abigail[3]
- Aria Lyric Leabu, the actor who plays Willa Geary, did the "tearing her screen mother's throat out" scene in one take. When she was asked how she did it said that she imagined it was like her dog playing with one of his chew toys.[4]
Video Gallery[]
Stills Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4549108/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast
- ↑ Wikipedia:Plague (disease)
- ↑ Adam Davidson, AMC Promotional Video
- ↑ Kim Dickens, Talking Dead S05E18
[]
| Second Season Episodes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Second Season Episodes | Monster • We All Fall Down • Captive • Sicut Cervus • Shiva • Grotesque • Los Muertos • Do Not Disturb • Pablo & Jessica • Ouroboros • Blood in the Streets • Pillar of Salt • Date of Death • Wrath • North |
|
| Seasons | ||