Monster

**"Monster"**
Director: Adam Davidson — Writer(s): Dave Erickson — Aired: April 10, 2016 —    [[The Good Man|prev]]   [[We All Fall Down|next]]

**"Monster"** is the first episode of the second season of *Fear the Walking Dead*. It aired on April 10, 2016 on AMC.
[[Category:second Season Episodes]]

## Plot

Maddy, Travis & Chris on the beach with Liza's body wrapped in a sheet, and their luggage. A small Boat (a Zodiac) is heading out to The Abigail with Nick, Alicia, Ofelia, piloted by Strand

Once he's on the boat, Strand wakes up The Abigail and her systems start, looking reassuringly expensive. He sees that there are people headed their way, he tells Nick to go and get Maddy, Travis & Chris from the beach

Back on the beach there seems to be a military bombardment in progress, exploding shells have started fires and woken up the local dead population, which starts to approach the people on the beach. Maddy & Travis see the dead coming and start to prepare, Chris refuses to leave his mother's body.

Maddy & Travis defend themselves and put down the dead who are attacking them, Nick arrives in the Zodiac and they load it with everything, including Liza's body. Nick uses the propeller of the outboard motor to put down one of the dead who's waded out to them. Maddy is horrified.

On The Abigail, Daniel is waiting on the swimming desk with a shotgun, Strand is ready and gets the boat moving as soon as he can.

Travis puts Liza's body in a stateroom and the group look back at LA burning as they sail away, military jets are bombing the suburbs, everything they can see is burning.

In the morning they discuss where to go, 3,000 miles or more Strand says. Travis can't get through to Chris who seems to have spent the night with his mother's body.

They pass a disabled and very overloaded boat full of people shouting to them for help, after some discussion and argument they sail straight past, Strand refuses to stop, Travis agrees with him. Alicia's distressed so he gives her the job of monitoring the marine radio to keep her busy. Most distressed of all is Madison, but even Nick tells Strand he thinks they should have stopped, Strand disagrees.

On the radio Alicia hears multiple distress calls, there are people in trouble all over. Eventually the LA Coast Guard broadcasts saying that they can't help and that there are no rescue services available. Madison tries to get Alicia to sleep, but Alicia carries on listening to the radio

Maddy and Travis argue, over things they know they can't change, eventually Maddy agrees with Travis, but she doesn't like it and is angry at the way things are.

On the marine radio someone's playing a David Bowie song (Five Years) and trying to get anyone to answer them - it's a young man, Alicia's transfixed and very tempted to answer.

Chris is still with his mother's body, he goes outside to where Daniel is fishing and joins him, they talk, about fishing mostly but also about the people they've both lost. Daniel says he's sorry about Chris' mother, and Chris says he's sorry about Daniel's wife. Chris comments that neither of them got to say goodbye. Daniel replies that it would't have made a difference. He catches a big eel and tells Chris that they are good eating. Chris seems to respond to Daniel's understated pragmatism.

Nick and Ofelia meet in the corridor, he offers to help with her bandage and gives her a good tip about how to apply ointment, and vodka. he makes her smile, a little, with the vodka advice

Alicia's talking to the young man on the marine radio, they cautiously start to exchange some information.

Travis speaks to Daniel about Chris, Daniel tries to comfort Travis, telling him that Chris will eventually understand that what Travis did was for mercy. He says that he would trade his failure (in not being there for his wife when she died) for Travis' mercy (in killing Liza when she asked him to)

Madison goes in, she hears music and talking as she goes up to the wheelhouse, Strand denies it though. She asks if it's deep enough for Liza's body, he says it is.

Alicia's still talking to the young man, "Jack". She lets slip how sophisticated The Abigail is.

Maddy talks to Daniel, about Strand, they agree to watch him, Daniel is concerned that Strand was already committed to sailing away before the bombing of LA and wonders why, they're both concerned but Maddy is conflicted, she says that he's been truthful so far and has saved her son.

Jack is still talking to Alicia, he seems to be trying to get her sympathies

Liza's funeral and everyone is gathered around, Travis speaks for a while, Chris can't contain his emotions and tips her body into the sea with no warning. He goes down into a stateroom, Chris and Travis argue, it ends when Chris hits his father

Travis goes back up to the dining room, Alicia escapes back to the radio and Jack. Jack says he's taking on water, she tells him not to worry, that they can come and get him. She asks where he is but instead gives away her own position. Not realising what she's done she

Strand is angry, accuses Alicia of giving away information, Travis defends Alicia - Strand lays down the law - his boat, his rules. He goes back to The Wheelhouse.

Nick goes to Strand and they talk, he defends Alicia, annoying Strand who hurts and manipulates Nick by talking to him as if he were his father - he finds Nick's soft spot easily

Maddy talks to Chris in his cabin, she tells him about when she first hit her father - when she was 13, she tells him it didn't end well. She asks him to come upstairs and eat, she tells him his father was right to do what he did. She says that she would have done it if Travis hadn't; she doesn't mention that Liza asked her to before she asked Travis, and that she refused. Nor does she tell him about the conversation between her and Liza back in El Sereno, when Liza asked her to make sure it wasn't Travis who had to do it.

Upstairs the group prepare a meal based around the eel Daniel caught, it looks for a moment as if Chris is about to join them, but instead he goes to the Swimming Deck, and jumps in. Fully clothed. Very alarmed, Nick follows him and catches up. Chris says he just wanted to swim. Nick doesn't believe him but goes with it and joins in, diving under the surface of the clear water.

Alicia talks to Jack on the radio, tells him they can't pick him up. "Jack", sounding very calm, says that it's ok and "I got you, I'll see you soon." In the wheelhouse, Strand picks up a fast moving boat heading their way.

Nick, swimming underwater, surfaces under what turns out to be one of the dead. Those still on The Abigail can now see the zombies, and a capsized yacht. Nick thinks he can hear someone and swims over to help. Travis retrieves Chris. Nick swims into the upturned hull, it's full of bullet holes.

Travis goes in after Nick.

In the hull, Nick finds a log book and one of the dead. The dead woman tries to eat him. He pushes her away and dives to safety. He and Travis return to The Abigail.

In The Wheelhouse Maddy and Strand are worried about the approaching boat and want to leave right away. They can't outrun the boat, they don't know who or what is coming.

Thanks to ScreenCapped for the excellent screen captures. All images (c) AMC and are used without permission or any intention to infringe copyright

## Cast and Crew

### Main Cast

* Kim Dickens as Madison Clark
* Cliff Curtis as Travis Manawa
* Frank Dillane as Nick Clark
* Alycia Debnam Carey as Alicia Clark
* Colman Domingo as Victor Strand
* Mercedes Mason as Ofelia Salazar
* Lorenzo James Henrie as Chris Manawa
* Rubén Blades as Daniel Salazar

### Guest Cast

* Elizabeth Rodriguez as Liza Ortiz
* Daniel Zovatto as Jack

### 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 Dave Erickson
* Directed by Adam Davidson

## Video Gallery

Trailer No Safe Harbor Fear the Walking Dead Season PremiereFear the Walking Dead Season 2 Official Teaser Trailer
## Stills Gallery

One of the first Season 2 images, from the trailerMadison, Ofelia and Alicia, looking at the yacht that was attackedTravis, by the capsized yacht that was attackedTravis, on the beach, waiting for the Zodiac to return for him, Madison and ChrisTravis pulls his son Chris from the water as one of the dead gets very closeVictor Strand, on the upper deck of The AbigailOne of the dead from the attacked yacht, a Nick's eye view photoChris and OfeliaMadison and TravisOfelia and Nick about to sit down to eat