A shot of a group of people from the legs down. We’re supposed to think it’s a mass of walkers, but these people are cleaner – and they’re carrying belongings, which walkers don’t do. Sure enough, they’re all alive, and they want in to the resort. There’s a crush of them all pushing against the resort’s gate – will it hold? Madison and Elena apologize to them, but don’t let them in. The people scream that the inhabitants of the resort have power, and a castle, while those outside the gate have nothing. And let’s not forget it’s all Madison’s fault that they’re now being inundated by people who want to share the safety that the resort provides. And then Madison sees Travis in the group. He fights his way to the front of the gate. Chris is not with him.
Credits
Back to the moment after Chris shot the farmer. Travis is on his knees and breathing hard, he looks disoriented. Travis pulls it together and goes to look at James’ wound. He’s going to need to stitch up the leg if James is to survive. Fortunately Travis’ high school required teachers to take CPR and other first aid classes, so Travis is up to the task. He runs to the house to look for anything he can use to stitch up James’ leg. He finds a sewing box, scissors, a disinfectant, etc. James screams while Travis sews up the wound. Travis pours the disinfectant on the wound and James screams some more. I mean, who wouldn’t? No anesthesia? Ouch! They roll James over to clean the exit wound. Man! More sewing, more disinfectant, more screaming. James is not having a good day. Brandon tells James to talk to him as the sewing and disinfecting takes place. Travis thinks James will get better – hard to tell if he’s lying, but he’s trying to save James’ life, in spite of the bros being bros.
Travis digs a grave for the farmer and buries him. I hope they shot him in the head first. He even makes a cross for his grave marker, just like the other markers in the farmer’s family who are also buried under the tree with the swing. Travis says to the farmer’s grave, ‘I don’t even know your name’. That night, back in the barn, they roast one of the chickens that the farmer raised. James makes a joke that he doesn’t want a thigh, but he’s sweating and clearly struggling with the pain. He tells Travis that he’s feeling better. Travis asks about his pain level – on a scale of 1-10, what is it? James says 3, maybe 4. Travis thinks that’s pretty good. He whispers to James that he has to tell him the truth so that he can make sure he gets better. And yeah, it sure looks like James is lying about his current state of wellness, or lack thereof.
Travis pulls Chris aside to talk to him alone. He tells Chris that Chris killed a man today. Chris continues to drink his beer, and ignores Travis. Travis knocks the can out of Chris’ hand, and wants to know what’s going on in Chris’ mind. Chris says the farmer shot his friend, what was he supposed to do? Travis says these aren’t your friends, you’ve only known them for two days. Chris says this is how things are now. No more good. No more bad. It’s us or them. Oh, and he’s sorry that he’s not sorry about killing the farmer. Chris discusses that he was bullied in middle school and it was Travis who told him to play along so that he’d be okay. Total Travis thing to say, peacemaker that he is. Travis says sure, but I didn’t tell you to become one of them! Chris needs these guys, and warns his dad about how Travis should play his cards.
Back at the gate, during the day, the group manages to get Travis inside the gate without letting in any of the others. Alicia asks about Chris, but Travis shakes his head, no.
Big pan shot of the resort, as the camera pulls in to get closer and closer to one of the balconies. Travis is standing on the balcony with Madison. He doesn’t want a shower. He doesn’t want food or anything. He looks at Madison, and they don’t speak. He finally asks ‘where’s Nick?’ Madison says he ran off like he always does. She asks, ‘where is Chris?’ Travis walks back into the room silently, and sits down on the bed. Madison comes back in as well. Man, they aren’t talking, so it has to be bad.
Travis says he had no choice. Wow, did he kill him, or what?
Back to the barn. It’s morning. The bros, Chris, and Travis are leaving, and they get the truck. I think they’ve been at the barn for a week while they wait for Baby James to get better. The bros want to go to San Diego. Travis says San Diego is gone. Chris doesn’t back Travis up when Travis asks for backup. Chris didn’t see it for himself, so he doesn’t really know for sure. James says he’s good to go, even though he looks kind of iffy. Travis looks very dubious. Travis goes outside to look at the grave, and then inside the house to look at the family photos on the wall – all of the people who are now dead. Travis goes through their belongings, looking for the farmer’s name so that he can put his name and birth date on the cross over his grave. And he finds out the farmer’s name: Elias Suarez. He engraves the information on the cross. Travis asks Chris what the date is today so that he can put down the date of death, but Chris, like Travis, has lost track of the date. Chris says they have to go, Travis says they have to wait. Finally Travis gets back to the barn. They lift up James to put him in the back of the truck. He screams a bit, but they get him situated. As the truck bumps along the dirt road, James tries not to show how much pain he’s in, stifles his screams, but he’s really hurting. Finally, he passes out from the pain. Travis says to stop the truck or your friend dies. Travis checks James’ pulse – he’s still alive, but only just barely. They go back to the barn.
They all discuss James’ situation. Travis says it’s only been a week, after all. They need to stay a bit longer so James can get better. The bros are not interested in doing so. Travis takes the gun so that they can’t kill James. Travis and Brandon then point guns at each other. Chris asks why are you doing this, and Travis says I’m doing this for you.
Travis sits next to James in the barn. Travis tells James that his buddies want to put James down. James knows what’s going on. He explains to Travis that their friend Troy got bitten, and they knew he was going to turn. Troy made them promise to kill him if that happened. Brandon was supposed to be the one to pull the trigger, but in the end he couldn’t, so James had to do it. He feels badly about it, but knew that there wasn’t a choice, and he knows that this is now what is going to happen to him. Travis says that this is different, James isn’t sick, and will get better. James said that the bros think he’s dying, and that he’s dead weight. So he pretty much accepts his fate.
Days later, we know it’s days because of all of the empty water bottles and empty food tins, Travis is sleeping next to James – which is kind of brave because James could actually die, turn, and then bite Travis. Chris wakes them up by knocking on the barn door. Travis does shoot James a look to verify that he’s still alive – and he is. Chris has brought them some food. Travis searches Chris for weapons. He wants to trust Chris but he doesn’t. Chris lets Travis search him. The bros are elsewhere outside. Chris says that Travis doesn’t like James but he’s trying to save him anyway. Chris says that shows that Travis thinks that their lives matter – that they aren’t disposable. Chris goes to hug Travis, but it’s a ruse. As Travis hugs Chris back, he gets Travis into a hold and then calls for the bros to come in. Derek has a gun to Travis’ head. Brandon is going to kill James. James begs him not to, but Brandon shoots him in the head anyway. They let Travis go, but still have a gun on him. Brandon turns around, slowly and begins to leave the barn. He looks dazed. At least he was bothered that he killed James. They load up the truck. The bros won’t allow Travis come with them because they’re tired of being school-marmed by him. Travis gives Chris the info about the farmer. Turns out the farmer and Chris share the same birthday – Feb. 12th. Travis doesn’t want Chris to go with these guys, but Chris says he’s fine, he’s adapting, but Travis isn’t. Chris says with mom Travis found it within himself to do what needed to be done. But now he can’t. The bros and Chris drive off without Travis. Travis shouts ‘goddamn you Chris!’ as the bros and Chris drive away.
Travis is now alone at the deserted farm, looking at the graves. He’s added a new grave – one for James. The ground is golden, the sky is overcast. Travis begins to walk away from the farm, and to whatever comes next.
Back to Travis and Madison. Travis says that he walked for two days (10 days? I missed the exact number) to get to the resort. He saw the hotel lit up like a beacon. And it was Madison. We got lucky, says Madison. He asks, ‘did we?’ Travis says that if he hadn’t found her he wouldn’t have to tell a living soul what he did. He says he left his son. He failed Chris, and he failed Liza. Well, at least he didn’t kill Chris, like I thought. Madison says that Chris is still out there.
Travis said that night at the vineyard, she was right. Chris was a threat. Madison’s responsibility that night was to Alicia. They each have responsibilities as parents. Madison is being quite supportive. Travis is upset with himself because the last thing Chris didn’t hear was that Travis loved him, the last thing he heard was ‘goddamn you Chris’. Travis said by the time Madison met Chris he was already angry, he had no place, but as a kid, Chris had a huge heart.
Travis says that now they’re living minute by minute, and that it could all be done at any time. Madison says she has to find Alicia. Well good, she’s feeling guilty about endangering everyone in order to look for Nick. Travis continues to stare outside the window while he stands on the balcony.
There are 43 people that wanted to be let in, and it looks like they let them all in anyway. Alicia is in the parking garage with Andrés examining people for bites, and examining their general health. Madison takes Alicia out to the pier. They watch the walkers half buried in the sand flail pointlessly about. There’s something that Madison wants Alicia to understand. Alicia doesn’t really want to hear it. She probably thinks she’s going to get another lecture about Nick, but Madison says – about your dad…. Oh? Madison says that his accident wasn’t really an accident. She thought she was doing the right thing by lying to Alicia. Alicia says you told me he fell asleep. Madison said he left a note, found in his glove box. Alicia is stricken. What did it say? Madison says it wasn’t important, but Alicia begs to differ, and wants to know what the note said. Madison says he was precise and didn’t waste words. ‘I love you all, but enough is enough’. ‘And that’s it?’, asks Alicia. Alicia asks if Nick knows, and Madison says no. Madison says there’s so much of their dad in Nick. The way he lights up a room. She holds Alicia’s hand. Madison says she was always afraid of Nick ending up like her dad. Madison loves both of her children. And she apologizes to Alicia for not seeing that Alicia deserved better, ‘so much better’, than how she was treated growing up. Madison’s excuse was that she thought Alicia was okay. Well, that’s a nice moment. Alicia says ‘I love you too’, when Madison doesn’t say outright that she loves Alicia. Nothing like Chris learning the wrong lesson from Travis, and Madison also learning the wrong lesson from Travis. Man.
Back to Travis in the shower, head leaning against the wall as the water pelts down on him. It’s night, and more people are making their way toward the resort’s gate, including someone pushing a cart with wheels. It’s the bros, minus Chris. The bros look somewhat the worse for wear. When Brandon wheels up to the gate, he has blood on the side of his head – and they don’t have their truck. Again we ask, where’s Chris?