Fear the Walking Dead season 5, episode 2, “The Hurt That Will Happen” introduced a new breed of zombies, said goodbye to Morgan’s signature weapon, and finally brought back Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades). The second episode picks up where the season premiere left off with John (Garrett Dillahunt) and June (Jenna Elfman) searching for the three children, and Strand (Colman Domingo) on a mission to save Al (Maggie Grace).
Thanks to one of Al’s tapes, Strand knows where he can get a plane so they can find Al, but unfortunately for him the plane belongs to the person who despises him the most: Salazar. Strand does his best to convince Salazar to help, but Salazar continues to have no faith that Strand will ever change. Meanwhile, the rest of the main characters aren’t having any better luck with their own problems. Morgan (Lennie James) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) encounter a new character, Grace (Karen David), who warns them about radioactive zombies created by the meltdown of a nuclear plant. These radioactive zombies also get in the way of John and June’s search for the children.
The character in the most danger is an already wounded Luciana (Danay Garcia) who is attacked by zombies. After passing out, the zombies are killed and their heads are hung from a billboard. The identity of the people who killed the zombies remains a mystery. With everything that happened in Sunday’s episode, much is left to be explained in the coming weeks.
Where Are The Zombie Heads Coming From?
Who killed the zombies going after Luciana and hung up their decapitated heads? More of these heads were seen in the premiere (along with the zombie barricade), but the ones responsible still haven’t been identified. This could have to do with the people who took Al. It’s worth noting that what’s going on with Al is possibly connected to the group that took Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead.
What’s Next For Grace?
At the end of the episode, Grace reveals to Morgan and Alicia that she was contaminated by the radiation, which means she’s living on borrowed time. According to Grace, she wants to use this time to track down the rest of the irradiated zombies and kill them, so others aren’t contaminated. Believing this to be her responsibility, she chooses not to join up with Morgan’s group. Though it seems to appear that Grace may not reappear anytime soon, Grace actress Karen David is listed a series regular for season 5. It’s possible that the radioactive zombies will prove to be too much for Grace to handle alone, or Grace will be called in to help when more irradiated zombies emerge.
Will Morgan Get A New Weapon?
Since Morgan killed a radioactive walker with his stick, the weapon is now contaminated. To Morgan’s great disappointment, Grace took the stick and told him he could never have it back. Fans have been watching Morgan kill zombies with that same weapon since he returned to The Walking Dead in season 5. Considering how important the stick has been to Morgan’s fighting style, a replacement may have to be found soon.
How Will The Radioactive Zombies Affect The Show?
Killing radioactive zombies will require a different, more cautious approach from Morgan, Alicia, and the others. Physical contact must be avoided, and any weapon used to kill an irradiated zombie will be contaminated. That’s why these zombies have to be killed at a safe distance. This means they’ll need to keep a healthy inventory of ranged weapons, ammunition, and other projectiles, and be extra conservative since having to resort to close combat isn’t an option.
Will Salazar Ever Forgive Strand?
This episode finally reveals the whereabouts of Salazar, who hasn’t been seen since the dam was destroyed in the season 3 finale. Salazar is now holed up in a factory, complete with several vehicles and a plane. Much has changed for Salazar, but one thing that stayed the same is his disdain for Strand. He still hasn’t forgiven Strand for everything that happened in the past, including his betrayal in season 3. Even though he seems to believe that Strand genuinely wants to help his friends, he doesn’t believe it will last because of Strand’s selfish nature. It’s not clear what it will take for Salazar to bury the hatchet and get over his issues with Strand.
How Will They Save Al Now?
Their plan to leave the area and save Al hinged on acquiring Salazar’s plane. Strand, of course, won’t give up on saving Al, but a different course of action will have to be taken. He can either steal the plane from Salazar, or find another one, which won’t be easy to do. Neither option will be easy to pull off. So unless Salazar has a sudden change of heart, Strand and the others will have a difficult path ahead of them.
More: Fear The Walking Dead: 10 Things We Can’t Stand About Morgan
