‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Season 2 Spoilers: Strand’s History Revealed In Episode 4 [RECAP]

The AMC series “Fear the Walking Dead” has been moving somewhat slowly in Season 2 as it continues to establish life on the water for its characters. However, in episode 4, “Blood in the Streets,” the ominous voice on the radio that’s been chasing the yacht this whole time finally made good on his promise to catch up.

The episode opens with Nick (Frank Dillane) embarking on the dangerous mission that Strand (Colman Domingo) gave him at the end of last week’s episode. The character finds himself in an abandoned shantytown where he lures a walker to its death so that he can utilize his newly discovered trick of cloaking himself in its guts. Free to move about the world undetected by walkers, he makes his way to an address on the mainland that Strand gave him.

Sadly, he left the yacht Abigail just in time to miss all the excitement. While Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) and Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) were keeping watch, a small raft filled with two men and a distressed pregnant woman rowed up and boarded the yacht. They claimed that the pregnant woman needed help, but when Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) comes on deck and recognizes one of the people, actor Daniel Zovatto as Jack, the person she was communicating with on the radio in the first episode of the season, the newbies spring into action. They attack and subdue everyone on board, except for Strand, who abandons the ship and tries to get away in the paddleboat that the assailants arrived in. They fire shots into the inflatable boat, dooming Strand to sink on the open water.

The head of the trio orders Jack to go call for their leader, Connor. He takes Alicia to show him where the radio is, and when they’re alone he confides in her that he doesn’t like the way the rest of his group handles themselves in the new world. However, he owes Connor his life and says he can convince him to take her with them and allow her family to live. She agrees and complies with him as he calls in backup.

Meanwhile, with Strand gone, Travis (Cliff Curtis) buys the whole group time by agreeing to jump-start the ship without the keys, which Strand took with him. Realizing that Daniel (Rubén Blades) is working on breaking his wrist ties, he manages to sneak him some tools from the engine room for when the big moment comes.

Meanwhile, out on the water, Strand is not doing so well. By morning, his raft had deflated and he wasn’t able to keep his satellite phone dry to call his unknown allies on the other end for help. With hope lost, the character has a flashback revealing how he got to Los Angeles in the first place. In 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina rocked New Orleans, Strand was sitting in a bar getting hammered next to another man with the same goal. Strand reveals that the storm destroyed some property that he had his money tied into and that he’s now bankrupt. His friend, clearly a rich man in his own right, discusses similar money troubles while clearly flirting with him a bit.

They go back to his hotel room, where the mysterious stranger is falling-down drunk. Strand puts him to bed and before he can pass out entirely, goes through his wallet, removing all of his credit cards. Time passes and Strand finds himself in a different hotel room when he hears a knock at the door. It’s the man, joined by someone who introduces himself as Louis (Arturo del Puerto). The man from the bar introduces himself as Thomas Abigail. It looks like they’re going to murder Strand for stealing some $36,000 from them, but instead Abigail agrees to let him live if he works for him.

Time passes and the duo find themselves in Mexico, presumably at the same compound Strand has been taking them to this entire time. They’re living the high life and it’s implied that their relationship has turned romantic. Strand is talking about a big land development deal in Los Angeles that they need to secure in the coming days, but Abigail isn’t too interested. Soon after, they’re in a bedroom as Strand, who is now dressed in the same suit fans met him in in Season 1, is packing up for a trip while Abigail warns him about the dangers of the outbreak in LA. They kiss and Strand reassures him he’ll be OK and won’t be gone too long. Just like that, all of his secrets, including who he’s been talking to on the other end of the satellite phone, are revealed.

In the present day (relative to the show), Nick finds that Strand has led him to a gated housing development where he meets Louis. The new ally explains that Strand only secured enough resources for the two of them to go into Mexico, so he’s not sure what the plan is for Nick and the rest of his family. Undeterred, Nick believes they’ll figure it out later and takes him back to the yacht, where things aren’t looking up.

Connor arrives just as Travis gets the yacht working. Having proved his worth, the ringleader of the pirates takes him and Alicia captive, destined for parts unknown. They leave and the rest of his crew looks like they’re going to kill the remaining survivors when Louis manages to pick two of them off with a sniper rifle from their incoming boat. The family then springs into action stabbing the third and final pirate through the stomach. With two of their team members captured, one floating in the water and their new ally refusing to make any moves toward Mexico without Strand, it falls to Madison (Kim Dickens) to lead them through.

The episode ends by revealing her first priority, Strand. With Abigail up and running, they circle back and find him half dead floating in the water. From there, the credits roll on a massive cliff-hanger as the fate of Travis and Alicia remains unknown.