Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 12 Review: Brother's Keeper
Steve Ford
at
.
Broke Jaw Ranch just got even more crowded.
On Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 12, Troy returned to the ranch and seriously stirred up some major trouble.
Similarly, in trying to understand what goes on inside that psychotic noggin of Troy's, I can't quite figure out what to make of "Brother's Keeper." To be honest, I'm rather disappointed.
I wanted to like this episode, I really did. But I just couldn't shake this nagging sense of déjà vu in the back of my head throughout the hour. It was as if I'd seen it all before. Where was it again?
Oh yeah, The Walking Dead of course!
This episode basically retreaded what its sister show did two seasons ago on The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 1. Granted, it wasn't exactly the same setup, but it was close enough that I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how predictable it all was.
And do you want to know the strange thing? This episode handled it better than The Walking Dead did.
The random appearance of the quarry full of walkers during The Walking Dead Season 6 premiere felt very contrived. It seemed more like a quick plot device used to create a sense of danger for the hour.
Whereas in Fear the Walking Dead the story progression felt much more natural, due to Troy herding the infected toward the ranch.
Since being exiled on Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 9, Troy has only become even more unhinged. Not only that, but he had the mindset that if he can't have the ranch, no one will.
If the whole idea of attempting to divert a massive horde of infected from a community hadn't already been done (and so recently mind you) this episode may have worked.
Unfortunately, it didn't, and the rest of the episode suffered as a result.
Alicia: You don't owe Troy, you like him. You share the same self destruction.
Nick: Maybe I'm as sick as he is.
When Troy showed up at the ranch, I initially thought it was either a dream or another hallucination by Nick. It wasn't until Nick told Jake and Alicia about it the following morning about his encounter with Troy that I realized it actually happened.
Once Alicia finally told Jake how she truly felt before he left with Nick, I knew he was a dead man walking.
It's a classic case of boy meets girl, girl tells boy how she feels, boy dies a horrible and tragic death.
Troy using the grenade launcher to lead the horde toward the ranch was clever, I'll give him that. And while it did help Nick and Jake find him, the damage had already been done.
I was a bit thrown for a loop when Jake was suddenly so adamant about killing his brother. He's been keen on protecting him this whole time. I suppose Jake was finally tired of constantly coming to Troy's defense and attempting to mend his mistakes.
This one, however, couldn't be fixed.
Nick has been struggling internally with having taken Jeremiah's life on Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8. And watching him plead with Jake to keep him from doing something he couldn't come back from was a tense moment.
Jake, you'll never live it down.
Nick
Nick was trying to atone for his past mistakes by attempting to help Jake avoid making his own. Unfortunately, it only resulted in Jake meeting his end.
As much as Troy has a death wish, it was obvious that it was Jake whose time was up.
Just like Travis, Jake was a good person. But good people don't last long in this world.
I'm curious as to how Alicia will react to the news of Jake's death. Being that she revealed that the only reason she was fighting for the ranch's prosperity was because of Jake, there may not be any reason for her to keep on fighting.
While Jake tried his best to fill his father's shoes, he wasn't fit to lead. And while Troy is not mentally fit to lead by any means, Madison's words to Troy on Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 episode 6 rings true.
Troy is stronger than his brother.
Now, Nick is going to force Troy into helping everyone he just put in danger. However, judging by the size of the horde that breached the ranch, that's not going to be easy.
Alicia continued to step up, leading the militia in the ranch's last stand.
And now that they're all trapped in the pantry, what's next? What do Nick and Troy intend to do when they get to the ranch? Also, what will happen when Madison, Strand, and Walker get back from their little trip? Even then, they don't have the numbers to get out of this mess.
Troy: I need some sleep.
Nick: No, we got to find a way to save everyone you tried to kill. You can sleep when you're dead.
Maybe Strand can use another one of his brilliant distractions like he did on Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 11 and lead the horde away.
At this point, the ranch may be a lost cause. Right now, all Alicia and the rest can do is hunker down and hope for a miracle.
The bright side to being barricaded in the pantry is the access to all of the food. At least they can chow down for the time being until the cavalry arrives.
Troy: I need some sleep.
Nick: No, we got to find a way to save everyone you tried to kill. You can sleep when you're dead.
In the end, I'm torn because this episode could have been so much more than it was. It had a lot going for it, but the retreading of what The Walking Dead did with the same material is still too fresh in our minds for this episode to have had the impact it wanted.
I'm willing to put this one behind us, as Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 has been pretty solid overall. And now that we're heading into the home stretch, it's time to get back on track and finish strong.
Let's turn it over to you TV Fanatics!
What did you think of "Brother's Keeper"?
What are your thoughts on Troy leading the horde attack on the ranch? Were you upset to see Jake go? How will Alicia react to Jake's death? What do you think Nick and Troy plan to do to help the ranch? What will Madison and Walker's reaction be when they find the ranch overrun?
Sound off and let me know!
Fear the Walking Dead returns with a new episode on Sunday, October 1st.
Remember, you can always watch Fear the Walking Dead online right here at TV Fanatic.
