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It's impressive how in just a single episode,Fear the Walking Dead managed to change so much about a single character in the best way and in all the right ways.

Going into this week's episode, our picture of Victor Strand probably was something like this: Criminal of some sort, shady af, untrustworthy, maybe a serial killer. 

Oh, how I was wrong.

This week's episode uncovers his back story via flashbacks to when Strand was a man who'd just lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and determined to come back from it -- at least, that's the story he tells a stranger he meets at a bar in the flashback. 

This man, we later learn, is named Thomas Abigail (ding!), a well-to-do suit-wearer who can't handle his alcohol. Strand does Thomas a solid and takes him to his hotel room after they spend a bit too much time at the bar. He lies him down on the bed, puts a bottle of water by the nightstand, and, because this is Strand, proceeds to swipe all of his credit cards. 

"Maybe I won't remember," Thomas says, sounding like a 18-year-old at a college party. 

Unfortunately for Strand, he does end up remembering. 

In another flashback, Thomas tracks down Strand with a goon in tow. This could be bad news for Strand but he talks his way out of it -- luring Thomas with tales of investments and interest. Strand earns himself a pardon -- or, as Thomas says, "I didn't pardon you. I obligated you."  

It apparently works out well for them. In yet another flashback -- these flashbacks were peppered in between present-day action, which I'll get to momentarily -- they're seen sipping drinks at a mansion overlooking beautiful scenic views. It's clear they're living their best lives -- in every possible way. They hold hands, telling us one more key detail -- they fell in love.

Later, Thomas tries to get Strand to put off a business trip due to the ongoing outbreak, which we now know turned apocalyptic. But Strand is insistent. 

"I'll be back in two days," he tells Thomas. 

As some who'd put a bunch of fake money on a bet that The Abigail was named after a daughter or a wife, I'm now fake broke. But what a great way to go into fake debt, as this relationship subverts expectations in the best way. I also liked that the flashback didn't set out to change Strand as a character -- he's still a con man, he's still on a mission, he still couldn't give two flying noodles about the people on the boat. It maintained his edge; nothing is more annoying than when a flashback undoes a lot of great character building. 

Speaking of Strand hating everyone on board, in present day, he pulls a major dick move when things started going south -- and I don't mean navigationally. 

Always shoot

Sometime early in the day, trouble comes to The Abigail when a raft of people show up, seeking aid for a bleeding pregnant lady. Chris and Ophelia are on watch as these foreigners approach and begin boarding the boat without being invited, but Chris isn't sure what to do. Should he shoot them, he asks. 

The right answer was yes, Chris, but you get a pass because you don't know this world, you're young and dumb, and you have to live with that haircut. But no more. 

Once on board, these strangers let their masks fall and reveal themselves to be foes not friends. They begin tying everyone up, except for Strand, who escapes the boat on a raft, leaving everyone to fend for themselves. 

As he attempts to make his getaway, they shoot at him, puncturing the raft and maybe hitting him, too. 

If he wasn't shot, says one of the hostiles, the hypothermia will do him in. 

Alicia is also tied up but doesn't stay that way because she knows one of the invaders -- Jack. 

Yes, radio Jack. 

Teens = the worst. 

Jack isn't as awful as the two people who boarded with, though -- he tells Alicia some story about how their leader Connor saved Jack after his brother was killed. He owes Connor, he tells Alicia. 

Alicia tries to interrupt Connor's sob story with real talk: She wants her family to be saved. But Jack can't promise that.

Once Connor arrives, he takes Alicia and Travis, who spent the episode buying time by leading the other boy who boarded on a boat tour, pretending he needed to do a million Boat Things to get The Abigail started without a key. (FYI, Just gonna call anything mechanical "Boat Things" from now on because I don't care.) 

It's clear Connor only wants people with certain skills or abilities. Frankly, I think he ended up with the short end of the stick here, but I'm no post-apocalyptic leader here. Madison disagrees and seems to want them back.

Connor leaves his two high school dropouts to deal with the rest of the group. Connor has a "weak stomach," says the remaining kid with the gun. 

Just as Alicia and Travis take off in a separate boat with Connor, Nick arrives with help. 

Yes, Nick was off on a Strand-assigned adventure the entire episode. He'd swam to shore to meet up with Thomas' brother, Luis, who Strand was going to get and take to the Baja house. 

If someone has a Westros-esqe map of the gang's course so far, I'd appreciate you sharing with the class, because I have no idea where the heck they're supposed to be if Nick swam to a secured shore. (Editor's note: Update on this below!)

Together -- with help from Luis' giant gun -- the gang manage to clear the boat of threats and swing back around to pick up Strand, who's nearly reached Jack Dawson level cold out there in the ocean. 

Madison gives him the stare of death as she reaches out to pull him from the water -- a look that, to me, says she definitely wouldn't share a floating door with him if they were floating in that water together. 

Tasty Morsels: 

• Madison trying to make the pregnant lady paranoid was evil and hilarious.   
  

• Luis worrying about the leather interior on his car makes me like him already. 
  

• I'm SO GLAD Nick finally changed clothes. 
  

UPDATE(5/2): Reader Max Levy sent an email to me that cleared by my geography questions, pointing out that Nick appears to swim up to shore near the border between the US and Mexico, specifically International Friendship Park. "The beach is divided by a fence. He was on the US side," Max said. Thanks, Max!

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