Fear the Walking Dead Delivers a Shocking Twist in ‘Los Muertos’

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the ninth episode of Fear the Walking Dead‘s second season.

The ninth episode of Fear the Walking Dead‘s second season starts with a bang, as Nick witnesses a man sacrifice himself to be eaten by walkers being kept inside the La Colonia enclosure while Luciana, Alejandro and the rest of the community watch on, chanting. Later — after Luciana recruits Nick to go with her on a supply mission — Nick questions her about the ritual. “Those near death deliver themselves to the dead,” she says. “They protect us.”

However, Nick isn’t satisfied with this explanation and continues to push the issue until Luciana reveals that the people of La Colonia believe those who survived the outbreak are the ones chosen to inherit the Earth after the dead are finally gone. She then declares that her faith stems from the fact that Alejandro was bitten but did not turn.

Once the pair arrives at their destination — a supply warehouse run by a group of former drug dealers — Luciana negotiates a trade of medicine for water. However, instead of the normal two shopping carts worth of supplies she is usually granted, the group’s leader only allows her to fill one.

After gathering their goods, Luciana and Nick prepare to leave when Nick is suddenly tackled by a guard who saw him steal a candy bar. As the leader prepares to chop off his hands with a machete, Nick threatens to discontinue the group’s supply of pharmaceuticals — particularly oxycontin — if they don’t let him go unharmed. He then bargains for a second shopping cart by revealing that he knows the sick woman he saw the leader tending to inside the warehouse is both his sister and an addict.

When Luciana and Nick arrive back at La Colonia, Nick gives the stolen candy bar to the daughter of the man who was eaten that morning before Alejandro pulls him inside to chastise him for putting everyone in danger. He reiterates much of what Luciana explained earlier about La Colonia’s belief system before revealing a healed bite mark on his shoulder.

Alejandro is then shown preaching to the community. He begins to chant the same words that were said while the man was sacrificed — “From death we come and to death we deliver ourselves” — until everyone joins in — including Nick.

Meanwhile, Madison, Alicia, Ofelia and Strand decide to travel north after discovering that Strand’s boat is gone. They leave a message for Travis at the coast before making their way to a hotel where Madison and Strand drink at the bar while Alicia and Ofelia explore the building. Realizing that someone has marked the rooms with infected inside them, the pair are able to safely scavenge for some supplies.

However, when they discover a man who has turned after hanging himself, the mood darkens. Alicia attempts to encourage a distraught Ofelia to continue to have hope, but when she returns from taking a shower, Ofelia is nowhere to be found. It’s then she realizes the dead are beginning to jump off the rooms’ balconies and make their way toward the bar where Madison and Strand are.

Downstairs, Madison tells Strand that she believes she will never see Nick again, explaining that Nick has his father’s (her first husband Stephen) darkness. She also reveals that Stephen’s car accident wasn’t the result of him falling asleep at the wheel like she told Nick and Alicia.

Strand then begins to play the piano as Madison shatters glasses against the wall. After creating enough noise to attract every walker in the area to them, the two struggle to defend themselves against the growing horde as the episode closes.

“Do Not Disturb,” the tenth episode of Fear the Walking Dead‘s second season, will air Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. EST on AMC.