EP Talks Strand and Madison's 'Shifting Dynamics,' Travis' 'Darker' Turn and Season 3 

(AMC, 9/8c), we not only learn how Madison, Strand, Alicia and Ofelia are faring after fleeing from Celia’s compound, we also get a sense of how close Maddie and Strand are becoming in Travis’ absence. Should her actual significant other be worried — and should Maddie/Strand shippers like myself be excited? For answers, TVLine turns to showrunner Dave Erickson.

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TVLINE | Strand is really there for Madison in this week’s episode — and in a way that Travis hadn’t seemed to be for a while. Is he at risk of losing her for good?

Well, it’s a fractured family by the end of [the midseason finale], and part of the challenge in the back half [of Season 2] is to see how and when they start to come together again. Some of it happens in the back half of Season 2, and some of it will spill over into Season 3. But let me put it this way: When Travis reconnects with Madison, he’s going to be in a much different place emotionally, she’s going to be in a much different place emotionally, and, by the end of the season, they will be closer in some strange, bizarre way than they’ve ever been before.

TVLINE | But I’m not imagining things, right? Madison and Strand’s relationship

Yeah, there’s a lot of shifting dynamics in the back half based on the losses in the first. The thing about Strand is that he is someone who’s always been driven and has always been able to determine what the newest currency was going to be. He saw something in Nick before anybody else did, and that’s something that will probably be made more manifest in Season 3 when paths start to cross again. But you’ll start to see as we get deeper into this season that there’s an element of grief to him that we haven’t seen before. I wouldn’t say a vulnerability, but he’s a little bit wounded.

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TVLINE | Is there a romantic aspect to Madison and Strand’s relationship?

That’s one of the questions that came up when we were shooting. People were wondering if this was going to become a true romantic relationship.

When Strand says he is a seducer of people, I think he means it. He is willing to invest in people in a way. He knew that there was something about Madison, and if they’d met at a different time, they absolutely would have related to one another. And she responds to him in a not dissimilar way to how she responded to Daniel in Season 1. There’s [an element] of a kindred spirit in that they are both willing to embrace an amorality if it’s necessary to survive, whereas that’s something that Travis has always struggled with.

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But part of what he will continue to go through is really… it’s driving toward a place where even Travis, who has been the moral compass of the show — sometimes annoyingly so — is going to lose purchase on that. We’re going to see a Travis emerging who is much darker. And if he’s able to tap into that, one would argue that that may be the missing part in the relationship between [him and Madison]. It just took the apocalypse to draw them into a closer relationship, which I think is the irony we want to play with.

fans? Do you like the idea of an actual Madison/Strand pairing (or is that just me)? Hit the comments.

I enjoy TWD and i enjoy FearTWD but i will admit that it seems that have good ideas and don’t follow through with them. They made a mistake with season 1 but skipping over big chunks of the fall of society in Los Angeles. Then they had the really cool idea of getting them off land and onto the water, and didn’t maximize the potential. It was like, lets get them back on land fast. And now they are doing individual character episodes that drag (i’m not fond of when TWD does them). So I would suggest to the writers and creator- have faith in and stick with your ideas and follow them threw to their conclusions, and stop with the boring character episodes.

The “boring” character episodes are the only one’s I’ve liked. And there’s only been 2 so far.

You missed my point. i know there is only been 1 ( Nick’s individual) not 2 as you stated. I was saying they should not follow in the footsteps of TWD who do multiple character episodes a season.

Yep agreed with all that, the first point in particular. Was really hoping the start and really insane early periods of the outbreak would be covered more than it was, the main series starts some time in so we missed all of that.

This show has been disappointing from the beginning. I keep watching, hoping it will improve, but wasn’t impressed with this weeks episode.

I was afraid that when the producers got a season 3 renewal at the beginning of season 2 that they would use that to prolong and drag out their storylines even longer. It seems like that’s happening. They’ve lost 7 million viewers from the season 1 premier. You would think that they would change some things.

I hated the past episode. I can’t stand Nick and the entire episode was one big bore.

Unlike the masses, I enjoy the character episodes on both shows. I watch shows because I like the people and want to know more about them. I thought Nick’s episode was very good and I’m interested in seeing what this group of people are up to because you know they are doing something amoral. I don’t want to see Madison and Strand in a romantic relationship but a friendship would be nice. Looking forward to watching Travis get a little darker and how he and Chris will find their way back to the group.

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