| “ | God and country don't mean shit anymore. The only thing that matters now is family, alright? Go, find your boy.
―Pierce ordering Jason Riley to leave him.[src]
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” |
Pierce (first name unknown) is the deuteragonist in AMC's Fear the Walking Dead: Dead in the Water. He is a crew member on the USS Pennsylvania.
Overview[]
Pierce is shown to be a witty, optimistic, sensible, and caring individual. He appears to be Riley's closest friend on the USS Pennsylvania. He is shown to have a sense of humor, usually making a witty remark during conversations. He acts a moral compass for Riley, such as telling him it's his duty to protect his son after Riley shows reluctance about having a child. When faced with the decision to fire a nuke at Chicago, he goes against it, not willing to fire on his own country. When Pierce is bitten, he tells Riley to leave him and go find his family.
Pre-Apocalypse[]
Location Unknown[]
Nothing is known about Pierce's life prior to or as the outbreak began, except that he worked as a lieutenant aboard the USS Pennsylvania.
Post-Apocalypse[]
Dead in the Water[]
"Something Bad"[]
Pierce is first seen listening to the radio, but he tells Riley that he isn't hearing anything, causing both men to wonder what's going on. After Friedman's death, Riley and Pierce sit with Park who is devastated by his inability to save him, especially as nobody dies of appendicitis anymore with modern medicine. Park demands to know where the medevac was, but Pierce tells him that they've been wondering the same thing. Pierce sends Park to go get cleaned up and tells Riley that Renwick was looking for him. Riley explains that Renwick is worried that Riley is hung up on some kid that he's never met before and Pierce reminds Riley that he had begged to be on this tour. Riley insists that what he's hung up on is why they've been pulled off of a NATO run and sent to the Gulf of Mexico instead. Pierce notes that they haven't heard anything since and both men know that something is happening and they don't know anything about it and now a man is dead. "Something's going on. Something bad," states Riley.
"A Good Sailor"[]
Pierce stands near the outer hatch with Riley, McGuire, and Alvarez. The four men discuss how, despite the fact that they're currently only 50 klicks off of Galveston, they can't reach anyone. Pierce reveals that after being silent on every means of communication, NC2 suddenly picked up an incomplete message a half an hour before. When Riley asks what he means, Pierce tells him that it was "incomplete like they hit Send without finishing the damn thing." Riley is surprised that their first word from command in weeks is a half-baked message and Pierce tells the others that he has also picked up an FM broadcast out of Houston revealing that the Army has been deployed. McGuire is surprised that it's the Army and not the National Guard and Pierce explains that the broadcast talks about the Army being deployed for "medical incidents." Riley recognizes that the partial EAM and the Army being deployed can't be a coincidence.
McGuire worries about his sister in Houston while Pierce tells the others that Riley has a son that he hasn't even seen yet. Pierce suggests that with how close to shore they are, they should consider going for a swim. McGuire realizes that Pierce is suggesting that they abandon ship and their duties, but Riley states that no one is doing that. Alvarez admits that he can't really see Riley as a father, something that Riley concurs with. Pierce tells the group that Riley has brought a kid into the world and that he has a duty to protect his son and his wife. However, Riley is sure that there will be plenty of diapers for him to change when their tour is up in six weeks with Alvarez adding that he never knew his dad and he turned out fine. Pierce jokingly calls them miserable. Just then an announcement is made on the PA that ice cream is being served in the mess.
Pierce goes with the others to the cafeteria, where Renwick gives a eulogy to Friedman. Just then a zombified Friedman attacks Cook and bites Bacon and Park. Friedman is eventually put down by Riley. Pierce, Riley, and Renwick look at Friedman's corpse confused, with Pierce questioning how he was somehow still alive.
"Do What Needs Doing"[]
Riley lies awake in his bunk when Pierce arrives with a complete message from command ordering the sub to be weapons ready with orders to follow. Riley suggests that command is getting them ready to nuke their own country, pointing out that first they were sent to the Gulf of Mexico and then the Army was deployed. Pierce wonders what's going on in the outside world, but Riley is more concerned with what's going on on the sub, wondering what had happened to Friedman. Pierce is confused too, noting that Friedman had been like a rabid dog. Riley asks if Pierce had shown the message to the captain yet and Pierce states that he's on his way there now.
Hearing a strange noise, the two men emerge to find Bacon wandering around nearby strangely. Riley calls out to Bacon who turns around, revealing that he has reanimated. Recognizing the danger, Riley stops Pierce from getting too close, only to have Bacon trip over a bulkhead and fall in front of them. As Riley and Pierce pin Bacon down with their feet, Bacon bites at them and Riley realizes that Friedman biting Bacon on the arm had caused his current state. Pierce wonders who had bitten Friedman, but Riley doesn't know and is more concerned with how they can stop Bacon. Pierce remembers that Riley shooting Friedman in the head had worked before and Riley grabs a nearby fire extinguisher. Stating "let's do what needs doing," Riley uses the fire extinguisher to smash in Bacon's head, putting him down. Riley is stunned that he just killed the XO, but Pierce reassures him that it was no longer Bacon and that Riley did what he had to do. Hearing some more growling from nearby, Riley orders Pierce to find the captain and meet him in the weapons' room before they go their separate ways.
"Incoming"[]
Pierce with Renwick reunites with Riley and McGuire and the four men enter the weapons room. Renwick pulls a gun on the other men and demands that they show him their arms. Riley, Pierce and McGuire show him that no one has been bitten and a relieved Renwick lowers his gun. Renwick reveals that he's already had to put down six of his own men and McGuire and Riley add in their friends that they've seen die or had to put down as well while Pierce reassures Renwick that they weren't his men anymore. The four men realize that they now have their answer as to why they were taken off of the NATO run and the medevac wasn't sent for Friedman with Renwick sadly noting that the world must be in chaos. Renwick believes that the Pennsylvania must be all that's left, but Pierce and McGuire aren't convinced. Renwick states that they have plans in place for this sort of thing and Riley suggests that for all they know, the missile they've been ordered to fire could stop it. Renwick agrees with Riley and tells Pierce and McGuire that firing the missile is all that matters now. A new message comes through which Riley, McGuire and, reluctantly, Pierce agree is authentic. The launch coordinates print out and after reading them, Renwick tells his men that the target is Chicago and he orders them to prepare to launch.
"We Have Orders"[]
As Renwick orders him to prepare to launch, Riley hesitates, pointing out that they would be firing on their own country. However, Renwick is sure that command wouldn't have sent the coordinates if they didn't have a good reason. Pierce reminds Riley of his earlier suggestion that this will stop it somehow and Renwick tells him that they have an incredible responsibility and while it's not an enviable task, it must be done. Riley ultimately refuses to fire the missile. Renwick orders Pierce to take the key from Riley, but he refuses, with McGuire doing the same. It is then revealed that Renwick has been bitten. He hopes that the three men are right in not launching the nuke. As Pierce looks away, Riley mercy kills the dying Renwick with a headshot.
Putting the gun down, Riley tells Pierce and McGuire that they are going to get out of here. Putting on Renwick's key, Riley addresses the crew over the PA system, informing them that Captain Renwick is dead and that they have a new mission: "get this ship topside. Go home."
"This Ain't It"[]
Pierce and Riley stop outside of the hatch leading to the silo hallway with walkers growling on the other side. Riley jokes about Pierce's earlier desire to swim to shore before admitting that while his desire that morning was to be a Captain, Riley no longer cares about that. Riley now just wants to hold his son at least once. Pierce promises that he will before McGuire hands them a pipe and a sharpened shaft of metal, the only weapons that he could find which Pierce calls better than nothing.
Riley decides to go first and Pierce agrees, referring to Riley as Captain. Before Riley can open the hatch, Walter contacts him over the sub's comms, revealing that a group had made it to the bridge, but they are now stuck there with too many walkers outside. Getting an idea, Riley asks if Walter has ever pulled a chicken switch and, laughing, Walter orders them to hold on tight. As Riley, Pierce and McGuire brace themselves, Walter announces an emergency blow over the comms and then blows the sub's ballast tanks, rapidly sending it to the surface and throwing the swarming walkers around and to the ground.
With the sub on its way to the surface and the walkers incapacitated for now, Riley, Pierce and McGuire rush through the hatch and the hallway, safely reaching the other end. However, as Pierce holds the hatch open for Riley, he is bitten on the ankle by a zombified Farley before Riley quickly puts him down. Riley desperately tends to his friend, suggesting that they can try amputating his foot. However, Pierce tells Riley that the only thing that matters anymore is family and he orders Riley to go and find his son. Riley apologizes to Pierce who tells him that he's not sorry, calling Riley his brother. Riley reluctantly leaves as Pierce charges an approaching group of walkers, sacrificing himself so that Riley can escape. Sadly watching Pierce's death for a moment, Riley closes the hatch and escapes.
Death[]
- Killed By
- Alvarez (Indirectly Caused)
- Farley (Caused, Infected)
- Yu (Infected)
- Loosen (Infected)
- Faz (Infected)
- Bell (Infected)
- Vaughn (Infected)
- Schindler (Infected)
- Unnamed USS Pennsylvania crewmembers (Infected)
- Himself (Sacrifice)
After being bitten by Farley in the leg, Pierce rushes towards a horde of walkers so that Riley and McGuire can escape.
Killed Victims[]
This list shows the victims Pierce has killed:
- Bacon (Caused, Zombified)
- Yung (Zombified)
- Himself (Caused, Sacrifice)
- Possibly many enemy combatants (Pre-Apocalypse)
Relationships[]
Allies[]
Quotes[]
The following is a list of some of Pierce's most memorable quotes.
Dead in the Water"Nah, man, it's quiet like a whore in church." "We had everything we got out there. ELF, VLF, Cold War lines... and we ain't heard diddly. Then not even half-hour ago, NC2 picked up something. It was incomplete. (…) I mean, like they hit "send" without finishing the damn thing. (…) Yeah, but that ain't all. Fellas picked up an FM broadcast out of Houston. Y'all get this. Army's been deployed. (…) No, sir, army. Something about medical incidents." "Yeah? Well, Riley's got a son he ain't ever laid eyes on. Pssh. If it was me, I was this close to shore, I'd sure enough be thinking about going for a swim." "Yeah, well, just the same, he brought a little man into this world. What about his duty to protect him or protect his mom?" "(chuckles) You're a miserable son of a bitch." "I don't know. It's like a... It's like a rabid dog or something, right?" "Why is he biting at us? (…) Well, who the hell bit Friedman?!" "A shot to the head! A shot to the head worked before!" "Well, at least we know why they took us off the NATO run." "Hey, like you said, maybe this stops it somehow." "God and country don't mean shit anymore. The only thing that matters now is family, alright? Go, find your boy." "Listen, this is as good a place as any. The USS Pennsylvania. (…) Ah, I'm not. You're my brother, Riley. Now go ahead and get." |
Appearances[]
| Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torn Apart | ||||||||||||||||
| Cold Storage | ||||||||||||||||
| The Oath | ||||||||||||||||
| Flight 462 | ||||||||||||||||
| Passage | ||||||||||||||||
| Red Machete | ||||||||||||||||
| The Althea Tapes | ||||||||||||||||
| Dead in the Water | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ✔ | Appears | ✔ | Voice is heard |
| 👁 | Appears with no lines | ✔ | Appears in a flashback |
| ✔ | Appears as a walker | 🖼 | Appears in a photograph/video |
| ✔ | Appears as a corpse | ✔ | Appears in a hallucination/dream |
Trivia[]
- Pierce, Riley and Loosen are the only characters to appear in all webisodes of Dead in the Water.