"Something Bad" is the first episode of Fear the Walking Dead: Dead in the Water. It is the first episode of the web series overall. It premiered on April 10, 2022. It was written by Jacob Pinion and directed by Kenneth Requa.
Plot[]
Riley oversees a training exercise with Farley, Winokur, and Middlebrook about them launching the USS Pennsylvania's crew nuclear missiles. After the exercise is over, Riley notes that they did better than the day before, but he berates his crew for their failure to do their one collective job properly the day before. Farley wonders why they're even running weapons' drills since they're in the Gulf of Mexico with Middlebrook adding that he can basically see his house from where they are. However, Riley dismisses it as none of their concern, stating that if the captain gives them the order to launch, they launch and "if you can't do that, then you don't deserve those dolphins on your chest." After Riley's men agree, he leaves Weapons' Control.
Riley makes his way through the sub, stopping by the galley to ask Cook if he's seen Pierce, and Cook suggests where Riley can possibly find him. Having heard that Riley has a kid now, Cook jokingly offers to teach him how to make Mickey Mouse pancakes. Calling it very funny, Riley moves on. Riley locates Pierce who is listening to the radio, but he tells Riley that he isn't hearing anything, causing both men to wonder what's going on.
Riley returns to his bunk and looks at an ultrasound of his son Oliver. Captain Renwick enters and Riley assures him that his crew ran the drill twice that morning and their previous failure won't happen again. Renwick bring up them discussing the week before Riley going into the next leg of XO training and running a ship of his own which is what Riley wants more than anything. However, Renwick is concerned based on Riley's performance the day before. Riley reminds Renwick of himself at Riley's age, coming up the ranks with a new family back home. Renwick offers Riley the same advice that his own skipper had given him: "do what needs doing. That means making the tough calls no wants to make no matter what's going on around you or back on land." Looking at Oliver's ultrasound which Riley puts into his pocket, Renwick asks if Riley had gotten distracted the day before thinking about his family. Riley admits that he's never thought of himself as much of a family man and he's not sure if he's cut out for it. However, Renwick tells Riley that he'll get over it when he sees Oliver smiling up at him and Renwick offers Riley some advice as a father with his own children.
Riley zips up his jacket to cover the sub's launch keys and Renwick tells him to speak freely. Riley wonders why they're running drills with Friedman laid up and no word from command. Renwick states that when an order comes down, they won't be sitting around doing nothing and he needs to know that when the time comes, Riley will turn the key and Riley promises that he will without hesitation.
Their conversation is interrupted by Bacon with the news that Friedman has taken a turn for the worse and they still have had no word from the medevac. Although Renwick orders Bacon to keep trying, Bacon states that there's no time and they're prepping the mess hall now. Riley points out that Park's never done an appendectomy before and Bacon tells him that Park says he's reading up on it. Although they have no other choice, Renwick is disgusted, pointing out that they're operating in a time of peace in the Gulf of Mexico.
Riley, Renwick, and Bacon make their way to the mess hall where they watch the operation on Friedman. Looking at the three, Park grimly shakes his head at them. Friedman wakes up as the Fentanyl wears off and stares at his cut open abdomen before going into shock and flatlining. Despite Park and his assistant's best efforts, Friedman dies.
Afterwards, Riley and Pierce sit with Park who is devastated by his inability to save Friedman, 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.
Deaths[]
- Friedman (Alive)
Trivia[]
- First appearance of Pierce.
- First appearance of Winokur.
- First appearance of Cook.
- First appearance of Renwick.
- First appearance of Bacon.
- First appearance of Park.
- First appearance of Farley.
- First appearance of Middlebrook.
- First appearance of Williams.
- First appearance of Gonzalez.
- First appearance of Jason Riley. (Chronologically)
- First appearance of Bell. (Chronologically)
- Only appearance of Appel.
- Only appearance of Oliver Riley. (Photograph)
- Only appearance of Friedman. (Alive)
Torn Apart | "A New Day" • "Family Matters" • "Domestic Violence" • "Neighborly Advice" • "Step-Mother" • "Everything Dies" |
---|---|
Cold Storage | |
The Oath | |
Flight 462 | "Part 1" • "Part 2" • "Part 3" • "Part 4" • "Part 5" • "Part 6" • "Part 7" • "Part 8" • "Part 9" • "Part 10" • "Part 11" • "Part 12" • "Part 13" • "Part 14" • "Part 15" • "Part 16" |
Passage | "Part 1" • "Part 2" • "Part 3" • "Part 4" • "Part 5" • "Part 6" • "Part 7" • "Part 8" • "Part 9" • "Part 10" • "Part 11" • "Part 12" • "Part 13" • "Part 14" • "Part 15" • "Part 16" |
Red Machete | |
The Althea Tapes | "Al" • "Ed" • "Earl & CJ" • "Clark" • "Jody" • "Samora" |
Dead in the Water | "Something Bad" • "A Good Sailor" • "Do What Needs Doing" • "Incoming" • "We Have Orders" • "This Ain't It" |
Episode Guide: TV Series • Fear • World Beyond • Tales • Dead City • Daryl Dixon • The Ones Who Live |