Introduction

Follows the USS Pennsylvania as Riley and crew survive the apocalypse in a submarine.

Part of the Walking Dead franchise. Also known as Dead in the Water: A Fear the Walking Dead Story.

Outline

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 is not 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 (executive officer) 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 will 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 are running drills with Friedman laid up and no word from command. Renwick states that when an order comes down, they will not 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 are prepping the mess hall now. Riley points out that Park’s never done an appendectomy before and Bacon tells him that Park says he is reading up on it. Although they have no other choice, Renwick is disgusted, pointing out that they are 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 have 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 has 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 have not 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.

Fear the Walking Dead: Dead in the Water Series

You can find a full index and overview of Fear the Walking Dead: Dead in the Water here.

Production & Filming Details

• Release Date: 10 April 2022.
• Running Time: 40 minutes (per episode).
• Rating: TV-MA.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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