Perhaps the strangest thing about this episode is how something that has been built up into a major roadblock was hurdled in a matter of seconds with little or no difficulty.  It’s somewhat epidemic of the curious plotting choices over the course of the entire series.  Things that one would expect might take time or effort seem to be glossed over, while other situations linger far too long.

A lot was made of Strand’s secret plans to get to Mexico and the notion that there was only enough money for two people (presumably Strand and Nick) to get past the border patrols safely.  So when they finally arrive and things start to go south, that must have been the signal that this episode would be a harrowing attempt to resolve the conflict, right?  Not so much.  They literally outrun the border patrol for a bit and get left to attempt a crossing by land on their own.  Which is supposed to indicate that the border patrol figures the Infected will take care of business, but the entire group literally makes their way on ground with hardly a fuss.

Eventually they did run into trouble, but hardly the kind of crisis that would be enough to justify the notion that travel-by-sea is the only viable route.  So what was the point?  It’s just a bizarre decision to have so much mystery and distrust around a potential gateway to salvation, only to have it rendered meaningless.  Subverted expectations can be a lot of fun in stories, but this is a bit ridiculous! 

Thankfully, the rest of the episode sets up some interesting conflicts.  While dealing with some Infected poisoned at a church (a plot point for later in the episode), some of the characters hesitate in telling ways.  Chris has taken to his training earlier in the season a little too well, it seems, and his choices are being questioned by Maddie.  He waits a little long when she’s in trouble, which is of course noted by Maddie and Alicia (who Chris is increasingly interested in).  Daniel’s past continues to haunt him, and Nick is beginning to get overwhelmed by the reality of the post-apocalyptic world.

Chris has turned out to be one of the more interesting characters in this episode, because his resistance to taking responsibility for his actions is a warning sign that he’s going to explode.  And through the rest of the episode, he came closer and closer to doing so.  He’s spiraling out of control, and even worse, he’s aware that it’s happening.  When he does crack, it should prove quite entertaining (if the writers don’t give that moment a quick resolution).