Fear the Walking Dead Reveals a Major Characters Backstory

Taking a note from its sister series, the "Walking Dead" spinoff uses flashback sequences to develop its most mysterious character.

SPOILER WARNING: Major spoilers from "Blood In the Streets," tonight's episode of AMC's "Fear The Walking Dead," follow. At publication, the episode has yet to air on the west coast.

The most mysterious character on AMC's "Fear The Walking Dead" is easily Victor Strand. As played by Colman Domingo, his steely, untrustworthy charisma all but conceals any revelations about his past, and even his true personality. Of all the people aboard The Abigail, he's the one that's revealed the least of his backstory.

That changes in "Blood In the Streets." While Strand remains largely absent in the present -- having escaped The Abigail via raft when the vessel got invaded by strangers -- the episode devotes half of its runtime to his past. Via flashback, we discover that he lost all his holdings in Hurricane Katrina. Upon meeting a developed named Thomas Abigail (hint, hint) looking to profit from the destruction, he swindles the new acquaintance by getting him drunk and stealing his credit cards. It's all part of a scheme where Strand's purchased $30,000 in debt, hoping to get back on his feet in five years or so.

Instead of turning in Strand to the authorities, however, Thomas admires the scheme and makes him his business partner. As the two begin to develop land, they also begin to develop a romantic relationship. Obviously, their bond is threatened when Strand flies to Los Angeles for two days in the middle of the zombie outbreak. If Thomas is still around, perhaps we haven't seen the last of him. Read more about this, as well as our feelings on Strand's past, in tonight's recap.