Why Daniel Talks To Victor Strand In German For Fear TWD’s Final Scene

Warning: spoilers ahead for Fear The Walking Dead’s series finale.

Summary

• Daniel speaking to Victor in German symbolizes his acceptance that Strand has truly changed for the better.
• Daniel’s mistrust of Strand throughout the series has been justified, but the final episodes show Strand’s redemption.
• While other characters waver in their morality, Strand remains determined to do the right thing for everyone involved.

The hidden meaning behind Daniel Salazar speaking to Victor Strand in German during their final Fear The Walking Dead scene together goes deeper than just Daniel showing off his multilingualism. Strand and Daniel may not have started Fear The Walking Dead as sworn enemies, but the cynical, battle-hardened Daniel, played by Rubén Blades, has always remained suspicious of Colman Domingo’s Victor Strand, who spent his years before The Walking Dead‘s zombie outbreak working as a con artist. Daniel’s reservations were finally justified by Fear The Walking Dead season 7, in which Victor Strand became a tyrannical villain after taking control of the Tower.

Following a seven-year time skip, Fear The Walking Dead season 8, part 2 presents Victor Strand as a man reborn. A husband, a father, and a benevolent leader of a democratic community, Strand claims to have learned his lesson from the Tower, and realized how to be the kind of man Alicia Clark always believed he could become. Given the atrocities Strand committed in season 7, Fear The Walking Dead season 8’s characters understandably keep him at arm’s length, unsure whether to believe Strand has truly changed. No one is quicker to express their distrust than Daniel Salazar.

Related: Walking Dead Timeline Explained: When All 7 Shows Take Place

Daniel Talking In German Proves He Accepts Strand Has Changed

After weathering Troy’s zombie horde and the destruction of PADRE, Strand and Daniel are able to make peace and go their separate ways, but in their last conversation together during Fear The Walking Dead‘s ending, Daniel addresses Strand in German, saying, “Ich bin Krieg müde. Alles ist gut, ja?” This translates roughly to, “I’m tired of war. All is good, yes?” Daniel switches from speaking English to German as a way of symbolizing his acceptance that Victor Strand has truly changed for the better.

Following the Tower’s destruction, Strand assimilated into a group of stranded German tourists that were exploring the US when the zombie outbreak began, and rebranded himself “Anton” as a way of moving on from his dark past. Fear The Walking Dead‘s other characters, Daniel in particular, repeatedly accused Anton of being an act – another con in Victor Strand’s long list of deceptions. By addressing Strand in German during Fear The Walking Dead‘s final episode, Daniel is showing acceptance towards “Anton,” tacitly conceding that Victor Strand’s claim of being a new man is genuine.

How Fear The Walking Dead’s Ending Fully Redeems Victor Strand

Daniel’s mistrust of Victor Strand throughout Fear The Walking Dead season 8, part 2 has not been without good reason, and the zombie spinoff has remained deliberately ambiguous over Strand’s sincerity. As late as episode 9, “Sanctuary,” Strand’s morality was wavering after he captured Tracy Otto and brought her to PADRE as a prisoner. Nevertheless, Fear The Walking Dead‘s final two episodes remove any notion that Strand’s villainous streak is poking out. Throughout both “Fighting Like You” and “The Road Ahead,” Victor Strand is the only character who remains determined to do the right thing for all sides.

Madison kills Troy Otto in front of his own daughter, then almost abandons PADRE to the oncoming zombie horde. Daniel and Luciana also show more interest in getting revenge on Troy than helping their friends, and the PADRE residents themselves demonstrate minimal concern for young Tracy. Strand is the only character determined to save PADRE, protect his family, help Tracy, give Troy a second chance, and allow Madison closure for Alicia’s death. As impossible as it might have seemed during season 7, Victor Strand is a bastion of kindness and empathy in Fear The Walking Dead‘s series finale.

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  Fear the Walking Dead

  Release Date:

  2015-08-23

  Cast:

  Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, mercedes mason, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Kim Dickens, Ruben Blades, lorenzo james henrie, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo

  Genres:

  Drama, Horror

  Rating:

  TV-MA

  Seasons:

  8

  Story By:

  Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard

  Writers:

  Ian Goldberg, Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson, Andrew Chambliss

  Network:

  AMC

  Streaming Service(s):

  Hulu, Amazon Prime Video

  Franchise(s):

  The Walking Dead

  Directors:

  The Walking Dead

  Showrunner:

  Dave Erickson, Ian Goldberg, Andrew Chambliss