Alicia, Victor, and Luciana tell Al their story.
Buried marks the day that changed everything, but even that might be a little too dramatic to say.
This is the day these three survivors made decisions to stay and fight for their way of life.
Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC
Now they sit in front of Als camera as John takes the wheel.
She wants their story, as much of it as she can get.
So they start with that day they could have stopped all of this from happening.
It began like any other day under the watchful eye of the Vultures.
They still believed things would turn out okay for them.
So they split off.
Victor went with Cole, Nick went with Lucy, and Alicia went with Naomi.
Going on runs that day, that was our first misstep, Victor says in the present.
Pulling Cole to his feet with needles in his arm after the attack, Victor felt fear and concern.
Nick and Lucy, meanwhile, pulled up to a library.
Lucy then realized hes really doing this for Charlie.
She promised to help her, just like Nick helped Lucy learn the truth behind the Colonia.
She just didnt think this was the way to go about it.
As Lucy bluntly points out in the present to Al, they never did sway Charlie in the end.
Its during this story time that John reveals a bit more about his backstory to Morgan.
He used to be a police officer and knew an alcoholic.
Rye whiskey was this mans poison of choice.
Picking back up with these confessionals, it becomes Alicias turn.
Though, there werent keys to be seen.
Alicia acknowledged Naomis apparent automotive insights, but she shrugged off the suggestion that shes some kind of expert.
The park was littered with the bodies of bludgeoned walkers.
Riding back home with plants for the community, Victor let Cole know whats what.
Heisinto him, its just that he didnt want Cole to realize the kind of person he is.
And yet, Victor still is that person in a lot of ways.
Victor kept them as his escape plan.
He felt things going south and so he asked Cole to leave everything behind and hit the road.
(This, by the way, would be how many times Victor would have betrayed Madison?)
Cole told him thats not something he could do, and departs for the stadium by himself.
Once on top, they found a fortified shooters nest with a AR stocked with ammo.
This, we see in the present, is the weapon shes been wielding.
The sharpened edge didnt come until later, Alicia tells Al.
So, Alicia helps her find gas.
Nick and Lucy thought about leaving, as well.
After finding a walker with slit wrists in the library, Lucy found a book of maps.
I never shouldve opened that book, she tells Al.
Back at the stadium, Madison spots Mel waving to her.
She goes down to find him grilling hotdogs.
They were the only ones to make it out alive.
It becomes clear here that Mel doesnt see himself as a villain.
He seems to be genuinely giving Madison fair warning.
But then you remember someone like Enis, who revels in the misery of others.
In these flashbacks, Naomi further stoked Alicias concern.
She told Alicia to talk to Madison, warning that the stadium wont last.
They came back to execute the plan by Madison, who agreed that long of a trip was necessary.
This is the moment where everyone agreed they couldve talked Madison into finding another place to live.
In the present, they come to the burial site for Nick.
But they soon realize Alicia, Victor, and Lucy werent being entirely honest.
Alicia had found a piece of paper on Enis body that tipped them off to their meet-up location.
It becomes a competition as to which of these people has the better story for Al to record.
Al sides with the trio, but first Morgan guilts them into burying Nicks body.
As theyre piling the supplies into the van, John spots a familiar backpack.
Another flashback reveals Naomi holding the same backpack.
She is Laura, she just never told John her real name.
Victor starts making a snide joke before Lucy tells him to shut up.
Morgan agrees to stay with him while the others ride toward the Vultures.
Al promises to find out what happened to Naomi and to come back for them.
