Madison and Daniel reunited in the third episode this season, and Daniel indicated in this week's he's still in contact with Madison.
Spoilers Fear the Walking Dead - Season 8 - The Final Season
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Fear the Walking Dead
Season 8 - Mid-season finale - "All I See is Red”
Morgan and Madison: The night following Grace's death finds Morgan semi-conscious on the train tracks, surrounded by killed walkers. Madison rouses him from his confused state, telling him he tried to kill her. Morgan's mind has returned to the "clear" mode he suffered from several years ago, with this form of schizophrenia causing red-bathed flashes of the living (Mo, Madison, et al.) and the dead (Grace, Jenny, et al.). Boarding the train car, Madison asks what words scrawled on the walls in blood mean; Morgan begs Madison to leave him before he tries to kill her, revealing that he's dealing with the same "clear" or "red schizophrenia" he suffered from many years ago, which places the living in as much risk as walkers. While under this condition, Morgan cut into the head of Grace's corpse, using her blood as ink, but he still had the presence of mind to cover her head.
Increasingly agitated, Morgan explains his belief that Mo will likely die trying to clear the container area, and he cannot lose her, but he insists Madison leave him; Madison tries to empathize, recalling her own psychological issues when she learned her children were dead, but her words fall on deaf ears.
Shrike / Mo / Morgan: Mo and the other PADRE teens make their way through the swamp, following Shrike's orders to locate the walker with the coordinates stored away in its binoculars.
The next day, Madison takes Morgan to the now empty P.A.D.R.E. container location, accompanied by Daniel and the parents. There's no sign of the PADRE teens, but Morgan intercepts Shrike's conversation, warning Mo she will die if she listens to Shrike. Trying to emotionally protect herself from any negative interaction with her father, Mo shuts off her walkie. The fear of what might have happened triggers Morgan's "red schizophrenia" again. Ultimately, he's left chest deep in a mud hole.
While the PADRE teens are separated from Mo, she is reunited with her father--though she's still putting up a cold front...
Dwight / Sherry / Finch / June: Finch is losing his grip on life, with his powerless parents forced to just accept it. Dwight cannot stand to watch, so he loads a magazine, preparing to find and kill Shrike--to stop her from ever harming any child again. June gently pleads for Dwight to stay with his son and allow her to be the one to kill Shrike. Dwight agrees.
Morgan / Mo I: Morgan arrives at the swamp near the house boat, but he suffers from his "red" schizophrenia again, confusing walkers with flashes of Mo, until she stabs him in the shoulder to break his attack. Mo states she did not know if she could trust him (SEE NOTES), and was trying to get away from to prevent the need to defend herself. Morgan cannot trust himself, but implored the girl to board the house boat, despite the craft sinking. Morgan has another episode, where he's not sure he's killing walkers--or hurting Mo. He drops into the swamp, blacking out.
Waking up, he finds himself in the house boat--one of his wrists zip-tied to a beam. Mo explains she rescued him, but still needed to protect herself in the event he suffered another "red schizophrenic" attack. Water floods the cabin, and with that, walkers; Mo and Morgan kill several, but they will soon be overwhelmed....
Daniel / Madison / Parents / PADRE teenagers: Shrike leads the small army of PADRE guards, threatening to kill Daniel, Madison and the others. Desperate to find the coordinates to the new location, Since Daniel promises to kill Shrike if she fires even a single shot, there's a standoff--until Dove and the other PADRE teens show up, sparking a firefight that gives Madison the cover to escape to the house boat. Morgan orders Mo to leave him; Mo--believing he's probably going to die soon--hesitates, but swims away. As Morgan asks Madison to make sure Mo never boards the PADRE ship, his call is interrupted by Shrike, who is determined to find the coordinates. Morgan glances over to a group of walkers almost in the boat--among them, Shrike's father, still wearing the binoculars containing the coordinates. Morgan tells Shrike he's not only facing her father, but will get the coordinates and bury them at the bottom of the swamp.
Morgan finally reaches his battle axe, and once again, has another attack, not knowing where he is, or who he's killing. He awakens on the wetland with Madison at his side, noting that she pulled him from the water before he could drown. Morgan--still going through his "red schizophrenia" panics about Mo again, but Madison tries to calm him, using the belief that the thought of her kids kept her going--that no one ever really loses anyone...
Shrike: Not taking any chances that Morgan was bluffing, she catches up to Morgan and Madison, ready to shoot them, when she sees her walker-father crawling out of the swamp. Shocked into a near-catatonic state by the sight of her father, she drops her gun, falls to her knees apologizing profusely to the creature. Crying, she sinks to the ground, offering no resistance to her walker-father biting into her neck. It takes Madison to finish off the creature, leaving the tables of this war completely upended.
Morgan finds the coordinates in the binoculars.
Mo finds the twerp-y Crane forced Daniel and the parents on their knees, the "leader" filled with nervous anger; Daniel calmly tells the teens that they do not want to kill another person--that he wishes he had someone to stop him from taking a life when he was their age, adding that once they kill another person, it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Dove--trying to be the alpha-aggressor--yells at her companions to live up to their training and fire, but they do not. Morgan and Madison arrive, and despite Crane threatening to shoot him, Morgan tells Mo she's free to leave if she cares to (admitting its not what he wanted), but she--and the other PADRE teens--need to learn the truth of keeping people--even the dead--with you, as opposed to the antisocial militancy of PADRE, and the regret that will come once you lose people, but did not care for them. Morgan refers to Shrike learning this too--at the last moment. Mo is moved by Morgan's speech, prompting her to say she wants to know her father now--not just remember him. Mo lowers Crane's gun hand, then embraces Morgan.
Shrike II: Shrike is dropped off at the train car lab, tied to a bed and set up to be bitten by a mounted walker head by June. June's justifiably terse, hateful tone drowns out Shrike's pleas for the radiation treatment, but June tells her that decision is up to Dwight & Sherry (since Shrike ordered Finch to be bitten).
Calling Dwight, he is about to ask June to do something dark, until Finch reaches for his father's hand, asking him not to allow Shrike to suffer as he is--to make her death as quick as possible. Dwight cannot argue with his child's mature request, and relays that message to June.
June, after her entire Shrike-directed ordeal, kills the walker head, just as Crane busts into the train car--fear on his face as he sees his sister. June is a moment away from shooting him, until he proves he's unarmed, and allows him some final moments with Shrike.
Madison: At the shoreline, Morgan and Mo prepare a boat for their new journey. Morgan thanks Madison for helping him finally break his schizophrenic cycle, and now needs to find all of his old friends to make sure they're okay--to correct his own mistakes. He has full confidence that she can build the new PADRE (including reuniting as many children with their parents as possible) without his help.
Dwight and Sherry II: With the defeat of P.A.D.R.E., other chapters come to a close, starting with Dwight and Sherry burying Finch. The grief-stricken couple ponder their future; Dwight believes Finch's fate--all bad things they've experienced are due to their being together. Dwight reasons that their lives would be better off if they separated (SEE NOTES), with Dwight returning to Virginia. Inconsolable, Sherry sort of agrees.
Morgan and Mo II: At a makeshift cemetary, Morgan finishes piling dirt on Grace's marked grave. Beside it is a marker for Eastman.
Morgan presents Mo with her own staff, and begins giving her basic instruction on offense / defense position. As she practices, Morgan speaks to Eastman, realizing the "all lives are precious" philosophy is not about killing or not killing, but what you do with the time that you have--the people you have appreciating those you have in your life. He asks him to watch out for Grace (in the afterlife).
Morgan tells Mo they're going to find Rick Grimes--no matter where he is, adding that it would not be the first time they found each other. In a bookend to The Walking Dead pilot, it is now Morgan who sends a message out to Rick, promising to leave the walkie on for a period every day.
Morgan stops to take a last look at the graves, gives a reassuring smile to Mo, and the two head off--presumably back to Alexandria.
Mystery woman: In some darkened room, a receiver picks up Madison identifying herself, offering coordinates and safety with the new P.A.D.R.E,--one that does not separate kids from their families. A blonde woman writes down the coordinates, and packs a bag with a hammer....and Alicia's prosthetic bone arm...
NOTES:
So ends the first half of Fear the Walking Dead's final season:
GRADE: A-.
Season 8 - Mid-season finale - "All I See is Red”
Morgan and Madison: The night following Grace's death finds Morgan semi-conscious on the train tracks, surrounded by killed walkers. Madison rouses him from his confused state, telling him he tried to kill her. Morgan's mind has returned to the "clear" mode he suffered from several years ago, with this form of schizophrenia causing red-bathed flashes of the living (Mo, Madison, et al.) and the dead (Grace, Jenny, et al.). Boarding the train car, Madison asks what words scrawled on the walls in blood mean; Morgan begs Madison to leave him before he tries to kill her, revealing that he's dealing with the same "clear" or "red schizophrenia" he suffered from many years ago, which places the living in as much risk as walkers. While under this condition, Morgan cut into the head of Grace's corpse, using her blood as ink, but he still had the presence of mind to cover her head.
Increasingly agitated, Morgan explains his belief that Mo will likely die trying to clear the container area, and he cannot lose her, but he insists Madison leave him; Madison tries to empathize, recalling her own psychological issues when she learned her children were dead, but her words fall on deaf ears.
Shrike / Mo / Morgan: Mo and the other PADRE teens make their way through the swamp, following Shrike's orders to locate the walker with the coordinates stored away in its binoculars.
The next day, Madison takes Morgan to the now empty P.A.D.R.E. container location, accompanied by Daniel and the parents. There's no sign of the PADRE teens, but Morgan intercepts Shrike's conversation, warning Mo she will die if she listens to Shrike. Trying to emotionally protect herself from any negative interaction with her father, Mo shuts off her walkie. The fear of what might have happened triggers Morgan's "red schizophrenia" again. Ultimately, he's left chest deep in a mud hole.
While the PADRE teens are separated from Mo, she is reunited with her father--though she's still putting up a cold front...
Dwight / Sherry / Finch / June: Finch is losing his grip on life, with his powerless parents forced to just accept it. Dwight cannot stand to watch, so he loads a magazine, preparing to find and kill Shrike--to stop her from ever harming any child again. June gently pleads for Dwight to stay with his son and allow her to be the one to kill Shrike. Dwight agrees.
Morgan / Mo I: Morgan arrives at the swamp near the house boat, but he suffers from his "red" schizophrenia again, confusing walkers with flashes of Mo, until she stabs him in the shoulder to break his attack. Mo states she did not know if she could trust him (SEE NOTES), and was trying to get away from to prevent the need to defend herself. Morgan cannot trust himself, but implored the girl to board the house boat, despite the craft sinking. Morgan has another episode, where he's not sure he's killing walkers--or hurting Mo. He drops into the swamp, blacking out.
Waking up, he finds himself in the house boat--one of his wrists zip-tied to a beam. Mo explains she rescued him, but still needed to protect herself in the event he suffered another "red schizophrenic" attack. Water floods the cabin, and with that, walkers; Mo and Morgan kill several, but they will soon be overwhelmed....
Daniel / Madison / Parents / PADRE teenagers: Shrike leads the small army of PADRE guards, threatening to kill Daniel, Madison and the others. Desperate to find the coordinates to the new location, Since Daniel promises to kill Shrike if she fires even a single shot, there's a standoff--until Dove and the other PADRE teens show up, sparking a firefight that gives Madison the cover to escape to the house boat. Morgan orders Mo to leave him; Mo--believing he's probably going to die soon--hesitates, but swims away. As Morgan asks Madison to make sure Mo never boards the PADRE ship, his call is interrupted by Shrike, who is determined to find the coordinates. Morgan glances over to a group of walkers almost in the boat--among them, Shrike's father, still wearing the binoculars containing the coordinates. Morgan tells Shrike he's not only facing her father, but will get the coordinates and bury them at the bottom of the swamp.
Morgan finally reaches his battle axe, and once again, has another attack, not knowing where he is, or who he's killing. He awakens on the wetland with Madison at his side, noting that she pulled him from the water before he could drown. Morgan--still going through his "red schizophrenia" panics about Mo again, but Madison tries to calm him, using the belief that the thought of her kids kept her going--that no one ever really loses anyone...
Shrike: Not taking any chances that Morgan was bluffing, she catches up to Morgan and Madison, ready to shoot them, when she sees her walker-father crawling out of the swamp. Shocked into a near-catatonic state by the sight of her father, she drops her gun, falls to her knees apologizing profusely to the creature. Crying, she sinks to the ground, offering no resistance to her walker-father biting into her neck. It takes Madison to finish off the creature, leaving the tables of this war completely upended.
Morgan finds the coordinates in the binoculars.
Mo finds the twerp-y Crane forced Daniel and the parents on their knees, the "leader" filled with nervous anger; Daniel calmly tells the teens that they do not want to kill another person--that he wishes he had someone to stop him from taking a life when he was their age, adding that once they kill another person, it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Dove--trying to be the alpha-aggressor--yells at her companions to live up to their training and fire, but they do not. Morgan and Madison arrive, and despite Crane threatening to shoot him, Morgan tells Mo she's free to leave if she cares to (admitting its not what he wanted), but she--and the other PADRE teens--need to learn the truth of keeping people--even the dead--with you, as opposed to the antisocial militancy of PADRE, and the regret that will come once you lose people, but did not care for them. Morgan refers to Shrike learning this too--at the last moment. Mo is moved by Morgan's speech, prompting her to say she wants to know her father now--not just remember him. Mo lowers Crane's gun hand, then embraces Morgan.
Shrike II: Shrike is dropped off at the train car lab, tied to a bed and set up to be bitten by a mounted walker head by June. June's justifiably terse, hateful tone drowns out Shrike's pleas for the radiation treatment, but June tells her that decision is up to Dwight & Sherry (since Shrike ordered Finch to be bitten).
Calling Dwight, he is about to ask June to do something dark, until Finch reaches for his father's hand, asking him not to allow Shrike to suffer as he is--to make her death as quick as possible. Dwight cannot argue with his child's mature request, and relays that message to June.
June, after her entire Shrike-directed ordeal, kills the walker head, just as Crane busts into the train car--fear on his face as he sees his sister. June is a moment away from shooting him, until he proves he's unarmed, and allows him some final moments with Shrike.
Madison: At the shoreline, Morgan and Mo prepare a boat for their new journey. Morgan thanks Madison for helping him finally break his schizophrenic cycle, and now needs to find all of his old friends to make sure they're okay--to correct his own mistakes. He has full confidence that she can build the new PADRE (including reuniting as many children with their parents as possible) without his help.
Dwight and Sherry II: With the defeat of P.A.D.R.E., other chapters come to a close, starting with Dwight and Sherry burying Finch. The grief-stricken couple ponder their future; Dwight believes Finch's fate--all bad things they've experienced are due to their being together. Dwight reasons that their lives would be better off if they separated (SEE NOTES), with Dwight returning to Virginia. Inconsolable, Sherry sort of agrees.
Morgan and Mo II: At a makeshift cemetary, Morgan finishes piling dirt on Grace's marked grave. Beside it is a marker for Eastman.
Morgan presents Mo with her own staff, and begins giving her basic instruction on offense / defense position. As she practices, Morgan speaks to Eastman, realizing the "all lives are precious" philosophy is not about killing or not killing, but what you do with the time that you have--the people you have appreciating those you have in your life. He asks him to watch out for Grace (in the afterlife).
Morgan tells Mo they're going to find Rick Grimes--no matter where he is, adding that it would not be the first time they found each other. In a bookend to The Walking Dead pilot, it is now Morgan who sends a message out to Rick, promising to leave the walkie on for a period every day.
Morgan stops to take a last look at the graves, gives a reassuring smile to Mo, and the two head off--presumably back to Alexandria.
Mystery woman: In some darkened room, a receiver picks up Madison identifying herself, offering coordinates and safety with the new P.A.D.R.E,--one that does not separate kids from their families. A blonde woman writes down the coordinates, and packs a bag with a hammer....and Alicia's prosthetic bone arm...
NOTES:
So ends the first half of Fear the Walking Dead's final season:
- Morgan and Mo: are now searching for Rick, so we can take this episode as their farewell to Fear the Walking Dead, punctuated by Morgan's "red schizophrenia" coming to an end as he remembered all of his dead loved ones, but is no longer haunted by them.
- Alicia's prosthetic bone arm: either the person who heard Madison's message is Alicia, or someone who knows the Clark family somehow found...or stole the arm from Alicia. Some viewers believed the person packing the bag was Alicia, but when she was last seen seven, in-universe years ago, she was ailing, barely hanging on, and there's that can't-regrow an arm business. The arm could have been removed by one of the characters yet to be seen in the season, such as Luciana or Althea.
- Dwight and Sherry: one can understand how heartbroken they are with the death of Finch, but I found their reasoning for breaking up to be Forced Bad End Sew-Up 101, as Dwight cannot prove that bad things happen whenever the couple are together. Moreover, he's talking about returning to Virginia to settle. What is he expecting to find? Alexandria? If so, viewers recall when Dwight left TWD, it was with Daryl threatening to kill him if she ever returned. Some might say Daryl has let that grudge go, considering how he gave a "it is settled" nod to Negan in TWD's series finale, but Dwight does not know that, and has no reason to expect a warm welcome. Separating the two--after Dwight and Sherry finding each other was a significant arc of FTWD was a poor way to write off the characters (if this was their final appearance).
- Madison: with the Jones family leaving to find Rick, Fear the Walking Dead--with only a few episodes left--has come full circle to become the story of the Clark family again with Madison leading fellow Los Angeles survivor Daniel in creating a new P.A.D.R.E. settlement. No one has an idea if yet another L.A. escapee--Strand---will ever show up.
GRADE: A-.
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I don't know, it wasn't a bad episode but something about it just didn't click with me. Part of it might have been watching it right after the Dead City premiere (which was certainly the better episode) or maybe the observation I made a few weeks back where it feels this season was originally planned for sixteen episodes and had to be condensed to twelve, elements of this episode, particularly PADRE's defeat and Shrike's death certainly felt rushed. Morgan's red flashes gave the episode a bit of a disjointed feeling. I get that was intentional, to symbolize how chaotic Morgan's own psyche and perspective is given his emotional state, but I still find it made the episode feel disjointed all the same.
I did enjoy the ending and the set-up it provides for the second half of the season, with Madison setting up a new PADRE more in line with the intended spirit of the original, Morgan setting off on a quest to find Rick, which is almost certainly going to be connected to the Rick and Michonne spin-off somehow, and the introduction of the mysterious woman who has Alicia's prosthetic arm.
And damn, we actually went through the whole first half of the season without seeing Strand or getting any indication of what's going on with him aside from the mention that he's been missing since the time jump. While he's almost certainly going to be in the second half of the season, it is a bit surprising we've not seen or heard from him at all this season.
I suppose returning to Alexandria knowing it could lead to his death could also be a form of suicide for him. Granted, there are easier ways to do that deed, but then it's not exactly unheard of for suicidal people to go about the matter in a convoluted manner. I some cases, it's their attempt at trying to find an alternative.
I did enjoy the ending and the set-up it provides for the second half of the season, with Madison setting up a new PADRE more in line with the intended spirit of the original, Morgan setting off on a quest to find Rick, which is almost certainly going to be connected to the Rick and Michonne spin-off somehow, and the introduction of the mysterious woman who has Alicia's prosthetic arm.
And damn, we actually went through the whole first half of the season without seeing Strand or getting any indication of what's going on with him aside from the mention that he's been missing since the time jump. While he's almost certainly going to be in the second half of the season, it is a bit surprising we've not seen or heard from him at all this season.
Yeah, I was wondering about that myself. As it is, things will probably turn out okay if he does go back, Darryl's off on his journey to France, Negan's with Maggie in New York and I don't think there is anyone in Alexandria and its communities who has strong feelings about Dwight either way. Still, as you say, he has no way of knowing any of this.
I suppose returning to Alexandria knowing it could lead to his death could also be a form of suicide for him. Granted, there are easier ways to do that deed, but then it's not exactly unheard of for suicidal people to go about the matter in a convoluted manner. I some cases, it's their attempt at trying to find an alternative.
Lenny James gave an interview with Comic Book Resources and says he has no plans to return to "Fear. . ." or the Rick Grimes spin off; saying Morgan's arc is complete.
Wait, are you saying he's not going to be in the second half of Fear S8? That seems very odd, if true.
As for his claims he won't be in the Rick show, it's possible Lennie James is under an NDA and can't talk about his involvement with that show at this time.
Not sure if it's the same interview, but some Google digging did turn up this interview with Entertainment Weekly where the comments James makes do indicate he is indeed done with Fear but does not rule out a return to the franchise at some point down the road.
Sounds like he walked back some of his statements. He's definitely done with 'Fear. . .' and that probably has more to do with the producers and the shortened season and the need to wrap things up as quickly as possible.
I held the opinion that Shrike was not trained (by her father) yet she constantly got the jump on people who were true survivalists time after time (think about all that Morgan and Dwight endured between TWD and Fear, or ex-Sombra Negra death squad member Daniel), when she should have been killed earlier. Some might say she made the heroes tread lightly because Morgan and Dwight had children who could be placed at risk, but again, Shrike and Crane should have been taken down earlier.
Oh, and about Crane--he's still alive, so how will he be handled, when you know he will blame Madison, et al., for Shrike's death / fall of the first P.A.D.R.E.?
She cannot be Alicia--obviously--but I have a feeling that the second half will include flashbacks to Alicia's fate, possibly bringing back Alycia Debnam-Carey to wrap up Alicia's arc. How this--or the mystery woman ties to Madison is not known. Perhaps the blond haired mystery woman is Sarah-- a character no one mentioned at all this season. She (and Wendell) have been missing, so that's a level of plot armor which would allow Sarah to return, as someone who knows some of Alicia's backstory enough to respond to Madison's message.
Yeah, and just having Dwight and Sherry end their relationship after all they risked to reunite seems like writers trying to milk as much heartache out of characters as possible before they leave the series...for no good reason.
Interesting. If James was not BS-ing to preserve a surprise cameo on the Rick spin-off, it makes his FTWD send-off sort of a wet firecracker, since his very last words were all about finding Rick. If he never shows up on any of the spin-offs, it strongly suggests he--and Mo--never made it to Alexandria, and that's a pretty tragic, though unintentional end for the Jones family.
Indeed, I've been wondering the same thing. Logically, he should still continue to be a threat in the second half of the season.
Ooh, that is an interesting idea.
A teaser for the second half of the season:
Not much there, but we do see Strand, and apparently Dwight is sticking around. All they say about broadcast is that it will be on in the fall, nothing more specific.
Not much there, but we do see Strand, and apparently Dwight is sticking around. All they say about broadcast is that it will be on in the fall, nothing more specific.
Is that Luciana catching the weapon to hit a walker @ 0:07?
At last--Strand returns. Dwight hanging around? He was the one who wanted to make a permanent separation between himself and Sherry by leaving the state, so I wonder why he would hang around? Unless something happens to Sherry?
SO this last episode -- yuck....maybe a B for me.... it just felt such a let down fom the previous 2. Sure, kinda cool about seeing how Morgan was in "clear" mode...but felt like it was waaaaay too late in the game, and undid what we just saw these 2 episodes previous.
Also, basically we had Madison telling the parent "Hey, i know you don't trust me, but here's this great leader i barely got to know back in the day, and....oh, ooops. nevermind. He's cray-cray"
It was a nice circle of him saying "the words" to circle back to when RIck left him, but sad to have him leave the series now.
Madison , especially this season, doesn't at all feel like a lead character. Oh, and any bets on how much they will ignore her need for oxygen in the last 6 episodes?
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I still think it is a shame that Madison never saw Alicia again. Just reeks of John Dorey Jr. & Sr., which was another missed opportunity.
I am hoping that James is hiding his appearance in episode 5 or 6 of the Rick / Michonne series. We are totally missing a great set up for a reunion (where, say, Mo sees Rick almost kill Morgan before he realizes who it is...and the 2 just laugh how this ranks compared to the previous 3 times)
Or maybe they go back to Sherry and Dwight reuniting at the end. They might have needed an excuse to keep the actress out (since they left out several cast members this half, and have now taken out Grace & Morgan for the 2nd half)
Also, basically we had Madison telling the parent "Hey, i know you don't trust me, but here's this great leader i barely got to know back in the day, and....oh, ooops. nevermind. He's cray-cray"
It was a nice circle of him saying "the words" to circle back to when RIck left him, but sad to have him leave the series now.
Madison , especially this season, doesn't at all feel like a lead character. Oh, and any bets on how much they will ignore her need for oxygen in the last 6 episodes?
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i don't know... i think their dad did train them to a degree... still somewhat sheltered children, but i think enough to survive to that point. It wasn't clear to me how long into the apocalypse did he die. (also a whole bunch of other issues in that situation as well)
i think he will be ignored. He seems the much weaker of the 2... he never went out like SHrike did, right? i don't he will try something at the end.We will move on to whatever Strand is dealing with. Is he rebuilding a place in a lot better ways than he did with The Tower (which was still an accomplishment, and could have endured, if they didn't character assassinate him for that season)
Sarah is just about the only choice they have left, unless they introduce someone out of left field, which would stink. If it is Sarah, will we find out Wendell died (to "free up" Sarah to move around, or will he also play a part. The thing is, Wendell wasn't so vital, that i don't think it would be worth hiding him from the audience. But i guess we will see who the mystery blond is.
I still think it is a shame that Madison never saw Alicia again. Just reeks of John Dorey Jr. & Sr., which was another missed opportunity.
I dunno.... it might also be a way to take out Sherry to focus on the remaining characters. We will see if it is permanent. I was really hoping for Finch to survive... i would like them to get back together to finally have that family.
I am hoping that James is hiding his appearance in episode 5 or 6 of the Rick / Michonne series. We are totally missing a great set up for a reunion (where, say, Mo sees Rick almost kill Morgan before he realizes who it is...and the 2 just laugh how this ranks compared to the previous 3 times)
Not really (see above), but agree on the 2nd statement
I would guess it needs to be Luciana... we haven't seen her at all yet.
Or maybe they go back to Sherry and Dwight reuniting at the end. They might have needed an excuse to keep the actress out (since they left out several cast members this half, and have now taken out Grace & Morgan for the 2nd half)
New trailer for the second half of the season:
Wanted to post this link which says whether or not Fear is setting up spinoffs (no real spoilers)
https://screenrant.com/fear-the-walking-dead-ending-spinoffs-setup-producer/
And will comment soon on my thoughts on what I think the finale will be like
https://screenrant.com/fear-the-walking-dead-ending-spinoffs-setup-producer/
And will comment soon on my thoughts on what I think the finale will be like
Fear the Walking Dead
Season 8 / Episode 7 - Mid-season premiere - "Anton”
Strand / Madison I: On the grounds of a sprawling, thriving hotel property, a soccer match is held, with a teenaged boy named Klaus scoring the winning goal, to the satisfaction of his father, Frank. Returning to their home, the duo are greeted by "Anton"--aka Victor Strand, who speaks to the father and son in German, while its revealed that Frank is in a relationship with Strand.
Strand has moved himself into yet another position of authority, as he (and Frank) are responsible for vetting potential new residents. One such person is Madison, who appears disheveled and ill, however, when Strand and Madison set eyes on one another, they embrace, both shedding tears, until Frank and Klaus return, and from that point on, Strand insists his name is Anton, and does not know Madison, or the "Victor Strand" person she believes him to be. In her frustration (and lack of oxygen), Madison passes out.
Strand Madison II: At a council meeting, Klaus--turning on Madison's walkie--receives a message from a man named Russell, saying he wants to help Madison; Strand warns against communicating with the stranger, under the excuse of trying to protect the group, but Frank disagrees, reminding Strand that their group does not give anyone up. Frank sends Klaus to feed a bound Madison, who earns his trust by listening to his backstory & referring to her deceased children. Strand & Frank are called away to meet a Russell's group of armed men searching for Madison, making it clear that one way or another, they will enter the hotel to find her; how they enter is entirely up to Strand & Frank. Strand sells Madison out, leading the hunters to her room, only to discover Madison--and Klaus--fled the property. Russell warns the pair that Klaus will never be seen again if Madison takes him to PADRE, but Strand believes Klaus might take her to the one place he's always wanted to visit: the Library on the Marsh Light Tours route.
As Frank and Strand prepare to board a raft with the hunters, Strand is frozen with fear as Daniel--rifle aimed--and another man sail toward the dock. Strand panics (thoughts of his various betrayals of Daniel coming to mind), turning to run away with Frank in tow while Russell and his hunters fearfully board and depart in their raft. In the marsh lands, Strand looks for the raft he sailed in on, finds his sword, but cannot convince Frank to allow him to search for Madison and Klaus alone.
Strand Madison III: With the onset of night, Strand and Frank discover Madison's raft--and the library, where Madison's oxygen deprivation has taken its toll on her; Klaus refuses to leave her unless she's helped. Conveniently, Strand finds another abandoned raft that just so happened to have a portable oxygen tank on board--a convenience Frank questions with growing frustration. While Frank takes Klaus back to the hotel, Strand gives a revived Madison oxygen, but she cuts him down for selling her out and his constant lies about his true identity. Russell and his men intercept the pair, not only eager to capture Madison, but learn the location of PADRE to use as their own. Madison refuses to reveal the location of PADRE, just as a large number of walkers stumble toward the group, giving Madison & Strand the chance to escape into the marsh, finally making their way to the library. Too late to stop the walkers from entering the library, the duo knock over bookshelves as a makeshift barricade.
Strand apologizes for betraying her, saying he had to adopt the "Anton" identity to escape what he had become at the Tower (SEE NOTES). He goes on to recall how he had been ruthless to everyone--including Alicia, and the original group (Morgan's) washing up on the nearby shore, with some seeking PADRE, while others were separated. Above all else, he admits the others refused to forgive him, with a number of the group losing their lives (SEE NOTES). In his grief, Victor "killed" the Strand identity to escape his sordid past, and become the person Alicia believed he had the potential to be. As the walkers close in, Madison and Strand are rescued by Russell and his men.
Troy Otto: Back at the hotel, Russel's men hold Frank, Klaus and the other residents hostage--Madison & Strand tied to chairs. In walks Troy Otto (last seen in S3/E14's "Sleigh Ride"), alive and well--only his left eye is permanently damaged from the hammer blow Madison gave him years ago. Troy blames Madison for the death of his family, and the loss of his home. Intending the turn the tables on Madison, Troy threatens to hammer Strand's head in if she does not divulge the location of PADRE; Strand begs Madison to hold on to PADRE, as its what Alicia would have wanted her to do.
As Troy readies his hammer, from one entrance, Daniel bursts in, holding one of Troy's men at gunpoint, while June, Sherry and others march in from another, surrounding Troy's party. Showing unusual restraint, Troy stands down, but threatens to return--and twits the knife into Daniel by suggesting he was the cause of Ofelia's death. Madison counters that PADRE's numbers are about to expand (with the addition of the hotel residents), which in turn has Troy planting the seeds of doubt about Madison's trustworthiness, considering her part in the original mission of PADRE (stealing children). Madison argues that she's building the kind of place she wanted for her children, but Troy casually fires back, stating its her kind of thinking that led to Alicia's death. Troy punctuates this baited remark by claiming he killed her, and to prove it, gives Madison a bag containing Alicia's skeleton prosthetic arm. Devastated at the implications of the remains, Madison rushes Troy with the hammer, only held back by Strand. Troy continues, suggesting he allowed a reanimated Alicia to wander around, and perhaps one day, Madison will run into her.
Troy promises to give Madison the fight she's looking for, but asks what is Madison fighting for?
NOTES:
So begins the second half of Fear the Walking Dead's final season:
In the S8 mid-season finale, I speculated that Alicia's prosthetic bone arm had been confiscated by the person who heard Madison's message, or someone who knows the Clark family. It turned out to be Troy Otto, and when looking back at his time in the series, he was a weak villain, created by people who were grinding a political axe, leading to an over-the-top stereotype similar to the Texan redneck character from the Daryl Dixon series.
June & Sherry were with the survivors, but there was no sign of Dwight. In the mid-season finale, he broke up with Sherry and said he was heading back home, yet the teaser had him involved beyond E6 to some degree.
Strand recalls some of the survivors were killed, so one can assume he's referring to Luciana and Charlie, and that flashback should be on the horizon. Regarding Troy's tales of killing Alicia and Ofelia, well, up front, it seems like he was playing mind games, but in Alicia's case, who knows? When we last saw her, she had passed out as her life was ending and hallucinated she had recovered, or she did make a miraculous recovery, which FTWD fans believe is possible, since she's lived longer than any WD-TV character who had been treated a bit too late after suffering a walker bite.
With the mid-season finale serving as Morgan's series swan song, Fear the Walking Dead now feels like a very different series, but the showrunner's attempt to end the series by circling back to the surviving core season one characters (three), a group that has so much volatile history between them, that I would not be surprised if one or more main characters die in the service of fulfilling Alicia's dream. Personally, I would find that kind of ending less than satisfying, largely due to the lack of proper character development that would make anyone believe so deeply in Alicia's quest, since they spent last season running around in circles, coming no closer to PADRE, so Alicia's companion had little to be enthusiastic about where PADRE was concerned.
Finally, there's Strand; the showrunners (including producer Colman Domingo) appear to think the way to construct a positive character arc is to write Strand as hopelessly incorrigible, with the man going from dictatorial murder as leader of The Tower (where he originally claimed to be Morgan), to this "Anton" lie, which he said was his was way of "killing" Strand. Obviously, self-manipulating psychobabble has not a thing to do with embracing a moral perspective that is truly believed and lived, so Strand has not really changed from the man he was at The Tower, and i'm sure Daniel will not be shy reminding him of that fact. But the viewers may not find the Continuing Lies of Strand anything other than irritating at this point.
GRADE: C+.
Season 8 / Episode 7 - Mid-season premiere - "Anton”
Strand / Madison I: On the grounds of a sprawling, thriving hotel property, a soccer match is held, with a teenaged boy named Klaus scoring the winning goal, to the satisfaction of his father, Frank. Returning to their home, the duo are greeted by "Anton"--aka Victor Strand, who speaks to the father and son in German, while its revealed that Frank is in a relationship with Strand.
Strand has moved himself into yet another position of authority, as he (and Frank) are responsible for vetting potential new residents. One such person is Madison, who appears disheveled and ill, however, when Strand and Madison set eyes on one another, they embrace, both shedding tears, until Frank and Klaus return, and from that point on, Strand insists his name is Anton, and does not know Madison, or the "Victor Strand" person she believes him to be. In her frustration (and lack of oxygen), Madison passes out.
Strand Madison II: At a council meeting, Klaus--turning on Madison's walkie--receives a message from a man named Russell, saying he wants to help Madison; Strand warns against communicating with the stranger, under the excuse of trying to protect the group, but Frank disagrees, reminding Strand that their group does not give anyone up. Frank sends Klaus to feed a bound Madison, who earns his trust by listening to his backstory & referring to her deceased children. Strand & Frank are called away to meet a Russell's group of armed men searching for Madison, making it clear that one way or another, they will enter the hotel to find her; how they enter is entirely up to Strand & Frank. Strand sells Madison out, leading the hunters to her room, only to discover Madison--and Klaus--fled the property. Russell warns the pair that Klaus will never be seen again if Madison takes him to PADRE, but Strand believes Klaus might take her to the one place he's always wanted to visit: the Library on the Marsh Light Tours route.
As Frank and Strand prepare to board a raft with the hunters, Strand is frozen with fear as Daniel--rifle aimed--and another man sail toward the dock. Strand panics (thoughts of his various betrayals of Daniel coming to mind), turning to run away with Frank in tow while Russell and his hunters fearfully board and depart in their raft. In the marsh lands, Strand looks for the raft he sailed in on, finds his sword, but cannot convince Frank to allow him to search for Madison and Klaus alone.
Strand Madison III: With the onset of night, Strand and Frank discover Madison's raft--and the library, where Madison's oxygen deprivation has taken its toll on her; Klaus refuses to leave her unless she's helped. Conveniently, Strand finds another abandoned raft that just so happened to have a portable oxygen tank on board--a convenience Frank questions with growing frustration. While Frank takes Klaus back to the hotel, Strand gives a revived Madison oxygen, but she cuts him down for selling her out and his constant lies about his true identity. Russell and his men intercept the pair, not only eager to capture Madison, but learn the location of PADRE to use as their own. Madison refuses to reveal the location of PADRE, just as a large number of walkers stumble toward the group, giving Madison & Strand the chance to escape into the marsh, finally making their way to the library. Too late to stop the walkers from entering the library, the duo knock over bookshelves as a makeshift barricade.
Strand apologizes for betraying her, saying he had to adopt the "Anton" identity to escape what he had become at the Tower (SEE NOTES). He goes on to recall how he had been ruthless to everyone--including Alicia, and the original group (Morgan's) washing up on the nearby shore, with some seeking PADRE, while others were separated. Above all else, he admits the others refused to forgive him, with a number of the group losing their lives (SEE NOTES). In his grief, Victor "killed" the Strand identity to escape his sordid past, and become the person Alicia believed he had the potential to be. As the walkers close in, Madison and Strand are rescued by Russell and his men.
Troy Otto: Back at the hotel, Russel's men hold Frank, Klaus and the other residents hostage--Madison & Strand tied to chairs. In walks Troy Otto (last seen in S3/E14's "Sleigh Ride"), alive and well--only his left eye is permanently damaged from the hammer blow Madison gave him years ago. Troy blames Madison for the death of his family, and the loss of his home. Intending the turn the tables on Madison, Troy threatens to hammer Strand's head in if she does not divulge the location of PADRE; Strand begs Madison to hold on to PADRE, as its what Alicia would have wanted her to do.
As Troy readies his hammer, from one entrance, Daniel bursts in, holding one of Troy's men at gunpoint, while June, Sherry and others march in from another, surrounding Troy's party. Showing unusual restraint, Troy stands down, but threatens to return--and twits the knife into Daniel by suggesting he was the cause of Ofelia's death. Madison counters that PADRE's numbers are about to expand (with the addition of the hotel residents), which in turn has Troy planting the seeds of doubt about Madison's trustworthiness, considering her part in the original mission of PADRE (stealing children). Madison argues that she's building the kind of place she wanted for her children, but Troy casually fires back, stating its her kind of thinking that led to Alicia's death. Troy punctuates this baited remark by claiming he killed her, and to prove it, gives Madison a bag containing Alicia's skeleton prosthetic arm. Devastated at the implications of the remains, Madison rushes Troy with the hammer, only held back by Strand. Troy continues, suggesting he allowed a reanimated Alicia to wander around, and perhaps one day, Madison will run into her.
Troy promises to give Madison the fight she's looking for, but asks what is Madison fighting for?
NOTES:
So begins the second half of Fear the Walking Dead's final season:
In the S8 mid-season finale, I speculated that Alicia's prosthetic bone arm had been confiscated by the person who heard Madison's message, or someone who knows the Clark family. It turned out to be Troy Otto, and when looking back at his time in the series, he was a weak villain, created by people who were grinding a political axe, leading to an over-the-top stereotype similar to the Texan redneck character from the Daryl Dixon series.
June & Sherry were with the survivors, but there was no sign of Dwight. In the mid-season finale, he broke up with Sherry and said he was heading back home, yet the teaser had him involved beyond E6 to some degree.
Strand recalls some of the survivors were killed, so one can assume he's referring to Luciana and Charlie, and that flashback should be on the horizon. Regarding Troy's tales of killing Alicia and Ofelia, well, up front, it seems like he was playing mind games, but in Alicia's case, who knows? When we last saw her, she had passed out as her life was ending and hallucinated she had recovered, or she did make a miraculous recovery, which FTWD fans believe is possible, since she's lived longer than any WD-TV character who had been treated a bit too late after suffering a walker bite.
With the mid-season finale serving as Morgan's series swan song, Fear the Walking Dead now feels like a very different series, but the showrunner's attempt to end the series by circling back to the surviving core season one characters (three), a group that has so much volatile history between them, that I would not be surprised if one or more main characters die in the service of fulfilling Alicia's dream. Personally, I would find that kind of ending less than satisfying, largely due to the lack of proper character development that would make anyone believe so deeply in Alicia's quest, since they spent last season running around in circles, coming no closer to PADRE, so Alicia's companion had little to be enthusiastic about where PADRE was concerned.
Finally, there's Strand; the showrunners (including producer Colman Domingo) appear to think the way to construct a positive character arc is to write Strand as hopelessly incorrigible, with the man going from dictatorial murder as leader of The Tower (where he originally claimed to be Morgan), to this "Anton" lie, which he said was his was way of "killing" Strand. Obviously, self-manipulating psychobabble has not a thing to do with embracing a moral perspective that is truly believed and lived, so Strand has not really changed from the man he was at The Tower, and i'm sure Daniel will not be shy reminding him of that fact. But the viewers may not find the Continuing Lies of Strand anything other than irritating at this point.
GRADE: C+.
The episode itself is actually pretty good, though I take issue with the ending. Okay, I've known for a while now that Troy Otto was returning to be the villain to finish the series off. Truth be told, I'm mostly ambivalent about that. The character never made much of an impression on me, but whatever, he's back, I'll see where this goes. I'm not too thrilled at the fact that he has apparently killed Alicia off-screen. I remember a theory going around that she did in fact die in her last episode last season and that when we see her seemingly healed and not looking so sickly at the end of the episode, that was an artistic depiction of her being dead and "moving on." Which is a far more fitting way to kill off a main character who had been there from the beginning of the series until leaving at the end of the seventh season than having someone show up in the eighth and say "yeah, I killed her." I mean, I guess as things stand right now, we can still assume Alicia did indeed die in her last episode and that Troy just somehow stumbled upon her Walker, took the prosthetic arm as "proof" for when he tells Madison he killed her as a means of messing with her or something, but that could fall apart if they decide to somehow confirm Troy's claim in the coming episodes.
Troy also seems to recognize Strand, though I honestly can't remember if the two of them met back in season 3. At the very least, Troy's claim that Strand worked with Madison to take down the ranch is definitely false, Strand never visited the ranch until after it had fallen, so even if one were to blame Madison for what happened, Strand can legitimately claim innocence in this instance. Though I suppose getting beaten in the head a couple of times with a hammer likely caused Troy some brain damage and jumbled memories.
Still, the episode otherwise kept me entertained.
Troy also seems to recognize Strand, though I honestly can't remember if the two of them met back in season 3. At the very least, Troy's claim that Strand worked with Madison to take down the ranch is definitely false, Strand never visited the ranch until after it had fallen, so even if one were to blame Madison for what happened, Strand can legitimately claim innocence in this instance. Though I suppose getting beaten in the head a couple of times with a hammer likely caused Troy some brain damage and jumbled memories.
Still, the episode otherwise kept me entertained.
Looking over some episode synopses which have been released, Episode 9 looks like it's going to be a Dwight centric one.
I'd prefer Alicia either hallucinating recovering, or it was the series' way of saying she passed on, no longer weighed down by things such as illness, etc. Troy saying he killed Alicia falls flat (even if a flashback to the murder is coming--and I'm not certain about that), when it would be the worst example of Plot Convenience 101 that Troy--wandering around the post-Teddy wastelands--just stumbled across a living (or then-recently reanimated) Alicia.
I thought that was quite lazy writing, as Strand--as you note--had limited interaction with the Ottos, and if memory serves, was not instrumental in the ranch's destruction. That said, the showrunners just had to bring Troy back for no good reason, and no matter what is said to be the cause of his becoming an assertive leader since he was last seen on the series, I cannot buy Troy as a threat. Any one of PADRE's teens would drop him without breaking a sweat.
Ah. If that's the case, I sort of expect it to be Dwight's last episode, where he dies, or he leaves for Virginia, perhaps dropping crumbs about any of the spinoffs.
Speaking of spinoffs, on amc+, this episode was preceded by a teaser for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live aka the Rick and Michonne series, which airs in 2024.
I actually give it a solid B. So far, not as bad as i was expecting... but the end the is still young
I feel like they redeemed Victor from his character assassination last season (the tower season, where he could have been :just" an antagonist rather than a mustache twirling, sword wielding mindlessly killing villain, ). This actually feels like Victor using his bad traits to help the people he cares about. We saw that in the season with him joining Virginia’s rangers…seemingly to infiltrate to eventually take her down and take over.
It also feels like they picked up the story point they immediately dropped 2 seasons ago – Victor taking on a new identity – but actually going with it and doing something with it. (Previously, he introduced himself to Howard as Morgan -- but dropped it too soon, as it COULD have been an effective plot point). The "Anton" identity works for me... i mean, he is still in close proximity to a whole lot of people who hate him... makes sense to me. I look forward to seeing this develops.
Yeah, i am thinking he either saw her corpse...or maybe, just maybe, she is still back in Texas, recovering, but will arrive, missing an arm, just in time to see her mom (finally). We shall see... yeah, it was super easy, barely an inconvenience for Troy to connect the Clark family dots... but it might turn out OK.
"I never forget a face..."
[/QUOTE]
Still, the episode otherwise kept me entertained.
Looking over some episode synopses which have been released, Episode 9 looks like it's going to be a Dwight centric one.[/QUOTE]
I thought that was quite lazy writing, as Strand--as you note--had limited interaction with the Ottos, and if memory serves, was not instrumental in the ranch's destruction. That said, the showrunners just had to bring Troy back for no good reason, and no matter what is said to be the cause of his becoming an assertive leader since he was last seen on the series, I cannot buy Troy as a threat. Any one of PADRE's teens would drop him without breaking a sweat.
[/QUOTE]
Going back to the Andromeda/Earth Final COnflict example... this show has gone so many directions, it feels like the current show runners might now have really watched previous seasons in detail. Troy is about the only person they could remember.
Maybe...or maybe he & Sherry patch things up? We just saw Sherry's ace in the episode, but not even a line i can recall. They already lost their son.... it would be nice if they got a chance to try again.
[/QUOTE]
Speaking of spinoffs, on amc+, this episode was preceded by a teaser for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live aka the Rick and Michonne series, which airs in 2024. [/QUOTE]
i have AMB minus (well, regular AMC), and didn't see that teaser, but I DID see the BTS segment, and didn't realize Danai Garcia (Luciana) directed this episode. Her character might have gotten the short shrift, but glad the actress had a vital role this episode.
And some other thoughts....
Madison --- I never really liked Kim Dickens as an actress (well, as Madison, the only role I have seen her in)… she has been so bland, and never connected with her. I felt like her return was meant to stir up interest again, the way Morgan’s arrival did. But when they saw the ratings didn’t spike like they did with Lennie James, they thought it was time to wrap it up.
Also, Madison is a dodo bird -- Victor is saying he is Anton.... couldn't she just go with the flow for a few hours until she can talk to Victor alone? I mean, he showed he cared about her. Why was she so hellbent to expose him? I mean, that certainly would have made sense if it was Daniel.... but c'mon, Madison?!??!
With the German Tourists… so they were petty much the only people left at the hotel? How did they survive prior to Victor? And few encounters with others?
What I predict
I am thinking they will purposely try to avoid the “Kill Your Gays” trope… thought we almost had it in this latest episode…. But maybe that won’t happen to him or Victor’s husband. He might have a happy ending
One possibility for Madison is that Madison dies from oxygen deprivation, and hallucinates Alicia coming to her, but in reality is eaten by her corpse…and with that, gets flashbacks of all the bad she did…and maybe good memories… but that all she did winds up being for nothing. A sad ending, but it seemed like Fear was supposed to see things from a different perspective, almost like the characters were the bad guys (people to be Feared).
Sara and Wendell won’t even be mentioned by the end of the show… I mean, I know it is hard to write for them, but man. It’s like the missing siblings on Happy Days or Family Matters… theyjust disappear
What I wished would happen
One person they could have brought back as a villain would be Alex, the Asian Woman (played by Michelle Ang) from the Flight 462 Webisodes and a couple of season 2 episodes… we had her stranded when we left her.. she could easily be alive. I had to read a wiki to remind me… she might not have known Madison, but knew Travis, and if she had talked with Travis, maybe went to seek out Madison for revenge.
Also, not sure if anyone at the military camp would have known to get her by name, but she was responsible for the deaths via walkers that invaded the camp.
I can’t believe no one else from the Otto compound or the stadium survived. They too would have been good villains as well.
I was also hoping Tobias would be back…. Really the first person Madison helped when everything went down. I imagine him being like Carol… an unlikely survivor who turns out to be a great one, and able to help many others. Tobias saving Madison would be “good” payback, and ALSO a way to bring things full circle.
The issue is that Strand's "help" is always self-serving. For a contrast, Morgan helps people because they need help--not for personal gain. The way this mid-season premiere played out, one can easily say if Strand had no relationship with Frank (or believed there was the chance of a relationship), he would have no moral compass to push him into helping the hotel residents.
Troy is less than a villain, no matter what he's experienced since season 3. TWD-TV universe's greatest villains--The Governor, Negan, the Terminus cannibals, et al., all have terrible experiences in their pre-ZA or early-ZA past, going a long way in shaping the brutal sadists they became by the time the series heroes crossed their paths. Troy was not complex, and is--just a stand-in for an "Americuh" cartoon character (based on his original appearances) .
Ehh...in his previous appearance, Dwight had no reservations about describing his relationship with Sherry as disastrous, since they cannot find peace or stay on the same page about anything.
Good theory. Early on, I too did not like the Madison character, as she--just an ordinary person who was immersed in a world she could never imagine--was written as if she had survival skills that other WD characters (who were not soldiers, ex-soldiers, police officers, et al.) took some time to develop, and yet she managed to survive. On TWD, we witnessed more realistic levels of survivalist growth in regular people such as Carol, Carl, Aaron, Gabriel, and even Eugene--although each had their own unique survivalist journey to take, it did not happen right out of the gates / overnight. Odd thing is, she became a far better character in her last few episodes (leading to her original "death") and has been pretty interesting and believable since her recent return.
Place yourself in her shoes: from the moment she met him, he was either straight up spinning tall tales about himself, or was so duplicitous, that he must have been plotting for his own benefit. Dealing with a person of that nature on any consistent basis would wear down the nerves to the point of becoming intolerant to that person's latest scheme.
Its not really established, but its a stretch to think the only tourists to remain were Germans. I'm sure some FTWD fan might argue that the Germans--as tourists who barely speak English--probably felt secure staying around fellow Germans when the outbreak and chaos broke out, since trying to leave / find help would have been very difficult-to-impossible when everyone around them is less than likely to know their language / point them in the right direction.
That would be an incredibly gutsy ending...but I seriously doubt this era of showrunners would ever consider giving the original focus of the series such a tragic, gruesome ending.
Yeah--at this point, I'm assuming they were some of the other raft escapees who ended up dying (according to Strand), along with characters such as Luciana and Charlie.
Fear the Walking Dead
Season 8 / Episode 8 - "Iron Tiger”
Strand / Madison / Daniel I: Aboard a raft, Daniel, Strand, Madison and the other PADRE soldiers land at the pier of "Lowcountry Landing" in search of needed gas tankers. Madison is restless with thoughts of taking the fight to Troy in revenge for Alicia, but Daniel--who also lost a child thanks to Troy--argues the priority is to protect resources for the island.
The group discover a well-managed gas station convenience store, filled with fresh supplies, along with a familiar sign reading, "Take what you need, leave what you don't!"--triggering suspicion in Strand and Daniel. Madison sees a one-armed walker and becomes transfixed, believing it could be Alicia, but her pounding on the store window attracts a group of the creatures--their combined weight causing them to crash through the windows. The walkers are all picked off...by Luciana and her armed group.
Luciana I: Getting over the shock from both sides, Luciana explains that seven years prior, PADRE--learning about Luciana's refinery skills--threatened to kill all she cared about if she did not work for the organization's oil reserves. As a result, she made sure Daniel was set free. Continuing, Luciana reveals she's part of an underground group working to help those PADRE will not, by providing gas and similar convenience stations (from PADRE's stock) as far west as Arizona. Luciana fears Daniel and Company will endanger her allies and becomes guarded, asking the visitors to wait while she deals with the "Iron Tiger"--a tanker truck that recently arrived at the station. Becoming suspicious of who Luciana is working for, Madison, Daniel & Strand follow Luciana, and despite her continued warnings, the tanker's truck driver turns out to be a recovered Charlie, much to Daniel's delight.
Charlie I: PADRE had the necessary medical facilities for June to successfully treat Charlie, giving the girl a new lease on life. PADRE--at the point of not knowing if the treatment was going to work--allowed Charlie to stay with Luciana, and in time, the teen helped build Luciana's network. The happy reunion goes south when Strand--who thought Charlie died--neglected to tell Madison that it was Charlie who killed Nick, triggering Madison to lunge at the teen in a fit of rage. Madison--understandably--does not want to hear any excuses and storms off to vent. Approached by Strand, Madison blames herself for her choices--arguing that just a change of decision could have saved Nick and Alicia. Strand justifies forgiving Charlie by informing her that Alicia forgave her for Nick--that everyone deserves a second chance.
Charlie tries to apologize--which Madison does not care to hear. Instead, Madison offers Charlie a chance to prove how sorry she is--if she infiltrates Troy's hotel and kills the man. Charlie reluctantly agrees, inspiring the smile of a puppet master on Madison's face (SEE NOTES).
Strand / Madison / Daniel II: Charlie gears up, agreeing to use the tanker's gas as bait for; Daniel believes the plan to far too dangerous, fearing he might lose Charlie again, but Charlie insists she must do it, promising to find out what happened to Alicia. Luciana rejects Daniel's offer to stay with her, believing he--and the others--pose a threat to her operation. Madison bristles at Strand suggesting her hunger to kill Troy (effectively sending Charlie on a one-way mission) might end up turning them into the opposite of the kind people Alicia wanted them to be. Madison is determined to believe she has not crossed a moral line in using Charlie.
Madison finds a letter addressed to her, placed on top of a sealed coffee can, the letter revealing that the can contains the cremains of Nick. Luciana recounts how her team found Nick's North Texas grave, so Charlie could apologize for killing him, with the teen feeling he deserved better. Ultimately, Nick's cremains were disinterred once more, as it was decided Madison would know the best place for his final resting place.
Charlie II: Driving the tanker toward Troy's hotel stronghold, she's blocked off by Otto's guards, while Troy--who had been monitoring her communications with Madison--dismisses Charlie's scheme before knocking her out. Incensed, Daniel blames then demands Madison help him rescue Charlie.
At Troy's hotel, Charlie finds herself in the lobby, tied to a chair--barefoot on a floor covered in broken glass--as Troy chops off a single arm of various walkers. Charlie deduces Troy has been cutting walker arms to fool Madison into believing one might be Alicia, but goes on to deny knowing the location of PADRE. Troy does not buy a word of it, so he threatens to set walkers loose on her, which leads Charlie to lie, saying there's a map with directions to PADRE in the truck; as Troy orders men to check the vehicle, it goes up in a massive explosion. Troy accuses Charlie of rigging the truck to detonate on a timer--assuming it would have been brought within the hotel walls.
While the spreading fire draws walkers to the hotel, a rescue party (you can guess the members of this party) race toward the hotel. Troy walkies Madison, accusing her of sending Charlie on a suicide mission (Daniel believes Charlie was operating on her own for the same reason). Troy threatens to kill Charlie unless Madison reveals the location of PADRE. The two sides agree to meet on the road--with Madison promising to give Troy a map to PADRE; Troy--holding more cards--will only release Charlie after someone drives one of his men to the location to verify its existence. Troy tells Madison he's only interested in the settlement, to take from Madison what she took from him.
Charlie III: Charlie--using a concealed shard of glass--stabs her guard to death, taking his gun; guilt-ridden, she walkies Madison, telling her she will not allow another settlement Madison's created fall because of her. She feels Madison can honor Alicia's "make it mean something" parting words--and Nick--by continuing to build a kind of community such as PADRE. Not wanting to force Madison to give up PADRE's location, or be a pawn or leverage for Troy, the tone of Charlie's voice makes it clear where her mind is going. The weeping teen places the barrel of the gun under her chin and fires, the sound coming through the walkies.
Her death confirmed, Daniel has to be held back from killing Troy, but Otto still tries to demand the PADRE map from Madison. In that moment, Troy learns a child named Tracy has gone missing after leaving the hotel to watch the truck fire. Panicking, Troy and his men canvas the area, and soon, Troy is nearly bitten by a walker until saved by Madison, who learns Tracy is Troy's daughter. Troy accuses Madison of killing the mother of his child, but he's forced to defend himself when Madison realizes Troy had seeded the wild walker population with one-armed creatures to psychologically torture her. Strand pulls Madison away, allowing Troy to make his escape.
Strand / Madison / Daniel III: The next morning, Madison studies the can containing Nick's cremains...and a grieving Daniel, who watches over the covered corpse of Charlie. Luciana angrily gives Madison the keys to one tanker--the last favor she will ever do for Madison after dragging her people into a conflict that was not theirs, culminating in Charlie's suicide. Daniel elects to join Luciana's group, turning on Madison with a parting, raging accusation:
Daniel: "You sent Charlie into a viper's nest! There's something fundamentally wrong with you, Madison!" Charlie's the second time somebody dear to be dies, because of you! There won't be a third."
Madison pleads for Daniel's help, which is rejected outright, adding she only needs the help of the army he assembled from the parents of the children she kidnapped--if they will believe she's changed (SEE NOTES).
Luciana allows Daniel to join her, and as both depart, Strand tries to comfort Madison, but even she now believes Daniel was right about her. Despite Strand arguing that building PADRE is for her children, as well as Frank & Klaus, Madison feels she cannot return due what drives her to make decisions such as the one leading to Charlie's death. Madison hands the incredulous Strand the keys to the tanker, and with Nick's cremains in her hands, she walks off to parts unknown.
NOTES:
Daniel gave voice to one of the most necessary, yet obvious character assessments in the history of Fear the Walking Dead:
"There's something fundamentally wrong with you..."
...aimed right at Madison. Not his old enemy Strand, but Madison. He was correct. Although the recent era showrunners have worked to make Madison a more sympathetic character, the showrunners have also tried to turn her in to Rick Grimes surrogate--a character who carried the weight of his group's problems on his shoulders as a natural leader, thus his selflessness and heroism (with occasional lapses) while dealing with his own burdens made him a compelling, figure. That foundational, inherent heroism was never a part of Madison's character in the early seasons of FTWD. Instead, the various showrunners and writers tried to turn her into the Alpha Survivalist Leader who lacked any believable experiences that would have shaped her into that kind of character. With Madison, she alchemized from a sort of self-interested manipulator to long-suffering fighter (with manipulative traits still lingering), yet there was no proper build up between the two character phases. Now--in the wake of learning the fate of her children--she's all about revenge to the point of using anyone to fulfill that hunger, hence her use of Charlie.
Playing on the guilt of a teenager to act as a breathing time bomb nearly eats the last bit of sympathy one can have for Madison, and it says much that the villain--Troy Otto--called her out on that incredibly immoral string-pulling of a teenager to satisfy every intended victim of her revenge scheme.
Charlie was--at the end of it all--misused as a character; at the end of the previous season, most believed she was on her way out of the world thanks to radiation sickness, but it was a pleasant surprise to see her fully recovered, only to have her--written as someone who wanted to survive--commit suicide to stop what she believes would be the fall of PADRE. It was another, pointless self-sacrifice in the vein of Beth Greene (who stabbed Dawn, knowing it would prompt the officer to do something that would lead to her own death). Charlie's suicide was not built on solid ground, as the audience never witnessed her learning what PADRE was about, or how she came to see the location as something worth protecting. She was just mouthing words, forced into this last half of the series to be a shock death, and unintentionally make Madison appear to be a soulless character few of her former allies (and probably the audience) can tolerate.
Troy claimed Madison was responsible for the death of the mother of his child...but the identity of the woman has not been revealed, or it was so minor a detail during Troy's original run on the series, that she's difficult to recall.
Great to see Luciana alive and thriving, all things considered. One can only hope she takes a greater part in the final episodes of this series, and does not return to the Troy battle only to die.
We still do not know who Strand was referring to when commenting on the deaths of various raft escapees, but Sarah & Wendell Rabinowitz and Jacob Kessner must be the most likely candidates for being bumped off..
Next week: The Dwight-centric episode finally airs, and from a few clips in the teaser, things do not look too good for Sherry.
GRADE: C.
Season 8 / Episode 8 - "Iron Tiger”
Strand / Madison / Daniel I: Aboard a raft, Daniel, Strand, Madison and the other PADRE soldiers land at the pier of "Lowcountry Landing" in search of needed gas tankers. Madison is restless with thoughts of taking the fight to Troy in revenge for Alicia, but Daniel--who also lost a child thanks to Troy--argues the priority is to protect resources for the island.
The group discover a well-managed gas station convenience store, filled with fresh supplies, along with a familiar sign reading, "Take what you need, leave what you don't!"--triggering suspicion in Strand and Daniel. Madison sees a one-armed walker and becomes transfixed, believing it could be Alicia, but her pounding on the store window attracts a group of the creatures--their combined weight causing them to crash through the windows. The walkers are all picked off...by Luciana and her armed group.
Luciana I: Getting over the shock from both sides, Luciana explains that seven years prior, PADRE--learning about Luciana's refinery skills--threatened to kill all she cared about if she did not work for the organization's oil reserves. As a result, she made sure Daniel was set free. Continuing, Luciana reveals she's part of an underground group working to help those PADRE will not, by providing gas and similar convenience stations (from PADRE's stock) as far west as Arizona. Luciana fears Daniel and Company will endanger her allies and becomes guarded, asking the visitors to wait while she deals with the "Iron Tiger"--a tanker truck that recently arrived at the station. Becoming suspicious of who Luciana is working for, Madison, Daniel & Strand follow Luciana, and despite her continued warnings, the tanker's truck driver turns out to be a recovered Charlie, much to Daniel's delight.
Charlie I: PADRE had the necessary medical facilities for June to successfully treat Charlie, giving the girl a new lease on life. PADRE--at the point of not knowing if the treatment was going to work--allowed Charlie to stay with Luciana, and in time, the teen helped build Luciana's network. The happy reunion goes south when Strand--who thought Charlie died--neglected to tell Madison that it was Charlie who killed Nick, triggering Madison to lunge at the teen in a fit of rage. Madison--understandably--does not want to hear any excuses and storms off to vent. Approached by Strand, Madison blames herself for her choices--arguing that just a change of decision could have saved Nick and Alicia. Strand justifies forgiving Charlie by informing her that Alicia forgave her for Nick--that everyone deserves a second chance.
Charlie tries to apologize--which Madison does not care to hear. Instead, Madison offers Charlie a chance to prove how sorry she is--if she infiltrates Troy's hotel and kills the man. Charlie reluctantly agrees, inspiring the smile of a puppet master on Madison's face (SEE NOTES).
Strand / Madison / Daniel II: Charlie gears up, agreeing to use the tanker's gas as bait for; Daniel believes the plan to far too dangerous, fearing he might lose Charlie again, but Charlie insists she must do it, promising to find out what happened to Alicia. Luciana rejects Daniel's offer to stay with her, believing he--and the others--pose a threat to her operation. Madison bristles at Strand suggesting her hunger to kill Troy (effectively sending Charlie on a one-way mission) might end up turning them into the opposite of the kind people Alicia wanted them to be. Madison is determined to believe she has not crossed a moral line in using Charlie.
Madison finds a letter addressed to her, placed on top of a sealed coffee can, the letter revealing that the can contains the cremains of Nick. Luciana recounts how her team found Nick's North Texas grave, so Charlie could apologize for killing him, with the teen feeling he deserved better. Ultimately, Nick's cremains were disinterred once more, as it was decided Madison would know the best place for his final resting place.
Charlie II: Driving the tanker toward Troy's hotel stronghold, she's blocked off by Otto's guards, while Troy--who had been monitoring her communications with Madison--dismisses Charlie's scheme before knocking her out. Incensed, Daniel blames then demands Madison help him rescue Charlie.
At Troy's hotel, Charlie finds herself in the lobby, tied to a chair--barefoot on a floor covered in broken glass--as Troy chops off a single arm of various walkers. Charlie deduces Troy has been cutting walker arms to fool Madison into believing one might be Alicia, but goes on to deny knowing the location of PADRE. Troy does not buy a word of it, so he threatens to set walkers loose on her, which leads Charlie to lie, saying there's a map with directions to PADRE in the truck; as Troy orders men to check the vehicle, it goes up in a massive explosion. Troy accuses Charlie of rigging the truck to detonate on a timer--assuming it would have been brought within the hotel walls.
While the spreading fire draws walkers to the hotel, a rescue party (you can guess the members of this party) race toward the hotel. Troy walkies Madison, accusing her of sending Charlie on a suicide mission (Daniel believes Charlie was operating on her own for the same reason). Troy threatens to kill Charlie unless Madison reveals the location of PADRE. The two sides agree to meet on the road--with Madison promising to give Troy a map to PADRE; Troy--holding more cards--will only release Charlie after someone drives one of his men to the location to verify its existence. Troy tells Madison he's only interested in the settlement, to take from Madison what she took from him.
Charlie III: Charlie--using a concealed shard of glass--stabs her guard to death, taking his gun; guilt-ridden, she walkies Madison, telling her she will not allow another settlement Madison's created fall because of her. She feels Madison can honor Alicia's "make it mean something" parting words--and Nick--by continuing to build a kind of community such as PADRE. Not wanting to force Madison to give up PADRE's location, or be a pawn or leverage for Troy, the tone of Charlie's voice makes it clear where her mind is going. The weeping teen places the barrel of the gun under her chin and fires, the sound coming through the walkies.
Her death confirmed, Daniel has to be held back from killing Troy, but Otto still tries to demand the PADRE map from Madison. In that moment, Troy learns a child named Tracy has gone missing after leaving the hotel to watch the truck fire. Panicking, Troy and his men canvas the area, and soon, Troy is nearly bitten by a walker until saved by Madison, who learns Tracy is Troy's daughter. Troy accuses Madison of killing the mother of his child, but he's forced to defend himself when Madison realizes Troy had seeded the wild walker population with one-armed creatures to psychologically torture her. Strand pulls Madison away, allowing Troy to make his escape.
Strand / Madison / Daniel III: The next morning, Madison studies the can containing Nick's cremains...and a grieving Daniel, who watches over the covered corpse of Charlie. Luciana angrily gives Madison the keys to one tanker--the last favor she will ever do for Madison after dragging her people into a conflict that was not theirs, culminating in Charlie's suicide. Daniel elects to join Luciana's group, turning on Madison with a parting, raging accusation:
Daniel: "You sent Charlie into a viper's nest! There's something fundamentally wrong with you, Madison!" Charlie's the second time somebody dear to be dies, because of you! There won't be a third."
Madison pleads for Daniel's help, which is rejected outright, adding she only needs the help of the army he assembled from the parents of the children she kidnapped--if they will believe she's changed (SEE NOTES).
Luciana allows Daniel to join her, and as both depart, Strand tries to comfort Madison, but even she now believes Daniel was right about her. Despite Strand arguing that building PADRE is for her children, as well as Frank & Klaus, Madison feels she cannot return due what drives her to make decisions such as the one leading to Charlie's death. Madison hands the incredulous Strand the keys to the tanker, and with Nick's cremains in her hands, she walks off to parts unknown.
NOTES:
Daniel gave voice to one of the most necessary, yet obvious character assessments in the history of Fear the Walking Dead:
"There's something fundamentally wrong with you..."
...aimed right at Madison. Not his old enemy Strand, but Madison. He was correct. Although the recent era showrunners have worked to make Madison a more sympathetic character, the showrunners have also tried to turn her in to Rick Grimes surrogate--a character who carried the weight of his group's problems on his shoulders as a natural leader, thus his selflessness and heroism (with occasional lapses) while dealing with his own burdens made him a compelling, figure. That foundational, inherent heroism was never a part of Madison's character in the early seasons of FTWD. Instead, the various showrunners and writers tried to turn her into the Alpha Survivalist Leader who lacked any believable experiences that would have shaped her into that kind of character. With Madison, she alchemized from a sort of self-interested manipulator to long-suffering fighter (with manipulative traits still lingering), yet there was no proper build up between the two character phases. Now--in the wake of learning the fate of her children--she's all about revenge to the point of using anyone to fulfill that hunger, hence her use of Charlie.
Playing on the guilt of a teenager to act as a breathing time bomb nearly eats the last bit of sympathy one can have for Madison, and it says much that the villain--Troy Otto--called her out on that incredibly immoral string-pulling of a teenager to satisfy every intended victim of her revenge scheme.
Charlie was--at the end of it all--misused as a character; at the end of the previous season, most believed she was on her way out of the world thanks to radiation sickness, but it was a pleasant surprise to see her fully recovered, only to have her--written as someone who wanted to survive--commit suicide to stop what she believes would be the fall of PADRE. It was another, pointless self-sacrifice in the vein of Beth Greene (who stabbed Dawn, knowing it would prompt the officer to do something that would lead to her own death). Charlie's suicide was not built on solid ground, as the audience never witnessed her learning what PADRE was about, or how she came to see the location as something worth protecting. She was just mouthing words, forced into this last half of the series to be a shock death, and unintentionally make Madison appear to be a soulless character few of her former allies (and probably the audience) can tolerate.
Troy claimed Madison was responsible for the death of the mother of his child...but the identity of the woman has not been revealed, or it was so minor a detail during Troy's original run on the series, that she's difficult to recall.
Great to see Luciana alive and thriving, all things considered. One can only hope she takes a greater part in the final episodes of this series, and does not return to the Troy battle only to die.
We still do not know who Strand was referring to when commenting on the deaths of various raft escapees, but Sarah & Wendell Rabinowitz and Jacob Kessner must be the most likely candidates for being bumped off..
Next week: The Dwight-centric episode finally airs, and from a few clips in the teaser, things do not look too good for Sherry.
GRADE: C.
Well, talk about contradicting feelings. Last week I complained over the fact they apparently killed Alicia off camera, this week I'm taking issue with the fact that after spending most of the season believing Charlie was dead, we find out she is alive just long enough to see her get killed. Otherwise, not a bad episode.
Troy said the mother of his child helped him survive his injuries at the dam, which I interpreted as meaning she's a new character, probably someone he met after the showdown at the dam. Though if that's the case, I have no idea how Madison could be responsible for whatever happened to her.
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