Madison Clark returns in Fear: The Walking Dead season 7 finale amidst Debnam-Carey’s exit.

Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) has finally made her long-awaited return in Fear: The Walking Dead. Right at the tail-end of season 7.  HEAVY SPOILERS FOR TONIGHT’S FINALE AND AMINA ARE BELOW.

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Kim Dickens as Madison Clark – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC

GOODBYE, ALICIA CLARK.

 

I had suspected that when Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) made her exit, they would eventually bring back Madison to fill the void. And I was right.

Alicia is being sidelined again and again, despite almost being the only season one character left, and the actual lead of the show, it is time for Alycia to move on as both an actor and a director.

With the unveiling of the new Saint X television show, it was only a matter of time before the character was written off as well. I have not exactly been the happiest with season 7 as a whole, plotline-wise. But it is an ensemble piece, I think the actors have done extraordinary things with what they have been given.

 

THANK YOU, ALTHEA AND ISABELLE. #ALBELLE.

 

“For those that were becoming annoyed with Morgan Jones (Lennie James), I can happily say you have absolutely no argument considering that wonderfully complex character brought together our dear Althea (Maggie Grace), and Isabelle (Sydney Lemmon) for their happily ever after. A huge win for my fellow LGBTQs and the awful stereotype of burying our gays. “

 

A BITTERSWEET GOODBYE TO BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERS

 

We have also come to see fellow cast members direct each other’s episodes and as usual, The Walking Dead universe has always been a family.

 

RELATED: DEAD IN THE WATER: A FTWD BACKSTORY FOR RILEY & TEDDY’S CULT.

 

With a lot of cast members slowly leaving the show, it’s possible that season 8 could be their last. I do think the writing, while wobbly, has led us through the most terrifying storyline that included the ever-creepy Theodore “Teddy” Maddox (John Glover), which put some more realistic undertones into an otherwise zombie laden world.

 

Madison Clark
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Credit: OhLexa @ Tumblr

 

The general hope is that Alicia Clark survived last week’s Amina, but it’s pretty clear she died.

Not only was it a direct callback to Nick Clark’s (Frank Dillane) death scene among the blue flowers, but it also literally gave us a glimpse into what Alicia looked like as a future walker. The character has been battling a fatal bite for months now and looks absolutely pale and sickly as the episodes go on.

 

Madison Clark
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Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark, Jenna Elfman as June – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 15 – Photo Credit: Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC

While the showrunners have left it open for Alicia to return, I’m going to say with a heavy heart (and seeing so many Twitter arguments on social media), that she finally did succumb to her illness. Debnam-Carey’s Instagram letter made it more bittersweet and final.

It dashed pretty much everyone’s hopes that she would survive, but in the end–it’s good to see Alycia, now 28, spread her wings for other projects.

Last we saw in Amina, the episode took a rather strange turn with Alicia opting not to fight Strand, but to instead let him go so she could save others.

However, there was pretty much no reaction from the others, which leads us to believe quite frankly, that she was imagining it.

Especially with her running through the entire state of Texas (and also, noted that Althea once again saved someone via her leftover SWAT MRAP), literally chasing a child version of herself.

 

ALICIA THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.

 

Alicia sees herself as a walker, along with the many different visions of gnashing teeth and what Jim (The Walking Dead) and Shane Walsh (The Walking Dead) see before they turn into one of the dead.

She collapses on the sand, waking up mere moments later as a glowing, healthy-looking young woman who uses her last bullet on a walker, triumphantly marching off to war.

This is an illusion, as she also sees her childhood bird beside her as well. Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) probably never left his tower.

He was never sent off and Alicia didn’t just proclaim her love for him despite him murdering the love of her life Will (Gus Halper) and every other thing that she truly cared about.

It is hard to believe such an enraged, strong woman would easily forgive a truly villainous murderer who succumbed to the madness of the world, for all that he has done to her and everyone else.

Madison Clark
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Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 15 – Photo Credit: Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC

But it’s safe to say, Alicia Clark is dead, which was touched upon in Madison Clark’s very odd episode, portraying her as a baby napper who rips children away from their families for Padre.

Morgan, though he claims he hadn’t heard from Alicia for a while, said that she was near the end.

Madison accepts that her children are dead, along with giving the excuse that if she hadn’t done what Padre wanted, then they would have forced her kids to.

 

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT.

But in reality. Nick would probably tell the shady organization to kick rocks, and Alicia would be hellbent on reuniting children with their families.

Would Madison really become so battle-hardened that she would forget all about her life before the apocalypse?

That she would take someone else’s children from them and let them suffer for it? I don’t think so, but if the finale has taught us anything–it’s that she’s against Padre and will now work together with Morgan to right all of the wrongs.

 

GOING FORWARD WITH SEASON 8…

 

I do hope season 8 is more concise, but my fear is that June Dorie (Jenna Elfman) could be next as her story is pretty much completed.

HASTY EXITS.

 

Another honorable mention is for Wes to suddenly just turn insane out of the blue, because of the loss of his brother.

A sickly John Dorie Sr. sacrifices himself, making June the last chapter of her own story.

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