Bet you didn’t assume you’d see her once more on Fear the Walking Dead. Spoilers previous this level for “Iron Tiger,” this week’s episode of the sequence, however Charlie (Alexa Nisenson) makes a shocking return from the useless… And then dies. Oops.
“Having Madison again and understanding that Madison was going to be coping with the concept of household on this final spherical of episodes,” Fear the Walking Dead co-showrunner Andrew Chambliss instructed Decider, “and at last be in a spot the place she will be able to type of begin to really grieve the youngsters that she has misplaced, whereas on the identical time attempting to construct one thing that type of honors them that may be a reminiscence of what she needed for them… It felt like the last word take a look at of whether or not or not she might try this, whether or not or not she actually has modified, could be to place her head to head with somebody who’s intrinsically tied to the lack of one in all her youngsters. And, you realize, Charlie appeared like such an apparent instance.”
There’s numerous continuity to parse right here, however we’ll provide the brief model. In Season 4, Madison had created a profitable society in an deserted stadium, just for all of it to return crashing down because of a gaggle known as The Vultures. A key member of that group — although a conflicted one — was Charlie. Not solely did Charlie assist within the destruction of the Stadium, however extra importantly she fatally wounded Madison’s son, Nick (Frank Dillane). Oh, and so far as we knew, Madison died saving everybody from a zombie herd invading the Stadium.
Since then, Charlie has turn out to be a trusted member of our major group, just for it to appear like she had died of some severe radiation poisoning final season. Guess what? She didn’t. And this week, she turned up as a trucker working to ferry items to Luciana (Danay Garcia)… Only to stumble upon Madison, who can be not useless. And then they find yourself getting captured by Troy (Daniel Sharman), one other character who was presumed useless however will not be. I do know the entire franchise is in regards to the useless returning to life, however that is ridiculous (*shuffles tie and bugs out eyes like a post-apocalyptic Rodney Dangerfield*).
Anyway, to be able to purchase Madison and firm somewhat time, and redeem herself for killing Nick, Charlie shoots herself and dies, for actual this time. So why deliver her again simply to kill her off once more?
“We needed to place a extra definitive interval on the finish of Charlie’s story,” Chambliss continued. “It’s Charlie being confronted with the previous… She had made peace with Alicia due to what she did to Nick, however she hasn’t made peace with Madison. And Madison is the one who introduced her into the Stadium, who launched her to this household. So for Charlie, it looks like she has numerous floor to make up for [with] Madison, and in the end, she didn’t need to be the explanation that Madison would lose that factor she was preventing for.”
Those issues, particularly, are Nick’s ashes, and Alicia’s bone arm, which Troy has taken, claiming to have killed Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) within the course of. “It actually felt to us like Charlie would take this tragic, but heroic plan of action to make sure that Alicia and Nick’s reminiscence might dwell on,” Chambliss concluded.
This brings up an vital query, although. The first episode again for Fear in these last episodes targeted on Madison’s relationship with Alicia; the second with Nick. There’s one other member of the Clark-Manawa household who was essential to the early seasons of the sequence: Travis (Cliff Curtis). Given the continuous resurrections occurring, is it attainable we’d get some nod to Travis, who in any other case died falling out of a helicopter right into a swarm of the undead?
“Well, I assume one of the simplest ways to reply that’s that as we’ve been saying, all of our characters’ pasts inform their tales within the again half of this season,” co-showrunner Ian Goldberg stated cagily. “So ultimately or different the main parts which have pushed these characters will likely be acknowledged… In a way or one other.”
Don’t get too hyped, although, Travis Nation. When we joked we’d run this text with the headline “Fear the Walking Dead Showrunners Confirm Cliff Curtis Returning,” they each laughed. “Thanks quite a bit,” Goldberg stated sarcastically.
Maybe we’ll simply should make do with Charlie, Madison, Troy, and several other different fan-favorites returning, as a substitute. Maybe even Alicia.
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC and AMC+.
