What in the ever worldly f–k was that?
Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 15 seemingly said goodbye to Alicia, but not before she was put through the wringer again.
Seriously. Enough is enough. This young woman has been too much, and I’m starting to feel like she’s being personally victimized by the show’s writers for entertainment.
It’s not a good look, and her fainting her way through an entire half-season doesn’t advance the plot in any way, shape, or form.
The whole “Alicia survived a zombie bite” angle has been one of the few intriguing aspects of Fear the Walking Dead Season 7, but it’s been woefully handled, putting our heroine at death’s door throughout.
Alycia Debnam-Carey’s time on the show has largely been up in the air this season.
The star has landed pivotal roles in two miniseries, but we didn’t have any confirmation that she was done with Fear the Walking Dead.
Morgan: Hey. Hey. Is that you?
Alicia: I’m sorry I didn’t do what I said I would with the Tower.
Morgan: You got everybody onto the rafts. That’s all that matters. Also, I think you might be right. I’ve been hearing some chatter on the radio and… I think it might be Padre. I think Padre is real. And I think we might actually have someplace to go to. How about that? Alicia, how are you feeling? You need to know something. No matter what happens to me… ♪ ♪ You won’t be doing this alone. I won’t be doing it alone, because you’re going to be alright. Right?
After the way Madison’s “death” was handled on Fear the Walking Dead Season 4, the showrunners clearly knew they couldn’t pull anything too definite out of the bag here.
There was a level of ambiguity in the final scene. It’s hard to believe that Alicia miraculously woke up, feeling a hundred percent better.
My theory is that we’re supposed to believe she died when everyone else left, and this was a glimpse of her in the afterlife.
Then again, the showrunners will probably ret-con it if Debnam-Carey decides to return.
Saying goodbye to Alicia the episode before Kim Dickens returns as Madison was tedious, to say the least.
After such pitiful storytelling, fans deserved at least one scene of Alicia reuniting with her mother, even if it was just for a scene before succumbing to the virus.
It would have brought many things full circle and softened the blow of Debnam-Carey’s departure.
When it was announced Dickens was returning full time, I didn’t anticipate it would be to soldier on as the sole surviving member of the Clark family.
Alicia: I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stop this from happening to you.
Charlie: I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, either.
Alicia: Daniel’s gonna look after you, okay?
Charlie: I know. It’s okay. It’s okay, Alicia, because… I got to do something that I never thought I would. And look… we finally got to see a beach.
Alicia: We did.
Alicia was declining rapidly as everyone else prepared for their great escape from Texas and the radiation.
There was a certain finality to many of the arcs here, and with everyone escaping on rafts, there’s a good chance some of these characters will never be heard of again.
Alicia blaming Strand one minute, saving him the next, and complaining about him the next was the definition of whiplash.
The hallucinations didn’t help matters. There should be a rule that any TV show should only utilize hallucinations for one episode in their entire run.
It’s becoming the norm on Fear the Walking Dead to move the plot sideways instead of forward, and honestly, I’m tired of it.
Another thing that irked me was that June, Grace, and the others allowed Alicia to return to the burning tower.
Radiation is one thing, but smoke inhalation is another. The characters never consider the bigger picture on this show, and if real-world logic were applied to the season as a whole, every single one of them would have been dead quickly.
Alicia: Are you going to be okay?
Daniel: I wasn’t there for Ofelia at the end, but I will be there for her. I will see you again.
There was a certain level of emotion between Alicia and Strand that kept me interested. Their relationship was as fraught as ever, but will Alicia be happy with her choice to save Strand if she returns down the line?
Madison’s imminent return will probably find her going after Strand when she hears from the others about just how much he’s changed since they last crossed paths.
The future of Fear the Walking Dead quite literally hinges on how this significant return is received. The series handled Madison with grace during the first three seasons.
But somehow, AMC wanted to fix what wasn’t broken and brought in two showrunners that took the series in a direction that felt more like a cartoon than a post-apocalyptic show about survival.
There have been some good episodes since the reboot, but for the most part, I wouldn’t mind the last four seasons being ret-conned to see Dave Erickson’s original vision for the characters come to life.
Madison will be crushed by the knowledge that her children are dead, but how do we know she’s the same person we left at the stadium all those years ago?
Alicia’s fate being left open to debate seems like a way for the series to dangle her return in front of viewers, similar to the way it has done for Madison.
“Amina” was, for the most part, a failure. The characters continued to make bizarre decisions that didn’t make sense.
Alycia Debnam-Carey delivered another showstopping performance. You could see the raw emotion on Alicia’s face as she pondered her next move.
Strand: It may not be the Abigail, but we can rough it out together.
Alicia: Stop.
Strand: What? No. Alicia? Alicia! No. Get… Get on the raft! No! I don’t know how fast I’ll turn. I don’t know how much longer I have left.
Strand: I’m willing to take that risk.
Alicia: I’m not. It’s up to you to make sure everything we’ve been through means something. You have to go.
Strand: I’m not gonna go!
Alicia: You have to go.
Strand: I’m not gonna go! You have to go!
Alicia: People may have heard my message. They may be heading to the Tower.
It’s just a shame there was a lack of finality in her last plot. I can’t wait to see where the actress lands next because she truly is one of the best.
We’re on the precipice with the series here. If it can miraculously turn things around with Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 16, then there might be hope for the future.
It’s hard to believe that Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 delivered one of the best seasons after witnessing the mind-numbing storytelling this season.
Sheesh.
What are your thoughts on Alicia’s final chapter?
Do you think it was a copout not to have an Alicia and Madison reunion?
Do you think Alicia died on the beach?
Hit the comments.
Fear the Walking Dead continues Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.
Remember, you can watch Fear the Walking Dead online, right here via TV Fanatic.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
