'Fear the Walking Dead' Recap: 'No One's Gone'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

The best horror stories out there, are the ones that lull you into a false sense of security. Because once we find ourselves comfortable, and the terror begins again, we are rattled to our core and taken for quite the emotional ride and really, making us feel slightly safe is something that Fear the Walking Dead has managed to excel at all season long. Because we’ve seen love prevail at the end of the world. We’ve seen people speak of hope and push for a better future and that has in fact, made us believe that maybe, just maybe, better days are ahead for every character on this show.
 
However, the fact that the series has focused so heavily on all of that means that we’ve been supremely overdue for some horrifying and heartbreaking moments and wouldn’t you know it? The proverbial security blanket positive storylines provided us with was finally ripped off of our shoulders, because last night’s midseason finale of the show, ‘No One’s Gone’, tore at our guts like a hungry walker and shattered our hearts with a tale that delivered devastation our way and the other day I saw a quote from Coleman Domingo, who plays Strand, stating that this particular episode was going to change the landscape of the series forever and he was one hundred percent right.
 
Because last night saw the exit of an important character, and I’m not sure how the series will go forward without them. But, while their farewell was tear jerking to say the least, it’s not quite time to discuss that just yet. Because their goodbye served a purpose, especially when one considers that the horror in this particular tale didn’t come from the waves of charred walkers that roamed the baseball stadium that people once called home, it came from the darkness within mankind’s souls because in this story, Strand, Luciana and Alicia were still hell-bent on revenge and they followed Morgan and his crew back to said stadium, to make Naomi pay for being part of the Vultures.
 
And I’ll say it now, kudos to Alycia Debnam-Carey for a performance for the ages because Alicia Clark was possessed with fury, to the point where she was ready to spill as much blood as possible to feel whole again and she was terrifying in this state and seeing her reduced to this, was heartbreaking to say the least and it seemed as though her blood lust would serve as the antithesis to everything this season has stood for and boy, was I wrong about that. Because her journey into darkness, the one she took her friend’s upon, was all part of the plan, for this episode was looking to connect everything together that’s been introduced this season and for a brief moment there, it seemed as though the darkness was coming to an end. 

---

​Because eventually, Alicia did stand down, and spared Naomi’s life. But it took some serious effort to make that happen and the first step in getting her to cool off, came by way of the moment where she (and we) learned that Madison and Althea crossed paths at some point. Wherein an act of kindness from Al, after getting Madison’s story, helped to inspire the Stadium’s creation and the other big reason she finally backed down, was due to the fact that Morgan was willing to die for Naomi, and he even cited Rick’s words from the season premiere since he finally came to realize once again that life is precious and that people matter and everything he’s experienced these past few weeks helped him come to that conclusion and helped him to inspire Alicia to also believe in that philosophy once again.
 
Yet, let’s be honest, all of this sounds joyful and happy, which is out of place considering that I made mention of devastation in this tale, which brings us back to that all-important character exit. Because in order for Alicia and her friends to come to such a dark place, they had to lose someone important to them since loss can break people in times of great crisis and it turns out, they did. Because at long last, this episode showed us exactly what happened to Madison Clark and sadly…she’s the character that said farewell in this tale, in inspiring and heartbreaking fashion. For when she was faced with the possibility of her family being harmed by the living dead, she made the bold choice to lead the dead into the stadium and sealed herself in with them to keep everyone safe and hopefully inspire her children to be more and be better in her absence, and a day after bearing witness to this sacrifice, I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around her goodbye.
 
For Madison was the connective tissue on this show, and as far as I am concerned, the true lead of the series and well…it’s a bold move to see her leave and honestly, I don’t know where the show is going to go from here because while the cast is stellar through and through, Kim Dickens and her portrayal of Madison were the keystone to this series and well, it really is devastating to see her exit the show, and it rattles the audience because this is perhaps the most solid reminder of the fact that no one is safe in this awful, awful world because if it can claim Madison, it can claim anyone. But all analysis aside, I really am going to miss Kim when it comes to this series, because she’s a phenomenal actor and I intend to watch anything she’s in from here on out.
 
But, I digress, because there is still a back half of the season waiting for us in August and well, I’m curious to see what Madison’s death will mean for this rag tag group of people who are desperate to find peace in the literal and psychological sense. Because without her, her daughter and surrogate family will likely be lost and the new additions to the group will have to try and support them in the midst of the end of the world and that should make for some harrowing stories in the days to come. But, when all is said and done, this was a bold and powerful midseason finale, one that quite frankly feels like a test run for Andrew Lincoln’s forthcoming exit on The Walking Dead and already, the impact of Madison’s death is hanging heavy over this series, because nothing will ever be the same on this show without her… 

---