Warning: spoilers ahead for Fear The Walking Dead season 8, episode 8.
Article Overview
Troy Otto's plot to torment Madison using duplicate zombies resembling Alicia implies that he potentially lied about her demise.
Should Alicia truly be alive, it would bring immense relief and excitement to the show's final episode, opening up the possibility for reunions and potential crossover opportunities within the Walking Dead universe.
Alicia Clark's chances of survival have received a significant boost with a crucial clue from Season 8, Episode 8 of Fear The Walking Dead. When Alycia Debnam-Carey left the show in Season 7, her character Alicia Clark was left alive, leaving open the possibility for her return in future projects. However, the return of Troy Otto in Season 8 brought Alicia's potential comeback into question as he claimed to have personally executed her as revenge against her mother, Madison, due to their past conflict in Season 3.
A widely accepted rule in modern TV is to not believe a character's death until there is concrete evidence, particularly a visible body. This rule is especially relevant for Fear The Walking Dead, as the show has seen characters like Daniel, Madison, Charlie, and even Troy himself miraculously cheat death on multiple occasions. As long as Fear The Walking Dead doesn't show Alicia's body onscreen, whether reanimated or not, the possibility of her being alive remains. Troy's plan to torment Madison in Season 8, Episode 8, titled "Iron Tiger," further raises doubts about his claim of murdering Alicia.
Troy Cutting Off Zombie Arms Hints Alicia Is Still Alive In Fear The Walking Dead
Alicia's amputation of her left arm after being bitten by a zombie in Fear The Walking Dead season 7 makes her corpse easily identifiable. In episode 8 of Fear The Walking Dead season 8, Troy Otto gathers random zombies, removes their left arms, and sets them free in the wild. His intention is to make these zombies resemble Alicia Clark, hoping that one of them will cross paths with Madison. Troy's decision to create zombie doppelgangers of Alicia suggests that his claim of killing her may have been false from the beginning.
One possibility is that Troy wants to deceive Madison by making her mistake a regular zombie for Alicia, as there is no real zombie Alicia in existence. Troy possessed Alicia's metal arm, indicating a prior encounter between them. It is plausible that Troy failed to finish Alicia off, and instead only acquired her artificial limb as a consolation prize. Frustrated, Troy might have lied to Madison about Alicia's demise to inflict emotional pain, subsequently resorting to the release of similar-looking zombies to perpetuate the deception.
Secondly, the one-armed zombie trick exemplifies Troy's willingness to employ deceit and falsehoods in order to inflict emotional harm upon Madison. Falsifying Alicia's corpse suggests that Troy is likely to have initially lied about her demise. If Troy had truly killed Alicia and left her to roam as a zombie, the psychological impact on Madison would have been far greater by allowing her to futilely search for her daughter's reanimated remains. By fabricating false Alicias, Troy may be attempting to redirect Madison's attention away from the truth - that her daughter is indeed alive.
Troy Lying About Alicia's Death Would Be Great For FTWD's Ending
If Troy is lying about Alicia's death in Fear The Walking Dead, it would be both a tremendous relief and a significant boost for the approaching final episode of the spinoff. Alicia Debnam-Carey's Alicia Clark, being one of the indispensable characters in Fear The Walking Dead, always deserved a more deserving exit rather than being killed off-screen with a solitary line of dialogue. Disappointingly, if Troy is indeed telling the truth, it would reflect poorly on Fear The Walking Dead for doing a tremendous disservice to Alicia's character.
The survival of Alicia also creates the potential for a reunion with Madison and allows Debnam-Carey to be involved in any future crossovers with The Walking Dead. If Morgan Jones succeeds in finding Rick Grimes and shares the stories of the friends he has made, Alicia and the other survivors from Fear The Walking Dead could seamlessly be integrated into larger-scale narratives within the Walking Dead universe. However, this possibility can only be considered if Troy is not telling the truth about Alicia's death.
Furthermore, Alicia's survival would greatly contribute to Troy Otto's redemption arc that Fear The Walking Dead is hinting at. In "Iron Tiger," it was revealed that Troy's motive for conquering PADRE was not solely for vengeance but to create a safe home for his daughter, Tracy. This revelation instantly makes Troy a more sympathetic character, hinting at his transformation from being evil in Fear The Walking Dead's conclusion. If Troy had only lied about killing Alicia, it would be much easier to forgive him as a villain.
Fear The Walking Dead season 8 continues Sundays on AMC.
Editor's P/S
As a passionate fan of Fear The Walking Dead, I am thrilled by the possibility that Alicia may still be alive. Her character has always been a fan favorite, and her departure from the show in Season 7 was met with disappointment. The idea that Troy Otto may have lied about Alicia's death opens up the possibility for her return, which would be a welcome development.
Furthermore, the revelation that Troy was using zombie doppelgangers to torment Madison suggests that he may be capable of deception and manipulation. This raises doubts about his claim of killing Alicia and makes it more likely that he may have lied to Madison about her daughter's fate. If Alicia is indeed alive, it would be a huge relief for fans and would provide the opportunity for a more satisfying conclusion to her story.