Fear the Walking Dead: What if Chris is innocent?

Chris has had problems on Fear the Walking Dead since before the infected began roaming and swimming into their lives. Now he seems to be snapping. Is he?

Once again, before I begin, I will offer that I am exploring ideas and observing behavior not defending or justifying it. Often times people find it hard to see the difference between explaining or giving reasons for behavior and condoning, justifying or defending.

I find it fun to observe and explore the roots of behavior without judgment in addition to forming opinions about my likes and dislikes about personality and actions. It’s no secret that Chris is an annoying character for many fans. Whiny, pouty, and irritating are words tossed around in comments and tweets with his name.

I worked with teenagers for 30 years and those words we pretty standard for even the most likable af teens. I find it funny that people expect so much of their television teens. But if they don’t show us a tiny bit of balance with loveable times, it’s hard to get attached to the character. Chris has been almost all pout.

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Chris Manawa seems to have reached a snapping point. “Inshane” jokes are already everywhere. But what if we’re being led to believe that? Strand and Abigail seemed like a huge con and it turned out to be a pretty innocent love story.

Maybe we’re being led to think that Chris is snapping when he may be crumbling instead. He’s been abandoned at every turn before and after the apocalypse. Fans seem to be intolerant of crumbling. They want evil or badass.

Lorenzo Henrie as Christopher Manawa, Fear The Walking Dead — AMC /

He felt abandoned by his father in the divorce. Then he felt abandoned by his mother when she went to the military hospital and left him with his new step family. Then his mother left him forever because of the bite and he had to learn the lessons of the infected and be left out of the goodbyes because he was treated like a child.

Travis and Liza were trying to protect Chris, but they should have told him what was happening. If she had cancer, they would have told him and let him say goodbye. Let him process a little bit before they unplugged the machines. Even my 5-year old nephews said goodbye to my dad in his coma.

They’ve treated him like a child yet he’s at the age where he’s trying to stretch and become an adult. Then they put him in adult situations like guarding a taunting prisoner and are surprised that he makes an impetuous decision and lies to make his decision not look as horrible and selfish.

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He wants to be believed. When he saw the flash on his video cam, he wanted to be believed. He froze after he found out Madison doesn’t believe him. Even if he’s not telling the truth exactly, he still wants to feel like Madison believes him. That doesn’t make sense on the surface, but what he really wants is to know Madison is on his side. That she believes he didn’t do it out of malice and the lie is to protect himself. He wants her to believe he’s loveable and good.

He has tried to be a protective brother figure to his step sister, Alicia, even though it’s weird to have a new step sister in someone you went to school with that you might have thought was cute at one time. She pushes him away and rebuffs his protection and now is accusing him of wanting to hurt them.

Next: Celia and the cellar

He has been abandoned and is now being accused. That’s not a great feeling. He probably feels helpless to defend himself literally and figuratively. Nobody believes him and he can’t confide in people. He needs to do grown up things like kill walkers and make life or death decisions, yet is treated like a child and has nobody to talk to about things.

Maybe Ofelia or Nick or Daniel will be able to help Chris through this time. Or maybe he will turn out to be Lizzie or Shane or The Governor after all.

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