Fear the Walking Dead: My love/hate relationship with Madison

The characters on Fear the Walking Dead have gone through some changes already in the short time we’ve known them. I have changing views on Madison all the time.

In season 1 Madison Clark was criticized for being overprotective of Alicia and to some extent Nick and for not accepting what was happening with the infected. I defended her then with Nick because a mother can sometimes have trouble letting go of her children being children.

It was not unreasonable to be in denial about the situation at first and think that it would be contained and things might go back to normal and try to shield Alicia. She had a son who was way out there in terms of seeing and experiencing too much of the darkness in the world; she wanted to keep Alicia in the light.

She was also a guidance counselor and it’s not uncommon for people who help others to be able to see things in the lives of others that they don’t see for themselves.  But as things progressed, she got bossier and more like Abraham. She treated Travis like Abe treated Eugene-as another child and not a partner.

She didn’t see Travis’ need to take care of his son the way she wanted to take care of her children. I still think they made a big mistake not including Chris in the ending of Liza’s life. He should have been told about the bite and been able to talk to his mom and dad and then Travis could have taken her to the beach to put her down.

With Madison’s relationship with Daniel, it seems she was very cold. I defended her then as well. I thought she was letting Daniel know that he was not alone in the blame for torturing the soldier. She was accepting some of his guilt when she said did he tell us what we needed to know. That was a moment where I liked her.

More from Undead Walking

• Walking Dead alum Jayson Warner Smith promotes new film, Chipper, watch it now
• Walking Dead actor Chandler Riggs filming new movie in Tampa Bay
• Why is there no season 12 of The Walking Dead?
• Will Morgan Jones find Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff?
• Watch Tales of TWD actress Jillian Bell in Prime Video’s Candy Cane Lane

I liked her again when she locked up Celia. That was a beautifully calm moment where she agreed with everything Celia was saying about Luis in a brutal irony about Nick and took control.

Yet in irony for me, it’s when she tries too hard to control Nick instead of understand him, that I don’t like her. But how can a mother understand the craziness of a young man feeling at home among the dead, unjudged and free. Reckless and without the ties of family pulling him in all directions with shame and guilt, love and expectations he can’t fulfill.

Maybe I will like her more now that she’s on her own with her daughter. Maybe she can be free of trying to be everything to too many people. I liked Abraham more after Eugene confessed his lie and he didn’t have such tunnel vision about his mission and stopped being so bossy.

Next: Daniel and Ofelia going forward

He started to open his eyes to the strengths of those around him instead of trying to dictate every move all the time. Perhaps Madison, Ofelia and Alicia can be a team with Strand in ways they never could with the others around. We shall see which direction my love/hate goes when we come back in August.