Fear the Walking Dead: Madison’s “protect the kids at all costs” plan

Kim Dickens as Madison Clark, Frank Dillane as Nick Clark - Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 3, Episode 8 - Photo Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC
Kim Dickens as Madison Clark, Frank Dillane as Nick Clark - Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 3, Episode 8 - Photo Credit: Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC /
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Fear the Walking Dead’s Madison has evolved into a surprise powerhouse since we first met her. But is she justified in doing anything to protect her kids?

Madison Clark has some secrets in her past. Now that we know about her troubled childhood and the events that led her to kill her abusive father, we can understand why she’s willing to do anything to protect her kids on Fear the Walking Dead. Some might argue that this ferocious side of Madison Clark appeared out of nowhere, given that it took her a while to arrive at this point despite her kids being in trouble well before the apocalypse began. Now that she has decided to step up and protect her kids, she has decided that she can – and will – do anything to protect Nick and Alicia, but it feels like she’s toeing a dangerous line between what she says and what she does.

Things were looking good for Madison and Alicia at the resort up until she made a rule that anyone who kills or hurts someone else is immediately thrown out. When Travis crossed that line, however justified it might have been, she tried to prevent their ouster to no avail. Rules are rules, and they have to apply to the person who made them above all.

Fast forward to the season 3B trailer and we see Strand telling Madison that she must protect her kids at all costs. We know Madison lied to cover for Troy, and we know she was ready to kill Jeremiah Otto if Nick hadn’t stepped in and done it himself.

Madison has now crossed almost every line there is in the apocalypse. Does her personal mandate to protect her children at all costs justify her actions?

Let’s look at the basic rule of the apocalypse: It’s all about survival. If you’re by yourself you’re working to protect yourself, and if you have a family you’re going to do what it takes to protect your own family before anyone else. But if everyone has the same goal, what happens? Madison’s children are adults and are not exactly helpless. Can she be excused for the things she has done (and things she has yet to do) in order to protect two people who can protect themselves?

If Madison continues down this path she’s going to find that the waters get murkier the more she continues. Soon the decisions she’ll be forced to make will be even more challenging because she will be facing other families doing the same thing she’s doing. It won’t be the first time, certainly, but the new Madison is a lot less forgiving.

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What do you think? Is Madison justified in her “anything to protect her kids” policy? How long can she keep it up before it blows up in her face?