What’s next for Fear the Walking Dead survivor Charlie?
By Jamie Brewer
There are plenty of reasons not to trust Charlie when Fear the Walking Dead returns in a few weeks…but hasn’t everyone done terrible things?
Charlie is a complicated case. Nick fans aren’t likely to have forgiven her for his murder yet, but there’s a lot to consider before condemning her actions. First, her age affords her a bit of compassion, right? After all, Charlie was used as a child soldier in a hopeless war where “winning” is “just barely surviving”. And a “childhood” becomes an accelerated process in the new world. Carl Grimes graduated from atomic bear paw t-shirts to guns and ammo within months of his survival journey. It’s reasonable to assume that Charlie had to grow up quickly too.
Carl was a formidable soldier in The Walking Dead‘s “All Out War”. Ultimately though, it was Eugene’s act of espionage that turned the tide for Rick’s alliance. And a fair argument can be made that if it weren’t for Charlie’s acts of espionage, Madison and the Stadium community might still be around. Madison fans aren’t likely to have forgiven her for this either. In a lawless new world order though, moral codes are adjusted to suit the group that happens to be surviving the best. We can’t ignore that the Clark party committed their fair share of justifiable homicides. And despite being a pacifist (again), Morgan probably boasts one of the highest kill counts of anyone on either show.
Small player / bigger danger
But, it would be unreasonable to hold Charlie accountable for the deaths of those at the Stadium. Ennis had diabolical plans that likely would have succeeded anyway. Consider the Vultures’ undefeated streak of picking off communities. Charlie came along after that pattern began and her presence simply afforded them a new tactic.
Nick made numerous appeals to try and entice her to leave the Vultures, but she refused each time. And why wouldn’t she? It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Charlie would trust her own community more than she trusted him. And, while Nick made it his personal mission to liberate her from Ennis, maybe she just didn’t want to go. When Nick eventually caught up with Ennis, he killed him for what happened to Madison. Charlie responded by killing Nick for what had just happened to Ennis; thus, continuing Morgan’s much-lamented cycle of unending violence. Until now (hopefully!).
Morgan tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade Nick to find another way to move on without violence. It ended tragically for all parties, making empathy and forgiveness for Charlie a difficult ask. Prior to Nick’s death, Luciana campaigned by his side for her to flee the Vultures. Later, Charlie would be staring down the barrel of Luciana’s gun. Fortunately, Morgan’s wise words defused the final implosion of the group at the remains of the Stadium and secured Charlie a place among them.
What’s next?
The Episode 9 trailer briefly shows Charlie sheltering alone. She is first shown getting up-close to an impaled walker. Later, she is shown cowering indoors as a small horde presses against an outside window. It’s not clear who is taking care of her but it’s doubtful that she is all by herself. Morgan rescued her, in part, as a means to break a cycle of killing for revenge. It would make sense that he would also offer to care for and mentor her – if she is willing to trust him.
If Luciana can find a way to forgive her, it would be interesting to see a relationship develop between them. Luciana shared Nick’s devotion to saving Charlie from the Vultures and would have helped to look after her at the Stadium. Charlie is remorseful about the circumstances surrounding Nick’s death, and while it may not happen overnight, some shared healing between the two could be a good thing for the group.
Next: What's next for FTWD Survivor John Dorie?
When Fear the Walking Dead returns, Charlie will have a hard time finding her fit among a hostile majority. Hopefully, all those who have also “done wrong” to survive will give her the chance to try to do things right.
Fear the Walking Dead Sunday, August 12!