Fear the Walking Dead: Now is a great time for Madison to return

By now many fans have seen Kim Dickens’ interview where she says she’s open to a return to Fear the Walking Dead, and that would be very fitting.

Madison Clark “died” in season 4 of Fear the Walking Dead, but as with so many other instances of near-death experiences on the show, the now iconic adage applies: You’re not really dead until we see a body. Or a walker. Kim Dickens told MovieWeb that she’s open to a return as Madison Clark, and now might be the perfect time for a comeback.

There is no question that losing Madison Clark was one of the most shocking and polarizing moments on Fear the Walking Dead. Madison sacrificed herself to save everyone as they fled the ballpark. The last time we saw her alive was when she was surrounded by walkers, but there was no definitive evidence that she died.

Losing Madison sent Alicia, Nick, Strand and Luciana on a very different trajectory and it took them a long time to be able to trust again. They finally found a group and a sense of belonging that also comes with a new mission and purpose, one that honors Madison, and that’s what fans will see in season 5.

In a recent interview with MovieWeb, Dickens talked about whether her Fear the Walking Dead character is really dead, and if she’s open to a return:

"As far as I know, she’s dead! It was the part I’m most proud of. Helping build that show from the beginning, across three different countries, that character was something I felt I had grown my whole career to get to play. I’m so proud of it, and it ended too soon for what I wanted, but there were a lot of changes over there creatively. I can’t imagine they would want to revisit Madison, but she was a great character. I’m so proud of it."

Madison’s death had a bright spot, though, and it’s that her daughter Alicia was able to grow as a character. Losing her mother galvanized her in a way that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Alicia had always lived in Nick’s shadow. As the Clark sibling who didn’t keep her mother up at night before the apocalypse, Alicia spent a lot of time on her own and it wasn’t until she and Madison were at the abandoned resort in Mexico while Nick left to find his own path that mother and daughter finally had a chance to bond.

If Madison were to return now, she’d find that her daughter is a very strong, capable young woman. And though the path to embracing her inner strength came at a horrible cost – losing her mother, brother, Travis and Chris – Madison would be very proud that her daughter kept moving forward and honoring her mother’s mission.

And while it might seem that returning to the show might be too much of a gimmick, consider that Ruben Blades’ Daniel Salazar has been thought to be dead twice and has made it back. Fans have seen this on The Walking Dead, too, with Carol at the prison and Glenn and the dumpster. Obviously the biggest bait and switch comes with knowing that Rick Grimes is alive and well somewhere out there.

It’s not impossible, therefore, that Madison could come back. And now would be a great time for her to return because the story has advanced so far and Madison could really make an impact with this new group.

Madison Clark’s return would join her “death” as one of the biggest moments of the series if it happened. While there’s no plan for her return at this point, as far as fans know, it’s good to know that Dickens is open to it because that’s the first step.

You can catch Kim Dickens in her new movie The Highwaymen on Netflix. Fear the Walking Dead returns on June 2.