Fear The Walking Dead Theory: Who Is The Spy?
By Liam O'Leary
2) Charlie
Strand isn’t the only one with a checkered past and isn’t the only person whose past was brought up during everyone’s discussion about spies: Charlie has some betrayal in her past, also.
When we were first introduced to her, she was a kid taken in by Madison and being taken under Nick’s wing; as the latter took her with him while he inspected The Diamond’s crops. She also spent a lot of time wandering around the baseball park just taking in everything, because she was an advance scout for The Vultures, who were looking to see whether or not the community would survive or fail. So, to say that Charlie doesn’t have experience in this field would be erroneous, to say the least.
Now, whether Charlie is the spy is a whole nother thing entirely. Ever since killing Nick in a panic after he’d gunned down her guardian, Ennis, Charlie has been searching. First, for redemption for killing one of the few people who genuinely seemed to care about her, and for the sense of family, community, and something greater that was largely taken from her when the outbreak hit. This is why last season, she began to gravitate towards Daniel and Rabbi Kessner, who have begun to provide her with those things that the dead took from her.
However, it could also make her vulnerable to a cult like The Beginners. Cults have often sought to suck in people (usually young people) looking for a purpose in the world at times when they’re confused about their place in it or emotionally vulnerable. I doubt The Beginners are any different.
Could they have gotten to Charlie? Maybe. We don’t know if they had a recruiter amongst the cast-offs at the molasses plant where Charlie had been stationed before Alicia and Strand arrived. It’s certainly possible.
But, do I believe she is? …Nah. I think Charlie is too attached to Daniel, Alicia, Rabbi Kessner, and the memory of John to fall in with a bunch of weirdos like The Beginners. If anything, I think she could actually make for a great sniffer — Her experience in being a spy could help her determine who belongs in the group and who doesn’t.