Back in June of 2018, Fear the Walking Dead killed off Madison Clarke, a decision I begrudgingly agreed with at the time. Ever since that episode, however, it feels like fans of Fear the Walking Dead have been fueling rumors of her return nonstop. In fact, as recently as two months ago, showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg were fueling those rumors themselves, acknowledging that Madison’s return was a possibility and even going so far as to cite scheduling concerns/possibilities.
Those rumors picked up steam this week when it revealed that Fear the Walking Dead would be shooting in Round Rock, Texas. Fear the Walking Dead fans know that Dell Diamond Stadium is located in Round Rock, and Dell Diamond stadium is where Madison Clarke died… or did she? We never saw her body, and so it stands to reason that she could have survived (Daniel, after all, once survived being shot in the face).
Meanwhile, we learned from Colman Domingo that shooting on Season 7 of Fear the Walking Dead begins in two months, which means that the work being done now in Round Rock is still part of Season 6B. For those who believe shooting near Dell Diamond stadium suggests that Madison will return, it stands to reason that Madison could return as soon as Season 6B (instead of Season 7).
Of course, there’s been no confirmation that Kim Dickens would return. In fact, those who sought out the shooting location saw only the actors who play Daniel, Luciana, and Wes in attendance. Moreover, Alycia Debnam Carey — who plays Madison’s daughter — has been back in Australia for several weeks, and it would be strange to bring back Madison without immediately reuniting her with Alicia.
On the other hand, of all the places in Texas, why return to the site of Madison’s “death”? What if Madison is still alive, and Daniel, Luciana, and Wes discover her in the final seconds of the sixth season finale as a sort of cliffhanger?
For what it is worth, I should also note that the original plan of Dave Erickson — the first showrunner on Fear the Walking Dead — was to turn Madison into a villain in the seventh season. I suppose, for now, we can keep that in the realm of possibility.
Fear the Walking Dead will return on April 11th. The Walking Dead, meanwhile, returns later this month, on February 28th.
