WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 14, "Mother," which aired Sunday on AMC.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 11, "The Holding," left fans on a cliffhanger. After sacrificing herself for her friends to escape the cult, Alicia stayed behind. The episode concluded with a conversation between Alicia and Teddy, who seemed quite taken with the strong-willed protagonist. Now, three episodes later, "Mother" resumes with Alicia. However, when Alicia and Teddy set out on a "special mission," they run into familiar faces -- only this time, they aren't friendly.
In hopes of getting to know Alicia better, Teddy invites her on a mission. Right before they set off, a bus arrives with new recruits. To Alicia's surprise, Dakota emerges. After a brief conversation, Teddy invites the young girl too, and the trio sets off. They arrive at a graveyard, where Teddy enlists the girls to exhume the corpse of his mother. With the body loaded in the truck, they head home. However, not long into their trip, the truck's tires blow after running over a nail strip.
As the group fights off the encroaching walkers, a man emerges from the woods with a gun. He immediately recognizes Alicia. She knows him too and calls out, "Cole!" When Teddy asks who he is, she responds, "An old friend." Cole explains Madison, Alicia's mother, is the only reason he's still alive. Cole first appeared in Fear the Walking Dead Season 4 and became part of Madison's community at the Dell Diamond Baseball Stadium. After Madison sacrificed herself and the Stadium fell, Cole and many other residents were presumed dead.
Cole initially seems happy to see Alicia but skeptical of Teddy. However, he offers to help them fix their car. He warns them it's not safe on the road because "unsavory types" rob and kill people passing through. Later, when a hostile group surrounds them, Cole reveals that they are the "unsavory types" he spoke of. With him is Viv and Doug, two other survivors from the Stadium.
The situation turns terrible fast. The group, led by Cole, searches through Teddy's truck before deciding they want to know where his community is located. Teddy refuses to tell them, so they plan to execute Teddy, Alicia and Dakota. Showing an inkling of decency, Cole offers to spare Alicia's life if she joins his group. Alicia refuses, reminding him he's no better than the other bad people out on the road. Just before the trio is executed, walkers emerge, taking down Viv, Doug and the others. Then, Alicia kills Cole.
The whole ordeal is heartbreaking for Alicia, who is still grieving Madison in her own way. The fact Madison sacrificed herself to save Cole and the community only makes matters worse. As Alicia points out, Madison gave her life for Cole's, but he's just another bad guy instead of doing good. Even Cole agrees, saying, "Maybe she should have let us die." While it's likely Madison wouldn't have done things any differently to protect her family, it's a sobering moment for Alicia. Thanks to the backstabbing interaction with Cole, she's reminded of the cruelty that exists in the world. Hopefully, it's a learning moment, but not one that will further alienate her from her group, especially while under Teddy's clutches.
Fear the Walking Dead stars Lennie James, Rubén Blades, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Maggie Grace, Garret Dillahunt, Jenna Elfman, Alexa Nisenson, Karen David, Austin Amelio, Mo Collins, Zoe Colletti and Christine Evangelista. New episodes air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on AMC.
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