[WARNING: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Fear The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 16, “Gone.”]
The episode is titled “An Earlier Heaven,” however make no mistake — Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) has returned to the land of the dwelling.
Having survived her ordeal with flaming walkers in a burning baseball stadium, she’s right here to remain; and she or he’s introduced subsequent season’s presumed antagonists together with her.
TV Insider chatted with Dickens about preserving Madison’s “wobbly ethical compass,” which new element about her character got here from her personal creativeness, and Madison’s remarkably indestructible leather-based jacket.
Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC
I used to be trying again at outdated interviews from when Madison “died” in 2018, and also you mentioned the aspect of her you had probably the most enjoyable taking part in was the “soiled, filthy, unhinged” aspect. Whenever you got here again, how necessary was it to you to be sure that a part of her was nonetheless there?
Kim Dickens: It was essential to me. I used to be actually caught off-guard by [showrunners] Ian, Andrew, and [Chief Content Officer] Scott wanting to speak to me about this very thought of bringing her again. Going into it, I used to be simply there to hear, they usually had nice concepts that blew me away. It appeared like they have been going to maintain Madison in her zone, which, you recognize, might simply slip into the darkish aspect if it wanted to. So, so long as I felt like their tales have been nice they usually have been connecting with Madison’s voice, I used to be in. It was necessary for me to be true to her, however a variety of time had handed — 4 years in the true world, and I’m unsure what the precise timeline is within the Worry story — however no matter she’s been by means of has to have made some modifications in her or her journey’s mirrored, someway. She’s had a wobbly ethical compass all alongside, so I can’t think about that modified.
There have been a number of new particulars about her on this episode — the oxygen tank, the Nick and Alicia tattoos, her new weapon. Did any of these concepts come from you? Or was that every one from the writers’ room?
Early within the conversations, the fellows had mentioned, “You already know, Madison’s been at this place. It’s being managed by them, and it felt like a jail.” And I mentioned, “That’s fascinating,” as a result of I saved having these visions. Periodically, in my time away from the present, I used to be busy doing different stuff however on occasion, I’d get these flashes. I used to be simply driving or one thing, and I’d get these photographs of Madison and I’d assume to myself, “Why aren’t they bringing her again?” [laughs] I believe one thing in me was nonetheless related to it creatively, or perhaps one thing in me knew! I don’t know.
One of many photographs was Nick’s title tattooed on her in a really primitive manner, in a stick-and-poke form of manner. I say Nick’s title as a result of, in my creativeness, I assumed, “Oh, wherever Madison is, she’s alive and she or he will need to have heard Nick died.” That’s why I pictured his title. The fellows beloved it. They labored it into the script and made it work by having each of their names on there, and that made much more sense to me. That got here from a imaginative and prescient I had, and the opposite concepts have been utterly theirs and new to me, however I beloved them. I beloved that Madison’s again, and she or he’s bought a much bigger hammer. [laughs] The oxygen tank actually shocked me and tripped me out. I assumed that was the good picture and reply to the struggles from getting out of that fireplace. It was additionally such an amazing idea. You kind of hear her earlier than you see her, and it was so eerie. It’s additionally a problem for her to surmount, and in addition for me, as an actor! [laughs]
Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC
She’s saved the identical leather-based jacket, although! That factor’s been by means of a lot.
Yeah, it’s clearly a very well-designed jacket. I believe the fellows have been, like, “Look, she’s been gone a very long time, and we form of need her silhouette to be the identical.” Recognizable. I assumed that was necessary, too, as a result of, at her core, she’s a resilient survivor. I didn’t need the silhouette to look utterly completely different, like the opposite new characters and the brand new PADRE really feel that you just get. It appeared necessary to maintain this icon the place she was, you recognize? She needs to be timeless in that manner.
Yeah, I’d been considering of the jacket like Negan’s jacket or Rick’s hat. It’s a part of her.
Yeah, precisely! You already know, the characters themselves most likely maintain onto these issues for his or her energy, in a manner.
I’m now rooting for the jacket to make it to the tip, at any time when that’s.
You already know what? Me, too. I’m on this. I haven’t even had a fancy dress becoming but this yr, so — [laughs] I’ll see what I can do.
Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC
What was it like working with Lennie James (who performs Morgan Jones)? If I’m remembering proper, you guys didn’t have any scenes collectively in Season 4.
No, we didn’t, and we have been each dissatisfied as soon as Morgan crossed over that Morgan and Madison didn’t meet up. It was insult to harm for me! I actually needed to work with Lennie. We each couldn’t consider it. We’d move one another at base camp or within the hair and make-up trailer, even on the airport as soon as in Texas, and we have been each form of like, “God, I can’t consider we will’t even work collectively.” That was a giant plus for me, coming again. And what an episode for the 2 of us, to come back again on this antagonistic, explosive manner, to fulfill in that manner. It was all I might ask for and dream of, and that my first fights again have been with Lennie James was fairly cool. And what an amazing actor and an amazing scene associate. I used to be in a position to collapse in his arms and on his chest for all these scenes, and he was simply there. So strong.
How would possibly Madison react to seeing Strand (Colman Domingo) once more, at this level? She refers to herself as being “gone,” however Strand’s form of been “gone,” too. Would there be an understanding or forgiveness there?
These two characters, Madison and Strand, are fairly related. I believe they do acknowledge the familiarity in one another. They perceive what the opposite does and why, they usually’ve at all times challenged one another to come back again to their true selves. I don’t know what’s going to occur for them. I hope they write these characters collectively. I believe I’ve already form of threatened that there’s going to be an actor mutiny on set in the event that they don’t deliver them collectively! [laughs] However I can think about they’ll deliver us collectively and it could be antagonistic for some time, too, till they discover their manner again collectively, I’d hope. I’d think about. As a result of they at all times form of did that for one another — they discovered one another, and grounded one another, and challenged one another to be higher. Or worse, at instances, I assume. However I believe there’s a familiarity between these characters, they usually don’t actually know why, but it surely’s there. It’s otherworldly, in a manner.
Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC
What are you able to tease about Madison’s story going into Season 8?
Truthfully, I don’t know. I don’t know very a lot. She clearly went by means of quite a bit to get the place we noticed her within the Season 7 finale, and I believe there’s much more to unpack. It’s going to be tremendous thrilling to see what occurs with Morgan and Madison as soon as they take off on that boat. It’s a giant story to inform. I’m excited.
Me, too. It’s good to have you ever again.
Thanks! It’s good to be again. It’s a personality and a present that I beloved, and I’ve beloved a variety of characters I’ve gotten to play, but it surely’s uncommon to get to return and revisit it. We did that in Deadwood, and it felt outstanding. To have the ability to come again to a present that I beloved and a personality I beloved that I actually felt had much more story in her, has been a present. It actually stunned me, and I simply went in the direction of it.
Worry The Strolling Useless, Returns 2022, AMC
