😲 Fear The Walking Dead had its ups and downs, but ONE character stole the show—and they NEED their own series!

From survivor to leader, their journey was EPIC. Could they rise again in a new spin-off?

This is the comeback fans are begging for! 🔥

👉 Click to find out who deserves to return!

Fear the Walking Dead (FTWD), the first and longest-running spin-off of The Walking Dead (TWD), aired from 2015 to 2023, spanning eight seasons and offering a West Coast perspective on the zombie apocalypse. Pitched as a prequel detailing the outbreak’s early days, FTWD followed the Clark family—Madison, Nick, and Alicia—in Los Angeles, capturing society’s collapse in real-time. Despite its ambitious premise and moments of brilliance, the series struggled with inconsistent storytelling, character arcs, and tonal shifts, failing to match the main series’ heights. However, one character, Alicia Clark, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey, emerged as a standout, consistently delivering a compelling performance that carried the show through its flaws. A June 2025 ScreenRant article argues that Alicia’s arc and Debnam-Carey’s talent make her the ideal candidate for her own spin-off. This article examines FTWD’s shortcomings, Alicia’s journey, and why she deserves to lead a new chapter in the Walking Dead universe.

The Flaws of Fear The Walking Dead

FTWD began with promise, offering a fresh lens on the apocalypse. Unlike TWD, which started after society’s fall, FTWD’s first season depicted the chaos of the outbreak, following Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), a high school counselor, her fiancé Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis), and their blended family, including Alicia and Nick (Frank Dillane). The slow-burn narrative and urban setting distinguished it, earning praise for its grounded take, per a 2015 Rotten Tomatoes consensus with an 87% score for Season 1. However, as the series progressed, it stumbled, losing focus and alienating fans.

A 2025 CBR article lists several flaws that plagued FTWD. Inconsistent character development was a major issue: key figures like Madison and Nick were killed off abruptly, while others, like Victor Strand (Colman Domingo), suffered from erratic motivations. For example, Strand’s shift from pragmatic survivor to villain in Season 7 felt forced, undermining his earlier depth. Plotlines became repetitive, with the group repeatedly finding and losing safe havens, from a yacht in Season 2 to a Texas ranch in Season 3. A soft reboot in Season 4, introducing Morgan Jones (Lennie James) from TWD, shifted the show’s tone to align with the main series, but this diluted its unique identity, per a 2023 Collider review. The final seasons were criticized for unbelievable scenarios, such as characters surviving nuclear fallout in Season 7, and a lack of clear stakes, with a 62% Rotten Tomatoes score for Season 8 reflecting fan disappointment.

CBR also notes logistical inconsistencies, such as characters expertly riding horses despite no prior experience, and narrative missteps, like Virginia’s failure to confirm a rival’s death in Season 6, despite her ruthlessness. These flaws, combined with a revolving cast and frequent showrunner changes (from Dave Erickson to Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg), prevented FTWD from sustaining its early momentum. Fans on X frequently cite the show’s decline after Season 3, with one 2024 post lamenting, “FTWD had so much potential, but it lost its soul after the Clarks.” Despite these issues, Alicia Clark remained a consistent highlight, anchoring the series through its turbulent run.

Alicia Clark’s Journey: From Survivor to Leader

Alicia Clark, introduced as a teenage high school student in Season 1, evolved into FTWD’s emotional and narrative core. Initially portrayed as intelligent but naive, Alicia’s early arc focused on her struggle to adapt to the apocalypse while grieving her father’s pre-outbreak death. As the Clark family faced walkers and human threats, Alicia’s resilience shone through. By Season 2, she began to assert herself, learning survival skills and navigating moral dilemmas, such as sparing a pirate leader, per a 2016 AMC recap. Debnam-Carey’s nuanced performance captured Alicia’s growth, blending vulnerability with determination.

The deaths of Madison and Nick in Seasons 4 and 3, respectively, thrust Alicia into a leadership role, making her the last Clark family member standing by Season 7, as noted in the 2025 ScreenRant article. She formed alliances with survivors like Strand, Morgan, and Luciana (Danay García), and faced villains like the Vultures and Teddy’s cult. Alicia’s arc peaked in Season 7, Episode 15, “Amina,” where, after surviving a walker bite and amputating her arm, she chose to lead a group to safety, believing she was dying. Her selflessness and strength cemented her as FTWD’s moral compass. The series finale, aired in November 2023, saw Alicia reunite with Madison and begin a journey back to Los Angeles, leaving her fate open-ended, per ScreenRant.

Debnam-Carey’s performance was a standout, earning praise for its emotional depth. A 2024 Den of Geek article called Alicia “the heart of FTWD,” noting Debnam-Carey’s ability to convey grief, anger, and hope in equal measure. Unlike Madison’s pragmatic ruthlessness or Nick’s reckless addiction, Alicia’s arc was defined by empathy and growth, making her a fan favorite. A 2025 X post from @TWDUniverse lauded her as “the best character FTWD produced,” reflecting widespread sentiment that her story deserves more exploration.

The Case for an Alicia Clark Spin-Off

The argument for an Alicia Clark spin-off, as articulated in the 2025 ScreenRant article, rests on her compelling arc, Debnam-Carey’s star power, and the open-ended nature of her story. Alicia’s journey from a sheltered teen to a battle-hardened leader mirrors TWD icons like Rick Grimes, but her unique perspective—shaped by the apocalypse’s earliest days and personal loss—sets her apart. Her survival of a walker bite, a rare feat in the TWD universe, adds intrigue, suggesting she could explore new aspects of the outbreak, such as immunity or medical advancements, per a 2023 Looper speculation piece.

Debnam-Carey’s acting prowess is another key factor. The ScreenRant article highlights her as one of FTWD’s strongest performers, capable of carrying a series. Since leaving FTWD in 2022, Debnam-Carey has starred in films like The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, earning critical acclaim, per a 2024 IMDb profile. Her ability to portray complex emotions makes her ideal for a spin-off that could delve into Alicia’s post-FTWD life, perhaps exploring her return to Los Angeles or a new community. A 2025 GameRant article suggests FTWD characters like Alicia could anchor new spin-offs, given the franchise’s interest in global settings like Tokyo or Iceland, as teased by Scott Gimple.

The open-ended finale of FTWD provides narrative flexibility. Alicia’s reunion with Madison and her mission to rebuild suggest she’s alive and active, unlike characters with conclusive endings, such as Rick in The Ones Who Live. A spin-off could follow Alicia leading a new group, confronting villains like the CRM, or crossing paths with TWD characters like Daryl, as speculated in a 2025 Yahoo article. Fans on X have proposed a “Clark family spin-off,” with one 2024 post suggesting Alicia and Madison could explore a West Coast resistance against a new threat, leveraging their established chemistry.

Addressing FTWD’s Flaws in a Spin-Off

An Alicia-led spin-off could avoid FTWD’s pitfalls. Consistent showrunning and a clear narrative focus would prevent the erratic plotting that plagued FTWD’s later seasons. Centering Alicia would allow for deep character exploration, addressing CBR’s critique of undefined arcs. A smaller ensemble, unlike FTWD’s sprawling cast, could maintain stakes and coherence, while a fresh setting—perhaps a coastal city or international locale—would distinguish it from Dead City’s urban decay or Daryl Dixon’s European backdrop, per a 2025 ScreenRant article on global spin-offs. Debnam-Carey’s star power could also attract new viewers, countering FTWD’s declining viewership, which dropped to 1.2 million per episode by Season 8, per a 2023 Nielsen report.

The Franchise Context and Challenges

The Walking Dead universe, with six spinoffs by 2025, is at a crossroads. Dead City and Daryl Dixon have been renewed for multiple seasons, but Dead City’s 71% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects mixed reviews for repetitive Maggie-Negan dynamics, per a 2025 Collider article. Daryl Dixon is praised for innovation, while The Ones Who Live concluded as a one-season event, per a 2025 MovieWeb piece. FTWD, despite being the longest-running spin-off, ended with criticism for its final seasons, as noted in CBR’s 2025 analysis. Scott Gimple’s plans for a Tales of the Walking Dead revival or global spin-offs, reported in a 2025 GameRant article, suggest room for new projects, but a crowded slate—Dead City Season 2 premieres May 4, 2025, and Daryl Dixon Season 3 arrives in autumn—poses scheduling challenges.

An Alicia spin-off would need to stand out. Tales of the Walking Dead’s anthology format, which flopped due to late timing, per a 2025 ScreenRant article, shows the risk of niche concepts. However, Alicia’s established fanbase and Debnam-Carey’s rising profile could ensure viability. A 2025 CBR article on underutilized characters like Judith Grimes suggests the franchise is eager to revisit secondary figures, supporting the case for Alicia. Competition from Daryl Dixon’s critical success and logistical hurdles, like aligning timelines (FTWD’s finale is set before Dead City’s future setting), are obstacles, but FTWD’s precedent of time jumps offers flexibility, per a 2025 GameRant timeline guide.

Conclusion

Fear the Walking Dead promised a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse but faltered with inconsistent storytelling, erratic character arcs, and repetitive plots. Yet, Alicia Clark, brought to life by Alycia Debnam-Carey’s stellar performance, emerged as its greatest asset, evolving from a grieving teen to a selfless leader. Her open-ended fate, compelling journey, and Debnam-Carey’s talent make a compelling case for a spin-off, one that could redeem FTWD’s flaws by focusing on a single, well-defined protagonist in a fresh setting. As the Walking Dead universe expands, with Gimple eyeing new stories and fans clamoring for familiar faces, Alicia’s return could reinvigorate the franchise, proving that even in a flawed series, one character can shine bright enough to carry a new dawn. A spin-off centered on her would not only honor FTWD’s legacy but also offer a bold, character-driven future for the undead saga.