Fear the Walking Dead ending explained: What happened to Madison?

To mark the end, AMC has released the final two episodes of season eight back-to-back for one last mammoth showdown between our faves and the horde led by Troy outside the walls of PADRE.

So, who survives? And was this the ending fans actually deserved? Join us as we break down everything that happened in Fighting Like You and The Road Ahead, which wraps up 113 episodes of TV's wildest zombie show.

Fear the Walking Dead ending explained: How did Troy die?

Troy Otto kicks off the two-parter with a horde of zombies heading to PADRE where our heroes are holed up, fighting for their lives.

Madison Clark leads the battle against him, but things take a surprise turn when Crane returns with soldiers from the original PADRE group.

With the tide turning in her favour, Madison makes Troy spill his guts - and not just verbally, either.

With Alicia's metal arm ripping through his insides, Troy takes one last breath. His daughter, Tracy, doesn't take Troy's death too well, as you might expect, so she shoots Madison in retaliation.

Madison survives - because of course she does. And not only that: She also manages to then single-handedly save PADRE from the horde, which earns Tracy's forgiveness, bizarrely enough.

Soon after, Alicia Clark, AKA Madison's daughter, discovers what's happened and reunites with her mother on-screen for the first time since season four. Totes emosh.

And with that, our remaining survivors head off into the proverbial sunset. But there's more to the ending than that, of course.

How did Madison survive that explosion?

In a world where the dead regularly come back to life, what's perhaps most shocking about The Walking Dead universe is how often regular people cheat death, too.

Remember when Glenn survived under that dumpster in the flagship show? Or how about when Charlie didn't let something silly like fatal radiation poisoning best him in season eight of Fear the Walking Dead?

PADRE is hit by a massive explosion in this final chapter, one which no human could feasibly walk away from, yet Madison does exactly that.

It turns out that the oxygen tank she used — thanks to a near-death escape from fire a few seasons back — helped prevent smoke inhalation and suffocation.

By hiding in her old underground cell, the full impact of the blast was supposedly reduced, too, which means Madison emerged basically fine, unscathed.

Sure. Why not?

What happens to Madison and Alicia in the end?

Following her escape, Madison and Alicia reunite, but the pair decide to not tell their friends that they're still alive. The idea is to let them still think that Madison died in the explosion and that Alicia was killed by Troy.

Alicia decides to go down this route after a group of survivors she once helped start aiding others in her memory to honour what they believed to be her death.

Madison also realises that she's had a similar impact on her old group after they put aside their differences and rename themselves MADRE after her.

Knowing the legacy their supposed "deaths" could leave behind for the world at large, Alicia and Madison figure it's best to keep their survival a secret. Never mind how upset everyone is.

But before heading off, Madison leaves a bluebonnet behind in Victor Strand's truck. Cute!

Longtime fans might recall that back in season four, Nick Clark remembered how he and his mother once stumbled across a field of these flowers, reminding the pair that there was still beauty to be found, even in an undead world.

Not only is this a beautiful message for Victor, but it also suggests that Madison may be looking to become the Madison of old, the one who was still innocent before the cruelty of this world changed her into someone harder and far more ruthless.

What happened to everyone else?

PADRE has now evolved into MADRE in honour of Madison's apparent death, but the name change isn't just a superficial one.

No longer just a fixed settlement, MADRE has become an entire network of groups across the country who unite to help other survivors and spread Madison's message.

June and Odessa head back to John Dorie's cabin in Texas, while Dwight and Sherry remain behind in Georgia, taking refuge in what's left of the Sanctuary.

Daniel and Luciana head off on their own journey, too, but before they go, they remind each other (and us) that the gang can stay in contact via radio, which means our faves aren't saying goodbye forever.

The only one who knows that Madison and Alicia are actually alive is Victor Strand, after he spotted them in the rearview mirror of his truck. The Clark heroes show themselves to him on purpose, but everyone else remains in the dark moving forward.

So, what does the future hold now that Fear the Walking Dead is over?

Given how everything in this franchise is connected, not to mention the sheer number of new shows soon heading our way, it seems likely that at least some Fear characters will be returning in a new crossover at some point.

Remember how Morgan Jones left Fear the Walking Dead to go find Rick Grimes? With his new show, The Ones Who Live, on the horizon, Morgan could easily show up there with his old buddy again, thereby connecting Fear, Rick's new show, and the flagship series all together again.

Don't forget that Carol recently revealed on Daryl's spin-off that a mysterious character has returned to Alexandria, too, so anything's possible, it seems.

Sounds about right for a show as wild as Fear the Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead airs on AMC. If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sci-fi hub for all the latest news and features.

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