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What this episode does well is gather all of the narrative breadcrumbs that were dropped in previous episodes and, along with the repeating theme of parents losing children losing parents, brings them all full circle to an unexpectedly powerful crescendo. Morgan Jones, we're not losing you: we're taking you with us, no matter how far you sojourn. You can hide, but you can't run.

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David Cameo:
Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

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Dwight & Sherry parting ways simply pissed Rachael off. Yes, it makes logical sense that losing a child often causes couples to split, but after everything they've been through, it's kind of hard to swallow. Dave says this might be a quintessential example of show, don't tell: to have heard second-hand that Dwight and Sherry split-up might've been a safer option, which allows the audience to internalize how painful it was to lose Finch. An alternative would've been to leave a trail of narrative/emotional breadcrumbs that could've lead their impending break. An additional factor that might've helped us buy-in to their relationship's demise is indicating, in some way, how much time Dwight, Sherry, and Finch spent together as a family. Dave also reiterates more episodes and/or time per episode might've better fleshed these stories out.
Dwight mentions to Sherry that he's heading home, regardless of Daryl Dixon's warning that he'd kill him (roughly... a decade prior?). If home isn't Alexandria Safe-Zone, might he mean his childhood home? In the look-ahead for the remaining episodes, it seems as though Dwight remains on Fear The Walking Dead (unlike Lennie James / Morgan Jones). Sherrandy and Rachael are convinced they'll immediately get back together, again. Characters leaving and coming back gives us déjà vu (Alicia Clark, Nick Clark, etc). Might this mean the return of Mickey (Aisha Tyler's character)? Bridget & Dave have decided to cut the entire break-up scene from their minds.
He made it his own: First off, kudos to Gavin Warren for his amazing performance as Finch. He truly owned Finch, just like his character. Though we initially loved the idea of Dwight and Sherry giving him the name of John (after John Dorie, a la Season 6's In Dreams), Sherry's point is that his time on P.A.D.R.E. is also what made him who he was. Sherrandy can't help but mention how bangin' Sherry's wardrobe was. Going back to how stellar Finch was, he really elicited an emotional reaction from us when he gently told Dwight to not make Shrike suffer the same pain he did.
Sherrandy's meme: Bridget celebrating the lack of a cure to the walker infection at the expense of a child's life. To be absolutely fair to Bridget: she hates that we were faced with this choice, but loves the meme (tap the image for the original meme reference):
We all don't love that Finch passed, but to Fear TWD's credit, at least they're taking chances that The Walking Dead had avoided. Another example of not being afraid to go there was discovering (beta burns-ridden) Frank & Bea's undead baby was stuffed in their luggage in 7x02, Six Hours. At this stage in the game, Fear really needs to pull out all the stops and continue to take bigger risks.
We all got Carol Peletier vibes from June Dorie this episode, especially when she captures the recently-bitten Shrike: strapped to a gurney in the same terrifying fashion as Madison Clark and Finch in episodes prior. Although Sherrandy wanted June to go really dark and make Shrike suffer, Dave was heartened to know that Finch's gesture of mercy carried over to her. Making Crane, Shrike's brother, put her own sister down and waiting outside to make sure it's done was a great break-even moment, for a variety of reasons.
We take a moment to discuss the moment Shrike is bitten by her undead father, General Krennick. Though some of us didn't immediately buy it, Maya Eshet really showed her acting prowess by way of her physical acting (and the show helped it along with the flashbacks to Sam Krennick's past): there was a distinct sadness and, perhaps, guilt that immediately washed over Shrike as she watched her father ambling towards her. Dave says it was immediately recognizing all the resentment she harbored towards her father, the balance of which she forwarded towards the children of PADRE. Sherrandy says it reminded her of the way Maggie Rhee was embracing the undead child she found on the tracks on the way to rescuing Hershel Rhee, who had been captured by The Commonwealth (in TWD 11x21, Outpost 22). We agreed that more cracks in Shrike's psyche could've been shown that would've lead to a more satisfying demise, but the way it went down was fine enough.
Bridget points out that this episode aired on Father's Day, much like In Dreams (6x12) aired on Mother's Day. Unlike the latter, the underlying premise of this episode made this a perfect Father's Day message: you don't really lose people because you carry their memory and love with you wherever you go (whether they are just far away from you or no longer with us).
Sherrandy has a minor complaint: it seems impossible that the binoculars (or at least the straps) could've remained around Undead General Krennick's neck for more than a decade. Dave disagrees because the walkers penned in the shipyard don't have many places to go and never get tired. Their own corralled bodies could've protected them from the elements. Rachael had a problem with Madison knowing exactly where the coordinates were; however, of course Madison & Morgan knew where they were since Crane & Shrike were communicating their whereabouts over the radio (a common problem characters have had over many seasons when trying to communicate).
We take a quick moment to commend the walker work in this episode, particularly one walker riddled with mushrooms and another that had a big bubble of neck.
Rachael & Sherrandy riff in disbelief when Morgan tells Madison the boathouse he lived in for 7 years is so deep in the swamp you wouldn't be able to see it from 10 feet away, yet is seemingly easily spotted by Baby Mo while leading the shipyard walkers deeper into the swamp.
Then Sherrandy turn her guns on Mo, herself, and how she kept doing the opposite of what Morgan wanted. As the resident breeder, Rachael covered for Mo by saying her behavior tracks: kids can be like that, sometimes. To illustrate, Dave relays the story of how he broke his leg as a child.
Zeroing-in on the moment Mo decides to stay with Morgan - surrounded by all the PADRE prefects - Dave applauds the show for properly building up to that moment by way of actually showing that when Morgan goes clear-mode, it means he feels he's already lost her (especially after having just lost Grace Mukherjee). It's paired really well with the inability of the children, in the 11th hour, to murder their parents. Bridget takes a moment to praise the one parent - Diane (AKA, not Dove's/Odessa's mom) - for the intensity of her performance throughout the episode (both in line-delivery and physicality). The possibility that one of the parents might turn around at any point and address someone who might actually be their actual child was thick in the atmosphere.
We were miffed at both Crane and Dove for yelling at the rest of the children for not being able to kill their parents, especially Crane who was waving around his (rather sick) pistol whilst having a tantrum near Daniel Salazar's face. Speaking of, Daniel relaying his origin story to relate to the children at the height of all this intensity was supremely rewarding. At the end of the day, none of these young adults, including Crane, could muster up the courage to murder these worn-down parents in cold blood, which pairs well with Bridget's observation that both Sam & Ben Krennick appeared as though they were children swimming in adult clothing (visually indicating to the audience that they've always been children play-acting as adults, having no business leading other adults and children).
Dave takes a moment to revel in Sam's & Ben's expressions of grief and loss in the final hour. This whole time they were trying to bury the memory of their father, the good and the bad, because they felt abandoned by him. But taking it a step further, they're also resentful toward him for shielding them from the dangers of this world whilst under his care, rather than preparing/training them for it. All of this translates to what they ultimately undertook with all the children they kidnapped: from the early stages of their life, they made it so that they would never not be prepared, but also robbed them of all the potential good/bad memories they could've had with their parents. It's the dark side of the valid argument that children should be trained and capable for this world, but it shouldn't come at the expense of losing the people they love and maybe even having a semblance of a childhood.
Going back to first-impressions (this deep into the episode): Sherrandy thought this was the second best episode of the season, thus far. There were a lot of callbacks and it had a nice amount of the cast present. She also realized that Madison was Mo's & Morgan's Amina (the bird the Clark children nursed back to health as children - to Madison's own disbelief - and the name Madison used to identify herself to Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki when they first meet): she nursed their relationship back to health. This might answer the question of what Madison is living for and part of that could mending the relationships between these children and their parents - whether they be related by blood or not, as part of a grander found-family.
Dave loves the thought of how Fear reuniting parents with children might open the door to resolving the problem of the missing children from Season 5 (namely, Annie, Max, Dylan, and the rest of the lost children, post Season 5's nuclear fallout). Rachael decides to slam that door shut because she's still pretty upset over the absence of Sarah Rabinowitz.
Swiftly pivoting, Sherrandy loved that the title sequence paid homage to both Isaac & Rachael (Mo's biological parents). Dave couldn't help but interrupt her by relaying his wild reaction to the title sequence on the whole. Of course, this sentiment is immediately undercut in the following scene as Rachael & Sherrandy were triggered by a flash of walker John Dorie in one of Morgan's all-I-see-is-red flashes.
Rachael's overall impression of this episode: it was an episode that happened - neither bad nor particularly good. Bridget really enjoyed this episode, after having excised the Dwight & Sherry break-up scene from her memory. Even further, she enjoyed it even more than King County, as there was satisfying closure for Morgan, who metaphorically hands the baton (of the show) back to Madison. Madison being restored as the lead may not be what everyone wants, but it undeniably makes sense. Dave's impression: for all the wait-and-see episodes throughout the season, this episode executed a satisfying conclusion. Bridget isn't entirely certain of that: the story felt as rushed as The Walking Dead's eagerness to close The Reapers arc off at the knees to make room for The Commonwealth story arc. To add to this, Sherrandy had heard in an interview or another discussion that, at this point during the writing process, it might've been the case that Ian Goldberg & Andrew Chambliss didn't know that this would be FearTWD's final season. Dave reminds everyone that the mere fact that we're in the final season, to begin with, weighs heavily into the manner in which we judge it - as was the case during the final season of TWD.
Sherrandy makes quick mention of the fact that Morgan is the first male character to feature in the title sequence this season, half way into it. Dave adds that there really aren't that many Male characters left on the show.
🧟‍♀️WALKERS Tier Member, Jasmine, loved the graveyard scene and seeing Eastman's grave reminded her of one of her favorite episodes of The Walking Dead, 6x04 Here is not here. In an effort to give credit his fellow hosts grievances towards this very subject, Dave relays his confusion with the graveyard scene, on first watch, not knowing how Morgan & Mo got there so suddenly, since it didn't show the passage of time or depict them traveling. Sherrandy & Bridget both teared-up during that scene, which reminded Sherrandy how much she used to like Morgan. All life is precious doesn't mean kill or not kill, it means spending the best quality time with the people you have, which isn't just the prevailing message of this season, but the series on the whole.
Bridget takes this a step further to echo something Dave had said during his analysis of King County: Fear The Walking Dead - in the most unexpected and pleasing way - created its own unique version of a crossover to The Walking Dead by way of retreading Morgan's journey throughout both series, this season. What's best about it is that it was a huge reflection on Morgan's growth throughout The Walking Dead Universe. It gives us hope that all the show's characters will reach a similar evolution. Everything gets a return.
Jasmine loved how Morgan relayed to Mo that the origin of his staff started with Eastman: and similar to Morgan, the stick has been 16 different somethings along the way. To that end, @DesignTWDU on Instagram actually depicted the staff's evolution across TWDU.

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While attempting to gauge Jasmine's feelings and final thoughts about Morgan's exit from the series - as her feelings towards Morgan over the last few seasons have been a little shaky - Dave compares Morgan's revelation that you never really lose people to Rick Grimes' dream-sequence with Sasha Williams in TWD 9x05: we honor the memory and goodwill of those we leave behind with us by surviving and making it mean something when we do our best to thrive. Furthermore, the reality that different characters across the universe come to these kinds of conclusions at their own pace is very relatable and authentic. Dave admits to everyone that he - much like Morgan - sometimes takes a while to come around to certain realizations in his own life and about himself. In much the same way, Alicia goes through similar evolutions over the course of many, many seasons. To bookend this segment, even when Morgan hasn't made the best decisions, Jasmine has always had a soft spot for him and loved that he had such a satisfying exit.
On the subject of how we felt about Lennie/Morgan leaving the series, Dave was surprised that he wasn't sad about it. Sherrandy rightly explains how it helps that he isn't killed-off and we're resigned to seeing him as a walker. Bridget also liked that his send-off is open-ended and leaves off on a hopeful note. Though Rachael says he might jump onto the Rick & Michonne Series / (working title) The Walking Dead: Summit, Dave is guarded about that or even the possibility that he might show up again in TWDU. Bridget feels the same way and adds that it would be far more satisfying if we didn't see it coming, too, likening it to Andrew Lincoln's and Danai Gurira's surprise appearance at the end of The Walking Dead panel at San Diego Comic Con. To that end, it was also great that AMC didn't spoil Grace's death and Morgan's exit from the series in advance.
We take a break to mention that Avi Nash (who played Siddiq on TWD) is on an incredible series on AppleTV+ called Silo. What isn't immediately obvious is that another TWDU alum is also on Silo: Chinaza Uche, who played Wes brother, Derek, in FearTWD's 6th Season.
Dave muses on how heartened he was that Madison was committed to being there for him throughout his clear episodes. During one of his episodes, his bo-axe found itself in Madison's oxygen tank (and he finds himself chest deep in muck), which explains Madison's struggle past the midpoint of the episode. What Rachael had a hard time with was Daniel and the parents abandoning Madison and moving on without her, much like they did Morgan due to his mental instability putting the lives of everyone at risk. Dave & Bridget found it conceivable because not only was it absolute chaos as the parents (in the most badass fashion) were charging towards a horde of walkers for their children, but Madison was the one who kidnapped them over the course of several years in the first place (or Daniel simply forgot to drink his Yerba Mate). Rachael responds that at least Daniel wouldn't have left her behind, but Dave relegates this to Daniel having to care for the many over the few. In the process of explaining all this, both Bridget and Dave geek out over the technical specifics of what make the Morgan-sees-red scenes so good. The thought that Morgan could've believably killed anyone around him during these episodes increased tension throughout these scenes by a factor of 10.
But, of course, deflating some of the tension, Dave couldn't help but think of Bridget in the opening scene when Morgan wakes up in the rain for the first time and sees Madison. The way in which Lennie James delivers his lines is so dramatic that one might laugh out loud, absent any context. We, of course, are stuck on Dave's impression of Morgan and the thought of Bridget being amused by it is even funnier in retrospect. But in all seriousness, it makes sense that Madison is the best equipped person to be there for Morgan during his episodes since she was a high school guidance counselor, which requires a Bachelors degree + a graduate degree in School Counseling (and a ton of other minimum requirements).
Bridget was super impressed with killing-machine-Morgan during his episodes, which she compares to Alicia at the height of her killing sprees (most noitably the season premiere of Season 5). On top of the actual flashes, themselves (tragic memories of those he feels he's lost), Dave was also impressed/triggered by Morgan's rage face (the other side of the coin of seeing Morgan smile, from cheek to cheek).
We take a moment to backtrack on the scene between Morgan & Mo inside the houseboat. Touching on the episode's best example of cinematography, Bridget thought the shot of the rising waters subsuming the graffiti Morgan had written on the walls (after having to give up Mo to PADRE years ago) in the corner of the room was particularly moving. Dave compares this to a baptism or ritual cleansing. Bridget likens this to the belief in the early 1800s that water dissolves anything and purifies. We also clear up some questions both Bridget & Jasmine has about that scene.
Madison to Morgan, "We never really lose people. None of us do." Bridget takes a moment to reflect on how much she appreciates this line, considering the fraught relationship between she and her own father, who has long since passed away. As a Christian, she was worried that her father might not be worthy enough to meet her in heaven. Hearing Madison tell Morgan that we carry the memory of those we leave behind restored in her the hope that her own fond reflections of (and forgiveness towards) her father might count towards the good and tip the scales in his favor.
Sherrandy jokingly uses this opportunity to undercut Madison by recounting the line she uses just after Shrike's walker father bites her, "He was always with her," which, bereft of context, sounds like a David Caruso one-liner from CSI: Miami. Bridget isn't moved by this because of Maya Eshet's acting in that exact moment. It's the exact reason why her character couldn't gather the will to defend herself or even run away: what was the point anymore, since she's been running away from him and everything he stood for since she lost him?
We finally take a closer look at what made Dave stand-up and cheer during the title sequence. First, it doesn't just feature Morgan Jones, but flashes of the people he has lost along his journey: Jenny Jones, Duane Jones, Eastman, Nick, John, Isaac, Rachel, John Dorie Sr., Alicia, and Grace. Sherrandy asks why Charlie isn't among one of those flashes, though I think these are limited to characters Morgan has bonded with and Charlie might not be one of them. For all Morgan knows, Alicia is dead, too, which is why she appears in this slideshow of tragedy. The question arose: why isn't a young Henry in the title sequence? The most important answer is that, for all Morgan knows, Henry is still alive (the way he left him before he leaves the junkyard in 4x01). Dave offers an additional explanation: when it came down to it, as much as he and Henry bonded across the last few seasons before his exit from The Walking Dead, Henry shocked Morgan into a troubled mental state after killing (Savior) Gavin and, worse, refused to join Carol in the search for Henry after The Savior prisoners (from The Satellite Station) escape The Hilltop. We go through some of the great reasons why Isaac & Rachel deserve to be in the title sequence. Best of all, on first watch, the title sequence evokes a deep sadness; however, on second watch, after learning that we never really lose people, the title sequence feels extremely uplifting.
Sherrandy decided to plot the coordinates that Madison broadcasts to the region, during the pre-credits sequence, which "Troy Otto" intercepts: 31º51' N, 81º,10' W
Among all the items strewn across Troy's table, as the camera pans to the left - Alicia's boney-arm prosthesis weapon and the hammer that purportedly smacked him across the head, safely allowing us to assume he was dead, disconcertingly included - was a map containing all the plot points The Clarks and others settled along their 7 seasons long journey before their encounter with PADRE. The locations are San Rosaria in Baja California; Yuma, Arizona; Nogales, AZ; Tucson, AZ; Odessa, Texas; Eden, TX; Austin, TX; last plot is somewhere in Louisiana. If Troy is tracking The Clark family's movements, what's his motive? Why does he have Alicia's arm? Could this even be someone else?
@ClashedPR on TikTok elucidates that the bag that's picked up at the end of the table is the same one near Troy before Madison takes him out in the bowels of the dam at the end of Season 3. Our episode discussion basically falls apart, hereafter, on completely unserious suggestions on who this definitely is other than Troy.

@clashedpr Thats 10000% confirming its troy #fyp ♬ original sound - CookieTWD 🧟‍♂️
Dave reiterates, again, how at peace he is with Morgan leaving the show: of all the scenarios, this was the perfect break-even because he doesn't die and those who wanted him to leave the show got their wish. It's a far cry from his swan-song theory where Althea is the sole survivor who finally steps into the frame of this universe and tells anyone who will hear it how the people she's met along her journey lived. On this note, seriously, Rachael's gut instinct was that the character depicted in the pre-credits scene was Althea.
Rachael also wanted some clarification on why Mo is alone (and not among her prefect peers), having just stabbed Morgan out of his all-I-see-is-red episode. Dave mentions that, in a prior scene with the prefects, they were becoming surrounded on all sides by walkers, so the order was given to spread out so as to not be completely cornered by them. Mo also managed to drag Morgan all the way to the house boat because the swamp water made him buoyant enough to move. Dave added one more thing he appreciated about Morgan going clear: even though he was a devastating killing machine, you still got to see moments of him stumbling in physical exhaustion. Whether it was not having slept for so long and running towards the train to save Mo from Walker Grace or just having been stabbed by Mo and losing blood, all of this was shown in varying degrees while coming out of these episodes.
Sherrandy just wanted to mention how sad it was that, yet again, June loses her chance at having a family (with Sherry, Dwight, and Finch). She lost it with her own daughter and, again, with Charlie. Rachael said that maybe she can follow Sherry and they become Golden Girls (with or without Dwight). Dave makes mention that she does have a whole slew of children she can steward who are now free from PADRE's influence. Bridget belts out that the person in the post-credits scene is actually Ben/Crane, whom Dave immediately imitates, saying how angry he was over losing, "I'm going to find your daughter's arm. I heard all about it on the radio... Idiots, talking on the radio all the time."