"Mourning Cloak" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. It is the ninety-fifth episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 24, 2022. It was written by Nazrin Choudhury & Calaya Michelle Stallworth and directed by Lennie James.[1]
Plot
When Charlie shows up at the Tower unexpectedly, Howard recruits a young ranger in training to determine the reason for her visit. As they journey beyond the Tower together, Charlie's true motives are revealed.
Synopsis
Classical music plays as a teenager, Ali, watches a butterfly fly in a jar. John tells him to be careful, then bids Ranger Garcia luck on his mission today. Garcia and his men exit the room. Ali tells John that Howard sent him, and asks if he can join today's scout.
Suddenly, Howard enters the room, rejecting Ali's idea and telling him to have a seat. Ali asks what Victor and rangers are looking for outside and Howard stays vague, reminding Ali that he's not ready until Victor says he is. Ali says he's ready. Howard and John both smirk. Howard pulls out a picture of a butterfly, stating it's the rare Mourning Cloak butterfly, and assigns Ali to find one for Strand's collection. Ali asks why, disappointed. John tells him it's like his time as a police officer, but Howard scolds him for scaring the boy. Howard explains that they're shaping how he sees the world, connecting Victor's growth to that of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Howard tells Ali to show Victor his own growth.
Outside the tower, Ali rides a horse through a forest, finding a clump of butterflies. He jars one and kills a walker. He finds someone stealing his supplies and holds them at gunpoint. When he turns to shoot a walker, they attack him. He gets the upper hand and tells them to take their mask off; it's Charlie. Howard, John, and a group of rangers arrive, John revealing that Charlie is part of Morgan's Group. The rangers take her away. Ali asks what's going on, and Howard reveals he might have his chance at showing Victor his growth.
That night, John and Howard interrogate Charlie, Ali watching. Charlie says she wants to talk to Strand, but Howard explains it's not possible. He asks her why she's here, and Charlie reveals she wants to live at the tower, and was trying to sneak in so Strand couldn't reject her. Howard acknowledges their checkered past, revealing he deemed her as a threat. Charlie rejoices that she wants a normal life. Howard asks why not come sooner. Charlie says it's because she turns 13 that week. She begs for a chance. The phone rings and John answers. June tells him that there's a problem in the infirmary.
Garcia, bleeding out, explains that Strand had parted before his patrol arrived, and that they were killed by the dead. Ali points out his radiation burns. Howard asks Garcia if he found what he asked for, but Garcia dodges the question.
Ali walks Charlie to the holding room. Charlie tries to question Ali, who tries not to respond because of what Strand said about her. Charlie asks why he does what Strand says, and Ali responds it's to become a ranger. In the window behind them, a man falls off the tower.
On the roof, Wendell explains that Garcia jumped. Howard says that it's what Victor would've wanted; he's protecting the tower, even when dead. June reasons that he jumped because of his pain from radiation poisoning. Charlie, betrayed, states that she thought the tower was safe. Ali explains it happened outside, and Howard elaborates that they were searching for elevator parts. Charlie states that she will get the parts, much to the Dories' dismay. Howard reminds them of her skills, and gives her permission, offering to let her live in the tower so long as Strand accepts. He continues that she, along with Ali, will go tomorrow. Wendell, hoping to hear about his sister, walks Charlie back to her room.
Howard takes Ali to the side for a talk. He explains that it's Ali's chance to prove himself, appointing him to find out why Charlie is here. Ali reminds him of what she said, but Howard says that they must consider the possibility. Ali feels that it's wrong. Howard tells him that these situations separate the caterpillars from the butterflies.
The next morning, Ali and Charlie search outside. Charlie points out the hypocrisy of Strand's butterfly collection. Ali only has his mind set on proving himself to Strand. Ali halts their horse, noticing stalkers ahead.
The two hole up in a Bowling Alley. Charlie says she never went bowling. The Stalkers approach the building, and Ali gets a gun from a counter, but they eventually leave. Charlie asks Ali how he knows so much, and Ali explains he used to live around there. Charlie asks him to show her how to bowl. Cocky, she says it can't be that hard, trying to bowl once, failing horribly. Ali explains she needs more spin. Charlie asks him to teach her. Ali has his mind set on the mission, but eventually, he hesitantly agrees.
Ali teaches Charlie how to hold, aim, and roll a bowling ball. Together, they score a strike.
Setting the gun back down, Ali views a picture on the wall, “Team Raiders: Ali and Captain Muhammad.” Charlie notices.
Back on the road, Charlie asks Ali who Muhammad was. He says he was his dad. She laughs at the funny name combo, and he explains that his dad was a fan of boxing and was in the army. Charlie asks what happened to him, and Ali replies that he was killed by an infection from a bomb. Charlie expresses her apologies.
The two survey a building. Ali says Garcia mentioned that there were lots of dead, so Charlie decides on going in from the top. Charlie insists on going alone. Ali asks if she's doing all this just to get into the tower, and Charlie says that it's also to help him become a ranger. Ali gives her a radio to chat, and warns her of the radiation inside.
As Ali watches Charlie leave, a voice yells “Hands up!” and a group of stalkers is revealed, holding him at gunpoint. After taking his supplies, she realizes he's one of Strands, and asks him why Strand is sending people to the pit. The stalkers decide to follow Charlie inside. When they reach a door, Ali opens it fully, releasing a herd of walkers into the stalkers, while keeping Ali safe on the other side. After they die, Ali re-enters and takes the stalkers' gear.
Inside, Ali kills walkers and searches for Charlie. A familiar walker makes him hesitate, and tackles him to the ground. Suddenly, Charlie kills it.
Charlie explains that she trapped the rest of the walkers in a room, but lost her mask doing so. She pries open the elevator. Ali, noticing the door beginning to crack, tells her to be quick. Charlie asks him if the walker reminded him of his dad, and that she saw what he did outside. Charlie reveals that she lied; Morgan sent her to the tower to turn off the beacon, clear the walkers, and evacuate Grace and the baby. Enraged, Ali says that Howard was right, but she tells him that she won't follow through so he doesn't get in danger. She continues that she wants a life in the tower.
Howard radios Ali, who tells him that he found what he asked. The walkers break through the door. Ali tells Charlie he's sorry, before trapping her in the elevator, with the excuse that he's protecting the tower. The walkers crowd the elevator door as Ali escapes. He tells Howard he's coming back alone, and Howard replies he did what Victor would've done. Charlie pleads for her life. Ali glances at the walker's body on his way out.
Charlie begins to lose hope when gunshots ring out. Ali enters, killing the remaining walkers. He reveals he left his sick dad, not being able to handle it. He continues he used becoming a ranger as an excuse for what he did, but he was just once again being a coward, and offers to run away with Charlie, no longer afraid of Howard or Strand. The two talk about getting to do things they never got to do, and they kiss. Charlie suddenly collapses. In a panic, Ali radios John.
Back at the tower, John affirms to Ali what he did was good. June and Grace enter, June revealing Charlie was exposed to radiation. Ali freaks out, in denial. He asks if it's treatable. June replies she should be making the most of every day.
In Strand's office, Howard and Ali examine photographs taken by scouts. Howard announces Victor's trip back has been delayed a day, and asks Ali why Morgan sent Charlie. Ali answers he didn't, and Ali replies she will be kicked out anyway. After facing backlash, Howard asks Ali if he can trust him. Ali says yes. Howard tells him nice work, and confirms he will become a ranger the next day.
In the infirmary, Ali visits Charlie. The two embrace. Charlie says she's scared.
Ali brings her to an isolated room, with all of Strand's butterflies flying free, out of their jars. The two spend some time together in the room. They talk, dance, and kiss.
At midnight, Charlie says she's worried about turning off the beacon for Morgan. Ali says he'll take care of it.
On the rooftop, Ali approaches the beacon. Suddenly, Howard and a group of rangers corner Ali. Ali says the tower can't change with Victor in charge, but Howard replies it's the only way. Ali leaps at Howard, who grabs him in a chokehold. Ali begs him not to do “it.”
Charlie stands next to the butterflies. She sees Ali fall from the window.
Charlie runs into the hallway, crying, and the Dories try to comfort her. Howard exits the elevator. Charlie accuses him of killing Ali, and he threatens to have her join him. June calls him a monster. Enraged, Howard defends it as an act of self defense, for both him and the tower. John says he's right. June asks who's side he's on. John talks about how he's lost everything–reffering to his son–outside of the tower, and June replies that he would be ashamed of him. Howard goes to kill Charlie, but June threatens to kill him. Howard replies that Strand will not be happy, but June defends that Strand needs her, as a doctor, more than him. The two reach an agreement that Charlie stays under June's care.
As everybody else leaves, John reveals his plan to June; he wants to get Strand to make a change himself. June compares it to her failed friendship with Virginia, stating it won't work. John says it has to.
June approaches Charlie, stating it was her fault. She continues that ever since she got to the tower, she's been hiding out of fear. June promises to Charlie that she will live to see Strand go down. Charlie says “Thank you.”
Other Cast
Co-Stars
Uncredited
- Tomer Oz as Thomse
- Chasiti Chambers as Nurse's Aide
- Unknown as Muhammad (Photograph)
- Eric Smith as Stalker
- Eric Montelego as Stalker
- Zach as Stalker
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Deaths
- Garcia (Alive)
- Muhammad (Confirmed Fate)
- Head Stalker
- Thomse (Zombified)
- Ali (Alive)
- 2 unnamed Tower residents (Off-Screen)
- 4 unnamed Stalkers
Trivia
- Only appearance of Ali.
- Only appearance of Garcia.
- Only appearance of Muhammad. (Photograph)
- Only appearance of Thomse. (Zombified)
- The title of the episode, "Mourning Cloak", refers to the type of butterfly that Howard sends Ali to find and get for him.
- It's also a reference to Charlie herself in her current condition as revealed in the episode's Inside Look because, like the Mourning Cloak, she only has a short time to live and intends to live it as much as she can.
- This episode was made available for streaming to subscribers of AMC Premiere on April 17, 2022.[2]
- The Stalkers are shown to refer to the crater as "The Pit".
- Charlie turns 13 during this episode.
Episode Highlights
- Charlie is sent by Morgan to infiltrate Strand's Tower and falls in love with Ali.
- Strand is revealed to be sending his people to the crater for some reason.
- Charlie reveals that she actually intends to run away in order to find the normal life that she was never able to have.
- After Charlie collapses, she is diagnosed with terminal radiation sickness by June and Grace.
- Strand's people have encountered a number of radioactive walkers like the ones seen in "Six Hours" and "Follow Me", as do Charlie and Ali.
- After going to turn off the Tower's beacon in Charlie's place, Ali is murdered by Howard for his betrayal and June puts Charlie under her protection to save Charlie, causing tensions to rise between her and Howard.
- John Sr. plans to get close to Strand in order to act as his voice of reason while June plots to do whatever it takes in order to take Strand down.