Fear the Walking Dead season 8 episode 8 recap: “Iron Tiger”

Fear the Walking Dead is one step closer to the biggest fight of their lives. Troy Otto may or may not survive the series but he is going to give all he’s got and bring Madison to her knees if it’s the last thing he does.

Revenge is something the man can’t let go of and nothing is ever going to come easy where Madison is concerned. However, Troy has to get through much more than Madison, and “Iron Tiger” shows just how far everyone in Madison’s circle will go to protect PADRE. It’s much bigger than just Madison and Alicia’s memory is the driving force to the higher power of PADRE.

Daniel, Strand, and Madison are searching for oil tankers because they have a low fuel reserve. To protect PADRE against Troy and his people they will need the oil before Troy brings the fight to their door. Madison thinks it’s a waste of time and that they should take the fight to Troy and end this now. But Daniel doesn’t think revenge is the answer right now. He knows firsthand what Madison is going through after Troy’s responsibility in killing his daughter Ofelia.

"“Madison..he took a daughter away from me too. I know what you’re feeling. But first, we do what we need to do to protect the island. Then we make Troy wish he had died back at the dam.”"

The group heads into an old gas station with a good dose of supplies. “Take what you need, leave what you don’t.” Those words are all too familiar to them and Daniel doesn’t know who would want to resurrect that. They’ve never had much luck with gas stations but luckily this time is different.

Troy’s plan to get into Madison’s head is working like a charm. All of the dead with missing arms Madison comes across, she fears is Alicia. She wants to put her daughter to rest but this is all a mind game to Troy. Alicia may not even be dead and this could be one big ploy to stay inside Madison’s mind. After all, would Troy truly kill Nick’s sister?

The infected are quickly approaching and Madison stares at one of the dead missing a left arm. Her guard is down and the clan of walkers break through the gas station window. They weren’t in dire need of rescuing but they were still saved but none other than Luciana. And nobody is happier to see her than Daniel. He thought he had lost all his family and here Luci is in the flesh. But her demeanor is very standoffish. The reunion between her, Daniel, Madison, and Strand is very emotionless and a matter of fact. But for Luciana, it has to be this way.

Madison is now beating herself up for not looking for Alicia. Strand tries to reassure her because they all thought she was gone. As her mother Madison knows she should have sensed something. Alicia has been alive this whole time and she could have been out there looking for her and now wasting her time with PADRE’s broken promises.

Luciana is holding her feelings at bay but there is a hug between her and Madison that shows you how much she cares. Madison apologizes for trashing her place but she knows what Troy has done to Alicia and there’s nothing to apologize for. Luci lets them know there are fresh supplies in the back if they need them. They are grateful but it’s not exactly what they came looking for.

Where has Luciana been all these years?

PADRE brought Luciana in seven years ago when they realized what she was capable of. She was not exactly given a choice and they used the people she loved against her. To keep them protected she gave PADRE what they wanted much like June had to do previously. They threatened the lives that meant the most to her and Luciana asked for Daniel’s freedom in exchange for making gas.

PADRE believed Daniel to be too old to be useful for them and because of Luciana’s actions that is the sole reason that PADRE abandoned him at the swamp. Daniel is of course surprised and very grateful she saved his life. It is a chain of events because in doing so by Luciana, Daniel has gone on to create an army that’s in turn saved so many lives.

Luciana was never seen at PADRE because she worked in the shadows. Not only did she protect Daniel but she has spent her days helping people in need with outposts with supplies. She has a network of supply posts from there to Arizona. If Luciana was going to refine gas for them she wanted to do her part in helping others survive. She allows them to have the gas as long as Troy doesn’t figure out anything about her operation.

Who is the Iron Tiger?

Luciana is very protective about her operation and must stay loyal to the people who help run it. Daniel is disheartened he wants to spend more time with Luciana but it doesn’t seem possible. When a tanker rolls in Luciana becomes very shifty and tells her man to tell Iron Tiger to wait.

Madison and Strand think she could work with Troy and Daniel steps outside to prove them wrong. He knows Luciana wouldn’t lie to him and he is correct but it’s not what they think. Speaking of another person we all thought was dead out comes Charlie from the truck.

Charlie is a vital piece to Luciana’s operation and she was trying to protect her. Madison still doesn’t know that Charlie was the one who shot and killed her son. But all that quickly unravels and there’s nothing more Luciana can do to guard Charlie against it.

“Madison….you’re alive?”

PADRE had treated Charlie’s radiation poisoning but she was too risky to keep on the island so they gave her to Luciana. With both Charlie and Madison alive they reach a point of no return. They must tell Madison. Strand kept the truth from Madison because he thought Charlie was dead and there was no reason to open those wounds up.

Charlie has no problem admitting she is the one responsible for Nick’s death. She carries nothing but guilt and remorse for pulling the trigger. She was young and scared and made a crucial mistake that she wouldn’t ever forgive herself for. But now, she’s trying to do right by Nick and make his death mean something.

Madison has no empathy for how sorry she may be and goes after her. Instead of bashing Charlie’s head in she goes to bash the heads of the dead. The best acting of the series comes in the next moment. Madison is of course blaming herself for bringing Charlie into the stadium. Had she not, Nick might still be here. Had she truly killed Troy as she thought, Alicia might be here. She plays the game of what if’s in her head but there is nothing that changes the mistakes of the past.

“Make it mean something.”

Strand and Madison are back to being the most dynamic duo in the show. The bond they are is always beautiful to watch even if we all wanted to strangle Strand in the last episode. The love these two have for each other is always touching to watch.

Charlie apologizes once more to Madison for taking Nick away from her. Even Strand tells Madison that Alicia was the first one to forgive Charlie. Madison isn’t sure she can, and nobody is asking her to. Charlie explains that she has bottled all that pain and guilt and tried to turn it into something good. And that without Nick’s death what she and Luciana are doing wouldn’t be possible. So while Nick may be gone his story continues in all their lives and is the driving force in making the world a better place.

Charlie asks Madison desperately if there’s anything she can do to make things right other than what she has been doing. And there is. Killing Troy. “You took the stadium from me, you took my son from me, this is the least you can do.”

Strand doesn’t like the thought of it. Charlie has already been through so much but kind of an inconsistent time for him to grow a conscious.

Daniel is unhappy with how the events turned out. He just got Charlie back and now must watch her leave. Charlie has come a long way and doesn’t need any protection. She wants to do this for Madison and she needs to do it for herself.

Daniel wants to stay with Luciana but the operation comes first. And with what just happened to Charlie is further proof of why she stays away. He wanted to stay with Luciana until Charlie got back but Luciana turned him away. A part of him is heartbroken but he understands there is a bigger picture here.

When Madison finds Nick’s ashes she has a quick change of heart and regrets sending Charlie off into the fire. Luciana informs Madison that Charlie once wanted to see where they buried Nick. She knew Nick deserved something better and they dug him up and cremated what they could of him and brought him back. Charlie thought Madison would know where to bury him. But by the time Madison calls out to Charlie, it’s too late. Troy found her.

Charlie tries to exchange fuel with Troy but he’s not interested in bargaining for something he can just take. He’s not wrong to not trust a stranger but when Madison’s voice comes across the radio he’s even less trusting.

Charlie finds herself in a hole she can’t get out of and Troy takes her in as collateral.

In the end, Madison gets her way and they take the fight to Troy to rescue Charlie. She is soon bound to a chair with glass surrounding her, so if she runs she’s not getting far. Death seems imminent.

Charlie is still fearless and refuses to give Troy what he wants to know where PADRE is but all Charlie can offer up is a map in the tanker truck that lists all the drop sites. Before he can check it the tanker goes up in flames. It was all part of Charlie’s plan.

Troy holds Charlie at gunpoint as he speaks to Madison on the radio. She urges him not to hurt Charlie which leaves Troy perplexed. Why is she now protecting the girl who killed her son?

He doesn’t care about the girl and is set to release her as long as Madison gives up the coordinates to PADRE. Charlie yells out to Madison to not tell Troy and he quickly pushes her over onto the glass. Daniel is furious and wants to strangle him with his bare hands. They soon meet Troy in front of the hotel to make the exchange.

“Why do you care so much about PADRE?”

Madison took everything from Troy so now he wants to take everything from her. Yes, he wants a safe place to live but taking a community from Madison is the biggest reward of all. Charlie begs her not to give up PADRE for her but Madison tells her the choice isn’t up to her.

Just as Strand is about to lead Troy to the island Charlie steps up and kills one of Troy’s men to put a stop to this. She’s not going to watch another place fall because of her.

Madison is seconds away from giving Troy the map but Charlie takes her future in her hands and takes away Troy’s leverage. She places a gun underneath her jaw and memories of Alicia flash into her mind before she pulls the trigger.

The deal is now off but Troy has an even bigger problem on his hands. A child is missing and he grows frantic quickly. After what just happened to Charlie Madison goes to help not wanting another child’s death on her hands.

It’s not long before Madison figures out this child is his and he’s been cutting off arms to make her think every dead she crosses could be Alicia. Any empathy she had is now gone, now Troy can realize what it’s like to miss a daughter. It is also revealed that Troy blames Madison for the death of the mother of his child, the one who saved him from the dam. What else don’t we know about Madison’s past?

With Charlie gone Daniel no longer believes in Madison’s redemption. He doesn’t think she’s changed and can no longer support her cause. Luciana still gives Madison the tanker but it’s the last she will be getting. Due to her focused revenge her operation is now compromised by Troy. She did change her mind but it was too little too late. Daniel is furious with her and decides to go with Luciana. PADRE will now have to make do with him and his army.

Madison knows she can’t return to PADRE after what she’s done. Strand will have to go alone to protect it. Which doesn’t seem like the greatest idea given his last dictatorship. She hands over the keys to Strand and just like that Madison walks away from what she was building. All that she promised Mo. Strand tries to tell her this is bigger than her, this is for all their children but it falls on deaf ears.

What does this mean for Madison? Only time will tell but she may have set off to find Alicia once and for all. Fear the Walking Dead is back next week for Episode 9. Stay tuned to find out!