Sumith Prasad
Althea “Al” Szewczyk-Przygocki is a “storyteller” and journalist in AMC’s post-apocalyptic series ‘Fear the Walking Dead.’ She documents the life sagas of people she encounters after the world collapsed due to the zombie apocalypse. Althea’s life takes a turn when the Civic Republic Military (CRM) becomes an unignorable presence in her life. With the help of Morgan Jones, she is forced to make a decision concerning her future, which dictates the character’s fate in the show as well. Althea disappears from Morgan and his allies’ lives a while after Teddy launches the nuclear warheads! SPOILERS AHEAD.
A Couple on the Run
When Teddy launches the nuclear warheads, Althea seeks the help of her love interest and a CRM pilot Isabelle to rescue Daniel Salazar and several others from perishing. Isabelle’s actions provoke the CRM to hunt down the former using a reclamation team, forcing the pilot to seek refuge in a cabin in Colorado. Althea encounters two CRM soldiers who are looking for Isabelle, only for her to team up with Morgan and Grace Mukherjee to put an end to their threat. Althea then plans to continue her journey of telling stories but Morgan makes her reconsider her decision. After thinking about the same, she decides that it is time for her to choose a new pathway in life.
Using a CRM helicopter, Althea flies to Isabelle’s cabin in Colorado. She reunites with the pilot and decides to pursue their relationship on the run, all while hiding themselves from the military organization’s radar. Upon uniting with her partner, the journalist smashes her camera, which makes it clear that she doesn’t intend to remain a storyteller/journalist anymore. Together, they disappear not only from Morgan and their allies’ lives but also from the watchful eyes of the military organization for their safety.
Maggie Grace’s Exit From Fear the Walking Dead
Maggie Grace left ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ due to the conclusion of her character Althea’s story arc. Since the journalist decides to cherish her relationship with Isabelle on the run, it is evident that she cannot remain with the principal characters of the series, which justifies her disappearance. Considering that Althea gets separated from the general setting of the series, Grace’s exit isn’t a surprise. “This episode marks Al’s last appearance this season,” co-showrunner Andrew Chambliss said about Grace’s final appearance in the sixth episode of season 7 in ‘Fear the Walking Dead: Episode Insider.’
“We see her [Althea] in these stolen moments that she had with Isabelle just before the bombs went off. It speaks to the way that Isabelle is able to get at who Al really is,” Chambliss said in the aftershow. “One of the last scenes between Al and Morgan is an interview where Morgan says he saved Al’s life, so she owes him an interview […]. He’s asking her these questions because he wants her to have to confront the fact that she’s the obstacle standing in the way right now between her reunion with Isabelle, the woman she loves,” the co-showrunner added.
Althea and Isabelle’s union is a rare “happy ending,’ as far as ‘The Walking Dead’ universe is concerned. “While we’re giving them the ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ version of a happy ending, we wanted to be clear that it wasn’t going to be easy. We kind of landed on this idea of having Al’s interview that she had done with Isabelle to be playing in the background. It spoke to Isabelle’s love for Al, that she’s in this cabin watching this tape and she’s obviously still thinking about her. But at the same time, it allowed someone to voice all the practical concerns that they would have to face,” Chambliss added.
After leaving the post-apocalyptic drama, Grace appears in ‘The Secret Art of Human Flight,’ H.P. Mendoza’s film about a grieving widower’s attempt to master the power to fly with the help of a self-help book from the dark web. The actress is also a part of the cast of Jeff Celentano’s upcoming thriller movie ‘Blackwater Lane.’
Read More: Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Finale Ending, Explained: Is Alicia Alive?
