Sumith Prasad
The tenth episode of AMC’s post-apocalyptic series ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ season 7, titled ‘Mourning Cloak,’ centers around Ali, who aspires to become a ranger for Victor Strand. As he prepares to be one, Ali encounters Charlie, who arrives at the Tower for safety. She tells Howard that she was expecting to stay at Victor’s haven under the secret care of Grace or June. Charlie’s unforeseen arrival paves the way for severe consequences at the place. Since the episode ends with alarming and nuanced developments, we have decoded the same! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 10 Recap
‘Mourning Cloak’ begins with Howard asking Ali to capture the eponymous rare butterfly from the premise of the Tower to show his dedication. Upon capturing it, Ali comes across Charlie and holds her at gunpoint. John identifies her and lets Howard know that she is a member of Morgan’s group. They take her to the Tower to interrogate her. She reveals that she came to the Tower looking for better living conditions, expecting to live secretly at the building with the assistance of Grace or June. To convince Howard that she can be a useful addition to Victor’s sanctuary, she volunteers to do a suicide mission. Howards asks Ali to accompany Charlie to get to the bottom of her real intention behind coming to their community
Ali and Charlie set out to find elevator parts to fix the elevators in the Tower. When they come across the Stalkers, they take a detour to reach a building. Charlie goes inside the building to find the parts. The Stalkers, meanwhile, encounter Ali and force him to enter the building full of walkers. He manages to escape from the Stalkers by leading the walkers to them. He meets Charlie, who tries her best to take the board of an elevator in the building.
She reveals to him that she really came to the Tower to turn off the beacon to clear the walkers for Morgan to rescue Grace and Mo. Upon listening to Charlie’s real intention, he traps her in the elevator and leads a group of walkers to its door. However, she convinces him to rescue her upon telling him that she is not going to proceed with her plan. Ali eventually frees her but she passes out due to radiation exposure.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 10 Ending: Is Ali Dead or Alive? Does He Turn Off the Beacon?
Yes, Ali is dead. When he realizes that Charlie is nothing but an enemy to the Tower and Victor, he traps her and decides to return alone. However, Charlie lets him know that there’s a world out there for them to get together. She tells him that they can share a life far away from both Victor and Morgan. Charlie’s wish to be with him tempts Ali. Rather than obsessing over becoming a ranger for Victor, he starts to think about love and intimacy. Her words conquer his heart, leading him to free her. Upon returning to the Tower, he promises Charlie that he will turn off the beacon for her.
For Ali, becoming a ranger has been an escape plan. He wanted a purpose to continue living after his father’s death. Charlie makes him realize that he deserves better. When Charlie becomes anxious about turning off the beacon, he accepts to do it. His love for her gives him the courage to turn against Victor. To ease her worries, Ali climbs to the terrace of the Tower to turn off the beacon, only to encounter Howard. Realizing that he had joined the enemy, Howard tosses him out to the ground, killing him, before he could turn off the light. The love he longs to share with Charlie forever turns out to be deadly as it cuts short his life.
Does Howard Kill Charlie?
No, Howard does not kill Charlie. When Ali returned to the Tower with Charlie, Howard becomes suspicious of both of them. He realizes that Ali is hiding something from him, which gets confirmed when he tries to turn off the beacon. After ensuring his death, Howard rushes to kill Charlie. In Victor’s absence, he cannot tolerate an enemy’s presence in the Tower, which leads him to find and put an end to the life of the girl. However, June comes in between Howard and Charlie. She lets him know that Charlie is under her protection, which leaves Howard powerless. A fight against June is nothing but a one-way road to failure for the Tower’s deputy leader.
June is an extremely significant member of Victor’s community. As a nurse, she is invaluable. When Howard tries to kill Charlie despite June’s opposition, the latter warns him that harming her or Charlie will pave the way for severe consequences. Knowing that June’s service is essential for the healthcare of the survivors living in his community, Howard decides to not displease her. June uses her service as a weapon to save Charlie from the deputy leader, who backs off from harming the girl. Charlie, who is already dying slowly due to her radiation exposure, becomes June’s responsibility as the latter swears to protect her.
Read More: Will Alicia Die in Fear the Walking Dead Season 7? [Theories]
