Sumith Prasad
The seventh season of AMC’s post-apocalyptic series ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ principally revolves around the mystery of PADRE. After coming out of Teddy’s bunker, Alicia leads a large group of people to PADRE without exactly knowing where or what it is. She believes that the place will be a haven for her followers but her efforts to find the place comes to an end when the walker Senator Vazquez leads her and her people to the Tower. Alicia then thinks that PADRE is not real. However, the seventh season finale reveals that PADRE is real through Madison. So, what and where exactly is PADRE? Let’s find out! SPOILERS AHEAD.
What and Where is PADRE?
PADRE is a safe community that exists in the eponymous unknown location. According to Alicia, PADRE is the safest community after the nuclear explosions “with plans to rebuild” and “resources to do it.” Through Madison, Morgan comes to know that the community is trying to build a new civilization for the future. PADRE also follows strict confidential policies. Even Madison, who has been living in PADRE, seemingly hasn’t met the authoritarian figures of the community yet. The community possesses adequate weaponry and human resources to safeguard the same. As Madison indicates, the leaders and members are highly potent.
Alicia initially thinks that PADRE is Padre Island in Texas, only for Will to remind her that the location is too obvious for a classified community. The seventh season finale indicates that the community is in Louisiana or a location away from Texas for that matter since the community is in a radiation-free region. Since Morgan and Madison are taken to PADRE in a boat, there’s a possibility that PADRE is an island. However, Lea and Frank’s map shows that it is an inland location, though the credibility of the map is questionable. Considering that the boat carrying Morgan and Madison travel towards an enormous ship, PADRE can even be the same ship.
Why Does PADRE Steal Kids?
PADRE has several “collectors,” including Madison, who steal kids from the land. The community is building a new civilization with kids, referred to as “eggs,” without any familial connections. PADRE believes against the system of family and chooses to nourish children without anyone other than the community dictating their upbringing and identity. Considering the community’s policies, PADRE may be trying to build a closed society with “usable” human resources. The authoritarian figures of PADRE can be stealing the kids to raise a community of people who will never question them even if they are asked to die.
It is easy for an authoritarian regime to raise an obedient community by imposing disciplinary measures on children rather than rebellious adults. The leaders of PADRE can be doing the same. Since Madison reveals to Morgan that Ava cannot live in PADRE after her delivery further explains how the community doesn’t want more adults in it. PADRE can be building a new world order with the stolen kids, possibly drilled according to the needs and wants of the leaders of the community.
Another possible reason behind the stealing of the kids can be PADRE’s desire to build a community strictly for the future. As Alicia believes, PADRE has unimaginable resources with them. The leaders of the community may want to use the resources on children, who have a longer life remaining for them. Rather than using the resources for people who will possibly die in the next twenty to thirty years, currently living way past their prime, they may want kids who have eighty or ninety years left in the world to make use of the same to become potent adults.
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