Fear the Walking Dead star Alexa Nisenson says she understands fans’ frustrations after her character, former Vulture mole Charlie, shot and killed fan-favorite Nick Clark (Frank Dillane) in Season 4. When Dillane requested to exit the series after three-and-a-half seasons, Nick engaged in a feud with Vulture Ennis (Evan Gamble), Charlie’s guardian, after the fall of the Dell Diamond Baseball Stadium community and the death of Nick’s mother Madison (Kim Dickens). As revenge for Nick’s murder of Ennis, Nick was caught off guard and gunned down by Charlie. She later expressed remorse and was forgiven by Nick’s sister Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) before assimilating into the group of do-gooders led by Morgan (Lennie James).
“A lot of fans were definitely angry, but I get it. I was really sad, too,” Nisenson said at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta. “I loved Frank so much and it was really sad to see him go, so I get where everybody was coming from.”
Now heading into Season 6, Nisenson added pulling the trigger on Nick “changed pretty much everything about Charlie,” who desperately attempts to make up for the murder by participating in the convoy that set out to help needy strangers before the group was forcibly separated by Pioneer leader Ginny (Colby Minifie).
“I think even still in Season 5, she’s trying to recover from that,” she said. “I think she’s so grateful for this group that took her in and saved her, but I think every day she’s trying to recover from that. I think it affects her in everything that she does, and every relationship that she has. So I think she’s always going to try to make up for it. Even if everybody else forgives her, I think it’s still a battle of her forgiving herself.”
After Season 4 episode “Close Your Eyes” paired a vengeful Alicia with a repentant Charlie, the 13-year-old actress said she was hopeful Charlie might one day be forgiven by the fanbase.
“You know, I’m definitely such a people person, and I really want everyone to like me. [Laughs.] And sometimes I have to remind myself that they’re angry at Charlie and not me,” Nisenson previously told Show Snob. “But I also get it because she definitely broke people’s hearts. And I hope that along the way, she can definitely really redeem herself with all of the fans because she can’t go back in time, but I love that now she’s trying to prove her worth to the ones that she hurt the most and is actually genuinely sorry and wants to make it right as much as she can.”
In 2018, Dillane admitted behind-the-scenes leadership changes and his wanting to return to Europe were behind his decision to exit Fear.
Fear the Walking Dead returns to AMC with its sixth season sometime in 2020.
New episodes of The Walking Dead Season 10 premiere Sundays at 9/8c on AMC. For more TWD intel, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter.