In the latest season of AMC’s hit series Fear the Walking Dead, viewers witnessed June’s quest for redemption and the disturbing experiments conducted by the enigmatic organization known as PADRE. The showrunners, Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, recently shed light on June’s journey and the role these experiments will play in the upcoming episodes.

June, portrayed by Jenna Elfman, has endured a tumultuous season 7, desperately trying to maintain order within the tower and grappling with the guilt of past events. Fate led her to PADRE, where her healing abilities and nursing skills were twisted and exploited. Her desire to assist the children there became a tool used against her, turning her into a cog in the machine, much like Morgan’s recent experience.

The pivotal moment for June came with the loss of someone who held a significant place in her heart, akin to a daughter figure. Driven by grief and a newfound resolve, June chose isolation and embarked on a mission to prevent collectors from capturing children. Her chosen method: removing their trigger fingers, symbolically stripping them of power. However, this action backfired when June herself fell victim to the consequences, jeopardizing her ability to wield the cherished guns she carried from the previous season.

Regarding the experiments, Chambliss and Goldberg emphasized their substantial role in the ongoing season. The fallout from these trials will begin to unfold, taking the storyline to new depths. While PADRE claims to have the children’s best interests at heart, their experiments diverge from their philosophy of ensuring safety by separating them from human connection. The shocking scene where an innocent child, Finch, was bitten to test the experimental treatment underscored the brutal nature of PADRE’s endeavors.

“The fact that Shrike is willing to literally lay a bite on Finch, this innocent kid, for the sake of this experiment — and we all know how walker bites work — that’s probably not going to work out very well. But she’s willing to take the risk,” Goldman said. “And as we get further into it, we see that there is some more moral and emotional complexity there in terms of why PADRE wants to do this.”

The creative team behind Fear the Walking Dead carefully deliberated the staging of this distressing moment. From initial script discussions to post-production, they aimed to strike the right balance between effectively portraying PADRE’s brutality and maintaining the narrative’s integrity. The consequences of this event ripple through the lives of Dwight and Sherry, who were held captive and forced to witness what seemed like a death sentence for their son.

The fallout from Finch’s bite has significant implications for June, increasing the pressure on her to find a successful treatment. The upcoming episodes will explore the strength of love and familial bonds, emphasizing the bittersweet nature of such connections. As the narrative unfolds, the challenges faced by Dwight and Sherry as parents will be further exacerbated as PADRE’s intrusion disrupts the family they had hoped to build.

Dwight and Sherry’s journey over the past seven years, spanning their time in The Walking Dead and their eventual reunion on Fear the Walking Dead, has been fraught with difficulty. They endured the trials of the Sanctuary, the manipulations of Negan, and the subsequent separation. Last season, they found hope, only to have it shattered when PADRE entered their lives. Season 8 pushes their resilience to the limit, as they face one setback after another, testing their relationship in unprecedented ways.

“So much of this season really is about the strength of love and familial bonds and it being a double-edged sword, where some really amazing things can come from it but it’s also filled with the possibility of pain,” Chambliss said.

Fear the Walking Dead continues to captivate audiences with its gripping storyline and complex character development. As the season progresses, viewers can expect further revelations about June’s path to redemption and the unsettling experiments conducted by PADRE, promising a compelling and emotionally charged narrative that explores the depths of human resilience.