The main characters may be in need of a new leader in Fear the Walking Dead season 7 – and the best person for the job may be none other than Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades). Since season 4, the group’s de facto leader has been Morgan Jones (Lennie James), but it may not stay that way.
Daniel, the torturer-turned-barber, has had an interesting journey that started at the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse in Fear the Walking Dead season 1. After experiencing challenge after challenge alongside the Clark family and all the others, Daniel went his own way in the season 3 finale. His path and that of the surviving characters didn’t coincide again until season 5, when he slowly reconciled with Strand (Colman Domino) and joined Morgan’s group. He’s been around ever since, having played an important role in the battle against Virginia (Colby Minifie) and the Pioneers in season 6.
Daniel, who is still integral to Fear TWD, could have even more to do in season 7. Because of the nuclear apocalypse caused by Teddy (John Glover), a handful of the characters that are currently split off from the main group may not be reuniting with the rest of them for quite some time. One of these people is Morgan, who is still near the submarine with Grace (Karen David). Since staying underground and away from the nuclear fallout may call for a time skip, it may be a long time before the whole group can reunite. A prolonged separation does seem likely, given that the showrunners have already confirmed that the series will keep its anthology format (which was made possible by the main characters being scattered for most of season 6). What all this means is that for the time being, Morgan can’t be relied on to provide leadership.
If that’s the case, the characters who boarded the CRM helicopter (and any other members they end up picking up) will have to look to someone else to make the hard calls. The Fear the Walking Dead season 6 finale gave ample reason for Daniel to be the one who gets this role. For the past few episodes, Daniel’s judgment has been impeded by memory issues, but he stopped letting them hold him back in the finale. Everyone around him had agreed to listen to Rollie (Cory Hart) when he said he was taking them to safety, but Daniel saw through the deception and killed Rollie without batting an eye. The others were shocked at his split-second decision, which was based on Daniel’s own instincts. It was in this moment that he rediscovered his confidence and began to trust himself again.
Killing Rollie in Fear TWD‘s season 6 finale proved to be the right thing to do, because it turned out that he really was leading them into a trap. Daniel’s quick-thinking is a quality that a good leader needs, and in the finale, that aspect of his character saved all their lives. Given the tough road that’s ahead of them, Daniel’s ability to react appropriately in life-or-death situations makes him the best choice to be their leader going forward.
Looking back at all the hardships he’s had to endure in six seasons and everything he’s contributed, Daniel Salazar rising up and taking charge feels like a logical course for Fear the Walking Dead to take with his story, especially if it’s true that Strand is Fear’s next villain. Their complicated relationship has taken a number of twists-and-turns over the years, so having the two butt heads as leaders of rival groups could be the culmination of their long-standing rivalry.
