WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 16, "The Beginning," which aired Sunday on AMC.

Fear the Walking Dead wraps up Season 6 with a boom -- literally. "The Beginning" bounces between the various protagonists as they spend what they suspect may be their final moments in light of Teddy's nuclear missile launch. The heroes make it out alive by the episode's conclusion, but the villains aren't so lucky. As Riley and young Dakota meet their respective demises, their deaths feel oddly sad.

With Virginia gone, Teddy steps up as Season 6's new big bad. In a relatively short time, he makes quite the impact. With the hope of bringing about a new world, he shoots off one missile containing ten warheads before Morgan and Strand intervene. He recruits his followers to die for his cause. In the process, he also brainwashes Dakota into doing the same. However, John Dorie Sr. and June discover Teddy's personal, secret bunker.

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Fear the Walking Dead - Season 6 Dakota and Teddy

The revelation is shocking. Teddy has no intention of joining his followers in death as he so frequently and proudly claims. He plans to hide away in a hole by himself instead. It's selfish, deceitful and twisted, but it pairs perfectly with Teddy's serial killer backstory. When John Dorie Sr. calls him out, Teddy's quick to defend himself, saying he needs to live to enact the entirety of his plan. Dakota is devastated. She concludes that Teddy only wants her to live to be the second person to turn the missile key -- not because he really cares about her.

While John and June offer Dakota yet another chance at redemption, she refuses. She chooses to remain above ground to embrace her "true self." After John and June disappear into the bunker, Dakota turns on Teddy, shooting him before he can see his plan in motion. Although it's an unfortunate way to go for Teddy, robbing him of witnessing his destruction is the ultimate justice.

However, Dakota also perishes in the blast, which is significantly sadder. As one of Fear the Walking Dead's most tragic villains, Dakota never really gets a moment of redemption. Instead, her desperation for acceptance is preyed upon by an evil man. In the end, she dies alone with no true friends or even allies. Worst of all, she's just a teenager.

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Fear the Walking Dead - Season 6 Finale

The same can be said for Riley. Despite functioning as Teddy's second in command, he never really gets the recognition he deserves. Riley does most of Teddy's dirty work, including finding the second key and programming the warheads. He acts with no hesitation, believing in Teddy and his twisted teachings to the fullest extent. Little does he know, Teddy plans to betray them all by sending him and the other followers to their graves while he hides. After being shot by Charlie, Riley succumbs to his injuries, ignorant to Teddy's disloyalty.

Dakota and Riley are indeed villains. However, Teddy's betrayal makes their deaths oddly sad and somewhat in vain. They believed in a cause that their own leader did not. While Teddy claimed to have a significant meaning behind his destruction, he just really wanted to watch the world burn. Unfortunately, he somewhat succeeded, and in the process, he corrupted many people that may not have gone down the wrong path if not for his influence.

Fear the Walking Dead stars Lennie James, Rubén Blades, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Maggie Grace, Garret Dillahunt, Jenna Elfman, Alexa Nisenson, Karen David, Austin Amelio, Mo Collins, Zoe Colletti and Christine Evangelista. New episodes air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on AMC.

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