WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 12, "In Dreams," which aired Sunday on AMC.
WARNING: This article discusses sensitive topics relating to pregnancy, including infancy loss.
While last week's episode of Fear the Walking Dead formally debuted The End is the Beginning group, Episode 12 switches gears to deliver an emotional, character-driven storyline. "In Dreams" uses a unique dream sequence -- uncharacteristic for Fear -- to introduce Grace's unborn daughter as a teenager. The fantastical moment allows them to interact, but, in reality, Grace is unconscious after a car explosion. Realizing she likely won't live through childbirth, the dream allows her to say her goodbyes to her daughter and Morgan. However, in the episode's conclusion, Grace's goodbyes aren't for herself -- they're for another character.
"In Dreams" picks up with an unconscious Grace waking up in a strange field filled with pinkish trees. She is saved by a teenage girl, Athena, who Grace later learns in her unborn daughter. Athena leads Grace back to Morgan's community to see a doctor. Right away, things are strange. Morgan, sporting white hair and a beard, is clearly much older and has no memory of Grace. A walk-through of the community also reveals older versions of other Fear the Walking Dead protagonists, including June, Daniel and Strand. Once Grace convinces Morgan of who she is, he informs her that she died more than a decade ago in childbirth.
The situation is eery and unbelievable, but Grace uses it as an opportunity to bond with the daughter she never got to meet. Through a series of events, Grace realizes she is still alive in the present but unconscious after a car explosion caused by The End is the Beginning group. However, she believes -- contrary to what she first thought -- that her daughter, Athena, is real too. Somehow the two of them are tethered and able to exist in this unusual plane of existence. Grace explains all this to Athena, and after hearing Morgan's disembodied voice, the teenager is on board with the theory.
However, the situation becomes dire. Through hearing snippets of the real world, Grace concludes Morgan is in trouble. He is held up in a veterinary clinic with Grace's unconscious body as Riley from The End is the Beginning and a few of his lackeys close in. They are after the mysterious key Morgan found after taking it from the bounty hunter Emile earlier in Season 6. As such, Grace knows she has to wake up to help Morgan and ensure Athena is born.
Aside from a maternal desire to see her baby safe, Grace believes Athena is the key to Morgan's success. In the dream sequence, Athena refers to Morgan as her father. So, not only does Athena give Morgan something to fight for, but she also represents hope for future generations in the apocalyptic world. In an emotional scene, Grace says her goodbyes to Athena and a futuristic Morgan. She's accepted her fate, believing she will die in childbirth. In flashes to the real world, Morgan is performing CPR on Grace. But just as all seems hopeless, Grace finally regains consciousness.
After dealing with Riley, Grace encourages Morgan to hand over the key based on the visions she had in her dream state. While Morgan's not entirely convinced with Grace's predictions, Grace remains adamant she's going to have a girl. In the episode's conclusion, Grace does have a girl, but Athen is stillborn. Grace has struggled with the effects of radiation since her exposure in Season 5. She's also experienced severe bodily harm, including the car explosion in this episode. While the exact cause of Athena's death is unclear, it's an absolutely heartbreaking discovery nonetheless.
As Grace holds her baby, she comes to the shocking realization. "What I saw, they weren't my last moments. They were hers," she chokes out between tears to Morgan. Unfortunately, the unusual, dream-like episode of Fear the Walking Dead ends with the unexpected death of a character that audiences -- and Grace -- only got to meet in a dream. While Grace might have interpreted the "dream" wrong, she got one thing right. She and Athena were deeply connected.
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.