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Fear The Walking Dead has always been separated from the main show by a large geographical distance, but PADRE and Alexandria are surprisingly close.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Fear The Walking Dead season 8, episode 4.As Fear The Walking Dead finally falls in sync with its parent series, questions arise over exactly how close season 8's PADRE setting is to The Walking Dead's Alexandria Safe-Zone. Ever since premiering in 2015, Fear The Walking Dead has been separated from The Walking Dead not only by time, but by distance. In addition to being a prequel - more or less - Fear The Walking Dead situated itself on the West Coast, while The Walking Dead remained all the way east in Virginia, Georgia, and the surrounding areas. Whereas The Walking Dead remained relatively static during its 11-season run, however, Fear The Walking Dead gradually crept across the United States.

The Clark family's journey began in California, then wandered east with each passing season, taking in Tijuana, Mexico, and Texas. Fear The Walking Dead season 7's ending found Morgan in Louisiana - a significant departure from the spinoff's LA beginnings. The geographical plot thickens in Fear The Walking Dead season 8, episode 4, "King County," when Morgan travels from PADRE to King County, Georgia, where The Walking Dead season 1 took place. The speed with which this journey is made by both the heroes and PADRE's soldiers suggests Fear The Walking Dead is now closer to Alexandria than one might think.

PADRE Is Surprisingly Close To The Walking Dead's Alexandria

King County is a fictional location in The Walking Dead's universe, but Rick Grimes' movements during season 1 place it a little way south of Atlanta, Georgia. Fear The Walking Dead's PADRE scenes are filmed in Savannah, Georgia, which would equate to a car journey of a little over four hours. This would explain how characters move between the two locations so quickly in Fear The Walking Dead season 8. Alexandria is located in the real-life city of the same name in Virginia, almost directly north from Savannah. This journey would take marginally north of eight hours - effectively double the trip to King County.

While an eight-hour journey is still quite the undertaking during a zombie apocalypse, it's nothing compared to the gulf that previously separated Fear The Walking Dead from The Walking Dead. To put these distances into perspective, in the time Morgan made his round trip from PADRE to King County and back again, he could have driven up to Alexandria. Morgan has, since switching shows, expressed regret about walking out on his old community, but a reunion is now more feasible than ever.

The Walking Dead's PADRE Location Risks An Alexandria Plot Hole

Regardless of whether PADRE really is, as Fear The Walking Dead season 8 heavily implies, located in Savannah, Georgia, the villainous community is evidently close to King County. Close enough for Dwight and Sherry to greet their son by the time he reaches shore, and close enough for Morgan to get a bitten Grace back to PADRE before reanimation. By extension, that inevitably puts Alexandria within touching distance. Hilltop, which is located further south in Culpeper, Virginia would be even closer by around 30 minutes. The gas Morgan used to travel to and from King County would have perhaps been better spent reuniting with the likes of Daryl, Carol and Maggie.

Morgan surely knows that asking Alexandria and Hilltop for help would mean a far stronger chance of liberating Mo and the other children from PADRE. Ignoring the obvious real-life limitations of Fear The Walking Dead as a spinoff, uncertainty is perhaps the true in-universe reason Morgan refuses to return home. After more than 7 years away, Morgan cannot be sure Alexandria and Hilltop are still standing. His old friends may be fighting villains of their own. For all Morgan knows, Rick Grimes could have been captured by a shady military organization. These doubts may be detering Morgan from driving those extra few hours.

Fear The Walking Dead continues Sunday on AMC.

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