I asked the 'Fear TWD' showrunners about the show's baiting Madison tweet teasing a potential character return. They seemed as surprised as fans to learn about it.

• The "Fear TWD" Twitter handle has been teasing a possible return of a character long thought dead.
• A recent tweet asked fans to mute the names "Madison" and "Kim Dickens" "so nothing gets spoiled."
• When asked to explain, co-showrunner Andrew Chambliss said it was the first he was hearing of this.

I had a bone to pick with the "Fear the Walking Dead" showrunners.

When I had the opportunity to catch up with Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg this past week over Zoom to discuss the show's mid-season premiere, I wasn't originally planning to ask them about Madison (Kim Dickens) - the fan-favorite who was seemingly killed off the show in 2018, but who may secretly still be alive somewhere in the zombie apocalypse.

But then this tweet from early April was brought to my attention.

In part, it read, "Mute these terms on Twitter so nothing gets spoiled."

Included in those terms were the names Madison and Kim Dickens.

One of the show's former protagonists, Madison was seemingly killed off the show on season four when she sacrificed herself to a group of the undead in order to save her friends and family. Though we never saw her death onscreen, it was presumed she was torn apart by walkers.

The tweet sent some fans into a tizzy, with many wondering if it meant we could see Madison's return soon or if the account was simply trolling its loyal viewers.

"Why do they keep teasing us about Madison though? :( they keep trolling us and this isn't fair. We want Madison back and they know that but they keep trolling ;(," tweeted one fan.

"After having watched Season 6 Episode 8, I think this is a genuinely disgusting abuse of fans who want to see Kim Dickens return, and after being a long-standing fan I'm appalled enough to no longer watch. I can't stand up for this garbage anymore. Smdh," tweeted another in response to the show's post about mute terms.

Many responses wondered if the show account was baiting fans.

So I asked Chambliss and Goldberg about it.

When asked if they could explain the tweet and if the account was trying to troll fans, Goldberg said, "All we can tell you is we don't control the 'Fear' Twitter account. We don't put the terms up there."

The two didn't even seem aware that this is something the social account was doing, as Chambliss added, "This is the first time I'm hearing about it."

That in itself is frustrating to hear, especially if there is some sort of plan in place to bring Dickens back at some point. It's the sort of thing that you don't want spoiled as a fan - but likewise, you don't want to continue to be teased about it if it never comes to fruition.

When asked if there is a Madison update and whether or not they have been speaking with Dickens at all, Chambliss said, "If there was something to say, we wouldn't say it."

That response was a lot more reserved than what the two told me last fall.

The showrunners have thought about bringing Madison back

When asked about the chances of whether we'll see Dickens again - even if it were just in a flashback - Chambliss told Insider in November 2020, "It's definitely something we talk about."

When asked point-blank if Madison is dead, Goldberg teased, at the time, "Well, we never saw her body."

"Madison herself said, 'No one's gone until they're gone,'" Goldberg added, referencing the final line of dialogue the character said on the series before lighting a stadium full of the undead ablaze.

"Fear TWD" started filming its seventh season this past week.

From my conversations with the duo and a separate conversation with Scott Gimple last fall, it seems like they may very well want to bring Dickens back, but it's a matter of scheduling and/or convincing the actress to return.

Could Dickens stroll up on set at some point? Maybe.

Personally, I'd love to see a crossover where Madison is revealed to be at the Commonwealth on "The Walking Dead"; however, Chambliss told me last week that, as of right now, they "don't have any plans for another crossover in the works."

At this point, the likelihood of Dickens' return seems like a coin flip.

You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here.