'Fear the Walking Dead' season 3 air date, plot news update: Series returns in 2017; estranged characters reunite

At its very core, "Fear the Walking Dead" is a story about family with Travis and Madison's (Kim Dickens) brood being at the center of it all. But while the final scenes of the season 2 finale offered hope for an eventual reunion with Madison's prodigal son, Nick (Frank Dillane), that hope was quickly crushed by an unexpected turn of events.

And while Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) had always been the most understanding and level-headed member of the family, how long could she possibly last before eventually breaking under the combined pressures of the post-apocalyptic world and her dysfunctional family? Also, will Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) and Strand (Coleman Domingo) ever find their way back into group, and if so then how?

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Dave Erickson said the estranged characters of "Fear the Walking Dead" will ultimately be reunited as the third season progresses through its narrative course.

"I think a lot of those threads will start to come together. And we will hopefully have a Madison/Nick reunion at some point," Erickson said.

Erickson also teased the possible return of Ofelia's father, Daniel (Rubén Blades) who was last seen surrounded by flames at the Valle de Guadalupe, and whose fate seemed to have been left open to possibilities since he was never shown to have actually died in the flames.

The executive producer said that the other characters' assumption that Daniel was dead would play a significant role in the upcoming season, and that Ofelia's father just might reemerge later in the story.

Fans of the prequel series to the massively popular "The Walking Dead" will have to wait for the third season to know how each character's fate will progress. In the meantime, Anchor Bay Entertainment will be releasing "Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season" on Dec. 13 in Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD versions.

"Fear the Walking Dead" season 3 will air sometime in 2017. Meanwhile the much awaited seventh season of its companion series, "The Walking Dead" will take over "Fear's" 9 p.m. EDT time slot starting on Sunday, Oct. 23 on AMC.