a performance as strong as her "This Land is Your Land" work. Zapanta said Alicia is "a house divided against herself" in the "powerful" episode, with "arguably a career-defining performance from Debnam-Carey". Ray Flook of Bleeding Cool considered it a "very important" episode for the character to move forward, navigating an "impressive" arc and cycle of duality and inner conflict. Praising Debnam-Carey's portrayal, Flook credited her for "almost single-handedly renewing [his] faith in where [the season] was going". Ian Sandwell of Digital Spy called the episode a "gripping showcase" for the actress, who makes "the sudden shifts [in sentiments] work", noting that the show "soars" when it gives focus to Alicia. After the fifth season premiere, Hannemann said the series has "made a definitive statement about Alicia's survival abilities, her toughness and her capacity to make decisions for not only herself, but those following her", and this along with her character journey makes her deserving of the group's leadership. In his review of season six's "Mother", Tassi lamented that Alicia has become "little more than a background character" in recent years, "but she's still got the magic when the show gives her a chance like they did", deeming the episode "one of the most compelling" the series has had in a while. Discussing the recent seasons, Kain also expressed disappointment with the character's screen time, stating that Alicia has barely featured in the story, was "neutered", and "relegated to a secondary character who ... doesn't even act like herself anymore", blaming the "short shrift" of the original cast on the series' new showrunners. Starburst magazine wrote of season seven episode "PADRE", "The return of Debnam-Carey as the impassioned and resourceful Alicia is a potent reminder of how much her recent absence has been to the show's detriment." For the episode, Paul Dailly of TV Fanatic wrote, "When your most popular character disappears for half a season, you need to bring them back in a blaze of glory, but all we got was more torment for Alicia", adding that her arm amputation was "harrowing" and she deserves better storylines while the current one needs "a considerable payoff". Jake Gleason of Screen Rant said that Morgan's expanded protagonist role over the past few seasons came at the expense of Alicia's role, which the show has possibly acknowledged in "PADRE". Christine Persaud of Screen Rant wrote in 2021: "Alicia has had the most