Everything is looking grim for the midseason finale of The Walking Dead, but I have one major question that could raise some spirits (but not in a zombie way) — when is Morgan Jones coming back to TWD and what is his deal? We saw him in the season opener, though presumably after enough time had passed for ivy to grow over Rick's edited "Terminus" signage. We are expected to see him again in this Sunday's episode of the AMC series, but which Morgan are we going to get? Will Sheriff Grimes be reunited with his old walkie talkie bro, or will Morgan become the group's next major foe?
Let's look at our set-up: The Abraham and Eugene story is winding down. We will mostly likely be leaving the hospital. I can't say I'm too glad to leave Grady Memorial behind. That place was brutal and I want my favorite characters far from it, but at least it was interesting and cannibal-free. While it would be poetic for Rick's first friend and ally on the series to become a villain, I'm not sure that's what's going to happen.
Sure, Morgan had his moment of weirdness in Season 3 when he and Rick had a brief confrontation. However, I think Morgan ultimately symbolizes some kind of hope for this show. If we are indeed going to lose a major character in Sunday's "Coda," the addition of Morgan could fill that gap and add a little optimism to the situation.
He seemed to recognize the circled "X" or cross on the tree. When I first saw that, I associated it with the medical crosses on the backs of the Grady Memorial vehicles. Now I'm not so sure. The doctors and cops in residence aren't the type to carve trees. The symbols also just plain don't match. Were Morgan to be a villain, I think he has to be part of the Terminus crew or part of a new group all together. The mask he was wearing (while most likely a protection against Walkers) was a bit too reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs for my liking.
Then again, creator and Executive Producer Robert Kirkman revealed to Entertainment Weekly, after the season premiere, that Morgan has pretty much just left King's County to find Rick and the others.
...possibly in better shape, but he’s on the road, he’s alone. You never know, we’ve got to see him interact with people. He could still be a loon. But yeah, he’s on their trail. Rick left him a map, so he knew roughly where Rick was, and it’s clear that he’s decided, 'Hey, you know, living alone in this horrible town is not for me. Maybe I do need to reenter society. Maybe I do need to find these people.' ...and it’s certainly a question as to whether he’ll meet up with them, or when he’ll meet up with them, but we’ve got a lot of big plans for the character of Morgan, so stay tuned.
In the comics, Morgan has been with the group for a while at this point as they journey towards Washington, DC. My prediction is that the arrival of Morgan will come as Rick and his remaining band of survivors decide to hit the road as well, despite what Eugene has admitted. Carl warned Father Gabriel in the previous episode that nobody could have the luxury of staying in one place anymore. It's time the show adhered to that and got moving.
Images: AMC; Giphy
