This episode of The Walking Dead was amazing. I really don’t know how they managed to pull this one out of their hat and at the perfect time too. Scott Gimple really knows how to craft great character episodes. If you don’t know, he also wrote ‘What’s Happened and What’s Going On.” That was the episode Tyrese was killed and we learned what happens to a person psychologically when the die from a bite. This is the episode where we learn Morgan’s back story and why he became the peaceful man we know today.
We start the episode with Morgan talking to the wolf about his past. He explains that he was so far gone and that he had to clear everything. Whether the people were living or dead, they all had to be killed. He came across what could be brothers who were chasing after him. He stabbed one through the throat with his spear and strangled the younger of the two with his bare hands.
While on his journey, he came across a cabin with a goat in the yard. While he was going towards the goat, a man, Eastman, called out to him. Informing him that the goat did not belong to Morgan. He advised Morgan to put down his weapon. Morgan did not a played a game akin to cat and mouse. While he was trying to hunt down the guy, the man was watching him and waiting for a chance to knock him out.
Morgan awoke in a cell, inside the cabin, with fresh food and water. At this point, Morgan wasn’t much of a talker but he did reveal that what he did and what he currently does is clear the living and the dead. More time goes by with the man trying to get Morgan to open up. Nothing happens until one day, Morgan tries to escape by digging up the piece of wood that holds the bars in the window in place with a zipper. He isn’t able to finish because Eastman returns.
They talk some more and Morgan revealed that he will kill him because that is what he does. He has to clear everything. Eastman reveals that the cell door is open and that Morgan can either leave or stay on the couch. Those are his only two choices. As soon as Morgan left the cell, he attacked Eastman who promptly dropped him on his ass. During the scuffle, a drawing his daughter created was destroyed and east mean was angered but he didn’t kill Morgan. Even when Morgan begged him to, he didn’t kill him. Instead he told Morgan again that it was either the door or the couch. Morgan created a third choice and walked into the cell and closed that door.
More time passes. Eastman asks Morgan to look after the goat Tabitha while he ran some errands. Morgan didn’t respond and just stayed in his cell. Suddenly you can hear the dead and the goat making noises. Morgan goes out and ends the two walkers. He had a moment where he was going to let the walkers eat him but he stopped when he heard the sounds of the goat. He knew that he had to save its life.
After Eastman discovered what happened, he started teaching Morgan aikido and what eat means to appreciate all life. Morgan took to all of this well. He quickly surpassed his instructor and was on his way to practicing the teachings. They shared their back stories with one another and Eastman stated he only came across one evil man in his life.
This man was a prisoner he was tasked to see if he was fit to return to the public. While the man was charming, Eastman could see right through him. The man knew that Eastman knew he was a psycho path so he tried to kill him. The little Aikido that Eastman knew came in handy and he was able to save his own life and even though he tried to keep the man in prison, he broke out. He murdered Eastman’s wife, daughter and son before turning himself into the police. Eastman built the cell in the cabin and kidnapped the man. He let the man starve to death. The whole process took 45 days. He now believes that all life is precious, including the man that murdered his family.
While talking outside, a zombie walks up on them. Eastman said Morgan can handle it. Morgan goes to end the zombie when he realizes it was the young man he strangled earlier in the episode. He freezes and Eastman saves him but in the process he gets bit. Morgan freaks out and regresses to the man he was before and sprouting some madness. He eventually came back to reality and he and Eastman continued as if nothing happened. The when see Eastman’s grave marker and Morgan in the gear he was wearing in season 5.
We return to Morgan talking with the wolf. The wolf asks if he thinks that will happen for him. He the n reveals he has a large gash on the side of his abdomen and that the reason he came to Alexandria was to get the medication to treat it. He then said that his story would not be like Morgan’s because he will come back and kill everyone there just like the man did to Eastman’s family. Morgan leaves the man in the basement but unlike Eastman, he locked him in.
That’s when we hear Rick screaming to open the gate.
The Review:
I have to say that by the end of the episode, I grew major respect for the man. I was one of those people that was not impress with his decision to abstain from taking the life of another person because we are all aware of the consequences. Case and point, the attack on Alexandria could have been avoided if Morgan had killed those two wolves but because of the decision her made to spare their lives, probably 15+ people lives were taken. I think Morgan should adopt the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few philosophy. He says that each life is precious but is one person’s life worth more than 15? Those numbers don’t add up.
Eastman was a great influence on Morgan and brought him back from a world of solitude and despair. I really appreciate him doing that. What I don’t like is that his philosophy, in my opinion, is a terrible one in the zombie apocalypse. If you care about your life and the life of everyone around you, how can you willingly let the loose around a killer? What’s worse is that Morgan is choices will have the same outcome as Tyrese. They won’t to move away from the stereotype of how black men are depicted but then they choose to make them weak and as one of the actors said, unfit for this world.
I want Morgan to keep his sanity. I just want him to define a line where someone else’s life, while important, will need to be ended if they jeopardize the life of his ‘family.’ I want him to have priorities and not think it is okay to sit back while someone is telling you they are going to come back and kill everyone you love. A strong person has to be able to make the call and execute the decision.
What I do like about the character is that he has informed the group of his philosophy but I don’t like that he is hiding the one wolf in the basement of a home. I know Morgan didn’t tell his group what he was doing but at least he was smart enough to lock the door. Morgan realizes that everyone cannot be trusted. His situation was different. I honestly do not think Morgan would slaughter an entire family in his crazy state but I know that wolf would. I have no hope that this man can be rehabilitated and I am not looking forward to seeing him try. I think it is a waste of time in this case.
Anyway, great story. I really loved it. I just wish he was written so similar to Tyrese.
Final Score: 10/10 Power Ups
