The Walking Dead: A theory about Morgan

All life is precious. Do we have a new Morgan in season 6 of The Walking Dead? He seems to have a new philosophy since we last saw him in King County holed up in a booby-trapped residence in town guarded by a walker trapped street charged with the duty of clearing the world of walkers and feeling as if he had inherited the earth.

Morgan knows the world of walkers. He was our first teacher. He can kill the walkers. He learned that lesson. If you’ve read my thoughts on blame and guilt, I don’t believe Morgan was to blame for Duane’s death, but I’m sure he has feelings of guilt. And we know he saw red. He took care of both of his loved ones.

Something happened in the solitude of Kane County and his clearing mission. Perhaps his mind was cleared as he cleared the walkers. Perhaps something about the walkers cleared up something for him philosophically? All life is precious.

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The criticism is coming from folks thinking we’ve come this far in the apocalypse and seen that we must defend ourselves. We don’t have law enforcement and jails and government to exact justice. I even have thought that perhaps taking justice into our own hands might be a reason for the popularity of zombie shows.

Morgan has obviously spent time practicing with the stick. He knows he needs to be able to defend himself. He has skills. His issue is not cowardice like Eugene or Gabriel. It’s not panic or fear like Nicholas. He’s always had walker killing skills. He threatened to kill Rick the first time he met him.

As I watched the second episode of season 6 again, a thought occurred to me. Could it be that the killing itself is not what Morgan is wrestling with as much as the liking of the killing. And the life that is most precious that we don’t want to kill by starting to enjoy the killing is our very own.

All life is precious.

With each human life we take, we take a piece of ourselves. It may be justified and necessary, but it still takes something from us. If the killing becomes too easy, we can lose too much of who we are. And if it becomes enjoyable, we might lose all of who we are.

That’s something I fear for Rick and for Carol. Is it possible that Morgan was not chastising Carol simply for killing, but trying to stop her from doing it too easily? When she said of course they had to kill and he saw he couldn’t stop her, he told her, “You don’t like it.”

Morgan Jones. The Walking Dead – AMC /

Maybe to some viewers Morgan is extreme. It seems like he doesn’t want to see the reality of the necessity of killing. Maybe that’s not it. Maybe he just wants to slow the good people down. To remind them why they are fighting in the first place.

When the Wolf taunts Morgan and tells him that he can’t kill him and that he should have, it’s reminiscent of Tyreese and Martin. Tyreese said, “I won’t,” and Morgan said, “Sorry.”

Maybe both of those responses meant the same thing. I won’t let you tell me who I am. I won’t let you make me kill you to prove I’m strong in your eyes. I can protect Judith without doing it your way. Sorry. You’re wrong. I can kill you. I choose not to do so. I should have? You don’t tell me what decisions are right for me.

We’ll have to wait and see how Morgan’s philosophy plays out during the season with Rick and Carol and the rest and if the Wolves come back. I’m interested to see Morgan interact with people like Abraham and Eugene and Glenn and especially thankful to him for saving Father Gabriel.

All life is precious. Especially our own. Maybe Morgan is trying to remind you of that, Carol and Rick? He doesn’t want you to kill your precious souls by liking the kills.

Next: Top 15 Reader-Chosen Dramatic Moments from Season 5

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