Fear TWD: Is radiation the only reason Morgan would remove his ring?
By Sara Large
Two amazing shows, several groups, many friendships, and a full cross country trip. Is a radioactive walker the ONLY reason Morgan Jones would remove his wedding ring in The Walking Dead universe?
The moment Morgan Jones removed his wedding ring in the season 5 trailer for Fear the Walking Dead, my mind immediately started racing and I lost my breath. Nearly everything Morgan does, he does with great meaning and symbolism. I wondered, is he totally losing grip with reality and regressing to clear mode again?
Fortunately, all of my worries were put to rest in season 5 episode 2 when it was revealed he had no choice but to remove it following his crazy encounter with a radioactive walker. During the decontamination process, new character Grace informed him that not only he must remove all his clothes, but his wedding ring as well. While his wooden staff would have to be confiscated forever, (RIP to this iconic weapon) he would be able to get his ring back after a thorough cleaning.
I was elated to see that while this was a physically dangerous situation, it wasn’t one of great mental stress for this character that we have grown to love. However it did make me wonder, when and why might Morgan take off his ring for good?
Something truly horrible could happen and he may experience a total mental break, one even worse than “Clear”, where he removes everything in regards to his personal identity.
When we meet Morgan in the first episode that started it all he was hurting from the death of his wife. It was obvious he was a strong fatherly character and family man, a far different person than Rick Grimes discovers in season 3 of The Walking Dead.
In his “clear mode,” we see a truly broken man. He makes sense in some of the conversations with Rick, but other statements are just total incoherent ramblings. Possibly in the future, he could fall into a mindset where he doesn’t even speak but only obliterates everything in his path. In this future, I could see him leave behind, his wedding ring, any form of a staff, and all his beliefs.
You might be thinking of a more obvious reason to remove a wedding ring, he falls in love! Personally, I don’t think Morgan needs a romantic relationship to remove the ring but rather a place he feels he truly belongs or possibly finding what he is meant to do in the apocalypse. In this case, he could help a person grow and in return that would help Morgan gain happiness and a much-needed boost to his well being. Which after everything he has been through, he absolutely deserves.
This is something that most certainly could happen in Fear the Walking Dead with Alicia. We have seen Alicia lose nearly everyone she has ever loved in such a short amount of time. She is a character that has so much potential but is understandably broken.
Morgan has gone through the trauma of not only losing friends, but watching the mother of his child be the reason his child is no longer alive. We have seen him in a darker place mentally than nearly any other character we have ever encountered. If anyone can help Alicia put the pieces of her life back together, it’s Morgan.
In some scenes from episodes 501 and 502, we can not only see Morgan trying to guide her, but standing back and watching her actions and gathering information. If Alicia were to grow with the help of Morgan, landing in a confident more leading role in the group, I could see Morgan feeling truly accomplished. If this happens and he sees he can truly make a difference in the lives of this group, he may off his ring as a symbolic way of leaving the story he had in The Walking Dead behind, and fully moving forward and embracing the future and his place in Fear The Walking Dead.
light. Related Story. Why Morgan needs to help people
What do you think about a future in The Walking Dead universe where Morgan would take off his wedding ring, would it have to include a romantic interest? Tweet me @mamadeadhead to tell me your thoughts!