The Walking Dead Fans Are Still Dead Wrong About Morgan

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This season of *The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon* has been fantastic, and it’s particularly exciting knowing the show will finish with its fourth season. With several shows in *The Walking Dead* universe ending or already finished, fans are eager for a complete and satisfying conclusion to the entire story. Many are hoping to see favorite characters return for final appearances, resolve lingering plot points, and enjoy long-awaited reunions.

Fans have been eager to see Daryl and Rick back together, but many also want Morgan to reconnect with his former friends after a long separation. However, Morgan is a controversial character – some viewers strongly dislike him and consider him one of the weakest in the series. While there are understandable reasons why some fans don’t enjoy his story, it’s unfair to say his character was poorly written or damaged the show.

Morgan Jones Is a Day 1 Walking Dead Hero

Morgan Jones is a divisive character among fans of the show. While many find his storyline uninteresting or dislike how his character has developed over time, others strongly defend him. These fans point out his important contributions to the overall story, including his role in saving Rick Grimes early on, and argue that he’s a deeply complex and heroic figure – just as much a hero as Rick has always been.

Honestly, seeing Rick wake up after being in a coma for two months was such a relief, and it was all thanks to Morgan and his son, Duane. It was a pretty funny, yet tense, first meeting – Duane actually whacked him with a shovel, thinking he was one of the walkers! But beyond that initial scare, they connected instantly. You could just *feel* the understanding between them – they both knew what it meant to protect family, even if it meant going their separate ways. In the first episode, “Days Gone Bye,” Morgan really stepped up as a hero by helping Rick get back on his feet and start looking for his own family. It’s amazing because Morgan easily could have just focused on keeping Duane safe, and honestly, that would have been understandable given the situation.

Morgan’s choice to stay and grieve with Duane after his wife, Jenny, died ultimately proved deadly. Rick doesn’t see him again until Season 3, Episode 12, “Clear,” where he discovers Duane was bitten by his zombified mother. Morgan feels responsible, wishing he’d ended his wife’s suffering sooner. By this point, Morgan is deeply troubled, likely suffering from post-traumatic stress after losing his son, and fixated on eliminating both walkers and living threats. Despite the pain, this is considered one of Lennie James’ strongest performances, portraying a man completely broken by loss.

Morgan seemed lost for a long time, but he eventually found Rick in Alexandria at the end of Season 5, thanks to the help of a compassionate person who reminded him that every life matters. While his dedication to saving everyone was admirable, it often caused friction within the community, particularly during attacks. Some viewers grew frustrated with his pacifist approach, feeling it didn’t fit the harsh reality of the apocalypse. However, his reluctance to kill was a valuable contrast to the show’s darkness, especially considering how scarce life had become.

His Storyline Is One of the Best Representations

Morgan Jones is a unique survivor, and his story is more than just a few key moments. When he was with Rick’s group during the war with the Saviors, he had some memorable interactions. Rick didn’t always agree with Morgan’s choices, like sparing enemies, but he respected them. He also didn’t mind when Morgan took up arms to protect others. His relationship with Carol was even more complex. They often clashed over how to deal with threats, but Carol also recognized that Morgan was the only one who truly understood her decision to stop killing.

The main characters frequently disagreed on how to handle tough situations, like whether to punish severely or show compassion. But with constant threats from enemies like Negan and his group, it was incredibly difficult for them to avoid violence when defending their freedom and lives. That’s why Morgan’s decision to leave the community alliance and travel alone was so significant – he was trying to escape the cycle of having to kill to protect others. Even after finding a new life in the south, he continued to grapple with this internal conflict, ultimately understanding that in this broken world, caring for others almost always leads to taking a life, a choice that haunted him every time.

A frequent point of debate among viewers is the character’s struggle with mental health. Some find his inconsistent self-control frustrating and unconvincing. However, it’s understandable that someone who has experienced such profound loss and simply desires happiness with loved ones might exhibit dramatic personality shifts and altered perceptions due to trauma. Throughout the series, the character consistently demonstrates a heroic desire to help others, even when they offer nothing in return – like when he anonymously provided supplies to strangers, finding satisfaction in doing the right thing.

However, Morgan’s kindness frequently led to others exploiting him. Each time he was forced to kill to protect himself or others, he deeply struggled with his mental well-being, even experiencing hallucinations during particularly violent episodes. This isn’t evidence of a flawed character, but instead demonstrates a realistic portrayal of someone grappling with mental health issues without access to contemporary support systems. His complex and often unpredictable nature feels authentic because of this internal conflict.

After years of standing up for others and always doing what’s right, Morgan finally got what he deserved: a chance to travel with his daughter and find a permanent home for them both.

He Didn’t Ruin Fear the Walking Dead

A lot of viewers think the show started going downhill when Morgan joined the cast, blaming his arrival for the weakening story. However, Morgan didn’t even appear until Season 4, and most fans agree that Season 3 was actually the show’s strongest. After that, the show lost some of its appeal. Long-standing characters became less likable, popular characters died, and the storylines moved away from what fans enjoyed – and it wasn’t just about Morgan. So, it’s likely that the decline of *Fear the Walking Dead* wasn’t because of Morgan’s character alone, but rather the overall quality of the writing and plot from seasons 4 through 8.

Many viewers stopped watching *Fear the Walking Dead* well before it ended, due to disliked villains – like Virginia and her Rangers, who many felt were too similar to Negan – and storylines that sparked controversy, such as bringing characters like Madison and Alicia Clarke back from the dead. While some found Morgan’s complex character and hopeful outlook to be a highlight, especially when other characters weren’t appealing, he also received a lot of criticism. Despite this, a significant number of fans have been hoping for a continuation of his story since the show’s finale.

Any show with a large and established cast is bound to spark debate about who the best, worst, or most enjoyable characters are. Lately, some fans have argued that Morgan Jones has been unfairly criticized, particularly as the quality of *Fear the Walking Dead* declined. While his story has been complex and he’s often struggled with difficult choices and shifting loyalties, that complexity is actually what makes him such a compelling character.

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2025-10-17 06:37