The Walking Dead Shock: After 13 years, a key character is leaving!

ATTENTION: The following contains spoilers for the midseason finale of Fear The Walking Dead, Season 8: After The Walking Dead concluded in November last year after 12 years, the first spin-off is also soon coming to an end. Fear The Walking Dead, Season 8 (available on Amazon Prime Video) bids farewell after 6 episodes with a shocking twist and goes on a several-month-long hiatus.

In the remaining episodes, Fear The Walking Dead will undergo significant changes as one of the central characters will no longer be part of the show. After 13 years (for now), the story of Morgan Jones (Lennie James) has come to an end.

Fear The Walking Dead, Season 8 says goodbye to Morgan Jones

Morgan Jones, alongside Rick Grimes, is the only surviving character who has been part of The Walking Dead universe since the very first episode. After appearing in the pilot episode of the first season and in Season 3, Morgan became a regular cast member in Season 5 of the zombie series The Walking Dead. After the war against Negan, he shifted to the narrative of the spin-off Fear The Walking Dead and became a central character.

After 4 seasons, that era has now come to a close. In Episode 6 of Season 8, the conflict with the ruthless leader of the PADRE community comes to an end, and Morgan reunites with his 8-year-old adopted daughter Mo (Zoey Merchant), whom he found again through a time jump. After the season has already explored Morgan's past traumas, he now makes an important decision about his future.

Morgan and his daughter Mo embark on a new adventure

For Morgan, there are no immediate dangers anymore. He is ready to close this chapter of his life and return to Alexandria. He wants to know how the people he left behind are doing because within the storyline, about 8 to 9 years have passed since then. One person is particularly important to him: Rick Grimes.

Morgan's final appearance in The Walking Dead for now takes him to the grave of his former friend Eastman, who trained him in staff combat in Season 6 of the main series. He also buries his recently deceased partner Grace and realizes that every remaining moment with loved ones is precious. Before embarking on the journey to Virginia with Mo, who now wields her own staff, he sends one final radio message:

"This message is for Rick Grimes. This is Morgan Jones. I'm gonna find you, whether you're in Alexandria or not."

Was that really the end for Morgan in Fear The Walking Dead?

Those hoping that Morgan's search for Rick Grimes will be addressed in the remaining 6 episodes of Fear The Walking Dead will unfortunately be disappointed. Lennie James will not appear in the second part of the season. In a behind-the-scenes clip for the midseason finale, co-showrunner Ian Goldberg already comments on the loss of the character:

"To be honest, I still can't believe Lennie's not here anymore. He was such an important part of the journey for [co-showrunner Andrew Chambliss] and me. He's talented and kind. And we know he's gonna do more great things. But we will forever be grateful to Lennie for his time here on Fear."

Morgan is not the only character the series says goodbye to. Dwight (Austin Amelio) and Sherry (Christine Evangelista), who previously transitioned from The Walking Dead to Fear The Walking Dead, also receive a tragic conclusion. After the death of their son Finch, they part ways, and Dwight is ready to return home alone.

A reunion with Rick Grimes? Morgan's future in The Walking Dead is uncertain

Morgan's exit does not necessarily mean his death, which is surely a relief for fans of the character. However, we didn't receive a definitive farewell. His departure is reminiscent of Michonne's exit in Season 10 of The Walking Dead, as she also left to search for Rick. This story will soon continue in its own spin-off series.

It's reasonable to assume that Morgan could return alongside Rick and Michonne in the upcoming series, with Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira reprising their roles. However, the six episodes of that series have already been filmed, and Lennie James is not expected to be part of the first season. If the series is renewed, a cameo in the second season could be possible.

At the current moment, we won't be seeing Morgan for the time being, as confirmed by actor Lennie James in an interview with CBR:

"That's it for me. He's been there long enough. For me to pick up the stick again, it would have to be an incredible storyline. It would have to be a situation where I couldn't look back on all previous episodes and say, 'No, I've done that in this or that episode of this or that season.' At the moment, I'm not interested in repeating Morgan. I think that would muddy his legacy a bit."

However, a reunion with Rick Grimes could be the "incredible storyline" that convinces James to return. After all, the story of The Walking Dead began with Rick and Morgan, and perhaps it will (eventually) end with them.