The season 5 finale of Fear the Walking Dead made it seem like Morgan (Lennie James) is doomed, but despite how bad things may look, there’s a strong chance that Morgan isn’t going anywhere. Morgan may very well be back as one of the main characters in season 6, and his survival would be reminiscent of his memorable line from The Walking Dead, “I don’t die”.
In the final episode of Fear the Walking Dead’s fifth season, Morgan and the others are outgunned and outnumbered by Virginia (Colby Minifie) and the Pioneers, forcing them to accept Virginia’s “help”. The problem is that Virginia isn’t interested in saving anyone who she deems useless or unable to contribute. After making an impassioned speech, Morgan succeeds in convincing Virginia to take everyone. She agrees, but the irony of it all is that the only person she wants to leave behind is Morgan. After splitting up the entire group, the two are left alone. After a brief fight, she shoots him and leaves him for dead. The episode ends with zombies quickly closing in on a wounded and helpless Morgan.
Morgan never lasted this long in the comics, and it certainly looks like the character’s time is finally up. That’s how a lot of fans are seeing it too, based on how fans have been reacting online. But Fear the Walking Dead may not be done with Morgan just yet. In fact, it seems more likely than not that Morgan will survive his encounter with the zombies, regardless of his situation. First of all, the finale is trying too hard to convince viewers that Morgan is going to die. After all, what would be the point of bringing back Lennie James for one brief scene in the season 6 premiere, where he gets bitten, and then devoured?
No one is around to witness Morgan’s death, so no character will be dramatically affected by seeing it. For this reason, there is no need for Fear the Walking Dead to show Morgan getting killed. The other characters can learn of his death through Virginia and the Pioneers, who have knowledge of what happened. What Fear the Walking Dead is doing with Morgan can be compared to how it handled Madison’s exit.
The season 4 finale put Madison in a similarly grim situation, but didn’t show her death. Instead, showrunner Andrew Chambliss confirmed it after the episode aired. However, in the case of Morgan, Chambliss declined to confirm his fate, and it’s been stated by co-showrunner Ian Goldberg that Morgan’s death is a “question for season 6” (via Entertainment Weekly). Why? Just like with Madison, it would seem unnecessary to show the character’s death when death looks all but assured. Showing it would serve no narrative purpose. All things considered, it doesn’t seem all that unreasonable that Fear the Walking Dead season 6 will give Morgan a way out, and a way back to the Pioneers.
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