The Fear the Walking Dead season 6 premiere delivered a much-needed, long overdue change for Morgan Jones (Lennie James). Morgan’s life took a new direction when the fan-favorite character, now separated from the rest of his group, found himself in the crosshairs of a relentless bounty hunter.
At the end of Fear the Walking Dead season 5, everything was turned upside down for Morgan and the others when Virginia (Colby Minifie) forced them to split up. Everyone in Morgan’s group was taken away so that they could begin new lives with the Pioneers, but Morgan himself was left for dead. Virginia shot him, and for months, his fate remained a mystery. The long-awaited Fear the Walking Dead season 6 premiere finally shed light on what happened to Morgan. After being rescued by an unknown ally, he lived in isolation until he was found by a new character named Isaac (Michael Abbott Jr.), who depended on Morgan’s help.
After spending an episode trying to shake a bounty hunter, played by Demetrius Grosse, Morgan finally defeated him. In a shocking move, Morgan beheaded him with Demetrius' own axe and took it for himself. It was a telling moment for Morgan that shows just how far the character has come since he joined Fear the Walking Dead. Ever since he switched shows, he’s been largely responsible for Fear the Walking Dead's optimistic tone. Morgan’s hopeful outlook and strict no-killing rule have been core elements of his character for a long time now - but not anymore.
Morgan has had his pacifist philosophy ever since he became a main character on The Walking Dead, but the show took a temporary break from it during the war with the Saviors when Benjamin (Logan Miller) was killed. At this time, Morgan was perfectly willing to kill the Saviors, which put him at odds with Jesus (Tom Payne). Instead of keeping Morgan on this course, The Walking Dead reverted him back to his old ways when the war was over.
Now, Morgan, complete with a new look and a new weapon, is back to killing again. Morgan also lost faith in his own message about how everyone just needed to “live”, but from all indications, Morgan is still the hero he was before. What Fear the Walking Dead is doing with Morgan in season 6 feels like a necessary change that won’t ruin who he is as a character - rather, it's an evolution of his story and perception of the world.
Since The Walking Dead has gone in this direction with Morgan in the past, it’s worth wondering if it will stick in this time. His brief words to Virginia over the radio suggest that it will: “Morgan Jones is dead. You’re dealing with somebody else now.” The change is further symbolized by his new weapon. The staff, which functions well as a weapon that incapacitates but doesn’t kill, fit with Morgan’s beliefs, and the fact that he’s replaced it with an axe demonstrates that Morgan is willing to do whatever it takes to beat Virginia in Fear the Walking Dead season 6.