Paul Dailly
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Lennie James has been a part of The Walking Dead universe since The Walking Dead Season 1 Episode 1 in the role of Morgan Jones.
However, his journey with the franchise concluded on Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 6, an hour that sent one of the franchise’s best characters in an exciting new direction.
Speaking with TV Fanatic exclusively, Lennie revealed that his final episode was taxing on him physically because the show put Morgan through everything he’s ever been through all over again.
If you watch Fear the Walking Dead online, you know we witnessed Morgan as he had lapses in memory, a callback to his journey on The Walking Dead.
“There was one point where I was hanging off of a crane above a hole that had been dug in the ground that was filled with fake mud up to my neck,” James said with a laugh.
“I had to be dropped in it, stick my face in it, and then wake up.”
“I was coming out of one of his trauma states, and I was just like, ‘this is no job for a grown man. This is ridiculous.'”
“I certainly think that our director Mikey [Michael E. Satrazemis] and our showrunners Andrew [Chambliss] and Ian [Goldberg], got their money’s worth in the final episode.”
Morgan’s time on the series concluded with his realization that the people he’s lost are never truly gone.
Lennie believes Morgan’s journey was governed by his past actions and the things that have happened to him.
The loss of Grace and not ending Duane when he should have all started weighing on him.
We traveled back to King County on Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 4, a development Lennie said was set up for this final moment of resolution for Morgan.
He hoped that the return to the place Morgan once called home with his son and wife didn’t feel like a gimmick to viewers.
“I didn’t want it to be an easter egg for the fans. I wanted it to be a real and truthful story that we’re trying to tell and add to the story of Morgan,” Lennie added, sharing that he thinks the end of Morgan’s story is infused with hope.
“This being the Walking Dead, he could walk around the corner and walk into a horde, and that’s the end of it,” he offered before noting that leaving with Mo is the most hopeful Morgan’s been in a long time.
A big talking point of the episode was Morgan calling for Rick on the radio and telling him he would try to find him. James has confirmed he’s done with the franchise for now, so I asked him what his ideal reunion would be for Morgan and Rick.
“On a beach in the West Indies, with two rods hanging over the side of their houseboat, smoking cigars and drinking the finest single malt, but that isn’t going to happen.”
“Morgan sets out in the direction of Rick, but it’s more out of hope than expectation,” James cautions.
Lennie says that there are many variables in the wider TWD universe, but he knows that, first and foremost, Morgan wants to find somewhere to call home so that he and Mo can be safe.
“If that’s with Rick, then great. But if it’s not and they can find someplace that means they don’t have to keep looking, then that can only be a good thing.”
Lennie also touched upon Grace’s death on Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 5, revealing that it was one of the more challenging conversations behind-the-scenes.
“We had a long conversation about it. Obviously, they had spoken to Karen [David] about it and made it kind of make sense,” the actor shared.
“In a way, I think it did. Like I said, there was hope at the end. I’m not sure you could really describe it as a happy ending, but it was as close to that as our particular apocalypse offers you, and it always gives with one hand and takes away from the other.”
“It made sense ultimately in the end, however difficult it was, but it’s meant to be difficult.”
It seems Morgan’s journey is over for now, so I asked Lennie what it’s been like to play such a beloved character for 13 years.
“Well, there’ve been moments when I wasn’t sure that I was playing him or he was playing me, but putting Morgan together, holding true to who he is, moving through his changes, trying to rise to the challenges of him has been one of my proudest achievements really.”
“I am deeply honored to have played him. I am proud of the work I did to bring him to life, and I am fiercely protective of him, who he is and what he was trying to do, and what he represents and what he represents within this universe.”
“But also, he’s been a huge amount of fun. He’s taught me lots of things. I wish I was as brave as Morgan,” said Lennie.
“I wish I was as loyal as Morgan. I wish I was as principled as Morgan and wish I could fight as well as he does,” he concluded.
What are your thoughts on Lennie’s final arc as Morgan?
Do you hope to see Morgan and Rick reuniting down the line?
Hit the comments.
Catch Fear the Walking Dead on AMC and AMC+.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.