A new face and setting are introduced. With all that's gone on in the apocalypse, can people be trusted?
"Here's Not Here" is an oddly placed episode in this first part of the sixth season. The series has done a great job over the past few years being able to toggle back and forth from various characters' point of view. This season has been able to go from Rick's dumb plan to move the walkers away from Alexandria to the actual community when they are under attack by the wolves. But to go from the events of last week's episode - and the massive uproar and conspiracy postings that happened in its aftermath - to a 90-minute flashback episode for Morgan just seems a little odd and potentially very troubling. Most people probably turned into this episode hoping to learn what has happened to Rick and Glenn. Will they survive their current, bleak situations? Answers to those questions will be delayed for another week. As frustrating as that is though, "Here's Not Here" is a phenomenal episode of The Walking Dead. One that should be judged on its own merits and not the uncertainty with what the show is trying to do with its overall narrative this season.This extended episode sets out to tell the story of how Morgan went from the crazed individual he was when Rick, Michonne and Carl ran into him in Season 3 to the calm, collected and non-lethal person he is in recent interactions. It's quite the journey the character goes on in the course of these 90 minutes. At times, it does follow a predictable storytelling pattern. But it's just so captivating to watch as two fantastic character actors - Lennie James and guest star John Carroll Lynch - play off of each other in order to discuss what this world has become and whether there are still people who can't be saved from it.
Morgan starts the episode in full-on clearing mode. He's ranting just as badly as he was when Rick discovered him after all those years away. He's not only killing walkers; he's killing humans too. There's no longer any distinction between them. He needs to clear this world of everyone else. That is his mission now. The world is filled with darkness and despair. He is helping rid it of those qualities by hopefully sending those people to somewhere else that isn't what this world has become. He's clinging onto life because he needs to do this job. It's his own personal motivation. It's messed up. But that's the kind of emotional state he is in after the deaths of his wife and son.
Morgan soon runs into a man with a goat who will soon become his mentor and get him to see the world in a completely different way. Lynch's Eastman is a man all alone in this world. All he has is his goat, his garden and the memories of his family. And yet, he still sees the world with hope. He's forceful when he needs to be. Morgan can't kill him as easily as he does with all his previous clearing victims. Eastman is very patient with Morgan. He does not want to kill him despite how desperately Morgan wants to die in that moment. Morgan believes that if he can't continue to clear than he no longer has a mission. It's a way for him to deal with the trauma of his life. Eastman is not only an expert in forensic psychology but also a master in aikido. His patience comes from the belief that one should never kill another human being - no matter how evil they might be. It's an idealistic belief that Morgan doesn't initially take seriously. But over the course of this episode, Morgan soon converts.
This experience changes Morgan as a person. He gains a true companion in Eastman. That was only because he was so forceful and patient with him. Eastman took him in and feed him. A choice was always present with Morgan to stay or go. Even when he was in the cage, Eastman left the door unlocked to provide Morgan with the opportunity to leave. But Morgan still chose to stay. This new friendship pulled Morgan out of the darkness that had swallowed him whole. It came with a responsibility to honor the death and destruction happening around them. But it also came with a man who understood the emotions he is feeling and can help him deal with them in a truly engaging way. Eastman was able to come back from killing the crazed man who murdered his entire family. The same can also be done for Morgan.
Despite all of the great progress that Morgan makes, he still falls back into his old mentality when this idyllic life is taken away from him. When confronted by his own past, Morgan stands motionless unable to handle the walker coming straight towards him. It's because of that lack of action that Eastman is bite. That proves to Morgan that there is no saving this world. Everyone is going to die in the same violent way. There's nothing one can do or say that can change that. But Morgan isn't the same man as he was before. Even though he reacts poorly to Eastman getting bite, he can't kill him as easily as he did before. Eastman is still capable of beating Morgan in battle. More importantly though, Morgan can't kill two travelers on the road when given the opportunity. That shows that Eastman did make an impression on him. That's what gets him to return to the cottage so he can help bring closure to Eastman's life. His death is filled with darkness and pain. But his companionship showed Morgan that there are still moments in this world that are worth living for. The dynamics between people aren't lost yet. They can add tremendous value to one's existence. Isolation is the true enemy to the human condition. That's what sends Morgan on his big journey to find Rick. It's one that produces several consequences later on. But it's still Morgan searching for a community to live a life with and not be determined to spend the rest of his days killing until he is killed himself.
The Walking Dead has often made the argument that people who are afraid to kill are very foolish and destined to be killed themselves in this violent world. Rick and the group have survived for so long because they view killing as a survival mode. It's the only reason why they are still alive even when they have faced some truly monstrous people like the Governor, the Termites, etc. Outside in highly populated areas of walkers, killing is the only way to live on for another day. Eastman's mentality could only work in isolation. It's a lot like Hershel's farm or Alexandria. Communities that didn't have to deal with a whole lot of walkers. They were able to thrive by establishing areas of relative peace. The world was able to corrupt them simply by overwhelming the communities with the true darkness of the world. How will Morgan's new mentality of not killing any human being be able to survive in a world where people like Rick and Carol only know how to do things one way? It certainly creates an interesting conversation for the future. This is the strongest anti-killing message the show has ever delivered. It did so by centering it around a very beloved and complex character. Again, it may all be a hopeless pursuit. When faced with life or death, Morgan could choose to kill again. He could revert back into that old mentality. But when and if that moment comes, this episode will make the decision that much more compelling to watch.
Some more thoughts:
- "Here's Not Here" was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Stephen Williams.
- In case you didn't notice, Steven Yeun's name has been dropped from the opening title sequence. If the show really does find a ridiculous way to bring him back, it's such a massive case of trolling on the show's part right now. That's such a disservice to the audience too.
- Morgan's not killing way of life already sent Wolves to do battle with Rick. And now, he's keeping one locked away in a house in Alexandria. He's hopeful that he can change his mind just like Eastman did with him. But he's also locked the door which may signal that Morgan's code is starting to crack under such intense pressure.
- This episode must have happened now in order to better understand what Morgan does next this season. But it's still alarming coming after the events of last week's episode.
