The Walking Dead season 6 episode 4, Here’s Not Here, Review: Morgan looks into the face of true evil

After an episode of quiet redemption, it’s all the more unnerving to see Morgan’s new optimism already put to the test

(AMC)

As one of the more compelling guest characters in the show’s history, it’s been a particular delight to see Morgan joining this season’s roster of recurring faces. ‘Here’s Not Here’ is an episode devoted to Morgan’s troubled emotional journey, picking up some time after his disturbed mental state in season three and charting the events that led to his long-awaited return.

The story is bookended by present events but is otherwise told in flashback, as viewers are brought up to date with the developments that ultimately led to his arrival in Alexandria. Struggling with the weight of his grief for his dead wife and son, Morgan has seemingly lost all connection with humanity until he chances upon the secluded home of the mysterious Eastman, who ultimately holds the key to his redemption. Back in the present day, he is applying what he learned from Eastman, only to have his new sense of serenity put to the test as the horrors continue in Alexandria.

For a ninety-minute story that’s noticeably low on action, it’s impressive that ‘Here’s Not Here’ proves to be a largely satisfying episode, held together by a number of sensitive performances. Lennie James and John Carroll Lynch shine as Morgan and Eastman respectively, depicting men who both have past wrongs to atone for. Lynch’s Eastman is a particularly striking guest character (all the more so after viewers were forced to endure several annoying Alexandrians last week), one with a fully fleshed out, horrific back-story that unfolds through numerous revelations right up to the conclusion.

It’s a shame that his presence here is only to help Morgan get back on the right path (it would have been nice to see him return in later instalments) because he’s such a compelling addition to the show in his own right.

Lennie James’s Morgan remains impressive, struggling to make peace with his demons until he stumbles upon a new path that offers him a reason to live again (it seems that in a post-apocalyptic world, an isolated spiritual retreat really can work wonders). His emotional journey feels genuinely earned, as he moves from being the lonely, nonsensical wanderer to regaining his role as fearless protector of the helpless.

Where the episode stretches credibility is with its constant anti-killing message. Early on Morgan strangles a man he encounters in the woods, so it feels all too convenient that he ends up being the walker that ultimately causes Eastman’s demise (not to mention the moment where Eastman gets bitten, a development that feels forced considering how capable and agile he’d proven himself to be). Historically pacifists have not had happy endings on The Walking Dead (Tyreese, Beth and Herschel are just a few examples) so it will be interesting to see how long Morgan can survive living according to his new moral code.

Although it’s little more than a brief epilogue to the main story, Morgan’s encounter with the Wolves leader is the most chilling encounter of the episode. Benedict Samuel resumes his role from ‘JSS’ as a man smugly comfortable with his own passion for violence. Samuel does well to depict his unnamed character as an unmoveable force of destruction, incapable of empathy. After an episode of quiet redemption, it’s all the more unnerving to see Morgan’s new optimism already put to the test. It also hints at interesting new territory for The Walking Dead, with the introduction of a group of enemies that cannot be reasoned with. ‘Here’s Not Here’ is the pit stop on Morgan’s journey to recovery, but its conclusion suggests he still has much to learn about the true nature of evil.