With only three episodes left until The Walking Dead closes out Season 7, the tension is practically palpable — we all know the actual battle to bring down Negan is near, and it's nerve-wracking. One small measure of comfort, though? This week, Morgan got mad. Murderously mad, in fact.
More: Is The Walking Dead's Michonne Too Good to Be True?
First things first, this is your spoiler alert, people. This article contains plot points pertinent to The Walking Dead episode "Bury Me Here." You've been warned.
Now, back to Morgan. For many, many seasons now, Morgan has wielded his staff with the sole intention to only kill when he has to and, even then, only kill walkers. A self-professed pacifist, he's a far cry from the somewhat bitter, angry man Rick met in the beginning of the zombpocalypse.
Back then, Morgan was a man who'd just lost his wife (and not long after, his son), and Rick was a man just stumbling into this weird world — he hadn't yet been there long enough to become hardened.
Later, when their paths crossed again at Alexandria, the tables had turned. Morgan watched Rick kill Jessie's husband, Pete, and he realized this was not the same man who once tried to instill hope in Morgan's cynical heart.
More: The Walking Dead's Daryl and Carol Together Again Hurts So Good
But this week, we saw the reemergence of Mad Morgan. When Morgan and other members of The Kingdom met the Saviors to make their weekly drop off, everything went horribly awry. The saviors counted 11 melons instead of 12, and one of them (a Savior, not a melon) fired a gun into poor, sweet, young Benjamin's leg.
Despite their best efforts to save him, the bullet severed Benjamin's femoral artery... and he bled out.
That in and of itself was nearly enough to send Morgan into a downward spiral, but he then realized Richard had orchestrated the entire conflict by hiding the missing melon. He lets Richard try to explain, and it seems as though he might move forward with no major hitch (albeit livid).
However, when the group takes the lone melon back to the Saviors, Morgan loses it and literally kills Richard with his bare hands. Wowza.
Not only is Mad Morgan back, but this is Morgan like we've never seen him. He's practically unhinged.
That much is made evident when he shows up bloody and bedraggled at Carol's door, and he reveals the truth about Glenn, Able, Spencer and Olivia. If you got a little choked up when Carol learned about Glenn and Abe, you'll find no judgment here, friend.
Although Carol convinces him for the time-being to hole up in her cabin while she returns to The Kingdom — more on that in a minute — Morgan can be seen at the episode's close sharpening his peaceful staff into a spear. A spear, y'all! Clearly, shenanigans will soon ensue.
With Mad Morgan on the rampage, it's obvious the last three episodes of the season are going to be a wild ride. Coupled with Carol's call to arms? Well, hell... all bets are off.
What does this mean for these characters moving forward, though? Carol told Daryl that if she went back to killing, there would be nothing more left of her. As for Morgan, the implication with his arc was always that he couldn't retain any of his humanity if he returned to anger and violence.
More: Which Character on The Walking Dead Will Die Next in the Negan Battle?
Could Morgan or Carol (or worse, Morgan and Carol) be headed for untimely demises in the great battle to bring down Negan? At this point, anything is possible. But one thing's for sure: it's nice to see some fire in those two's eyes for the first time in what feels like forever.
Before you go, check out our slideshow below.
