The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes faces death from Morales

Rick Grimes seemed set to finally meet his end on Sunday’s episode of The Walking Dead as he was held at gunpoint by former ally Morales.

The unexpected return of the character played by Juan Gabriel Pareja however came to a shocking end with Daryl Dixon calmly stepping in and assassinating him.

The return of Morales from early episodes of the hit show to now having joined sides with the Saviors with Rick’s life in his hands appeared set to give him a key new role.

Former friend: Rick Grimes was held at gunpoint by former friend Morales during Sunday’s episode of The Walking Dead titled Monsters

Instead, his confrontation with Rick, pointing his gun to his head throughout, raised moral questions as to who were the real bad guys.

It was a theme that ran throughout the episode titled Monsters.

Morales told Rick, played by Andrew Lincoln, that they had made the same journey, but insisted: ‘I guess we’re not the same guys we used to be, huh? Because you’re a monster.’

He then told Rick that he had called the Saviors to come and get him because he was ‘a prize.’

Gun pointed: Morales kept his gun pointed at Rick after calling the Saviors

Gun pointed: Morales kept his gun pointed at Rick after calling the Saviors

Prize prisoner: Rick was informed that Negan had a no-kill order for him, the widow and the king

Prize prisoner: Rick was informed that Negan had a no-kill order for him, the widow and the king

‘We’ve been told we don’t kill you, the widow, or the king, not if we don’t have to,’ he told him, insisting: ‘We’ll get you to Negan, or we won’t. Either way we’re gonna settle your s***.’

Morales made it clear he had turned after losing his family, with Rick insisting he had ‘lost people too’ and listing some of those killed, ending with Glenn Rhee.

‘Negan killed him,’ he told him. ‘Forced him to his knees, bashed his head in right in front of me, in front of his pregnant wife. She’s the widow.’

Lost friends: Rick told Morales how Negan killed Glenn Rhee in front of his pregnant wife

Lost friends: Rick told Morales how Negan killed Glenn Rhee in front of his pregnant wife

When he asked if he was ‘Negan too,’ Morales admitted: ‘I lost my family — I lost my mind.

‘The Saviors, they found me. They thought I was worth a damn; worth bringing back with them.

‘So yeah, I’m Negan. To make it this far, this long, I had to be.’

Good question: Morales was asked by Rick if he was 'Negan, too'

Good question: Morales was asked by Rick if he was ‘Negan, too’

Telling him he ‘had to be something, just like you,’ Rick insisted: ‘We’re not the same.’

But Morales replied: ‘Look at us, Rick. We’re two a**holes who will do whatever it takes to keep going. The only difference is, I’m the one holding the gun. That doesn’t make me any worse than you Rick — that just makes me luckier.’

He then insisted: ‘Let’s face it, if it wasn’t me, if it was you holding the gun, I’d be brains-out on the floor right now.’

Gun holder: Rick was reminded that Morales was holding the gun

Gun holder: Rick was reminded that Morales was holding the gun

Gun holder: Rick was reminded that Morales was holding the gun

Rick struggled to persuasively argue against him, meekly replying: ‘I know I wouldn’t want to. I’d at least try to find another way.’

Morales then insisted they were ‘all dead,’ and referring to Rick’s previous profession as a former sheriff’s deputy added: ‘And somewhere along the way, Officer Friendly died along with them, just like I did.’

As Rick seemed to struggle with Morales’s insights, he shouted ‘No!’ as Daryl emerged and calmly killed Morales with an arrow to his head, asking casually: ‘Are you good?’

Sudden appearance: Daryl Dixon appeared out of nowhere and shot Morales in the back

Sudden appearance: Daryl Dixon appeared out of nowhere and shot Morales in the back

As Rick, seemingly pained, tried to tell Daryl, played by Norman Reedus, that they knew him, Daryl insisted coldly: ‘I know who he was. Don’t matter. One little bit.’

They had a similar episode later when a young Savior fired on them, with Rick finally getting him to accept a deal where they would let him drive away from an approaching herd of walkers in a car, if he surrendered and gave them information.

‘I’m giving you my word,’ Rick told him.

His word: Rick later gave his word to another Savior and offered a car in exchange for information

His word: Rick later gave his word to another Savior and offered a car in exchange for information

‘There’s not a lot that’s worth much these days, but a man’s word has got to mean something, right?,’ Rick yelled.

But as soon as they got the information they wanted, Daryl again calmly assassinated the Savior — with Rick looking shocked and pained but not condemning his friend.

Morgan Jones, played by Lennie James, had an even tougher confrontation with Paul ‘Jesus’ Rovia who tried to stop him killing Saviors they had taken prisoner.

No deal: Daryl executed the Savior after he gave them information

No deal: Daryl executed the Savior after he gave them information

Gunned down: Rick looked on as Daryl executed the Savior after he gave his word

Gunned down: Rick looked on as Daryl executed the Savior after he gave his word

‘No matter what they’ve done, they’re people,’ Jesus, played by Tom Payne, told him.

‘I kill; I’ve killed. You do; you have. But we don’t execute,’ Jesus declared.

‘I have,’ Morgan insisted, soon threatening to shoot dead one of the prisoners who taunted him before they were interrupted by walkers who came tumbling down a hill.

Major disagreement: Jesus and Morgan argued over the killing of prisoners

Taunting talk: A Saviors prisoner taunted Morgan for wearing the armor of his dead friend

Taunting talk: A Saviors prisoner taunted Morgan for wearing the armor of his dead friend

Not forgiving: Tara was in favor of killing the prisoners

Not forgiving: Tara was in favor of killing the prisoners

In the chaos, a group of prisoners escaped, with Morgan chasing them down and shooting dead one of them — before Jesus aggressively stopped him from executing more.

‘We’re gonna find another way,’ Jesus insisted, clarifying: ‘Maggie will find another way.’

‘You really think she won’t want them dead? Every last one after what they’ve done?’ Morgan asked, with Jesus insisting: ‘There’s war, and then there’s peace. We’re gonna have to live with these people after. We’re gonna have to find a way to peace.’

Rolling zombies: A group of zombies rolled down a hill toward the group and their prisoners

Rolling zombies: A group of zombies rolled down a hill toward the group and their prisoners

Neck attack: A zombie chomped on the neck of one of the prisoners

Neck attack: A zombie chomped on the neck of one of the prisoners

Brain food: A walker bit into the skull of another prisoner

Brain food: A walker bit into the skull of another prisoner

Rather than accept his words, Morgan started fighting Jesus — who at one point deadpanned that they were ‘having a little trouble’ — with him winning with martial arts-style moves despite Morgan using his pole.

‘I’m not right. I know that, I’m not right — but that doesn’t make me wrong,’ Morgan insisted, with Tara Chambler saying as he walked off: ‘Morgan — you are right.’

Maggie Greene, played by Lauren Cohan, had a similar moral dilemma when former Hilltop leader Gregory returned begging to be let in despite having sided with the Saviors.

Stick fight: Morgan used his stick while attacking Jesus

Stick fight: Morgan used his stick while attacking Jesus

Upper hand: Jesus stood still as Morgan put his stick against his throat

Upper hand: Jesus stood still as Morgan put his stick against his throat

Not right: Morgan admitted that he wasn't right but also said he wasn't wrong

Not right: Morgan admitted that he wasn’t right but also said he wasn’t wrong

Gregory initially insisted he did it for ‘sanity,’ ‘peace,’ ‘furthering good diplomacy,’ and ‘to save lives,’ before finally admitting: ‘Alright I went there because I was scared.

‘I knew you were gonna fight and I didn’t want to be complicit — because I didn’t think you could win. But I see now what you saw all along, that the Saviors can’t be reasoned with. That fighting them is the only way.

‘I was wrong, I made a mistake, and I’m sorry.’

Seeking entry: Gregory requested entry back into the Hilltop

Seeking entry: Gregory requested entry back into the Hilltop

As Maggie walked away, he begged: ‘We’re all just human beings with faults and fears. But is this who you are? Have you no mercy? No humanity, no charity? Please open the gate — open your heart. Don’t leave another human being out here to die.’

Maggie finally agreed to let him in, but insisting: ‘He’s not worth killing — not yet, anyway.’

But Gregory was furious when Jesus arrived with the prisoners, insisting they were ‘monsters’ and adding: ‘This is not a sanctuary for killers. We’re putting the safety of everyone in jeopardy. I know what they are, I have stared into the face of —’

No sanctuary: The appearance of the prisoners outraged Gregory who wanted them out

No sanctuary: The appearance of the prisoners outraged Gregory who wanted them out

Taking control: Maggie told Gregory to keep quiet

Taking control: Maggie told Gregory to keep quiet

‘No offense Jesus, but I kind of agree with that prick,’ Tara insisted.

Jesus, however, argued that they should lock them in trailers, telling Maggie: ‘We can’t let them go, and we can’t kill them. We can’t.’

In stark contrast, the group lead by King Ezekiel and Carol Peletier seemed to have no problem wiping out large numbers of Saviors.

Lock down: Jesus suggested locking up the prisoners instead of killing them

Lock down: Jesus suggested locking up the prisoners instead of killing them

‘They are coming for us — a powerful force of bloody-thirsty rogues and unrepentant cutthroats, bent on nothing less than our pitiless destruction,’ the King had told his men, adding: ‘And yet I smile.

‘If we follow this plan, if we keep to our training, if the fates continue to shine brightly upon us, allowing us this dream, we will lose not one of our ranks.’

After each successful battle, he once again proudly exclaimed: ‘Not one!’ 

Reckless bravado: King Ezekiel insisted that they would lose no one if they followed their plan

Reckless bravado: King Ezekiel insisted that they would lose no one if they followed their plan

The episode ended though with them coming under fire from a sniper shooting from a high window, with several of the group shot and others jumping on the king to protect him.

There was also heartache for Aaron, whose boyfriend Eric, played by Jordan Woods-Robinson, had been shot last week.

Aaron had insisted on staying with Eric, telling him: ‘I pulled you into this, you didn’t wanna fight.’

Tender moment: Aaron tried to comfort his wounded boyfriend Eric

Tender moment: Aaron tried to comfort his wounded boyfriend Eric

‘Until I did,’ Eric replied, begging him to leave him and continue fighting.

‘You know I love you,’ Eric told him. ‘You know I’m right.’

After kissing, Eric told Aaron: ‘OK. Stand your ass up, get back to the fight and you win this thing.’

Pep talk: Eric urged Aaron to get back in the fight

Pep talk: Eric urged Aaron to get back in the fight

Last kiss: Aaron and Eric kissed before they were forced to separate

Last kiss: Aaron and Eric kissed before they were forced to separate

‘I will. We will,’ Aaron told him, before telling him once more: ‘I love you.’

‘I always had a hunch,’ Eric replied with a smile, before insisting: ‘Now go.’

Aaron finally left — but when he returned to the same tree Eric was gone, seemingly now one of the walkers he saw marching away from them.

Getting emotiona; Aaron sobbed as he realized that Eric turned into a walker

Getting emotiona; Aaron sobbed as he realized that Eric turned into a walker

‘He’s dead… Eric’s dead…’ he sobbed.

He then begged Rick to let him take a baby named Gracie that they found after their latest battle up to Hilltop to be cared for, telling him: ‘Eric and I were gonna go up. We were gonna go there after and update Maggie. So that’s what I’m gonna do.’

The Walking Dead returns next week on AMC.

New baby: Rick agreed to let Aaron take baby Gracie to Hillside

New baby: Rick agreed to let Aaron take baby Gracie to Hillside

Feeling good: King Ezekiel was feeling good about not losing anyone

Feeling good: King Ezekiel was feeling good about not losing anyone

Too soon: He spoke too soon as a sniper soon opened fire

Too soon: He spoke too soon as a sniper soon opened fire

Under attack: Men jumped in front of the King to protect him

Under attack: Men jumped in front of the King to protect him

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