What Does Morgan’s Key Unlock on Fear the Walking Dead?

Morgan Jones (Lennie James) holds the key that is going to "change everything" on Fear the Walking Dead, but what does the key unlock? Spoiler warning for Season 6 Episode 12, "In Dreams." The key first appears in Season 6 Episode 1, "The End Is the Beginning," where two men (Joseph Castillo-Midyett and Stephen Brodie) spray paint a beached submarine with "the end is the beginning" graffiti. They wait for hired headhunter Emile (Demetrius Grosse) to bring them the key taken off the decapitated corpse of Walter (Damon Carney), but Morgan kills the ax-wielding assassin and keeps the key when Emile goes to collect a bounty set by Virginia (Colby Minifie).

In Season 6 Episode 4, "The Key," Morgan kills the two men when he's mistaken for Emile and ambushed. Morgan doesn't know what the key unlocks, or that the spray-painted graffiti identifies the two men as members of the underground group after the "new beginning" preached about by the "King of the Crazies" Teddy (John Glover).

When Grace (Karen David) goes into labor in Season 6 Episode 12, "In Dreams," Grace and Morgan are attacked by Riley (Nick Stahl) and other members of The Holding while en route to the hospital being built by June Dorie (Jenna Elfman).

"Hand over that key you're wearing," warns Riley, "and this all goes away. We've been looking for that key for a while. Hired someone to find it. Even sent two friends after him when he didn't deliver." Facing a bloodied staff-wielding Morgan, Riley figures out he's the reason "why none of them came back."

"That key is gonna change everything," Riley tells him. "We're not leaving without it."

Morgan kills Teddy's men and stabs Riley, who brandishes a firearm with demands Morgan hand over the key around his neck. If Morgan doesn't comply, Riley shoots Grace before she can deliver her baby.

"What does it open?" asks Morgan. "Why do you want it?" Riley answers cryptically: "It doesn't matter. It's inevitable. No matter what you do."

Grace convinces Morgan to give up the key, unaware it unlocks nuclear weapons aboard the USS Pennsylvania. The spray-painted submarine washed ashore in Galveston, Texas, is the setting of Dead in the Water, a previously announced digital spin-off series tying into Season 6 of Fear.

A synopsis for the original scripted series set at the onset of the zombie apocalypse describes the sub as a "nuclear-fueled walker-filled death trap," and it's here that Morgan and company will try to prevent a nuclear apocalypse in the upcoming Season 6 Episode 15, "USS Pennsylvania," the penultimate episode of the season airing June 6.

Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD. New episodes of Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 premiere Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.