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Played by: Shemar Moore.

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Rank: Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), Interim Unit Chief (during Hotch's temporary demotion in Season 5), Profiler

Weapons(s): Glock 17 w/ tactical illumination attachment, Glock 27 (backup)

Vital stats: Morgan is a confident and assertive character, the son of an African American father and Caucasian mother. He has a black belt in Judo, runs FBI self-defense classes, previously served in a bomb squad unit and was on the Chicago Police Force. Morgan went to Northwestern University on an athletic (Football) scholarship, but lost his scholarship when his knee was blown out during a game. He earned both his undergraduate degree and his law degree from Northwestern University ("Profiler, Profiled"). Morgan is the man's man of the team. He and his two sisters (Sarah and Desiree) grew up in a tough urban Chicago neighborhood. After the death of his father when he was 10 (however in episode 5.23, Our Darkest Hour, Morgan says he saw his father shot in front of him when he was nine), Morgan struggled somewhat and youthful fighting earned him a juvenile criminal record. He was taken under the wing of a local youth center coordinator, Carl Buford (Episode 2x12 "Profiler, Profiled"). Buford acted as a surrogate father to Morgan and helped Morgan obtain his college football scholarship, but also sexually abused him. In the season three finale, Morgan was told he was being considered to run the New York field office, if the current leader should fail. After the events of the season four opener ("Mayhem") where the head of the New York field office was killed, Morgan was offered the job as the head of the field office, but turned it down, after briefly considering it in "Lo-Fi", when Hotchner fails to recommend him for the job, claiming Morgan has trust issues.

Morgan used to regard himself as the right hand man of Jason Gideon before Gideon's departure in the beginning of Season three ("Doubt"). He specializes in crimes pertaining to obsession and also has a very wide knowledge of explosives from his days on the bomb squad. Previously, he worked as an undercover agent in deep cover for eighteen months prior to joining the BAU. Occasionally, he takes delight in flirting with Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, and the show often alludes to them being best friends. Morgan and Garcia are shown to be extremely close on several occasions: he confides in her that he loves her when she is shot (although we never find out if he means romantically or platonically) and when he trusts her to help him dispose of a live bomb in the season four opener ("Mayhem"). His birthday is April 20, 1970 (Episode 2x12 "Profiler, Profiled").

Key episodes:
1x10: "The Popular Kids"
1x21: "Secrets and Lies"
2x02: "P911"
2x06: "Boogeyman"
2x08: "Empty Planet"
2x12: "Profiler, Profiled"
2x16: "Fear and Loathing"
2x20: "Honor Among Thieves"
3x04: "Children of the Dark"
3x08: "Lucky"
3x16: "Elephant's Memory"

Who is Morgan? Discuss his character development by season.

Season 1	We learn very little about Morgan in season one. There are, however, a few facts that we do find out. Episode 1x01, "Extreme Aggressor," We learn that Morgan was supposed to be with Gideon in Boston when Adrian Bale blew up a building that he likely would have been in. We never find out why he wasn't there. We also learn he is an expert in Obsessional Crime. Episode 1x03, "Won't Get Fooled Again," Morgan expresses doubts to Hotch that Gideon is ready to deal with a bomber. This clearly shows that he's more comfortable contradicting Hotch and Gideon than, for instance, Reid. Episode 1x05, "Broken Mirror," Reid suggests that Morgan is something of a lady's man. Morgan doesn't deny it. He also says he doesn't mess around with women who carry guns (hint of a bad experience once upon a time?). Episode 1x08, "Natural Born Killer" While Hotch and Morgan were ransacking an unsubs apartment, Morgan came across a hollow wall and revealed a standard issue "cop" gun. He revealed to Hotch that he had done 18 months of deep undercover work. Episode 1x10, "The Popular Kids," When Reid is having nightmares, Morgan goes behind his back and tells Hotch and Gideon about them. Later, Morgan reveals to Reid that he started having nightmares six months after he joined the BAU, and that Gideon helped him work through them. This is one of the first hints we see of a strong mentor/student relationship between Gideon and Morgan. Episode 1x18, "Somebody's Watching," Reid says that he's never seen Morgan with the same woman twice. Once again, Morgan doesn't deny it. He says it is because of the job. It takes up most of their time. Episode 1x21, "Secrets and Lies," Morgan develops something of an attraction to one of the CIA agents the team is investigating. We also learn that he has a dog, Clooney, and he rides a motorcycle.
Season 2	Episode 2x02, "P911," Morgan is angry almost beyond reason when the team catches a ********* who is also the principal of an elementary school, and later, when they catch one who had kidnapped a young boy and was trying to auction him off. Episode 2x06, "The Boogeyman," Morgan is again extremely angry at a man the team believes has killed a series of children in a small town in Texas. He reveals he was afraid of the dark as a child. Episode 2x08, "Empty Planet," he refuses to move from the side of a woman whose car has been rigged with a bomb. Gideon tells a witness (the UnSubs stressor) that at that moment, a "young man [he] greatly admires and respects" is putting his life on the line. Later, when both Morgan and the woman have come away safely, Reid tells him what Gideon said. Gideon tells Morgan that what he did was stupid, but not necessarily wrong. Episode 2x12, "Profiler, Profiled" is entirely focused on Morgan. In it, we discover that he saw his father die in an attempt to stop a robbery when he was ten. Later, the director of a Chicago youth center took him under his wing and mentored him. The same man also molested him, however, explaining Morgan's actions in Episodes 2x02 ands 2x06. Morgan found the body of a young boy when he was just a kid himself, took up a collection and buried the victim, who remained unknown. Episode 2x16, "Fear and Loathing," Morgan bonds with Prentiss over their shared love of Kurt Vonnegut, and with the head detective on their current case. When the detective is shot, Prentiss tries to cheer Morgan up at the funeral and fails. Later, Morgan also tries and fails to help Reid with the aftermath of 2x15, "Revelations." Episode 2x18, "Jones," Morgan alludes to his history as a victim of sexual abuse in a conversation with Prentiss, marking one of the few times he has voluntarily mentioned his personal past in any way. Episode 2x20, "Honor Among Thieves," Morgan bonds with the daughter of a victim. She later turns out to be the unsub.
Season 3	Episode 3x04, "Children of the Dark": He is upset with Social Services because they want him and Prentiss to take two kids back to their foster parents, even though they are being abused by the very same people. Later he talks one of the kids into giving up a gun one of the unsubs had given him, and walks him out of the home telling him he never has to go back there again. Episode 3x07, "Identity" Morgan is sent to a bar to meet with the head of the Militia by Rossi. Morgan does not understand and challenges why Rossi is sending him when there is a whole team to choose from. Once Morgan gets to the bar, it becomes an issue with the Militia Leader/Bar Owner of why Morgan was sent there. Morgan challenges him and stands his ground and leaves with the information he went for. In the end, he meets up with Rossi and wants to know after all he's accomplished, why he came back to the BAU. Rossi is vague telling him it's only unfinished business and Morgan tells him that one thing Rossi doesn't know about him yet is that he is relentless, he will find out. Episode 3x08, "Lucky" Morgan and Garcia have a tiff because she met someone and is confused and excited and rather than helping, he makes her feel worse. He and Reid also exchange words on the jet to Florida as Morgan talks about how he is not afraid of the devil and Reid points out that in order to believe in one, he has to believe in the other. Morgan gets defensive and tells Reid, "No offense kid but you don't know what I believe." Also Morgan is reluctant to question the priest and he asks Rossi to do it and Rossi puts him on the spot in the front of the priest and makes him interview him anyway. Later while working with the priest on narrowing down the list of suspects, Morgan tells the priest he doesn't believe in god because when he was young, something bad was happening to him (referring to his molestation that was revealed in Episode 2x12 "Profiler Profiled") and he went to church every week and prayed and where was god to help a 13 year old boy. Later he apologized to the priest and the episode ended with him walking into a church. Episode 3x09, "Penelope" Morgan learned Garcia had gone out with the "hottie" and he was the one who shot her. Morgan blamed himself and was upset as he had called her and asked her to go out that night but she was upset with him and turned him down so he went to church instead. He stayed by Garcia's side throughout the entire episode to protect her. When he brought her home from the hospital and spent the night, he told her he loved her and she him. It was implied that they care for each other, but not as more than friends or siblings. When Rossi asked Morgan how his faith was, Morgan told him "day to day". Episode 3x14, "Damaged" Morgan uses his specialty in Obsessional Crimes to narrow down the profile and find the 20 year old "killer" of Rossi's "Unfinished business". Episode 3x15, "A Higher Power" Morgan admits to Prentiss while visiting the first crime scene that he owns four properties. He is skeptical to believe that this particular death is anything but a suicide or the second crime scene either. It's only after the third crime scene that Morgan is on board with the rest of the team in believing they have a serial killer at loose. After catching the Unsub and heading home, Prentiss asks Morgan how he does it. Morgan admits he owns four properties because whether he's on the job or smashing down walls, both of them make him feel like he's changing something for the better. Episode 3x16, "Elephant's Memory" While sitting in the unsub's bedroom (Owen Savage), Morgan and Reid shared some of their high school bully stories. Reid assumed Morgan was a jock, had posters of Michael Jordan, etc. on his walls. It was later when Reid struggled with his past and how he had been like Owen that Morgan opened up and told him that during his freshmen year of high school. He told Reid that he wasn't the only one who could identify with the unsub. Morgan admitted he was 5 ft. 3 and only weighed about 123 lbs. and got his butt kicked regularly. It was after his freshmen year that Morgan went to the gym and began working out, then joined sports teams, etc.
Season 4	Episode 4x01, "Mayhem" Morgan had a crucial role in this episode. In the beginning he fought against an NYPD tactical officer in order to go to Hotch's aid after the explosion. While he was helping Hotch with Joyner's injuries, Garcia called and alerted him to the fact that Sam - the bystander helping them - was in fact the bomber. Morgan chased Sam into the subway tunnels, but was unable to prevent Sam from stepping onto the powered part of the track and electrocuting himself. Later, he figured out that the Paramedic was in fact another terrorist and he rushed down to the ambulance to find that he had planted a large bomb in it. Since it could not be defused, Morgan got inside the ambulance and drove it as far away from the city as he could while Garcia jammed the signal. Once the signal jam wore off, the ambulance exploded - but Morgan was able to make it out beforehand. Episode 4x10, "Brothers in Arms" Being a Police Officer once before himself, Morgan shares in the pain of losing a fellow officer. Throughout the episode he is consistently trying to get the Lieutenant to understand that he can't arrest the first guy he suspects. Morgan sits down and has a civil conversation with the local gang leader about his own Lieutenant who had been murdered by the same guy killing the Police Officers. "Playboy" remembers a guy who matched the description Morgan gave him. After returning to the Police Station after the false alarm Hotch and Morgan trick the unsub into approaching Hotch, meanwhile Morgan comes up behind him and disarms him. Making the arrest. After the team leaves to return home Morgan attends the funeral of one of the cops and tells the cop's son that he understands what he is going though and to keep his head up, reminding him that his dad was a hero.
Season 5	In Season 5 Morgan becomes the team leader of the BAU as Hotch steps down (5.04 "Cradle to the grave" Hotch tells him that he is team leader due to the return of The Reaper). Also he gets a surprise from Garcia and JJ in 5.05, as they prepare him his own office with his secret 'Fun Zone' Garcia quotes which contains a picture of her holding the I love you sign up towards him. He leads the team from episode 5.04 until episode 5.11 when Hotch decides to come back after Haley's funeral in 'The Slave of Duty'. The season ends with Morgan beat up by Billy Flynn an unsub who has killed people during blackouts in Los Angeles and has now taken out his anger out on Detective Spicer by kidnapping his daughter, beating and raping his sister and killing him after Morgan promises to keep his daughter safe.
Season 6	In Season 6 Morgan is irate about Billy Flynn escaping and takes it out on Garia (though he later apologized). The unsub lets Det, Spicer's daughter, Elle, go and after he talks to Morgan about making amends to his dead mom, Morgan guns him down in cold blood. It's later learned Elle has been keeping contact with Morgan via text messages and later she runs away from her foster home to the BAU ( Episode 6.5 Safe Haven).
Season 7