Critic’s Rating: 3.25 / 5.0
3.25
Ever since news broke that Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan were joining forces for a spinoff of The Walking Dead, there were questions about how much Maggie and Negan were willing to put up with each other.
Wild fan theories and speculation about the pair ensued, but The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Episode 2 highlighted their mutual goal of keeping Hershel safe.
Despite what people may think of Negan, he’s shown up in many different ways for Maggie and Hershel, whether on The Walking Dead Season 11 or The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1, he’s always been trying to right the wrongs of the past.
(AMC/Screenshot)
But how long will he be able to navigate that now that he’s in this position of faux power?
By that, I mean that Dama wants him to commit big, sweeping acts of terror that have ripple effects throughout the other factions and force them into submission.
(Peter Kramer/AMC)
He’s been trained to think multiple steps ahead, but when Maggie and Hershel are involved, he always has a blind spot because he’s started putting them above his needs when in sticky situations.
It’s such a heel turn from the wicked things he did as the leader of the Saviors, but this series intends to showcase how far Negan has come, despite many bumps in the road that could have forced him back into his old ways.
The Croat Is Causing Problems on The Walking Dead: Dead City
The Croat is a fantastic counterpoint because in the past, he knew the merciless Negan, the one who adapted in the zombie-ravaged Virginia by killing anyone who stood in his way.
The Croat is well aware of the people who want to get into Manhattan because the island’s natural resources are highly coveted and can be the difference between life and death. I understand why he’s been pushing Negan to harken back to the past.
(AMC/Screenshot)
But the Croat doesn’t understand that telling the Dama about Negan’s misdeeds is that he’s unwittingly set up his own demise, because there’s no way Negan will trust him now.
All of the work they’ve done to regain their rapport has been flushed down the toilet, and Negan will now be waiting for his former ally to step out of line to find some rhyme or reason to kill him.
Negan knows his back is against the wall here, but he also knows that The Croat will report everything to the Dama, so he’s a bit of a weak link. Speaking of the Dama, I’m sorry to say, she’s getting more ridiculous by the episode.
I’m questioning why anyone would care about what she has to say, because her actions rarely align with what she says.
(Peter Kramer/AMC)
She’s under this misconception that she can pull strings from behind the scenes and make others take the fall for crimes, but she’s got to know that Negan will kill her when he learns where she’s been holding Annie and Joshua.
Negan has followed her order for too long, and she’s unleashed a fire within him because he now knows that she’ll kill anyone he gets close to.
Could Maggie Lead New Babylon?
Then there’s the New Babylon of it all. The group is supposed to be swallowing up communities and making them follow their new world order, but they couldn’t listen to Maggie’s concerns about the people of Manhattan?
Narvaez and Byrd’s calling the mission “exploratory” was comical because it showcased their false illusion that the people of New York would grant them safe passage to their home.
(AMC/Screenshot)
New Babylon is well aware of the unrest on the island and the vast array of eclectic characters that could and should defend their home.
Even stupider is how Byrd and Narvaez approached the island with a well-lit ferry. There should have been a moment of realization where one shouted, “Kill the lights,” to prevent the Dama’s group from finding them.
Then again, maybe that wouldn’t have allowed for explosive walkers to be shot into the New York skyline and used as bombs to destroy the boat.
It almost feels like the creatives want this show to be fun, but aren’t considering the implications for the plot. There’s a thin line between fun and stupid, and I feel the rest of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 will straddle that line.
(AMC/Screenshot)
Then there’s Maggie, who thought punching Narvaez when she was severely outnumbered would be a good idea. Where did that even come from?
That was one of the series’ most shocking moments because it stood out that Maggie is slowly realizing she has no more “f—s” to give. She’s dealt with countless tyrannical figures for nearly two decades in the apocalypse, but she should have thought this through more thoroughly.
Narvaez Needs More Depth
Did she think Narvaez would roll over and accept insubordination? This is the same woman who killed a man to send a message to the people of The Bricks on The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Episode 1.
The only thing that might help Maggie as we delve into the rest of the season is that Narvaez proved at the end of the episode that she wasn’t cut out for Manhattan’s cutthroat nature.
(AMC/Screenshot)
Maybe she’ll realize that Maggie was driven by her knowledge of the island and the fearless leaders that lived there, and they’ll be able to work together.
Look at it this way: Few New Babylon soldiers are on the mission. If there’s a way to send a message back, my best guess is that the other factions will hear about Byrd’s death and say they’re not sending anyone.
A large part of Narvaez’s character is her mindlessly following the New Babylon code, but what will she do when everyone else doesn’t and her team is in mortal danger?
Maggie will struggle to work with Narvaez in any capacity, particularly because Hershel is now involved and back in Manhattan.
(Peter Kramer/AMC)
But can we take a moment to assess why Hershel thought it was a good idea? Do I believe Krista gave him the go-ahead to leave the compound?
My theory is that he’s caused something to distract from his whereabouts and is more concerned with getting close to the Dama again. All roads lead to the Dama for now, and I want Maggie and Negan to team up and take her down.
However, I’m starting to get the sense that Hershel will realize the error of his ways and kill her himself. These storylines have to have some depth, and the only way to do that is to give Hershel more reason to be there.
You made it to the end — and that means a lot.
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