The Walking Dead – Dead City – Season 2 Episode 2 “Another Sh*** Lesson”

The, Negan and Maggie show, AKA ‘Dead City’ returned last week on AMC and AMC+. Episode 2 just dropped, and this one was exploding with walkers. Warning, there are spoilers for Season 1, and Season 2 Episode 1 ahead. However, Episode 2 is free of any spoiled meat.

Check out the review for Episode 1 of Season 2: “Power Equals Power.”

Last seen on Dead City

Season 1 we saw a desperate mom do what she had to do to save her kid. Still mourning the gruesome eye popping death of her late husband and baby daddy, she was forced to work with his killer. While Negan is a hell of a smooth talker (kudos to Jeffrey Dean Morgan for bringing so much “Rizz”- as the kids would say- to this role), he is still a constant reminder of the worst moment of her life. While, fans as well have not recovered from this, Maggie’s inability to move on is impacting her son.

Last we saw Negan, he had a brand new Lucille and he is now unenthusiastically working for The Dama and The Croat. As they prepare for war in the greatest city in the world, the mainlanders prepare to invade.

SIDENOTE: I attended my first Supernatural Con last November, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (who plays Negan & John Winchester), said when fans see him they all have very different responses. If they know him as Denny from Grey’s Anatomy they want to cry. For those that know him as Negan, they flick him off (for Glenn). Then, if they know him as John Winchester, it could go either way, or both. For more about my Supernatural Convention experience, click here.

Another Shitty Lesson

We kick off this episode with a classic New York view… cockroaches. Despite the extra filth and walking dead of the apocalypse, New York City is still very alive complete with landmarks and all. We learned in episode one that Negan’s wife and kid are being threatened to force him to cooperate, and lend his Negan “Saviors” survival skills that truly pack an extra pinch of pizzazz. Negan is now pulled in opposite directions to protect the one demographic he seems to have a soft spot for: kids. However, we still get that Negan evil grin as him and The Croat reminisce over a very disturbing memory.

Meanwhile as the Mainlanders continue their thoughtless and ego power driven invasion of Manhattan, an unexpected wrench is thrown in the mix. Or perhaps a tire. There was something they have been setting up since Season 1, but I didn’t really follow, as it took me by surprise in this. As it did a character in the show.

Overall Grade: 8/10

All in all, I’m loving Season 2. They seem to have kicked it up a notch from the first season, and I’m finding myself much more invested in these new faces. Kudos to one of the brand new faces of Season 2: Dascha Polanco, who plays Major Lucia Narvaez. I fell in love with her in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, however in Dead City she is enraging me! Which just means the actress is killing it.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the arc they’re setting up for Hershel. If you read the comic books by Robert Kirkman, then you know Hershel grew up a bit entitled. With how his character is heading I’m very curious to see what kind of grown up he’ll turn out to be on the screen. If one thing has been consistent with the shows and the comics, it’s that you never know exactly how true they’ll stick to their comic book counterparts.

Speaking of, Negan is the one I’m enjoying watching and squirming the most. Decisions have to be made. However, he seems to be more of a quick decision in the moment kind of badass. Yet, that won’t save everyone he wants to save this time.

Stay tuned for next week’s episode and review: “Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?”

For more from Lauren, check out ‘Hops GEEK News.’

Have you checked out Dead City yet? What are your thoughts?