As we continue our zombie exploration of the Big Apple in ‘The Walking Dead: DEAD CITY’ on AMC & AMC+, episode 2 takes us sightseeing. If you’re not up to date then check out the Spoiler Free SEASON 3 review HERE. Otherwise, WARNING: DON’T READ, SPOILERS INSIDE!
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***
Last Seen on The Walking Dead: DEAD CITY
Last week we saw Negan hold The CROAT as he passed, new friends were made, a baby was saved, and Negan enjoyed some down time at the bar. We then wrapped the season premier with a happy ending, and surprise villain moment. A new life was celebrated, people bonded, and we see the Dama is still alive and evil.
Check out the recap & review for the first episode: ‘TRILLIUM‘
The Story for ‘HAVEN’
Wrapping up The Dama
The Dama is still a problem, and it’s time to move on. Negan, Maggie, and Pearlie decide they’re done. They’re going after her. She continues to spout her nonsense, and Negan is ready to end her for good. However, Maggie goes all Daredevil, and is insistent they got to lock her up instead! Maggie then confides in Negan that she wants to kill her. She feels he’s the only one who would truly understand that. The Dama is refusing to eat, but eventually chooses food when Maggie offers her a knife as an alternative solution. Unfortunately for The Dama, Negan has decided she doesn’t actually get a choice. He stages it like a suicide. He took the Punisher approach, while also giving Maggie exactly what she wanted. What a guy!
Setting Up Season 3
In addition to wrapping up The Dama storyline, more seeds were planted for season 3. Hershel has really turned a corner as he finds himself in zombie medical school under Dr. Luis, where he gets to practice stiches on his dad’s murderer. Other than getting stitches, and murdering The Dama, Negan also bonded with Dillard, his new BFF. They Home Aloned 2 some walkers with bricks, played video games, and Negan learns more about Dillard’s past and what made him the quirky guy he is today.
Negan also got yelled at by Maggie. Nothing new, but also very new. Their relationship is evolving from hatred to respect. Maggie wants his help. She believes he can help make this new community they have something good, and real. Negan has no hope that many “good people” are left, but he still seems to have hope that Maggie can make a community there.
The Statue of Liberty reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Maggie wants to make this mean something again, and build a life for her and Hershel in the greatest city in the world. So Renata and Maggie go light up Lady Liberty!
Final Thoughts
If you read my review last week, then you know I enjoyed the premier, but I didn’t love it. It felt like season 2 was still wrapping up. However, this week took a different direction, and I was all for it! I was concerned we were going to linger too long on The Dama, but Negan took care of that. So now we can focus on these new people, and the potential for a new community, and new problems.
***WARNING: COMIC BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD***
In the Image Comics, THE WALKING DEAD, by Robert Kirkman, Maggie’s character becomes President of the Commonwealth. While we’ve seen her run other communities at times in the past, seeing her talk about this new community feels like they’re going in a similar direction. While the main show has wrapped, I love that the spinoffs still give nods here and there to their comic book counterparts.
Negan & Dillard
We’re so deep into the apocalypse at this point that we now have young adults that don’t remember a before time. However, the grown-ups do, and as much as they move forward they’re still mourning it. Negan and Dillard’s relationship is a breath of fresh air in a city filled with rats and zombies. They’re a nod to before while simultaneously being a representation of how used to living among the walking dead they have become. Their relationship immediately became my favorite thing about this season.
Jimmi Simpson has brought to life a character that I never knew a zombie apocalypse needed. He’s absolutely unhinged, but in all the ways Negan isn’t. Together the two of them are like peas and carrots, and I’m so excited to see their relationship bloom.
Overall Grade 9/10
The Walking Dead: Dead City, Season 3, Episode 2 was incredibly satisfying, surprising, and fun. I’m very excited to see how this season plays out. With the New York ‘WELCOME’ sign turned back on, a new community of people, and Negan’s new BFF, it’s anyone’s undead city now.
____
Head back every Sunday for the next few weeks for my spoiler filled reviews after the show! They’ll drop after 10 p.m. EDT.
Check out some ‘SUPERNATURAL’ Easter Eggs in ‘THE BOYS’ and more reviews from Lauren.
In addition to Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, season three also stars Jimmi Simpson, Raúl Castillo, Aimee Garcia, Logan Kim and Michael Emery. The Walking Dead: Dead City is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead Universe, showrunner Seth Hoffman, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Brian Bockrath and Colin Walsh.
Did you watch Season 3 Episode 2 of DEAD CITY? What are your thoughts?
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply