Here we are again, connecting with one of The Walking Dead’s spinoff series. The one that I will be reviewing is Dead City featuring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan. I have watched and written reviews for the entire eleven seasons of TWD, both here and on my personal blog. I thought we would have been done with walkers…but no…with TWD world mirroring actual reality here in the states…maybe its valuable to learn more surviving tips, and who better to teach us but Negan and Maggie.
Old Acquaintances
Keep Your Enemies Close. There is a new villain in the series, and Maggie is forced to seek help from an old acquaintance. Hershel (Logan Kim) has been taken by one of Negan’s former Saviors. The Croat (Zeljko Ivanek) is responsible for stealing children from Hilltop and taking them to his headquarters in Manhattan. So here we are in the city that never sleeps, but the Broadway shows, and city lights are now home to walkers and roaches. Don’t even get me to describe that scene from hell. Oh my God!
I have always considered Carol (Melissa McBride) to be the queen of Ninja Warriors, but I have to admit that Lauren Cohan is an apex predator when it comes to saving her son. There is only one little problem. New York was dangerous even before the apocalypse. Maggie needs someone who is just as crazy as she is to get this job done.
We know that some time has passed since TWD finale because Hershel is now a teenager. What I don’t know, and all my research turns up nothing… is what happened to Annie and the baby she was carrying. Maggie does ask Negan, but he doesn’t reply. Negan isn’t alone. He does have a young girl with him. Ginny (Mahina Napoleon) has been traumatized by her dad’s turning and this has caused her to stop speaking. Negan grudgingly agrees to help Maggie, if Maggie will protect Ginny and keep her safe at the new Hilltop.
Negan is a wanted man, and there are Marshalls from New Babylon looking for him. We aren’t given too much info on how Negan pissed off Marshall Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles), but that man is intent on bringing Negan back: dead or alive. Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) reminisces with Maggie (Lauren Cohan) about a childhood memory of when his dad, on one of his travels, brought young Negan a small souvenir of the Statue of Liberty. His dad had made plans to take young Negan to New York to see the real thing, but those plans fell through…and now…here he is with Maggie who hates his guts.
Croat
You need to keep reminding yourself that Negan wasn’t always lovable. He killed two members of Team Rick. It was a brutal killing and this episode’s flashbacks reinforce the horror that we witnessed those many years ago. Negan had to be vicious in order to keep control over his Saviors. Zeljko Ivanek is an amazing actor, and he has successfully fleshed out the part of antagonist. He is scary and sort of funny at the same time. It will be very interesting to see if Negan can outsmart Croat. He knows how Negan thinks, and he has imitated the mind hive that was part of the Saviors.
Negan and Maggie also have allies: Amaia (Karina Ortiz), and Tommaso (Jonathan Higginbotham) …but I am hoping that we can learn more about the different survivors within the six episodes.
Conclusion
I was disappointed in the way TWD series ended. I had hoped for a Carol and Daryl (Norman Reedus) spinoff but that was not to be. I will watch the spinoff with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) when it airs…but it has to be as good as Dead City. I think that bringing the world of TWD to New York was a good move. The city offers more places to fight Walkers. Hopefully, we will witness some more evolved walkers.
There was one scene in this episode that brought back memories of 9/11. It had to do with roof top walkers falling and hitting the ground. That sound sent shivers through me. Let me know if it bothers you. Also, if there is anyone out there who knows what happened to Annie…please let me know. See you next week. Watch Dead City. It is, in my opinion, the type of spinoff that makes you happy that you stuck with the series for all those years.
