{"id":94235,"date":"2025-05-05T02:20:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T02:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/twd-dead-city-season-2-episode-1-sets-up-a-war-for-manhattan\/"},"modified":"2025-05-05T02:20:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T02:20:42","slug":"twd-dead-city-season-2-episode-1-sets-up-a-war-for-manhattan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/twd-dead-city-season-2-episode-1-sets-up-a-war-for-manhattan\/","title":{"rendered":"TWD: Dead City Season 2 Episode 1 Sets Up A War for Manhattan"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Critic’s Rating:<\/strong> 3.25 \/ 5.0<\/p>\n

3.25<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for an epic battle between different factions for Manhattan, then The Walking Dead: Dead City<\/a> Season 2 Episode 1 was the episode you\u2019ve been waiting for.<\/p>\n

For some reason, Maggie and Negan\u2019s paths are continually intertwined, and there\u2019s a good chance they\u2019ll be fighting on the same side again by the end of the season. <\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with Maggie and The Bricks because a lot has happened since The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 Episode 6<\/a> wrapped on a hopeful note for the community.<\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The revelation that Perlie forced The Bricks was surprising because it harkens back to The Commonwealth on The Walking Dead Season 11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Maggie is the last person to want to be part of something like New Babylon after the physical and mental torment her people went through at the hands of The Commonwealth. <\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dictators are everything Maggie is against, so it\u2019s hard to believe she rolled over and allowed Perlie, Charlie, and Lucia to strong-arm her into joining them. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s frustrating for viewers of the wider franchise that Maggie hasn\u2019t contacted Carol, Rick, Michonne, or even Morgan for assistance.<\/p>\n

She has all these people tied to big communities who would show up with an army to help her if needed, so why isn\u2019t she asking them for assistance?<\/p>\n

The Walking Dead: Dead City Is Dumbing Maggie Down<\/h2>\n

The only excuse is that something more significant happened with her after she left The Commonwealth, because the other is bad writing. <\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I get that spinoffs need to set themselves apart, but doing so at the expense of logical storytelling is never a good idea. <\/p>\n

Maggie is a heroic figure who wants to do right by the people who look up to her, so her decision to go instead of 20 of her people to join this fight for methane was right on brand. <\/p>\n

But it must have been difficult for her to agree to it because she knows how much deadlier Manhattan is than anywhere else that she\u2019s been during her time in the apocalypse. <\/p>\n

With the dense population, there are walkers everywhere, and it\u2019s also allowed different factions to form, for better or worse. <\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maggie is understandably livid with Perlie for everything he\u2019s done to her, but I still think she\u2019ll work with him to help keep up this lie about him killing Negan. <\/p>\n

Perlie\u2019s issue is that Negan will probably be the face of the opposition, so if a war does kick off, there\u2019s every reason to believe Perlie\u2019s lie will come to the forefront. <\/p>\n

Lucia strikes me as the type of person who can smell a rat, and her no-holds-barred approach to following the New Babylon code means that she\u2019ll react with fury when the truth comes out. <\/p>\n

But that also makes her the character who will be killed off when we least expect it. Perlie knows there will be an opening for another promotion if he takes her out of the equation. <\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then again, I wouldn\u2019t put it past Lucia to kill Charlie and take her power because there already seems to be a wealth of unrest between the two women. <\/p>\n

Lucia is more brutal than Charlie, so she\u2019d be a much more unpredictable leader, which in theory could make her a fantastic villain. <\/p>\n

Dascha Polanco Is A Great Villain<\/h2>\n

Of course, Dascha Polanco is best known for playing Daya on Orange Is the New Black<\/a>, but it\u2019s clear she\u2019s relishing playing this much different character.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to see what happens next in her storyline because I want to know more about how Lucia got into this powerful position. <\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then there\u2019s the Dama. I\u2019m still not completely sold on her having this robust regime in Manhattan that people are forced to follow. <\/p>\n

Having Negan as the face of the operation is smart because he\u2019s well-known thanks to The Croat\u2019s chatter about him. <\/p>\n

Something is fitting about Negan being forced back into the role he\u2019s tried so hard to shed in recent years, but I hope this newfound power doesn\u2019t rub off on him. <\/p>\n

The last thing I want is for him to regress as a character for the sake of this war, because doing so would diminish everything he\u2019s accomplished since being imprisoned. <\/p>\n

\"The\"The
(Robert Clark\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The upgrades to Lucille were pretty neat and set the stage for coming events. It was a resounding success if the intent was to scare the different factions into following Negan. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s just a shame it came at the expense of Christos. Jake Weary<\/a> isn\u2019t the kind of actor you bring in for one episode and kill off, so that was pretty poor.<\/p>\n

Circling back to the Dama for a minute, my best theory is that Maggie will want to kill her because of her profound impact on Hershel. <\/p>\n

Is Hershel Going to the Dark Side?<\/h2>\n

Hershel is going through the typical teenage years and doesn\u2019t fully trust his mother, but my best guess is that he was more concerned about Maggie meeting the Dama than the potential danger she could be in. <\/p>\n

\"Negan\"Negan
(Peter Kramer\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I hope that we\u2019re not headed for a moment in which Hershel chooses the bad side over the good because it seems like too much of a departure for such a legendary character. <\/p>\n

All told, the next few episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 will determine whether it will be a good or bad season.<\/p>\n

There are some encouraging signs, but so much could go wrong, too.<\/p>\n

\"Taking\"Taking
(Peter Kramer\/AMC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still here? You\u2019re our kind of people.\u00a0<\/strong>
Drop a word in the comments or share this with a fellow fan \u2014 it\u2019s the best way to support indie TV coverage that actually cares about the shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on the premiere? Do you think it lived up to the hype? <\/p>\n

Hit the comments below. <\/p>\n

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