What You Need to Remember Before Watching The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2!

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651 days have passed since “The Walking Dead” last visited New York City, but on Sunday evening, we see Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) back in action in season 2 of “The Walking Dead: Dead City”. Once more, the series is set on the Isle of the Dead that is now New York City – a place without power since the blackout at the start of the outbreak around 18 years ago. The new season follows Maggie and Negan as they find themselves in the midst of a real-life power struggle between the New Babylon Federation and the street gangs of New York.

If you’re unsure about some details since Maggie and Negan were last seen in 2023, or if you could use a quick recap of the season one finale’s cliffhanger, here’s a summary to refresh your memory before the new season of Dead City airs tonight, May 4, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Maggie and Negan went into New York City together — and Maggie left him there

Previous season saw Maggie chasing after Negan following the abduction of her son Hershel (Logan Kim) from their residence at the Bricks, the revamped Hilltop settlement, by Croat (Željko Ivanek), an ex-Savior loyal to him. In a twist, Negan, who is on the run from New Babylon’s Marshal Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles), offered his assistance in recovering Hershel, on condition that Maggie provide shelter for his orphaned protegee, Ginny (Mahina Napoleon). Maggie further reminded Negan of a debt: he had mercilessly killed her husband Glenn (Steven Yeun) when she was pregnant with Hershel.

Following their survival on the rough streets of New York City, it was discovered that the Croat had coerced Maggie into transporting fugitive Negan from the mainland to Manhattan. Maggie ultimately surrendered Negan to the Croat, who then delivered him to Dama (Lisa Emery), a powerful figure looking to have Negan rally and govern the city’s gangs for the purpose of protecting the island’s natural resources against New Babylon.

Power equals power

I marvel at the ingenious process transforming the plentiful organic matter on the Croatian island into methane gas – a valuable energy source. Remarkably, this process yields an abundance of fuel that could potentially light up New York City’s electricity grid. Indeed, it’s fascinating to consider people as a resource in this context.

The one who has authority over the methane production holds significant power, so the Dama prepared their defense once Governor Byrd (Jasmin Walker) briefed Armstrong about the methane as an alternative to the vast corn fields needed for New Babylon’s ethanol production.

Negan: Wanted dead or alive

After relentlessly chasing Negan from the mainland to the island, Armstrong admitted that he claimed to have shot and killed the fugitive when questioned by his superiors. In truth, however, the marshal chose not to apprehend Negan because Negan had once saved his life in a somewhat unselfish manner: “If they blame my death on me,” Negan reasoned, “I’ll be wanted twice as much.

Simultaneously, another individual turned against Negan to ensure justice for him: Ginny, who discovered that Negan deceived her. Ginny’s father was one of the four men that Negan killed alongside a New Babylon magistrate. However, this was due to the five men, including Negan, attacking and robbing his wife, Annie (Medina Senghore), nearly killing her. Upon realizing that Ginny had followed him to New York, Negan falsely claimed he had taken her in because she represented a “debt” that needed repayment. In reality, these harsh words were just Negan’s means of persuading Ginny to return to the safety of the Bricks with Maggie.

Mother Dama

The first season concluded with Maggie saving Hershel from the Croat and Dama, who maimed Hershel by chopping off a toe to give to Negan as a warning for Hershel’s new enforcer team. However, once they were back together, Hershel expressed his anger towards Maggie: “It appeared you prioritized revenge,” he criticized her relentless pursuit of the man who killed his father.

In simpler terms, “Hershel said to Maggie, ‘I’m standing right next to you, but you don’t seem to notice. It feels like you’ve been focusing on someone else all this time, waiting for him, without really seeing me.’ Later, Maggie discovered Hershel’s sketches of an unfamiliar woman – the Dama – among his things at the Bricks.

Tranquilitas Ordinis

As a passionate cinema enthusiast, I’d put it this way: “Peace, structure, righteousness, and rule of law” are the cornerstones of New Babylon, the grand metropolis that sternly upholds justice within its alliance of states. However, the ambitions of the New Babylon Federation, a powerhouse born from colonization, started to extend beyond its boundaries when Governor Byrd cast her gaze towards a new frontier: the bustling cityscape of New York.

The second season of “The Walking Dead: Dead City” starts airing on May 4, both on AMC and AMC+. Fresh episodes will be available every Sunday.

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2025-05-04 22:21