The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Review – Another successful TWD spin-off?
Season 2
Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3/5
TVland may be churning out show after show every single day but there are some that make their mark and remain a favourite even after a decade. The Walking Dead seems to be one of them, and like the producers, writers and the cast, the fans cannot let go yet. And they are one of the most well-fed fandoms because the show may have come to an end, but the characters are still running around, killing zombies as seen in The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Dead City is one of the many successful spin-offs of the TWD universe and has not only been able to rope in a beloved original character but also the show's most iconic villain.
Yep, Maggie and Negan have a whole show just revolving around them and it is such a hit that it recently returned with a Season 2. And don't worry, it is much more than the age-old will Maggie or won't Maggie kill Negan and avenge Glenn storyline. This horror drama has everything from creepy zombies and gory action to political skirmishes, betrayals and rescue missions.
The Walking Dead: Dead City's ensemble cast includes some familiar names such as Lauren Cohan as Maggie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan. Alongside them, Season 2 stars Gaius Charles, Zeljko Ivanek, Lisa Emery, Kim Coates, Dascha Polanco, Logan Kim and Mahina Napoleon.
Season 2 looks into what Negan and Maggie have been up to following their split in Season 1. New Babylon plans to invade Manhattan and make it its new base. This has poor Perlie drafting soldiers to join an exploratory mission. And as expected, once they reach the Bricks, they face their biggest opposition yet from Maggie.
This puts her right in the warring path of the Burazis who are getting ready to take down New Babylon. Negan plays the twisted leader, promoting the ideals of the Dama and the Croat but it seems that not all is hunky dory. While he struggles to unite the different factions of Manhattan against New Babylon, it seems that the Dama has something on Negan.
One thing that the production has got right is creating the apocalyptic world of walkers, villainous humans and anti-heroes. Existing places like Paris, Philadelphia, and Manhattan are turned into derelict versions, overrun by nature and walkers. With the story being set decades after the apocalypse, The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 shows humans rebuilding the world in a new image.
The Dama's vision is explored via elevator rooms in skyscrapers, Radio City's neon billboard lighting up the walker-infested streets of Manhattan and corporate offices turned into traps. A big bad baddie makes the MET his hideout while Central Park turns into a dangerous forest, and like the rest of the city, they play pivotal roles in the narrative.
The action, as usual, is pretty fun as well. 15 years may have passed, but the production keeps coming up with innovative walkers and even more innovative and gory ways to kill them. Think heartless walkers, walker cage matches and a literal bear fight.
However, we are tired of the main characters putting themselves in danger and coming out unscathed. With Dead City not investing in a large ensemble, we already know that the heroes and the main villains are at least going to be alive till the finale, that's how obvious the plot armour is.
But Season 2 shines when it focuses on exploring the characters' journey and their dynamics with each other. It works overtime on hashing out Negan and Maggie's complicated relationship and gives them both the closure they deserve. Perlie questions his loyalty to New Babylon while Hershel strays further away from Maggie and finds solace in the Dama.
The cast of this season is pretty impressive as well. Kim Coates as the brutish Bruegel, one of the faction leaders, gives Negan a run for his money. Lisa Emery, a master at playing violent villains, reminds us of her Ozark days with the Machiavellian Dama. Who would have thought to feel sorry for the Croat? But Zeljko Ivanek easily takes Season 1's villain and makes him pitiful.
Unfortunately, Dascha Polanco's Major Lucia Narvaez and Mahina Napoleon's Ginny are wasted despite having strong potential. They have a promising and overlapping storyline but both are sidelined. It is particularly a shame for Ginny as she is simply used to redeem Negan and justify Maggie's actions in the finale. But there is no emotional pay-off or tugging at heartstrings as Negan is brought to tears because of her.
However, The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 is still a fun ride, from start to finish, as Maggie struggles with her obsession with Negan, Hershel goes to the dark side and Negan tries to get out of the Dama's control. Paired with gory kills and that one satisfying action sequence involving Lucille 2.0 in the finale, fans are bound to stay happy.
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