The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 Maggie’s harrowing walker fight & a shocking return of Lucille.

The Walking Dead: Dead City is onto its season 2 premiere of EP1 “Power Equals Power” tonight and opens with an upbeat song (New York Groove) by Ace Frahley. As we get exterior shots of New York City (despite a lot of the season being filmed in Massachusetts, which is not far from me), some trucks pass by (The Dama’s CRM-like armed cult militia), and a rather graphic scene depicts how the dead power the city’s electrical grid.

THE DEAD CREATE METHANE GAS TO POWER THE CITY.

In an almost embalming-like scene, the dead are disposed of via a large garbage truck and then tossed into a green liquid tank (nude, adding to the grisly nature of the scene), as an after shot of the City that Never Sleeps lighting up like the Las Vegas strip follows soon after.

It should also be noted that this location is the church in Lowell, Massachusetts.

 

DEATH IS LIFE. SORT OF…

This also piggybacks on The Croat’s ( Željko Ivanek) discovery that the gas released from corpses becomes electricity. While it is a creative and sustainable way to operate in the apocalypse, it does not make it any less horrifying. The process mirrors the scene in Fear: The Walking Dead, where Teddy’s cult introduces the dead to act as soil for their crops. Creative? But disturbing.

Cue the opening title.

 

MAGGIE TEACHES HERSHEL JR. HOW TO HUNT UNSUCCESSFULLY.

The Walking Dead universe would, of course, not let us forget innocent animal deaths to add to the gritty realism of the apocalyptic series. Luckily, the adorable Bambi-like deer escapes because of Hershel’s (Logan Kim) inexperience with a hunting knife.

Either way, I’m good without seeing it, thanks.

 

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT.

While Hershel made his mother promise to forgive Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), he still looks like he is harboring some type of teenage angst for the world. Ginny also shows up, perhaps a newly adopted daughter that Maggie has to yet again, look after, another child. I do miss the green dinosaur.

 

CHILDREN GET OLDER.

The teenagers, of course, are growing up, and Maggie is doing her best to teach them how to survive. This is a mirror of what Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) had to go through with her various brigades of children.

While Lauren Cohan perfectly portrays the grieving and worried mother, I can’t help but notice she still looks too young to portray the mother of a teenager, even tired and weathered in the apocalypse.

It’s not extremely distracting, just something to chew on.

 

GINNY IS HIDING SOMETHING.

My first thought was that the wound on her hand was some type of bite or scratch from an undead, but it wouldn’t be feasible to a; kill her this early on, or b; cut off yet another cliche appendage from the shows. Maggie quickly dashes our negative thoughts and offers her first aid for the cut on the brambles.

In true teenage angst, Ginny brushes it off, disappointing the maternal Maggie.

Twice, Maggie sees a moth, and the next time it’s back on the branch once more. The symbolism I saw was Glenn watching over her. But the music dims every time she sees it. Could it be something more?

BACK TO TEENAGE LAND.

 

Maggie asks her son if he is sure about moving bedrooms, as someone named Casey wants his desk for her room. Maggie mentions in true mother fashion that there are clothes he no longer wears (or has grown out of) that she can donate to Casey’s brothers.

 

A sentimental moment hits when she picks up his baseball cap (a nod to Glenn’s hat) from the top shelf of his closet, and then mentions that he has outgrown his corduroy jacket, holding it up. This is a subtle nod to The Walking Dead: World Beyond‘s Elton Ortiz (Nicolas Cantu), who introduced the outfit to The Walking Dead’s verse, which is ironically a similar color in Dead City.

 

Hershel shows some awkward sadness and asks his mother if they can pick up the conversation later. Between his depressive mopey state and Ginny’s standoffish worry about her wound, I’m not quite sure what is going on with these kids right now.

 

Maggie shares a sweet memory of how she worriedly found Hershel when he was five or six, as she holds the small flashlight in her hands. The story goes that they were on the road camping, North of Charleston, and she woke up to the sound of crunching leaves outside. With her knife, she was pleasantly surprised to find her son holding a lightning bug in his hands instead.

 

Hershel finishes her sentence, clearly remembering his childhood. Finally, he smiles and sits beside his mother, playing with the flashlight. This was their signal, once upon a time, to find each other in the dark.

 

The baseball cap reads NYC, and an ominous tone changes the background soundtrack.

 

MEANWHILE, BACK TO NEGAN AND HIS PLATE OF COCKROACH SNACKS.

 

I generally dig this character (Victor, violin boy?); he reminds me a lot of Luke from The Walking Dead’s original show, with his love of music. This character trades sarcastic quips with Negan as they joke about having their eyes on ridiculous things such as leftover cockroaches (yummy, not.) and a literal piss bucket.

 

To lighten the mood and soothe the proverbially emo My Chemical Romance in a hoodie beast, he plays his violin. But not before The Croat dampens the mood, knocks over the plate of bugs, and threatens Negan about going after Maggie.

 

Negan remarks how she is a mama bear and will tear apart and bite anyone limb from limb if they come near her recently kidnapped son. Has the Croat seriously not learned yet? I get it, he’s kind of like the lackey of The Dama (Lisa Emery), but he remains arrogantly like he is fully in charge. With threats of escalating the situation, the Croat leads Negan down a corridor with villain-like music and his uniformed crazies.

 

BACK TO THE FOREST OF CHILDREN.

 

Maggie again encounters the moth, surprised and touches it this time as it flies away. The sound of walkers and trucks forces them to get back to the New Babylon federation, albeit dragging a hostile via rope and truck.

 

WE NEED MORE STRONG FEMALES IN SUCH A MALE-DOMINATED FRANCHISE.

 

We are then reintroduced to Charlie Byrd (Jasmin Walker), who gathers people in the courtyard to jog their memories as the Governor from Babylon’s admission day.

 

JUST DIGGING BENJAMIN PIERCE RIGHT NOW.

 

She then butters up Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles), along with a Milton Mamet/Patrick/Eric Raleigh Jr. character, historian Benjamin Pierce (Keir Gilchrist), nervously jotting things down on a notepad. Glasses? Check. Skinny frame? Check. This kid was probably your science partner in high school.

 

SPEECH TIME. BUT NO RICK GRIMES.

“We’re living, we’re no longer just lucky to be alive.” – Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles)

Perlie tries to gather civilians from town to town to form a draft to become soldiers to reclaim Manhattan, NY. It’s a noble endeavor, but also foolish. Unless these places are full of ex-cons or soldiers, they might as well sign their death warrants.

Charlie looks on, impressed, while Maggie peers at her son in distress. War is war, with the living or the dead. When his speech falls on worried ears, newcomer frontier soldier Lucia Narvaez (Orange is the New Black’s Dascha Polanco) brings in the earlier prisoner, a badly beaten Jason Ornell of Madgeburg from the truck.

There is about to be a hanging, ladies and gentlemen. Thank goodness Maggie sends the children away, remembering her last mistake when executing Gregory in the dead of night in the main series.

 

JASON DESERTED HIS POST. HE’S NOT A BAD PERSON. JUST SCARED.

 

We’re in a world of zombies, who is NOT scared?

Lucia asks him to say his name and state his crime. He goes quiet. It is then announced that Jason was a deserter and is going to be hanged, for you know, not wanting to die on the frontlines? So, he’s not a bad person, and in this world—we need all of the help we can get.

But okay, let’s publicly hang him after he has been badly beaten and dragged by a truck. Cool.

 

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH LUCIA’S CHIP ON HER SHOULDER?

Lucia is a commanding presence, but then casually finishes her sentence, with a nod of her random cowboy hat and a mock salute. I am not sure if she has a heart yet or if she is just kind of obnoxious.

Of course, Jason looks both horrified and pissed. I would be, too.

The soldiers, of course, are just fine with this, while Maggie looks away, and the townspeople are horrified. This is an example of why they are being forced to become part of the militia, a lot like a less hostile version of what The Governor was trying to do with Woodbury.

 

HISTORICALLY, DRAFTS ARE NOT A GOOD IDEA. WHY WOULD THEY BE NOW?

 

Now we know, dear viewers, that half of these people drafted will not be returning home to their families. Making the point kind of moot, and yet again, we’ll probably get some kind of Maggie and Negan plot armor to save the day. But I appreciate Maggie sending the kids away and also showing emotion for such a terrible display.

Benjamin just keeps writing, not wanting to look.

 

THE RETURN OF GREGORY?

 

It is pretty sickening to see someone struggle while hanging from a rope, and the shot at least only shows his feet. Small miracles. In horror? The more subtle, the better.

The expression of Lucia (smug), Perlie (worried) and Maggie (pissed and emotional) say everything we need to know for these characters in season 2.

BACK TO THE CITY.

Our armed guards and ivy-covered walls of the King Francis building segue into a meeting with The Dama.

The Croat again, acts like he’s the king of The Dama’s actual castle, stating how they overheard transmissions of the draft and intend to fight back with their own army. His finger follows a map while he speaks.

He also wants to ally with the three groups close to No Man’s Land to take down Babylon.

The groups meet up every month for trade, as Negan quips, the gambling and street behavior is like an apocalyptic farmers market.

Negan declines their offer as their resident gym teacher to command an army, until The Dama brings up his abandoned wife Annie and his son, Joshua. Let the manipulation begin. To be fair, Negan didn’t 100% abandon them; they had been assaulted and robbed by terrible people, and he put them on a truck for a better life.

Still, it’s not the best idea to leave your family, no matter how big of a broody nut job you are.

To bait him, The Dama tells Negan their location due to a flooded route, in hopes that he will change his mind.

 

MEANWHILE IN BABYLON…

While Maggie does whatever Maggie does, Hershel looks on as the townspeople admit that the draft is a terrible idea.

 

BENJAMIN, THE HISTORIAN.

 

I already knew I would love this character. This kid perches against the wall, messenger bag around his person, arms crossed. He starts to speak about the history of Manhattan to an interested crowd. Roused with curiosity, Hershel claims that his words are bullshit to which a bristled Ben remarks that he is more than well reversed in the history.

Can he see without his glasses now? Was it for the sun?

Hershel bursts his proverbial bubble, insisting that the place is now overrun with the dead to a surprised Pierce. All of the museums and churches have been muted or destroyed. There is one bridge left.

LOGAN KIM SHINES IN HIS MONOLOGUE AS HERSHEL.

“There’s this one bridge, high up between the buildings. It started to fall, but then it caught itself. So it got all twisted, so it’s like–uh… Here. Let me show you.” – Hershel Rhee (Logan Kim)

As he speaks and faintly smiles, Hershel starts to paint a verbal picture of one bridge left standing. Kim also uses subtle hand movements to further tell the story, lost in thought.

Trailing off on his words as Pierce starts writing down this new information, Hershel offers to draw the rest on the notepad. Pierce obliges, and Hershel starts to sketch a visual.

He outlines the buildings to Pierce’s curiosity, and we can see glimmers of Glenn’s artistic side in the old pages. I wonder if Hershel can play guitar too? I swear he at one point had one. Kim is also perfectly cast with features that are dead on to Cohan and Yuen’s, a perfect mix of the characters and their joint mannerisms. This kid did his homework.

Kim’s kind eyes and gently paced wording make this a multi-faceted character that isn’t just a one-note teenager. Maggie looks on, both thoughtful and curious.

Pierce pauses for a moment, giving an intrigued but suspicious expression, and asks to keep the drawing. It is your notepad, dude. And off he goes!

Perlie enters, and the mood gets tense. Maggie asks if they can pick this up after dinner, a callback to Hershel’s earlier conversation with his mother.

HOW COULD PERLIE REALLY ALLOW THIS?

An awkward conversation ensues between Maggie and Perlie, as he asks about her son. She sarcastically remarks about the ridiculous speech we just saw in the courtyard. She quickly bristles and calls bullshit on the fact that Negan remains alive.

Perlie replies that he only said those things to protect himself, and he asks about his whereabouts. Honestly, Maggie doesn’t care as she folds the laundry and questions him sternly about his sudden interest.

LET’S TRY TO DRAFT MAGGIE BY FORCING HER.

Like a complete jackass, Perlie wants to draft Maggie as an asset to fight for Manhattan, despite her finally being comfortable in her new life. Perlie shockingly admits he has his doubts about Babylon, even after that grim display. Maggie rightfully asks him why he is coming to her presently.

THIS IS WHAT THE MOTHS MEANT.

It is revealed that the moths mean they are running out of gas, and because of Perlie’s past trauma with The Croat, she scolds him for his ulterior motives. The moths are also laying eggs and ruining the crops, prompting Maggie to pretty much not give a damn about the cruelty of Babylon. She questions him about his family and why they aren’t involved, when he tries to argue that the methane can help fuel first aid for everyone, not just their people.

Maggie drops our first F bomb of the season, irritated that they are the first wave of conscripts and will be expendable. Despite Perlie’s heart, it feels like Babylon is walking a fine line with the old CRM. He forced Maggie to stay, cut off her trading partners, and even corrected her when she scolded him and called him by the wrong rank.

NO ONE BACKS MAGGIE INTO A CORNER.

She threatens to expose his lies on Negan in an attempt to blackmail him to not send her off on a death march.

FORGIVE ME NEGAN, FOR I HAVE SINNED.

And the irony of the day goes to… Negan is sitting in a confession box with The Croat on the other side.

Now we are introduced to Lucile 2.0. The Croat has remade Negan’s baseball bat that he formerly splinted and left to burn to ash, in a cruel twist of fate. Negan is not impressed by this, as The Croat admits he modified the weapon as well to ‘improve’ it.

The Croat launches into a theater monologue, which makes this character quirky and unique, but also terrifying.

WOODBURY 2.0. IN WALKS KIM COATES AND HIS WALKER ENTERTAINMENT PIT.

No stranger to the AMC channel, Kim Coates portrays Bruegel, the tyrant, the Croat spoke of earlier, in a gory display of armor and spiked-covered human-on-walker battle. Complete with a screaming crowd who desperately need showers. These people have been living in horrible, barbaric conditions. It looks like half the homeless population is under a bridge in New York City at night.

Barrels of fire to light the night, and shopping carts. And yet, the leader of this place is dressed in a nice suit, and it is clear that the higher-ups have more access to basic human things.

Negan is back to his farmer’s market quips and out of his My Chemical Romance hoodie and into his leather jacket. RIP angsty Negan.

BACK AT NEW BABYLON, LUCIA CLEANS AN IVORY PISTOL.

As the Governor and company sit at a long table eating dinner, Lucia scowls her way into the scene, almost an old western Michelle Rodriguez character. Pierce speaks to her, referring to her as Major, and begins to ramble on as they dine.

What I like about Pierce is that he is not sheepish. He is direct and is not afraid to voice his opinion. Keir commands the screen whenever he’s on it. And we’re back to glasses? Can the costume department please decide on his visual wear?

Lucia cuts him off, in a well-needed comedic moment.

 

“Don’t you have some journaling to do?” – Lucia.

In slight shock, Pierce is voiceless, but Charlie quickly stands up for him and defends his views, stating that she is jealous of his knowledge. A box of cigars is presented, Pierce goes in to inspect it while Lucia snatches it away from his grasp. Okay, girl. What is your childhood trauma?

Maggie is once again forced to do something against her will, and the soldiers discuss her usefulness to their cause. Lucia asks if her life is worth twenty soldiers, to which Perlie continues to plead his case. Charlie states that they will assess Maggie before they rope her into it.

AND BACK TO ANGSTY HERSHEL.

With no other choice, Maggie is forced to go on their little suicide mission, much to Hershel’s anger. He states that she didn’t even try to find another way, while his mother tries to reason with him. I feel for the kid here, he could lose his mother forever. He is just getting back to a regular kind of life, with kids his age, after being kidnapped and held hostage.

We have seen so many youths in this show lose their families, but it is super selfish of me to wonder if he should go with her. PTSD much?

He storms off, and Maggie faces the waiting militia outside. Uh, is that the last time they saw each other before Manhattan? Yikes. A smug Lucia who obviously wants to prove everyone’s optimism wrong watches as Maggie is clearly uncomfortable with this whole thing. She claps and the militia parts to reveal Maggie’s test of strength. Her assessment. Oh, good, she’s not leaving yet.

THE TEST.

A large metal corral area full of walkers is fully in Maggie’s sight now. But it’s worse, this is a test for all of those who want to enlist (forced to). These are the hopeful people who could make up the twenty who have to prove themselves worthy to go with Maggie to the island. Pierce looks on in general fear and disgust in the background. Perlie claims that this is the first he has heard of this.

Ginny is among the enlisted; Maggie quickly grabs onto her and scolds her. Lucia doesn’t see the problem with a kid fighting, but Perlie is reluctant and a little grossed out to have Ginny try out. This isn’t a play, this is life and death. While Ginny has proved herself to be a strong character and a tough kid, she is still trying to pull the whole ‘I can do it and you can’t stop me’ card.

Charlie angrily states that no one is drafted who goes involuntarily, as was their deal. (Okay, then… explain Jason? He didn’t want to go.) Horrified, Perlie backs off. Maggie tries again to mother the teen, who ignores her. Cursing at her, Maggie saves Ginny by taking all of the walkers on herself, leaving everyone alive.

NEVER MESS WITH A WOMAN, WALKERS, AND HER SATCHEL.

Comically, Maggie is also slapping the dead with her actual purse/satchel after ditching the wooden staff. Ginny is then shown to have already come into the corral, which is why Maggie followed and is now knifing walkers, albeit not easily. Yet again, without the staff that could take out several at a time, Maggie uses her knife.

OVERPOWERED AND OVERWHELMED.

 

Oh, spoke too soon. She takes two out at a time with the knife but quickly becomes overpowered. As the two girls fight viciously, Lucia and Charlie look on, impressed and amused. Ginny is knocked down onto the ground by a walker, while Maggie is still being overpowered by her own two against the corral standing.

Ginny takes down the one on top of her, and Perlie looks increasingly horrified and angered on the outside. He comes closer to the corral, Ginny is once again overpowered with Maggie saving her. This entire event really needs to be postponed, it’s not getting anyone anywhere, nor is it making people want to enlist in the first place.

A walker almost bites into both Maggie and Ginny, but Lucia’s change of heart has her putting a bullet in it all the way from the covered wagon. Okay, maybe she isn’t so bad. Huffing and puffing, Maggie and Ginny look at the crowd around them and the corpses on the ground. Perlie gives a nod to Maggie.

BACK IN THIS GODDAMN CHURCH.

We have the homeless guys back, dirt-covered and clothes reminiscent of the Tribes people from season one. An organ ominously plays as the various men sit in the pews to hear. The Croat gathers at the stage holding his version of Lucille the way Negan used to.

Bruegel sits in the audience, sharing a glance with The Croat. The lights come to life inside of the church, people are momentarily blinded as Negan takes the stage and we’re probably in for some random ass sermon as The Dama looks on from the balcony.

As Negan speaks to the congregation? He gives Bruegel a chuckle by stating he already hates everyone there. Bringing up the appearance of the group, Negan quips why are they bringing a Motley group of shitheads together? For just a split second, we wonder if the badge he is holding up is Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), which why? Thankfully, it’s not. It’s from Babylon, and is now included in Negan’s long-winded speech about nothing.

CHRISTOS THIS MIGHT NOT END WELL FOR YOU.

One of the crowd’s people from the earlier walker event is now revealed to be Christos as he mockingly sings Kumbaya with his hands praising. Negan has our expression, who is this guy, and is he going to die this episode? Now Christos, is going to be the sass mouth that taunts Negan that they could reject his offer, which of course, the crowd agrees loudly. Because they have nothing better to do?

Negan launches into something of a therapist’s mantra, and eventually, Christos becomes hostile, and our second F bomb is dropped.

THERE IS NO SYMPATHY FOR HIM HERE.

Now, I have longed believed this since Negan smiled at Maggie when Carol tried to get him out of Alexandria/Hilltop, that mess, but he has never changed. He is still smug, and maybe he has some remorse and regret for the things he did…but he so EASILY slips right back into his Saviors facade.

We saw it in season 1 when he slit someone’s throat and talked about his blood being rain, and again as he bangs the baseball bat down on the altar. I get it’s his fight or flight survival mode, but it annoys me in terms of how easily he can slide right back into it.

THE SHOCKING RETURN OF LUCILLE.

Surprise! Lucille bat 2.0 is also a loaded weapon, basically a cattle prod, as Christos is still wiggling on the floor. Bruegel holds back his soldier as the random flame throwers are just used to keep everyone in line. The wounded Christos is helped down the steps of the church after Negan convinces everyone that they have methane and things to trade, and these new people don’t. New York City lights up before their eyes. Bruegel intrigued, smiles.

GINNY BEING GINNY.

Storming into Hershel’s room and followed closely by Maggie on her heels, Ginny demands a compass from a concerned Hershel. Maggie immediately launches into how there is no way in hell she is going to Manhattan with her. An impassioned speech follows that the three of them had already faced the horrors of that city, and she made Negan a promise to keep Ginny safe. Maggie questions Ginny’s intentions to which Ginny coldly replies that she is not her mother.

And then the teenager continues her rant with how Maggie is nothing to her, the standard thing a kid would yell to any parent when they were upset. Ginny holds out her hand for the compass. Hershel relents and hands it to her, and yup! There’s the slamming door!

Hershel and Maggie fight because he wants to go too, as there is no reasoning with Ginny. And he remarks that Maggie is still trapped in the past with the heartless murder of his father. Maggie spots a drawing of The Dama in her son’s sketchbook and holds it up to him for an answer. He states that it was a lady he saw on some billboards. Maggie cries, while Hershel insists it’s not a lie. Maggie speaks of her short relationship with her deceased mother and her tangled relationship with her father and how it took being an adult to finally understand him.

Hershel relents as his mother promises to come back and protect their home, while Perlie drives away looking at the gruesome reanimated corpse of poor Jason.

The crowd watches as Maggie and the militia depart, with Hershel coming to the front at the gates and giving her a sad wave.

Hershel is in his room after we see a shot of Negan walking by in another location, and the teenager throws a knife into a door with several other marks in it. We don’t know if he’s practicing for prey, or if he really might go after Negan. Either way, he’s angry, but my instinct is that he is just blowing off steam.

The Dama states not to worry, and it won’t be long, over a voice over of her plucking a mouse from a literal maze, talking to Negan, along with Maggie’s face looking back, and Hershel sitting at his desk.

The end.

 

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED.

• The Walking Dead continues to push the limits of grim realism without needing full on gore to do so.
• That bodies and the gas scene was the only scene in this entire franchise that made me queasy. Well done.
• Thank you, from the bottom of my heart–for no animal death in this episode. This was classy, honestly.
• What is Ginny’s problem? My lord. What is that scratch?!
• Cockroach dinners, ugh.
• Thank you for the violin!
• Some HARDCORE Fallout 4 vibes everywhere in this episode. Violin, Western, green tanks.
• Just leave Maggie alone, it’s not that hard?
• Negan is still my least favorite, but he manages to charm his way as usual in S2’s opener.
• I like that Maggie is softer since the whole Gage incident that royally made me irritated with her.
• The literal closed caption was ‘creepy music’ in one scene and I love it?
• The color grading on this show, someone needs an award.
• More Benjamin Pierce, please and thank you.
• Two F bombs in one episode!
• Logan Kim please receive an Emmy.

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About the author: Katie Harden is a professionally repped New York-based/bi-coastal musical theater, entertainment journalist, and indie film actress. She is proudly part of the Actor’s Equity Association/SAG-E and frequently interviews colleagues, friends, and celebrities, along with reviewing television and movies. Find her at the bottom of a can of Arizona sweet tea or in the ocean!

Work: AMC, Tribeca, Showtime, HBO, The Emmy’s, The Walking Dead magazine, MGM, Universal, Sony Screen Gems, 492 Elm (editor), Bloody Disgusting (guest writer), and more.

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