That is Dead City, its about the characters and not about the Zombies anymore, its very unlikely that characters on the series will be killed because Zombies got them, for the most part it will be because they were betray, left behind, were hurt, many other reasons but not because they got chase and trap by Zombies. Negan and Maggie are going and learning this jungle that is Manhattan but at the same time they are going to know each other better, they got a lot of story between them but have never work as a team, like now; both with a common goal and assets on the line like the kids they want to protect, but Maggie probably didn't know both sides of Negan, she only knew the monster who killed her husband.
Negan is and old dog now, he was retired, but still has a bag full of tricks, Maggie and him are after The Croat, in a city that is not their own, they don't know it but as he once mention, he knows how The Croat operates, after all it was him who train him, he had one chance to put him down once he saw what a savage he was but he miss, he also shows on a few scenes, when Esther was killed Negan didn't went nuts and blew his brains out mediated but instead he did what he does best, put up a show for his friends and let them know who is the big dog.
On Dead City there is a zip line system between buildings that people use to move from one to another, Maggie stuff was taking by a strange lady and they don't know where they going, they just start chasing her but at the same time Zombies are getting closer, here hit me a original series flash back, was the perfect opportunity for Negan to stab her in the back and not throw her back the slider and let her probably get eaten or just ran away but he didn't, Negan has no agenda on this series, he just want to stay away from the Marshall that is after him and go back with Giny and make sure she is safe.
Esther was the first person who was friendly to them in Manhattan, once they got to her now they met Tommaso and Amaia, at that point they don't know what to think about them but have a feeling they are not with The Croat, Amaia is the brains, Tommaso the muscle and both are leader to a small group of survivors against The Croat but this Negan and Maggie don't know yet.
Source
Maggie and Negan are put into time out until Tommaso and Amaia figure out who they really are, Maggie is on a hurry because she wants to get Hershel, her son; back from The Croat and Negan he already know how this works, he invented the game, so patiently waits and avoid confrontation as they were disarm and out number. In this room Negan explains Maggie who The Croat was, how he took him into his brother hood, called him Buraz (brother), but Negan had no idea the monster that The Croat was, Negan different than him was a man who only act when it was necessary but The Croat was different, he knew to sniff people and figure out what they were after if not he would make them speak one way or another, methods that Negan didn't agree at first but were useful in the world they were living until one day The Croat went too far, a girl, a drifter who Negan felt was not a threat to them but The Croat felt different and despite Negan direct order he killed her, a kid, in his own words "rabid dog that needed to be put down" that's when Negan knew this man was a train wreck, tried to put a bullet to his head but he missed and only blew up his ear.
The Burazi (The Croat's people) got to their place so Nega, Maggie, Tommaso and Amaia had to pick up things and run away but Esther got caught by one of them and killed by one of the Burazi, don't what their orders were but kept repeating "Doma smo", in Croatian (Google translate) "We are at home", this is when Negan knew it was time to play some mind games.
Negan takes the Burazi that killed Esther, kick his ass and went to the room the rest of them were, starts a knock knock joke and then cut his neck and guts out, creating a thunderstorm of blood on top of the Burazi, you really need to be a bad ass to not get intimidated by Negan's actions, a man who can cut up some one this easy without thinking twice is dangerous and wont stop until he gets what he wants. This is what Negan meant when he told Maggie he knew when he had to act to protect his people, in this moment he was at work performing to protect Maggie and the rest, this shocked her since she was looking when Negan cut up the Burazi.
While Maggie and Negan were risking their lives at Manhattan there was Giny, who was staying safe at Hiltop, Maggie's home town; but she was not feeling welcome neither ok staying there, she wants to be with Negan for some reason and there is something on Giny probably learn from Negan, to read people and I think there is something more than what Maggie said about The Croat, Maggie at first mention The Croat took all their grain and her son to make sure Hiltop keeps bringing in more supplies to when ever the Burazi comes back, Giny runs away and is now on her way to Negan. I wonder how she going to locate them, they are in Manhattan, had to cross a big river, may be she finds a boat too but in such large city how she going to find them? its TV after all so anything can happen.
I like how the city is presented, looks like a jungle that will eat you up, just like most cities in Asia with dense population, except here the population is dead but can still eat you, reminds me The Last of Us where the city was also infected and cover up with vegetation. This episode is the clear example of how the story rewinds and start to unfold what probably many didn't think about, why Negan was the man he was, what happen to him that he turn that way because on The Walking Dead when he killed Maggie's husband that was probably one of the coldest scenes ever on the series, slam him with the bat right on the head in front of the rest of the prisoners, Maggie been one of them, but he did all this to protect his people. Even after all this years while Maggie has also become more strong and though than others she is not a Negan level, she saw how the big dog turns on the switch and step up when needed, we now have to sides at war, Amaia and Tommaso will most likely take in Maggie and Negan, help them to kill The Croat or at least try because I'm sure wont be that easy. Spin off are hard to accept, they need to bring in something new to the story and I think Dead City does, brings in the true Negan and not just more Zombies or side stories, at least I'm interested to know The Croat and Negan story, how they started, things that happen in between and how this ends for both.
Episode 1: @skiptvads/the-walking-dead-dead-city
Odysee - Skiptvads
