Paul Dailly
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AMC’s The Walking Dead universe has been expanding quickly in recent years.
With the conclusion of the main series in 2022 after 11 seasons, many fans desired to continue the journeys of their favorite characters.
There were many reservations when Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) were announced to be headlining The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Maggie and Negan’s story ended bittersweetly as they both agreed to co-exist.
As a result, The Walking: Dead City’s existence would probably kickstart one of the most polarizing alliances on TV.
Thankfully, The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 delivers a compelling tale that ushers in an exciting next chapter for The Walking Dead franchise.
All six episodes were provided for critics, highlighting AMC’s confidence that fans will connect with this next chapter.
The series picks up several years after The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 24, with Maggie on a quest to New York City to locate her son.
The good news is that, despite the unrest between them, Maggie and Negan don’t just bicker continuously.
Maggie still wrestles with the past and Negan’s part in shaping her current situation, but their tricky dynamic gets a new lease of life in this spinoff series.
The New York City backdrop is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in this franchise, and it adds a new layer of horror that I didn’t expect was possible for one this long in the tooth.
The series is notably darker than any other in The Walking Dead universe, which translates very well on-screen.
This isn’t a simple mission for Maggie and Negan, and the best part is that a lot has changed since the conclusion of The Walking Dead.
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know Maggie’s journey ended with her admission that she wanted to see what else was out there in the world.
If The Walking Dead universe has taught us anything, there are plenty of stories to tell about people in a world overrun by zombies.
But none of the other spinoffs match up to TWD: Dead City’s setting, plot, or production values.
Fear the Walking Dead has had some excellent visuals, but TWD: World Beyond and Tales of the Walking Dead didn’t get the budget necessary to showcase the breadth of this world.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this latest spinoff is that we don’t begin our journey in New York City.
The story starts in New Jersey, and we follow our characters to the big apple, taking in all the changes compared to previous locations alongside Maggie and Negan.
There will always be a fine line between Maggie and Negan in which we’re never sure whether one will take a shot at the other, but that’s all part of the fun.
As expected, there are plenty of new faces along for the ride, including Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong, Željko Ivanek as The Croat, Jonathan Higginbotham as Tommaso, Mahina Napoleon as Ginny, Trey Santiago-Hudson as Jano, and Michael Anthony as Luther.
Previous spinoffs, including Fear the Walking Dead, have been saddled with too many characters and not enough time to develop them, but creator Eli Jorné has crafted a refreshing chapter in the universe because every single character has a purpose in this carefully constructed six-part series.
I don’t want to delve too much into the groups Maggie and Negan encounter along the way because I want you to go into this experience knowing very little so that you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
I will say that the villains allow them to utilize their unique skill sets to defy the odds in some of the most dangerous situations.
The series also serves as a perfect jumping-off point for new fans or those who bailed on The Walking Dead during one of its rough patches.
That’s no easy feat when you consider that Maggie and Negan have been so immersed in this universe for so many years, but it also means there are some nostalgic scenes that viewers who have been around since their respective journies began will enjoy.
At its core, The Walking Dead: Dead City reanimates the franchise in a big way, giving the sense that while the flagship series is dead, the franchise is more alive than ever.
The series is the grittiest chapter to date, and it utilizes every aspect of New York City imaginable so that it is almost a character itself.
Over to you, TWD: Dead City fanatics!
Will you be checking out this series?
Hit the comments.
Check out the trailer and tune in on June 18, 2023.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.