Old Acquaintances – The episode opens with Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) scanning the damaged city through a telescope to see a large group of zombies crossing a bridge. While looking at a map, a noise urges her to hide underneath a structure. As she watches several zombies pass, a zombie attacks her from behind. A struggle ensues and ends when she beats the zombie’s face to a bloody pulp with the telescope.

Maggie tells the bartender (Charlie Solis) that zombies invaded her cabin. He offers to let her utilize his man that does groaner work. Pretending to go to the restroom, she heads straight to a hotel room. She retrieves a knife before approaching the bathroom where a man is sitting in the tub. She is apprehended by two men who take her back to the pub. The bar owner (Michelle Hurd) threatens her with a knife for snooping. She taps the heel of her boot to engage a blade that she utilizes to stab Nina in the hand. The physical altercation ends when Maggie flees only to be tripped by Ginny (Mahina Anne Marie Napoleon). Regaining her footing, she escapes to her truck and doesn’t stop until her truck is inches away from Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Ginny. A brief physical confrontation reveals they know each other.

Negan boasts of being a wanted fugitive. She asks about Annie and his child. Ignoring the question, asks why she is there. She tells him that her grain was taken during a raid. She adds that they will return monthly for more. She says “The Croat” took Hershel Rhee (Logan Kim) as collateral. He denies knowing The Croat(Zeljko Ivanek) until she jogs his memory with a whistling noise. She reminds him that he owes her. He reluctantly agrees to help get Hershel back.

New Babylon – Maggie passes two groaners hanging from a noose. She fires a flare gun. Negan questions their destination. Accusing him of helping to destroy Hilltop, she says they were forced to relocate. He claims to have met Ginny while staying at a farm a year earlier. When the marshals showed up one day, she asked to go with him. She questions why Ginny doesn’t speak. He tells her that her father left her alone and when she found him, he was a zombie. Nina (Pallavi Sastry) identifies herself as she approaches.

An alert sounds out that the marshals have arrived. Everyone busies themselves concealing illegal items before the marshals enter. Holding up a wanted poster, Marshal Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) asks if anyone has seen him. He claims Negan killed a magistrate and four other people. He explains how Negan will be executed when found. When the bar owner denies seeing him, the marshal threatens to publically execute her for breaking the law. Pinned against the fence as groaners approach, she admits he worked there killing zombies. She says he left with an unknown woman. Perlie demands to know where they went. She tells him that she has no idea. A woman identifies Maggie’s truck. Accusing her of aiding and abetting, Perlie tosses her to the zombies.

Negan promises Ginny that he will return for her. They embrace before Nina leads her away. Perlie discovers Maggie’s atlas on the ground. He points to Manhattan – 53. Maggie has a flashback of Negan beating Glen to death with a stick. Negan tells her about his father giving him a Statue of Liberty souvenir. He says his father failed to keep his promise to take him to see “Lady Liberty.” He warns it would be possible for him to kill her right now. She assures him that she would kill him first. He reminds her that she needs him to get Herschel back. She, in turn, reminds him of the marshals. He tells her that it didn’t go down like the marshals claim. Negan totes two gasoline containers to a boat.

Gritz (David Chen) questions why Maggie marked “Manhattan” in the atlas. Perlie briefly explains Manhattan’s history. He stares at a paper with an address – Oliver St., Apartment 505 – for Armstrong. Maggie apprehends Gritz outside the vehicle. Realizing what just happened, Perlie focuses his rifle scope on the boat to see Gritz and Maggie behind him. She orders Gritz to remove everything from his pockets. After claiming the marshal service hasn’t issued him a gun, he goes on a spill about his grandmother. When Negan threatens to throw him overboard, she says he is “insurance.” He denies being the “bad guy” before suggesting she think about all the fathers and husbands she murdered. She assures him that what he did will never be laid to rest.

Maggie, Gritz, and Negan emerge from the boat onto a concrete pier in Manhattan. Looking around, Gritz questions why there aren’t any zombies there. Negan pleads with her to take care of Ginny if something happens to him. The street is littered with dead “chompers.” As Gritz tries to flee, Negan intervenes. She warns him that he was tossed overboard if he tries to escape again. Zombies appear to be thrown from the roof of a building onto a vehicle. Someone can be seen looking down from a rooftop. Negan warns a trap is straight ahead. Bypassing the trap, they continue walking. Zombies can be seen following a motorized contraption. Taking refuge, they are being bombarded by bugs. The zombies turn in their direction as someone takes some of them out with an assault rifle.

Gritz calls for Perlie before Negan pulls him away and into a building. Seconds later, Perlie and Marshal Jano (Trey Santiago-Hudson) enter. Perlie identifies himself and his hometown, New Babylon. He tells her that he is married with three children. He assures her that he will find her first. A zombie attacks Gritz but Zegan kills it before it kills him. Zegan warns he better obey his orders from here on out. Zombies bust through the door. Knife in hand, Maggie approaches Perlie from behind. A struggle ensues until he pins her to the floor. She tells him that she needs his help to save her son. Pulling something from inside her coat, she slashes and kicks him to the ground. She hits him with his own gun but stops as Regan approaches.

Hershel is restrained in a chair. The Croat accuses him of acting tough like Maggie or Glen. He informs him of Negan murdering Glen. Hershel says he isn’t talking. The Croat admits to having a childhood fascination with Manhattan. Holding up a hook, The Croat assures him that he will like there when a man announces the hostage got free. When he emerges onto the rooftop, the hostage is still there. Attaching a carabiner-like device to a metal line, he holds on as it descends downward. The Croat utilizes a wire cutter to slice it in half. The hostage crashes to the ground below. The Croat boasts, “A new record” as the episode ends.

 

The Walking Dead: Dead City Cast

• The Croat (Zeljko Ivanek)
• Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan)
• Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
• Hershel Rhee (Logan Kim)
• Ginny (Mahina Anne Marie Napoleon)
• Nina (Pallavi Sastry)
• Esther (Eleanor Reissa)
• Izaak (Gaius Charles)
• Marshall Jano (Trey Santiago-Hudson)

Where Was The Walking Dead: Dead City Filmed

Filming locations include West Orange, Newark, and East Rutherford in New Jersey.

Where To Watch The Walking Dead: Dead City

The Walking Dead: Dead City, directed by Loren Yaconelli) premiere on Thursday, June 15, 2023, on AMC+. It will premiered on Sunday, June 18, on AMC.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Review

The first season began with Maggie seeking help from Glen’s killer, Negan, to find her son, Hershel who was abducted by The Croat. The show takes a significantly different post-apocalypse approach than “The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye.” Lauren Cohan, along with Jeffrey Dean Morgan who joined “Days Gone Bye” in 2016, joined the “Dead City” cast. Several new cast members were killed off in the pilot episode.

While the pilot episode was less than thrilling, it may be enough to entice viewers to see the 6-episode season to the end. To create the perfect setting for “Dead City,” a dark, dreary atmosphere would be a necessity. Unfortunately, the gaffer went overboard. Bad lighting renders visibility in dark scenes nearly impossible.

The grainy, glitchy video gives the impression of a low budget. It is possible, some scenes were shot in front of a green screen.

The pilot episode deserves a 6. Get more The Walking Dead: Dead City recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Ask about our onsite advertising to build your brand awareness by speaking to our customer support.