Aahana Swrup
After the death of the Croat, post-apocalyptic Manhattan stands on the edge of a new beginning in season 3 of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City.’ Episode 2 finds Maggie in a new partnership with Renata as the two leaders come together to create a new haven in the city. Still, one critical threat continues walking the streets, waiting to pounce and unravel this new hope for civilization with her vicious plans. As a result, when Maggie catches wind of the Dama, she finds herself inevitably returning to Negan, pulling him out of his booze-soaked hideout. However, when faced with the age-old dilemma of kill or be killed, the former leader of the Bricks finds herself at odds with the hard truths she has learned in life and the new values she is trying to embrace. Soon enough, the fate of the city’s future and the Dama’s survival become entangled for better or for worse. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Maggie, Negan, and Perlie Walk Into a Shootout in Broadway
The power vacuum that the Croat’s death opens up paves the path for a promising future in the city of Manhattan. In staying behind, Maggie ends up becoming a crucial part of putting down concrete roots for Renata’s safe community. Soon enough, the group sets up a functioning hospital, reliable food reserves, and vigilant security surveillance systems. Hershel, too, finds his calling in apprenticing under Luis and reconnecting with his mother. Inversely, while the Rhees are busy growing and evolving, Negan finds himself stuck in a mindless innui of alcohol, video games, and the questionable company of Dillard and his declawed walkers. However, it isn’t long before an emergency pulls him out of this vacuous state. Alarms alert Maggie of nearby travelers, who, upon inspection, seem to be connected to The Dama.
Thus, within moments, Maggie, Negan, and Perlie are stalking the streets to track down their old enemy. Their trail brings them to Broadway, where the Dama seems to have set up her new lair. However, the number of her followers has dwindled significantly. Consequently, after their offer of peace is rebuffed by all but one of the mastermind’s minions, the trio ends up taking out the muscle with ease. Even though the Dama tries to make a run for it, she can only get so far before Negan catches up to her again. However, before he can pull the trigger on her, Maggie intervenes and saves the life of the woman who is all but her mortal enemy. Even though her past has been soaked in violence and vengeance, it seems she wants a fresh start ripe where redemption is offered to everyone.
Negan Delivers The Dama to Her Demise
After deciding against the Dama’s execution, Maggie brings the unreliable woman back to the community, where she’s locked up in the basement with the methane tanks and the fodder walkers. Even though her captor seems intent on attempting rehabilitation for the prisoner, her ambitions may be too big. Renata believes the same and shares her concerns with her co-leaders about the pressure this imprisonment would put on their community, in terms of manpower alone. Furthermore, there’s also the added danger that she poses to the people of the community as a whole. Fortunately, a third option presents itself when the Dama goes on an impromptu hunger strike.
The next time food is delivered to her, an extra knife is added to the tray, presenting her with the option between imprisonment and self-slaughter. After making this harrowing decision, Maggie finds herself paying a visit to Negan. In some ways, he represents much of the same things she wants the Dama to embody. He’s someone she has given a second chance to, and unlike the conniving woman, he has proven himself somewhat worthy of that trust. For the same reason, his stubborn decision to waste away at Dillard’s bar instead of throwing his lot in with Renata’s new community continues to be a source of frustration. Initially, Maggie decides his actions are a representation of how dead he had become on the inside.
Nonetheless, Negan’s ensuing visit to the community challenges this notion. He makes her understand that the reason he can’t trust the community is that he doesn’t think they have the sheer number it takes to go back to a functioning society: one with a judge, jury, executioners, and wardens. However, as it turns out, there’s another reason behind this visit. Unlike Maggie, Negan is prepared to do what it takes to rid the city of the Dama and the danger that she possesses. While people like her and Renata want to hold on to the idea of redemption, he’s willing to do the dirty work in the absence of any substantial change. Therefore, after his conversation with Maggie, the reformed villain pays a visit to the Dama and finally puts an end to her story.
Maggie and Renata Open the City up to the Outside World
Ever since establishing the safehouse with Renata and her community, Maggie has been insistent upon safety in secrecy. Even when Perlie prepares to return to New Babylon, it’s with the trust that he won’t reveal the location of this new haven to any outsiders. Past experiences have shaped the leader’s inclination toward pessimism and distrust. Yet, over and over again, she hears the notion that true strength only relies on numbers. One of the main reasons her new community is so vulnerable is its small numbers. They have a hospital, but only one actual doctor. Thus, they’re one bad attack away from ruin. Likewise, while they have plenty of food supplies, they don’t have the means to sustain them through the winter due to a lack of proper agriculture.
Lastly, the reason safety is such a major concern is that there aren’t enough people around to form the pillars of society, which is required to maintain any semblance of legal order. The Dama believes the same, and to some extent so does Negan. Eventually, Maggie also comes to the same conclusion. She realizes that in order to foster any real change, the haven has to open itself up to others and trust that they have the means to protect themselves from people of the bad variety. For the same reason, before Perlie’s departure, she tells him to share the community’s location with others. Moreover, she and Renata make a big move that cements this new direction for their budding society. The duo light up the Statue of Liberty, turning their community into a beacon to attract others.
Read More: Is The Croat Dead? Is Zeljko Ivanek Leaving The Walking Dead: Dead City?
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