With The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1's main mission successfully wrapped up, "Doma Smo" begins laying out plans for the future. Perlie's return home gives a glimpse of the mysterious new community known as the New Babylon Federation, the Dama reveals her reason for wanting Negan captured in the first place, and Maggie finds a brand-new purpose after realizing her parenting skills leave something to be desired. The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1 ends with both Maggie and Negan beginning new phases of their post-apocalyptic lives, and promises an even bigger return to New York City in season 2.
What The Dama Wants With Negan Explained
Negan's Ruthless Past Makes Him A Potential Asset
The Walking Dead: Dead City's entire premise revolved around the Croat wanting Negan for some nefarious purpose, and while episode 5 already unveiled the spinoff's true villain as Lisa Emery's character, the Dama, her Negan obsession is only explained in the finale - albeit in deliberately hushed tones. The Dama foresees war between her own Manhattan group and the New Babylon Federation.
Evidently realizing her forces would be outgunned, the Dama believes uniting the various scattered factions of Manhattan is their best chance of survival, and that job requires someone with the charisma, ruthlessness and supervillain résumé of one Negan Smith. Tales of Negan's deeds have been regaled to the Dama through the Croat, with an unseen Savior escapee named Jerome - who was apparently present during the war between Negan's Saviors and Rick's group - filling the two villains in on what happened during The Walking Dead seasons 6-9.
The Walking Dead: Dead City doesn't explicitly show whether Negan relishes the prospect of slipping back into his former persona or not.
The Walking Dead: Dead City doesn't explicitly show whether Negan relishes the prospect of slipping back into his former persona or not. On one hand, Negan has undergone immense growth since those days; on the other, everyone he cares about is now gone, and when the Croat wistfully recalls a massacre from their time together, Negan weirdly agrees such times were "beautiful."
That likely means Negan establishing Manhattan as a bigger, upgraded version of the Sanctuary, and while there will be no pesky Rick Grimes to bring down his domain this time, a battle between Negan's new followers and the New Babylon Federation looks inevitable as the spinoff's next main story. As long as she remains the one gripping Hershel's fate - or, more accurately, his feet - however, the Dama will likely be the main antagonist of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2.
Did Negan Really Kill Ginny's Father?
The TWD Spinoff Deliberately Refuses To Confirm His Guilt
Lie or not, Negan's plan works.
On the other hand, Negan's "you're just a debt I had to pay" line is almost certainly a lie designed to make Ginny despise him and flee New York with Perlie. Not willing to risk her safety, Negan would rather Ginny resent him and be cozy in Maggie's community than adore him and get caught in the Croat's crossfire. Even if he did murder her father, Negan has clearly developed a genuine paternal bond with Ginny, and is committed to giving her the brightest future possible.
Lie or not, Negan's plan works. The Walking Dead: Dead City drops several hints that Ginny is now looking to move out from under Negan's wing and fully embrace being a part of Maggie's new Hilltop community. Firstly, she refuses to accept her old shirt back when Perlie brings it out of his truck. This was the shirt Negan gently placed over a sleeping Ginny back in The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 1. Secondly, Ginny was too worried about Negan to sleep during her first stint in Maggie's community, whereas the finale's closing scenes show her snoozing peacefully. Both highlight Ginny's changed attitude toward Negan.
How Negan Figured Out Maggie Was Lying (& When)
Maggie's Knowledge Of The Croat's Moments Revealed Her Deception
Maggie's grand deception has been painfully obvious ever since The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 2 showed Ginny being served a fluffy slice of bread, thus proving Maggie's story about the Croat stealing her grain was a lie. Negan, on the other hand, remained blissfully unaware until The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 6, when the penny finally drops.
Negan doesn't spell out precisely what gave the game away, but he begins showing suspicion upon realizing Maggie already knew Ginny followed them to New York. His Savior-sense tingles even more when Ginny attempts to talk after previously staying silent during their months together. The final nail in the coffin of Maggie's lie is hammered when Negan realizes his partner has known exactly where the Croat would be since the very beginning of their trip.
In The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 1, Maggie told Negan that she suspected a building pumping out smoke twice a day was where the Croat could be found. After the Croat drives directly to said building in episode 6, Negan becomes more convinced Maggie hasn't been completely transparent - especially after witnessing Ginny act strangely also. Maggie's absolutely awful poker face doesn't help her case.
Will Maggie Rescue Or Kill Negan In Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2?
Her Final Decision Remains A Mystery
If Maggie has finally realized that spending a decade seeking revenge against Glenn's killer was wrong, it makes sense that she now wishes to undo that revenge. This will involve returning to Manhattan, and pulling her nemesis away from the Dama's clutches, presumably intending to reunite Negan with Annie and their child. This would be the ultimate sign that Maggie has finally let her Negan hatred go. Alas, "finish it" could also mean Maggie plans to end her feud with Negan by killing him in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, removing the focus of her unhealthy obsession entirely, because she can never move on while he still breathes.
What Happened To Hershel While He Was Captured
Hershel Didn't Regret His Time With The Dama
Back in the safety of his mother's truck, Hershel shockingly claims, "If anything, I felt safer there [with the Dama]." Maggie then discovers a surprisingly flattering portrait Hershel has drawn of the Dama, who herself admits Hershel "felt safe" as her prisoner. Having already been dissatisfied with his mother's attempt at parenting, Hershel has possibly been indoctrinated by the Dama - despite having one of his toes removed on her orders. Whether Hershel would go so far as to betray his mother in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 remains to be seen, but his resentment toward Maggie is far from settled.
Perlie Lies About Killing Negan (& Sets Up A New Walking Dead Villain)
The New Babylon Foundation Will Be Key To Dead City Season 2
Having bonded with Negan during their time together in New York, and heard the context behind Negan's crimes, Perlie decided not to administer the Federation's justice, but will not be admitting that to his boss anytime soon. By specifically telling New Babylon that Negan is dead, Perlie also ensures all wanted posters and searches will be ceased, allowing Negan to live as a free man once again, opening the door to a reunion with Annie and Joshua.
However, Perlie's lie subtly reveals an important secret about New Babylon. The untruth confirms that Perlie doesn't trust his community to be merciful, understanding and fair, and this ties into the Federation's public hangings, assorted murders and trial-free executions seen throughout The Walking Dead: Dead City so far. To seal the deal, New Babylon's leader makes a (very) thinly-veiled threat toward Perlie's family.
The Real Meaning Of The Dead City Ending
The Finale Finds Maggie And Negan At A Moral Crossroads
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1, episode 6 mainly exists to set up season 2, as it's far from the end of the story. However, there are also some important themes to "Doma Smo" too. For both Maggie and Negan, the ending of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1 is a moment of reflection on Negan's past, and whether either of them can truly move on from the memories of who Negan used to be.
This is evident from Maggie's perspective when it comes to her decision to end her feud with Negan once and for all. Whether this means she's going to kill him or forgive him is, ultimately, irrelevant when it comes to the meaning of the ending of Dead City season 1. The important point when it comes to the themes of the finale is that she's realized that she cannot keep on living while the ghost of the man Negan once was still lives on in her mind.
It's clear Hershel's attitude towards being rescued by Maggie is an important moment that could be foreshadowing something, but until the story plays out in its entirety it's impossible to tell exactly what this will be.
Of course, once The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 arrives there'll likely be several moments in the season 1 finale that take on a greater significance. For example, it's clear Hershel's attitude towards being rescued by Maggie is an important moment that could be foreshadowing something, but until the story plays out in its entirety it's impossible to tell exactly what this will be.
How The Dead City Ending Was Received
A Somewhat Lackluster Finale
The ending of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1 wasn't received poorly, though by the same token, there were few critics or viewers singing its praises. Most recognized "Doma Smo" for what it was - a narrative vehicle to set up the events of the upcoming second season. It was the final point of the first chapter in a wider story, rather than an ending in the way that the ending of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live turned out to be.
"If they don’t make season 2 of this show I will be very annoyed. This season has been a great, fresh entry in The Walking Dead universe… but it only feels like it’s told half a story. There’s so much potential. Negan getting back into a leadership position? Yes, please! Grown-up Hershel taking revenge on him? Also yes! Renew it, AMC!"
Of course, there were also many who felt that the ending of Dead City season 1 should have been something greater than a simple set-up for the next season - especially given the many great season finales viewers were treated to in The Walking Dead. For example, Leah Marilla Thomas of Vulture responded far less positively to "Doma Smo", and echoed the response of many fans when she expressed that she expected more from the season 1 finale of Dead City:
"This is how The Walking Dead: Dead City ends? Really? I hate when things finally get interesting at the last possible second. After all my complaining that the relatively short season was dragging its feet toward a finale, the last episode left things so open-ended that I thought for sure there was more to come."
What We Know About Season 2 & How Season 1 Sets It Up
The Second Season Arrives In 2025
The first season of The Walking Dead: Dead City ended with Maggie betraying Negan, and he agreed to help her. It also showed her son's disappointment in his mom's actions and what might be the fallout concerning Negan's adopted child. This should all play into the second season. The first season saw Negan and Maggie battling each other - at least psychologically - and they never did get to fight with the Croat. The Croat let Maggie and her son leave and kept Negan for his boss.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 premieres on May 4, 2025, and the first teasers didn't hint at what was expected other than the fact that the survivors in Manhattan were throwing walkers into vats of liquid to provide energy to power up the city. It was easily a disgusting and horrifying moment that was equal parts brilliant as society is figuring out a way to get things back to normal using the walkers.
