The Walking Dead: Dead City Episode 4 Review - I Was Ecstatic About Negan & Maggie's Reunion & The Exquisitely Shocking Reveals

Warning! This review contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, episode 4.The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 returns with another exciting episode that puts the show back on track. While there were some interesting elements in episode 3 of The Walking Dead spin-off, I couldn't help but feel it was the slowest entry in the season, dragging down my excitement. Sure, the use of Central Park in the zombie apocalypse was cool to see, but the group that lived there was not as interesting as I hoped it would be. That said, I enjoyed the deep dive into Hershel and the Dama's relationship, even if the pacing was off.

I think their dynamic is incredibly interesting, and episode 3's focus on the relationship was needed to properly set up the major reveal that happens in episode 4. Speaking about big reveals, this episode had quite a few of them in store. The Walking Dead: Dead City often finds fresh ways of approaching the zombie apocalypse, and the episode's thrilling gladiator-like fight between walkers fits right in with that approach. The whole meeting with Bruegel led to exciting moments, plot twists, and the reunion everyone was waiting for.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Reunites Negan & Maggie

The Show's Lead Stars Continue To Have Brilliant Chemistry

The driving force of the show is the excitement surrounding the complex dynamic that involves Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan's characters. Negan and Maggie's relationship has changed a lot over the years, and season 2 highlights how, despite Negan's redemption arc, Maggie is still very much obsessed with him. Hershel's storyline has a lot to do with that, and while we came close to a reunion in the previous episode when Negan saved Hershel in Central Park, episode 4 is the one that finally puts the show's main characters back together.

I loved the scene. Negan and Maggie are definitely not friends, nor should they ever be, as Glenn's death back in The Walking Dead season 7 still hurts as much for Maggie as it does for us. However, Negan is undeniably a new man, no matter how much he has to pretend to be his old Savior self for the Dama and the Croat. Maggie and Negan's reunion plays on that, with the anti-hero urging her to go away before the Dama gets to her. In doing so, he helps Maggie in two ways.

Episode 3 showed how, sadly, Hershel can't be trusted due to his connection to the Dama. The two meet in secret in this episode, and he decides not to tell his mom about it. However, Maggie had been warned by Negan that Hershel could not be trusted, as the Dama got to him. I also enjoyed how Negan let Maggie know that he was not back to being a villain, but that the Dama was threatening his family. Maggie's response to the reveal was encouraging, as she sympathized with him. Negan creating a distraction for Maggie's escape was a cool addition.

A Brutal Gladiator Fight Between Walkers Brings The Meeting With Bruegel To A Shocking Ending

Negan Manages To Impress The Dama Yet Again

Negan and Maggie's meeting might have been my favorite moment of the episode, but it was definitely not the only thrilling part of it. Episode 4's main story revolved around the Dama, the Croat, Negan, and their men coming to Bruegel's home, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to get him to join their cause against the New Babylon Federation. From the moment we met him in the season 2 premiere, I knew Bruegel had some similarities to Negan. He also uses humor and a charming persona to carry out some nefarious plans when people least expect them.

Seeing Kim Coates and Jeffrey Dean Morgan light up the screen together in episode 4 was a delight. As much as I love continuing the stories of The Walking Dead favorites, seeing exciting new characters and how our heroes react to them in new environments is what makes the spin-offs so interesting. While I was backing the Croat's suspicion that Bruegel was cheating so that his "mega" walker could win all the arena fights, I confess that I only came to realize what Dead City was going to reveal close to when it happened.

Bruegel's brutal persona was revealed in this episode. He forced his bodyguard from before the apocalypse, Tony, to pretend to be a walker so he could win fights. Negan using that secret and keeping it from the others to get Bruegel to cooperate without getting any methane in return was a wonderful play. I also enjoyed how we finally got some backstory on the Dama, who was New York's biggest reviewer, dictating culture in the city for many years before falling from grace. The story is starting to build up to a boiling point, and I'm excited for what's next.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 episodes air on AMC and AMC+ weekly every Sunday.