The Walking Dead Is Thankfully Fixing A Frustrating Negan Mistake From 2 Years Ago

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, episode 1, "Power Equals Power".After The Walking Dead made a frustrating decision regarding Negan's story two years ago, Dead City season 2 finally appears to be putting it right. Despite being introduced as one of the franchise's biggest villains, the former Saviors leader has undergone more development than most other characters, making Negan a fan favorite among The Walking Dead's audience. Having worked hard to find redemption, Negan had to do a lot of self-reflection and soul-searching to become a better man, but by the time Dead City rolled around, he appeared to have put his villainous ways behind him.

While he made a lot of progress on his own, a big part of his growth was becoming a family man again. Losing his wife at the start of the apocalypse is what set him on such a dark path in the first place, but meeting Annie and starting a family with her gave Negan a greater purpose. He consistently put himself on the line for them alongside the show's other survivors, but after Dead City season 1 seemingly abandoned Annie and Joshua to focus on Maggie and Negan's Walking Dead feud, season 2 has finally made them important again.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Is Finally Making Annie & Joshua Relevant To Negan's Story

Negan Compromising His Morals To Keep His Family Safe Makes Annie & Joshua Feel Important

Whereas Negan's wife and son were completely sidelined in season 1, Dead City is making the duo a major part of his story in season 2. The spinoff show's first season explained that Negan sent Annie and Joshua to Missouri for their own safety after he became wanted by New Babylon, having killed five men. His attack wasn't in cold blood but rather retaliation for these men beating and robbing Annie, showing Negan still has his ruthless side but will only use it to protect his loved ones. Now, Dead City looks to be doubling down on this.

After not being mentioned since season 1's premiere, Annie and Joshua have become a critical part of season 2's plot, as they are the reason for evil Negan's Walking Dead return. Having refused to join the Dama and the Croat even after being imprisoned and poorly treated, Negan finally agreed to accept their offer after the Dama threatened his family. She told him that the train meant for Missouri had been rerouted, and with her group clearly running some kind of interference, Annie and Joshua were officially en route to Manhattan in "Power Equals Power".

Knowing his family could be in massive danger is the sole motivation behind Negan teaming up with Dead City's villains, proving that Annie and Joshua are still important to him, even without appearing on-screen. It felt strange that he would simply leave his family behind and barely mention them again, so the decision to bring them back in some capacity makes perfect sense. Compromising his morals can't have been easy for Negan given everything he's been through, but protecting his wife and son is evidently his priority, making them a critical part of his decision.

I Hope Annie & Joshua Appear Properly In The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2

It Would Be A Great Way To Boost Negan's Story & Bring Back Walking Dead Characters That Fit Naturally Into Dead City's Plot

Even if they don't physically appear, Annie and Joshua will still have a massive influence on Dead City's story, but I'm hoping we do get a chance to see them. Although much of Dead City has been about Maggie and Negan's relationship, season 2's premiere has made it clear that Maggie and Hershel's unresolved tension will play a big role in the narrative, so it's only right that Negan's family is involved too. Annie was a strong supporting character in the main series, and like Hershel, she'd be a great survivor to bring back without her presence feeling unnecessary.

As much as fans would love to see Negan interact with some of The Walking Dead's bigger names, Annie would be the perfect candidate for a return, and it would be interesting to see how Negan gets on with his son. We never saw Joshua in the original show, and given Dead City takes place around six years later, he'll be old enough to have developed a bond with his father. Therefore, having Annie and Joshua around would make Negan's story more emotional, especially after Dead City confirmed that Lucille would return, presumably through some hallucination sequences.

Ensuring all Negan's loved ones are involved would help amplify his side of the story, and having to embrace his evil side while his son is around would only make his character more interesting. While I'd love for them to become a recurring part of the show, even having Annie and Joshua in an episode or two of Dead City would be great for Negan's storyline, and I hope the spinoff series can pull it off.