Its catching up time and I didnt want to leave haing on Episode 5 of Dead City Season 2 in fact it was better that the first four imo and it felt like the show finally found its groove again after that kinda slow first four episodes. The whole power struggle between the Dama and the Croat reached a boiling point and watching Negan manipulate everything from the shadows was just like the kiss of death. This episode literally changed everything, from Maggie almost getting hanged to that brutal scene where the Croat just lets the Dama burn alive, it was chaos from start to finish and it was very satisfying although Narvaez death was too easy, after all the series is not perfect and I dont not expect it to be as its a spin off aka milk that cow. The way they killed off multiple group leaders in one episode was bold as hell since its a big reset button, especially considering how long they have been building up these factions. Narvaez from New Babylon getting taken out by walker Roxanna was poetic justice at its finest, the woman who preached about order and control gets destroyed by the very chaos she helped create. The whole Central Park execution scene was intense too, with those foragers doing their mourning ritual that attracted all the walkers, it was actually pretty smart storytelling but still look a bit low effort or just too evident still I guess it was all about this big reset for the series. Hershel's confession about working with the Dama hit different this time around, you could see how torn up Maggie was about her own son being manipulated by this woman and in the case of Hershel I really thought he would take Dama's side but with her diying it would not make sense. The character development this season has been way better than season 1, everyone feels more real and less like they are just going through the motions. Ginny turn out to be bitchy AF this season, from the quiet girl to pointing a gun at Hershel was a moment that made me actually gasp, like tf you doing but then she redeemed herself by saving Maggie later so I guess we are good.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18546730/
- Platform: Prime Video
The methane facility stuff and all the political maneuvering between the different groups was handled way better than I expected especially with Negan trying to convince Christos to join their side only to watch the Croat gas everyone I didnt see that coming, I thought Negan would have a bigger confrontation with the Croat although revenge was so sweet. That whole sequence where they reveal Christos was actually protecting women and children was a nice touch, it gave his character more emotion instead of just being another tough guy villain, same as when he explain how they were just surviving and basically had to look though but they are rely not into it but just playing along. The way the Croat showed up and just wiped out the entire group was brutal but also showed how unstable he has become, this scene really reminds me of good old savage Negan, dude is clearly losing it and taking everyone down with him. Negan's reaction to all the innocent people dying was interesting too, you could see him questioning whether he is on the right side of this war. The fight over power between all these factions have been the strongest part of this season, way more interesting than the generic zombie action we usually get. Bugal showing up at the end was perfect timing and I love how he has been playing everyone against each other from the background. The production values continue to be top notch, that Radio City Music Hall location was gorgeous and the whole burning building sequence looked incredible. The acting has stepped up too, especially from the actor playing the Croat, his breakdown scene with the Dama was really something special from the moment he first loose it after feeling Nega had his back but then feels he didnt right away, thats he moment Croat realize he fucked up and too the bait, that is exactly why then he goes back to Dama to talk and basically apologize.
What really worked for me was how they handled the Dama's death scene, because I was getting tired of her whole mysterious puppet master thing. The Croat calling her out for being nothing without him was a long time coming and watching their partnership implode was satisfying in a twisted way, it was about damn time. The rat symbolism throughout the episode was heavy handed but effective, especially with that final shot of Negan cleaning the guts off his boot, I mean we all knew it was him. It's clear he orchestrated the whole thing by killing the Dama's pet rat and then convincing the Croat that she doesn't respect him, classic Negan manipulation using people's insecurities against them to get what he wants. The fact that he didn't have to get his hands dirty this time shows how much he has evolved as a character, he is smarter and more calculating now. The Croat's descent into madness has been building all season and this episode was the perfect payoff for his story, his decision to let the Dama burn was cold blooded but also understandable given how she has been treating him like garbage. The whole power vaccuum this creates is gonna be interesting to watch, especially with Bugal positioning himself as the new big bad ass in town. I'm curious to see how Negan handles being the leader of this methane operation without the Dama pulling the strings, because if Croat accepts he killed Dama on purpose then him and Negan might stay together, after watching episode 5 it felt like it has been worth watching the series so far.
The execution scenes were probably the most intense moments Dead City has ever done, except for that time Maggie fought that fkn huge zombie in the underground tunnels and I'm not just talking about the hanging itself but the whole build up to it, how Maggie goes back and still gets caught because Ginny help, which in fact make her look stupid because then she backtracks latter on the episode. Narvaez's plan to use Maggie as bait to lure Negan and the Croat into a walker trap was actually dumb af, I was rooting for Narvaez to get killed asap and Im glad she got killed the moment she grab some power. The way the foragers accepted their fate and didn't fight back against the walkers was haunting, something I didnt expect, I though they were going to at least turn around, it showed how different groups have adapted to this world in their own ways and just accept how some things are. The walker attack on the execution site was chaos but good chaos, with everyone scrambling to survive while the dead poured in from all sides. Roxanna coming back as a walker to kill Narvaez was probably the most satisfying death in the entire series so far, that woman had it coming. The fact that they managed to make me care about these side characters before killing them off shows how much the story telling has improved. Pearly's role as the voice of reason throughout all the madness was important too although he still look stupid like when Maggie tried to save him from the box and he decided to stay in with Roxanna tf??, although he has become a solid supporting character. The whole sequence with Maggie almost dying really showed how much Hershel means to her and you could see the desperation in her eyes, this episode proved that Dead City works best when it focuses on character relationships rather than just zombie action.
The series have been ramping up and Season 2 of Dead City is starting to feel like an improvement and making it fit with the other two spin off actually going on too, I think it represents everything that has been working about season 2 so far, the political mind games, the character development and the willingness to make big changes to the point of resting the rules of the game with Dama and Narvaez death, who is going to remain as the leaders and what will be their actions?. The way they handled multiple character deaths without it feeling cheap or just for shock value was impressive, each death served the story in some way. There is also the Croat's transformation from loyal follower to potential main villain has been one of the best character story lines in the Walking Dead universe in the last few years along with Negan's return to his manipulative roots felt natural and it's clear he has learned from his past mistakes. The pacing of this episode was perfect, it never felt rushed but also never dragged, every scene had purpose. I'm actually excited to see where they take the story from here, even though I can watch all the other episodes Im planing on finish two per week as I catch up with other series. The balance between the different factions has been maintained really well, no other group feels overpowered or under powered, imo this episode gets a solid 7.5/10 from me, it's everything I wanted Dead City to be from the beginning, dark, complex and willing to take risks with its characters, I know this is not a series for everyone but I did enjoy watching.
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