The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023) Review: Story, Verdict & Where to Watch

The zombie apocalypse genre, and the Walking Dead franchise in particular, has a lot of adaptations and variations. Of these, AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City seeks to continue the franchise by transporting two of the franchise's more notable complex characters, Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to a zombie ridden Manhattan. In addition to a setting change, the built in character relationship makes for a lot of built in dramatic tension. While the premise may feel familiar, overall the show manages to establish a unique but inconsistent identity for itself.

A Perilous Journey into the Concrete Jungle

The first few moments of the episode show what drives Maggie to go looking for Negan. That leads viewers into the first of many hazardous scenarios on their journey to Manhattan. Manhattan in this case isn’t the major metropolitan city of Manhattan from the brochures. There is a lack of connectivity to the mainland and a brutal and dangerous ecosystem that includes both the living and the dead. Director Eli Jorné has amazing vision when it comes to the city and the manner in which he seamlessly branches out beyond the rural and suburban landscapes plots of the main show. He illustrates the city in a manner that shows decayed giants of industrialization that include an urban canyon with makeshift victimless travel systems. The city is a deserving protagonist. Because of the nature of the system, this creates a tremendous new world to test the same old challenges of survival. Much of the story hinges on the Miller and Negan: the villain and the victim. This is a partnership of convenience and a major source of dramatic friction. If it weren’t for the nature of this Dynamic Duo, this partnership of convenience would be boring. Luckily, they are all tragic people of interest and this soft residence retraverses old ground with new layers.

Performances and the Weight of the Past

Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are, of course, the heavy hitters of Dead City and for good reason. Both actors use their years of character development on-screen to bring weight, depth, and resonance to each scene. Cohan brings a simmering rage and maternal instinct to Maggie. Morgan continues Negan’s journey to possible redemption, however, he needs to grapple with his own violent past as well as the way society views him. This is the series’ strongest selling point and helps blend the contrasting roles into something that can be real. Aimee Garcia and the rest of the cast bring something to the ensemble, but this show is best when directed at the main characters. How the main characters relate to the new antagonists, especially those who were elevated to series regulars, draws some criticism for being ‘cut and paste’ and predictably bad. To be fair, many other shows have the same issues with bringing in new villains. Still, the unique New York City setting placed in the middle of desolate, post-apocalyptic sci-fi landscape and the unique walker variations found there keep the show interesting and keep viewers engaged.

Who Should Brave Dead City's Streets?

Clearly, The Walking Dead: Dead City was fan-service. The adult reboot yet again banks on Maggie and Negan’s history. The TV-MA rating suggests mature fans will appreciate the series’ signature blend of gory violence, graphic imagery, and powerful drama. Most notable, the series breaks from the rest of the franchise and provides fresh plot with new environments that provide ample amounts of danger for two of the franchises’ most popular characters. However, for new fans, it may be difficult to watch. The plot draws heavily on the history of the characters, most of which isn’t explained, so less involved fans may find themselves more confused than entertained. Some audiences even suggested the plotline may be too predictable. Even with a fresh take on the franchise, these episodes’ critical reception has been a general decline and openished from the first season. For longtime fans, this fresh take on urban apocalypse is a draw. For fans craving a complete break from the franchise, you may be less entertained.

Final Verdict: A Worthwhile Detour for the Devoted

The Walking Dead: Dead City is the latest entry in the The Walking Dead universe that focuses more on a character’s journey rather than the dystopian world. If you have been a fan of the franchise since the beginning, some of the city setting may feel a bit stale, and you may feel like it lacks ideas. However, the central narrative of the series is still solid, and you get the good action scenes and emotionally charged dialogue that the series is known for. If you are writing a spin-off of the main series, you expect to see Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and they deliver. The setting is also one of the best parts of Dead City. Seeing the edges of a ruined Manhattan is awesome from a creative perspective, while also forcing the characters to do things that they usually don't. Overall, it's great for fans of the franchise to explore more of the world.