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Posted in: AMC, Review, TV, Walking Dead | Tagged: amc, amc plus, dead city, Maggie Rhee, negan, Review, The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead: Dead City Offers Western Grindhouse Vibes (REVIEW)
AMC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Lauren Cohan-starring The Walking Dead: Dead City S01E01 was dark, intense & threatening - and what we needed.
While it was great to hear that the TWD universe would be continuing on with three spinoff series following the end of the long-running AMC series, I had… well, a concern. As much as I wanted more from the universe, I didn't want three more takes of the same thing. If the franchise is going to grow, it needs to continue to offer different takes & perspectives that match what a diverse viewership is looking for. While it's still too early to make the call on the Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon)-starring and Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) & Danai Gurira (Michonne)-starring spinoffs (though having Daryl in France is a good start), we are very happy to report that AMC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) & Lauren Cohan (Maggie)-starring The Walking Dead: Dead City S01E01 "Old Acquaintances" (directed by Loren Yaconelli & written by Eli Jorné) wasted no time putting that concern to rest – treating us to a thrill ride that punched us in the face right from the start and kept us on the ropes throughout. But did it meet the benchmarks we look for in a series & season-opener? At this point, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer as we look at why "Old Acquaintances" worked on a number of levels.
The Cast: As impressed as we were with the supporting ensemble that we're introduced to, we're more interested in seeing how they develop (if they live that long) over the course of the season. That said, it's pretty clear that this season is going to come down to five characters. With Gaius Charles' Marshal Armstrong and Zeljko Ivanek's The Croat, we have two actors effectively personifying the morality extremes that exist in the TWD universe. In Armstrong, we have the brutal arm of justice – willing to do whatever is necessary to establish a sense of law & order, a sense of societal normalcy. And Charles knows how to flip the switch on Armstrong when the Marshal needs to be not so nice – we want to know more of where that comes from. With The Croat, we have not just an "ultimate big bad" but one that's both Maggie's & Negan's worst nightmares for two very different but connected reasons. And with Logan Kim's Hershel Rhee, we have the personification of hope and the possibility of a future in the face of constant violence & death.
But this is clearly Cohan and Morgan's show, and they make the most of it and then some in only one episode. Each of them presents us with a different version of their respective characters from when we last saw them (in the TWD series finale). But those differences were conveyed in such a way that both made sense and left us wondering what we haven't been told yet. What we're presented with here is a masterclass from two actors who truly know these characters – the quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) rage building within both of them, even knowing that they need each other, is both relatable & real. I understand why people vibe wanting Negan and Maggie to end up together because of the emotional intensity between them – but that comes from the complexities of the portrayals that Cohan and Morgan are unleashing upon our screens.
The Storylines: Maggie heads into NYC to rescue Hershel from The Croat after calling in a favor from Negan for his assist – even though the two are back on "will they, won't they" – when it comes to killing each other, that is. That alone would be enough of a reason to keep viewing, but that was far from all. We have Negan's connections to The Croat, Armstrong heading out on Negan's trail for allegedly killing four people, an unanswered question about Annie & his baby, and more (including a great "mustache-twirling" moment from Ivanek near the end of the episode). Seriously, if that doesn't scream "Western Grindhouse," then I don't know what I'm looking at – clearly, we have more than enough already to reassure us that it won't be tough to sustain a season (and that's without any additional subplots that might come into play).
Before We Go…: Serious props to Yaconelli and Jorné for creating a mini-universe that vibes Escape from New York, with an interestingly intimate feel for a series that takes place in the heart of NYC. While it's clear that I'm in The Walking Dead universe, I'm not feeling like I'm watching a spinoff as much as a series that stands on its own merits. And the other funny feeling we had throughout – and it wasn't a bad one – was that we were actually watching the first thing to hit the screens that take place after The Walking Dead series finale, timeline-wise. That raises so many questions that could be answered by a random comment here and there – and for a fan of The Walking Dead universe like I am? That's just another reason to keep this show on our radar.
The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 Episode 1 "Old Acquaintances"
9/10
While it was great to hear that the TWD universe would be continuing on with three spinoff series following the end of the long-running AMC series, I had... well, a concern. As much as I wanted more from the universe, I didn't want three more takes of the same thing. If the franchise is going to grow, it needs to continue to offer different takes & perspectives that match what a diverse viewership is looking for. While it's still too early to make the call on the Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon)-starring and Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) & Danai Gurira (Michonne)-starring spinoffs (though having Daryl in France is a good start), we are very happy to report that AMC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) & Lauren Cohan (Maggie)-starring The Walking Dead: Dead City S01E01 "Old Acquaintances" (directed by Loren Yaconelli & written by Eli Jorné) wasted no time putting that concern to rest - treating us to a thrill ride that punched us in the face right from the start and kept us on the ropes throughout.
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