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The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 E06 Review: Their Own Worst Enemy

AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City season finale finds Maggie & Negan paying for pasts they can't let go - pasts that won't let them forget.

Though we learned during the TWD Universe watch party at San Diego Comic-Con that the spinoff series would be returning for a second season, it says a lot about AMC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) & Lauren Cohan (Maggie)-starring The Walking Dead: Dead City that we're still worrying about either of our leads getting out alive. Considering where things were left off heading into season finale S01E06: "Doma Smo" (Croatian: "We are home"), our concern is more than justified. Because with all of the twists & turns we've seen this season, the biggest one may have been saved for last – Maggie enlisted Negan because she's planning to turn him over to The Croat (Zeljko Ivanek) in exchange for Hershel (Logan Kim) – a deal that she's known about since before the series kicked off. But from the vibes we're getting from The Dama (Lisa Emery), it looks like she wants Negan very much alive – and as a possible ally. And how will Ginny's (Mahina Napoleon) and Armstrong's (Gaius Charles) stories factor into all of this? And with those words, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer before we do a deep dive into S01E06: "Doma Smo" (directed by Gandja Monteiro and written by Eli Jorne) – a perfectly-executed episode that hits all the right notes on how to end a season while keeping viewers doing deep dives into their dumpster fires of random speculation before the spinoff returns.

The Walking Dead: Dead City S01E06: "Doma Smo": Some Thoughts…

Okay, I'm already loving how Negan's reunion with Ginny turned into the first wave of distrust between Negan and Maggie – you can see by the look on his face that his senses are raging. And bonus points for Napoleon pulling off that perfect "almost smile" at the perfect moment for it.

Napoleon and Morgan are going to deserve some very special attention for that break-up scene when Negan's defenses drop after Ginny finally speaks. This made Negan's reaction even more heartbreaking, with the ex-Saviors leader realizing that he would need to tap into his old self to save Ginny. Because it's much easier to run from a man who killed your father and sees you only as a debt he needed to pay – or at least it's the "lie" he tells because the truth could get them all killed: Negan doesn't want to say goodbye to yet another "family" member.

Before this scene, there's a moment when Maggie looks at Negan with the realization that Negan was choosing to enter back into the heart of darkness to get her son back – not realizing that he's going to get Herschel back but in a very different way, One that doesn't have Negan leaving the island…

Remember that instant distrust we mentioned back when the episode began? Well, serious points to Morgan and Cohan for how their "walking tour" of NYC has turned into a verbal game of "cat & mouse" as Negan senses something's up. Every second of this scene feels like either one could turn on the other in the blink of an eye…

Oh, wow! I was right! And that was one helluva fight scene – and I know that a lot of folks are going to debate/take issue with how things went down, but damn. Negan had the kill shot. That thought made me pause for a second… curious if there will be ramifications from that, too.

Everyone who thought they would ever see a situation where one could argue that Negan has the moral high ground over Maggie, please raise your hands. Yeah – didn't see that coming, either.

It's not like Ivanek needs to ever prove his acting prowess ever again, but that scene in the back of the ambulance with Cohan and Morgan might be one of the best "big bad" spotlight moments in the entire franchise's run – no exaggeration, including Morgan during Negan's Saviors days.

Wow, that "hostage exchange" was powerful on so many levels – from Negan's comment to Hershel as they pass to the way that Kim plays the scene audibly silent but speaks volumes with his face & body language. Is anyone else wondering what was done to Hershel during his time in captivity?

"Welcome to New Babylon: Capital City of the New Babylon Federation": As Armstrong offers his cover story that he shot Negan and that he was dead, we learn that New Babylon isn't much different than the vast majority of "new societies" that we've seen over the years. Yeah… that's not a good thing. And from the sounds of it, the methane in NYC is going to be getting a lot of attention next season.

And in that moment between Maggie and Hershel – an extraordinary scene that Cohan & Kim crushed on so many levels – we learn about the divide that exists between mother and son. Hershel doesn't think Maggie sees him as a person as much as a reminder of the hate she harbors for Negan for killing Glenn.

Negan's Hell: The Croat explains how Negan letting him wield Lucille was seen as a show of trust & faith in Negan – basically, Negan is sitting there as his "Number #1 Fan" explains in detail how he helped make him the "man" that he is. A brutally sobering scene, with Ivanek's near-tearful retelling grabbing your attention by the throat. And that part where The Croat takes ownership for not listening to Negan back in the day and now pledging his allegiance again? A complete and total mind-f**k on so many levels – and Ivanek easily makes you believe him – The Croat is a Negan acolyte.

Wow! So The Dama wants the old Negan back to pretty much run all of New York City and protect the methane – the same methane that Armstrong's people now have a very strong interest in. Oh, and she kept Hershel's punky toe as a gift for Negan – and a warning. Meanwhile, Maggie's realizing that a lot more went on between The Dama and Hershel while he was being held captive – and it's vibing like maybe Hershel found another "mother figure"? Now that's how you end a season!

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 Episode 6 "Doma Smo"

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Review by Ray Flook

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9/10

Though we learned during the TWD Universe watch party at San Diego Comic-Con that the spinoff series would be returning for a second season, it says a lot about AMC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) & Lauren Cohan (Maggie)-starring The Walking Dead: Dead City that we're still worrying about either of our leads getting out alive. Considering where things were left off heading into season finale S01E06: "Doma Smo" (Croatian: "We are home"), our concern is more than justified. Because with all of the twists & turns we've seen this season, the biggest one may have been saved for last - Maggie enlisted Negan because she's planning to turn him over to The Croat (Zeljko Ivanek) in exchange for Hershel (Logan Kim) - a deal that she's known about since before the series kicked off. But from the vibes we're getting from The Dama (Lisa Emery), it looks like she wants Negan very much alive - and as a possible ally. And how will Ginny's (Mahina Napoleon) and Armstrong's (Gaius Charles) stories factor into all of this? And with those words, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer before we do a deep dive into S01E06: "Doma Smo" (directed by Gandja Monteiro and written by Eli Jorne) - a perfectly-executed episode that hits all the right notes on how to end a season while keeping viewers doing deep dives into their dumpster fires of random speculation before the spinoff returns.

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