The Walking Dead: Dead City: 01:06: Doma Smo

[Dave]

After reuniting with Ginny, Negan reveals that he was the one who had murdered her father in a harsh effort to get her to leave. Perlie transports Ginny to the Bricks before returning to New Babylon where he lies that he had killed Negan and the New Babylon leader shows interest in the methane that the Burazi are able to produce which is a better fuel source than ethanol. Maggie and Negan track the Croat to the Staten Island Ferry terminal where Negan deduces that Maggie is luring him into a trap and overpowers her. Acknowledging that Maggie should never forgive him for his actions, although disappointed as together they could've rescued Hershel for real, Negan allows Maggie to trade him to the Croat for her son who berates Maggie for caring more about her obsession with Negan than him for his whole life. After returning to the Bricks, Maggie realizes that Hershel is right, and she decides to find a way to end her feud with Negan for good so that she can finally find peace. The Croat delivers Negan to the Dama who explains that she wants Negan to unite the various communities in Manhattan to stand against the New Babylon Federation and others who would come for their natural resources. Having learned the story of Glenn's murder from Hershel, the Dama reveals that she has cut off Hershel's toe and she threatens to go after him again if Negan doesn't comply, using Negan's care for the boy as leverage against him. At the same time, Maggie discovers Hershel's drawings of the Dama, and she realises the continuing threat to her son.

This all played out as expected, except I did think that the story would over once their shaky alliance between Negan and Maggie was over. I knew Dama would turn out to be a great villain. It appears that Manhattan and New Babylon are going to war next, with Perlie, Negan, Maggie, Ginny and Hershel caught in the middle. As long as we don't get more discussions of the relative chemical and economics benefits of Methane as a fuel.

While Negan is still a brutal monster, he is fair (doesn't "leave a man behind") and as many have pointed out has this 'soft spot,' which is children. This soft spot is a little overused in Dead City as we have Ginny (he killed her father) and Hershel (he killed his father); we have the Croat being expelled from the Saviours by Negan for torturing a girl to death, and we now have the Dama torturing and cutting off Hershel's little toe. I think that Negan would probably have gone with Maggie to rescue Hershel anyway, if she hadn't lied to him and had just used the (you killed his father and owe him) line. I also think the the cutting off of Hershel's little toe will likely have the opposite effect to that Dama desires from Negan, and the same applies to the threats being made on Hershel. So, while the position of 'Community Builder' seems right up Negan's street, I don't think he is going to be working there for very long.

 

[nixie]

Has this whole season just been to introduce Dama?
Question is will Negan join her wholeheartedly or look for ways to sabotage her?
Taking Hershel's toe was ott, reminds you of a horrible little kid torturing an insect.
The leader of New Babylon seems to be another egotistical bully.
This isn't a patch on Daryl Dixon but better than Those Who Live.
I do feel season two will be a vast improvement.