In this week's episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City, the mainlanders find themselves trudging through an overgrown, walker-infested Central Park.
First and foremost, what I particularly loved about this installment was the clear focus on Hershel. After all this time, he's no longer a background or side character; he is central to everything. We've learned more about him in this episode and the previous one than we had throughout the entire franchise up to this point. He's become a key character.
So what happens? When Maggie, Perlie, Hershel, Major Lucia Narvaez, and the rest of the team enter Central Park, they pretty much instantly get split up. Maggie and Hershel lose each other, meaning Hershel is left out in the woods to fend for himself. Meanwhile, the others end up finding a strange, reclusive and ritualistic group in a cafe who promise to help Maggie find Hershel.
As for Hershel himself, he finds a safe space and sits down to draw. His artistry has become a key point in the season, especially in how he sees Manhattan as a canvas. The show explores how someone being born after the apocalypse would view the world. They view it as it is, not how it was. Dead City delves into this through an artistic standpoint. Moreover, we're taken back to when Hershel was under the custody of the Dama, and how she tried to spin his artistic prowess into a vision for the future of New York City. Their conversations were by far my favorite part of the episode.
One character I've got to give a special mention to is Major Lucia Narvaez. She very much falls into the 'love to hate' category. While she might make ridiculous decisions 'for the best of New Babylon' most of the time, watching her clash with Maggie (and sometimes Perlie) is super fun to watch.
The Walking Dead: Dead City review: "Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?"
Negan takes a backseat in this episode. He's still involved. In fact, he actually continues his silent rebellion against the Dama by killing those who should be his closest allies. There's even a moment when he encounters (and saves) Hershel before running away. I hope this storyline develops. The dynamic between those two characters has such immense potential. Maggie has visceral memories of Negan's evil acts; Hershel only knows him from stories.
Negan goes about his business sneakily. He's already been found out once in the previous episode. It's fair to say that Negan is walking a tightrope right now, but when is he not getting himself into trouble?
This was another great episode. Perhaps not the best of the show so far, but still a whole lot of fun. The action sequences, particularly those set in the boggy wasteland of Central Park, were exhilarating. Plus, I really loved the character development of Hershel.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.