Dead City quickly hooked me in and got right to the point unlike the franchises previous spin off shows which have infamously fumbled. While it is still too early to fully determine where dead city will rank among it's flagship and sister shows, Dead city starts off the right way by offering strong characters we are familiar with as well as interesting new ones such as."The Croat" played by Zeljko Ivanek. One of my favorite parts of the first two episodes is the beautiful clausterphobic atmosphere of New York City where danger is around every corner. Dead City could be the best product The Walking Dead has to offer in a very long time.
26 Reviews
A hopeful new beginning
bigchungus9715 June 2023
Although I still do have concerns on the future of twd franchise, Dead City is an impressive entry to the franchise which left me excited after seeing the first two episodes. Dead City offers great performences by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan and stunning cinematography. My biggest concern going in was that the show was going to force the two into a relationship but it is clear after viewing that is the direction they will not be going. The show also provides interesting supporting characters while still not losing focus on it's two main stars which is another promising factor as it's flagship show sometimes stumbled with that.
A great start that shows promise for some of the best TWD content in years
Super_Bob115 June 2023
Ever since the main show ended it felt like these further spin offs were blatant attempts at milking the franchise. However I'm happy to say that this first episode is a glimpse at something potentially great. It's early to tell but straight away we can see evidence of the high budget in the effects and general scenery.
This is probably the best the franchise has looked visually and ultimately by stripping back the cast, characters are allowed to shine further. This episode felt a lot more focused than TWD had been in recent years with a constant sense of dread that later seasons lacked. I think you get just enough civilisation and survival to make for a show encompassing the best of both worlds. I'm hopeful that the show will continue on this path as there is a ton of potential, it's amazing how focusing on quality over quantity has helped this show.
This is probably the best the franchise has looked visually and ultimately by stripping back the cast, characters are allowed to shine further. This episode felt a lot more focused than TWD had been in recent years with a constant sense of dread that later seasons lacked. I think you get just enough civilisation and survival to make for a show encompassing the best of both worlds. I'm hopeful that the show will continue on this path as there is a ton of potential, it's amazing how focusing on quality over quantity has helped this show.
Smashing Beginning
tristan_1915 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
They knocked it out of the park. Lauren and Jeffrey are still brilliant as ever. The cinematography is amazing.
The story is pretty clear. It was done before, but we get to explore the absolute beauty and incertainty of Manhattan. The scenery is gorgeous, and that intro is spectacular.
Hershel's actor seems to be excellent, really holding his own, against the new villain, which is interesting and mysterious. An ex Savior Negan knew before.
Maggie's shoes were surprising in this episode, you'll know what I mean. The episode was solid, an introduction for sure, but well done. I'm curious to see where it all leads, and definitely excited for the rest !
The story is pretty clear. It was done before, but we get to explore the absolute beauty and incertainty of Manhattan. The scenery is gorgeous, and that intro is spectacular.
Hershel's actor seems to be excellent, really holding his own, against the new villain, which is interesting and mysterious. An ex Savior Negan knew before.
Maggie's shoes were surprising in this episode, you'll know what I mean. The episode was solid, an introduction for sure, but well done. I'm curious to see where it all leads, and definitely excited for the rest !
All I have to really say is hell YES!!!!
wynnlorelei17 June 2023
After the walking dead went on for over a decade, I am so impressed with how well this spin off started out. Congrats to all of those who made it possible, good job! Even if I didn't know the back story, I still consider it a great start. I am super excited to watch the rest of this season. I'm so glad that they didn't let the zombie apocalypse genre go. Honestly, I really think that they could keep this going permanently if they keep the right scripts for it just like morning soap operas. Keep it going guys! So excited LLLLLLOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEE IIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!! I will probably be a fan for life.
Interesting storyline
oproanak15 June 2023
All i wanna say is that it's a big improvement i hope the graph continues like this i am just hoping things to be better this time 🤞 it's like watching your favourite team's match.
The visuals are realy great the CGI is a lot improved the only thing TWD universe has been missing the past years was the storyline it just wasn't able to hook it's Audience the characters were not feeling the same as they used to do in earlier seasons i just hope that the path they are choosing through the spinoffs has a justified ending i just really really really hope for a Good end to my most favourite franchise of all time.
The visuals are realy great the CGI is a lot improved the only thing TWD universe has been missing the past years was the storyline it just wasn't able to hook it's Audience the characters were not feeling the same as they used to do in earlier seasons i just hope that the path they are choosing through the spinoffs has a justified ending i just really really really hope for a Good end to my most favourite franchise of all time.
Convenient Coincidences
wrka-195-29992816 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode isn't fantastic and either awful but it falls into the continuous mistakes and issues of written that TWDU has accustomed us to, like
The reasons why Negan should go with Maggie to Manhattan are still weak in my opinion.
This show has potential, great cast, performance, awesome cgi, but it all ends with bad writing, this show doesn't need to be filmed out of the woods or in another country, this show needs another direction and another showrunners.
- How Maggie knows that Negan is in the motel?, bartender hint: "a GUY killing zombies", at this point it could be anyone, everyone has killed zombies. So...
- Why Maggie is by herself in first place?, no allies, not friends, they kidnapped her son but she is alone.
- Maggie is easily get caught by the person in charge of the bar, and we see a fight. The problem with this scene is that it comes from an unintelligent move by Maggie (leave the door open behind her), the writers insist that Maggie's character be seen as some kind of Lara Croft or Alice Abernathy, rather than a more intelligent or cunning character.
- Negan's getting chased by this marshals and Maggie convinces him to come along to Manhattan, with the "logic" that she can help him get away from the marshals, when in fact we see being with her makes the marshals find him more easily. So...has no sense.
The reasons why Negan should go with Maggie to Manhattan are still weak in my opinion.
- How does Perlie Armstrong know the story of Glenn's death? Come on, Negan didn't just kill Glenn, everyone forgets Abraham, not only that, Negan did it several times, tormenting different groups of people, a he kill ramdom people, bringing this up, no makes sense.
- We see coincidentally as Negan and Maggie are getting on the boat to cross over Manhattan and the marshals are right there, it's a BIG coincidence of the writter.
- The conversation between Negan and Maggie on the boat: "how many husbands and fathers have you killed?". Ok, this question feels totally out of time and more after the closure that these characters had in the main show, bring these dialogues back between them, not only doesn't this make sense it is exhausting and boring. These dialogues occur throughout the 6 episodes, totally unnecessary.
- The marshals coincidently (again) shooting a bunch of zombies and Maggie and Negan run to this building and the dumb parts this scene is: one of the marshals is eaten in a very stupid way, Perlie Armstrong shot one of his co-workers and killing him, this is the thing with Walking Dead making the antogonist looks dumb, and knowing that the zombies would enter the place, they left Armstrong lying on the ground, If Maggie didn't want to kill him in firts place, why does she leave him on the floor while a horde walks into the danm room?...gosh gimme a break!
This show has potential, great cast, performance, awesome cgi, but it all ends with bad writing, this show doesn't need to be filmed out of the woods or in another country, this show needs another direction and another showrunners.
Episode 1
bobcobb30119 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This show should be retitled The Walking Dead: The Last of Us because it feels like they are trying to emulate that program only with two adult characters instead of one grown up and one teenager.
It was an okay start and I am open to the different kind of pacing than The Walking Dead mothership had, but I don't know how long this kind of thing can last. The idea of The Marshals is kind of engaging, but I think leaning into Zeljko Ivanek's villain character is the better long-term play.
Okay start, but they have some work to do to get some buzz around this series, that is certainly for sure.
It was an okay start and I am open to the different kind of pacing than The Walking Dead mothership had, but I don't know how long this kind of thing can last. The idea of The Marshals is kind of engaging, but I think leaning into Zeljko Ivanek's villain character is the better long-term play.
Okay start, but they have some work to do to get some buzz around this series, that is certainly for sure.
We're off to a great start!
justdan202317 June 2023
To be honest, at first, I have doubts about this show seeing how the TWD franchise has been doing lately. I thought this was just going to be the same. But I am turned out to be wrong.
First of all, let's start with the cinematography and the special effects. Like the view of Manhattan looks soooo good. I am in awe at how much budget has been put into the background views (though I hope not too much), and then we have the writing. It's great and well-written so far, but it can be predictable at times, but that's it. I'm really impressed at how good it is. It's so refreshing tbh.
The only problem I have with this episode is how it gets STRAIGHT to the point, like I understand, they probably will explain why Maggie leaves Alexandria and the others and why Negan leaves his wife and child in the next few episodes, but they ought to have given us a hint of it, don't they? Especially since it's the FIRST episode of this series.
Other than that, this episode couldn't be more perfect. I can't wait to see what the next episode has in store. :D.
First of all, let's start with the cinematography and the special effects. Like the view of Manhattan looks soooo good. I am in awe at how much budget has been put into the background views (though I hope not too much), and then we have the writing. It's great and well-written so far, but it can be predictable at times, but that's it. I'm really impressed at how good it is. It's so refreshing tbh.
The only problem I have with this episode is how it gets STRAIGHT to the point, like I understand, they probably will explain why Maggie leaves Alexandria and the others and why Negan leaves his wife and child in the next few episodes, but they ought to have given us a hint of it, don't they? Especially since it's the FIRST episode of this series.
Other than that, this episode couldn't be more perfect. I can't wait to see what the next episode has in store. :D.
Clunky... but I have faith it'll get better.
ceappe21 June 2023
If I had to summarize this first episode it would be 'clunky'. Which shouldn't have been the case for such an established franchise, right? With such a short season, I can appreciate the writer's not wanting to waste any time getting the characters into the city... but the way they went about it felt off (to me). Fresh off where we last saw these characters... and the passage of time... a lot of choices came across as forced, goofy, awkwardly rushed, and sometimes unnecessary. I was looking forward to a power duo team up with Negan and Maggie, but some heavy handed moments forced us to once again stop and revisit old wounds that a lot of viewers (including myself) had moved on from. Anyone watching the show is familiar with the characters and their backstory, it would have made more sense to just have them already paired up and on their way... with some backstory flashbacks along the way if they must. I was happy with the way the original series ended with both characters... and now treading 4 steps back again for tension that felt more like a prequel than a forward progression of these characters. I'm tired of the tension that is only going to cause stupid situations to happen... and there are plenty in this episode. All that being said... with where the episode ended... now that they're in the city... things can only get better! There's a particularly great scene with bugs that made me genuinely squirm. That was well done and something we haven't seen much of in the series. I enjoyed it! Yes, it was a clunky rushed start... but I have faith it'll get better.
Great start.
MF_Bloosh15 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Couldn't be more happy with the premiere. The dialogue and great, which we all know is something that can be hit or miss with TWD shows. The set pieces looked amazing. I was worried they wouldn't have the budget to pull off the look of Manhattan, but actually being on location in the city while filming seems to have helped tons as they don't have to rely on CGI, which is something else that's hit or miss with TWD shows. Maggie and Negan's dynamic is great, as it was in the main show, and they've had a few more years to sit on what happened which brings us natural conflict that doesn't feel forced. All in all, great start to a show that should be amazing if you're a fan of this universe.
A new world looking... Promising?
Guadalupapi7 August 2023
A nice surprise. While I thought Maggie and Negan's enmity was poorly written and cartoonish in a lot of TWD episodes, here in «The Walking Dead: Dead City» seems that the writing has matured and the relation between both makes sense: Maggie intuits Negan is the only one who might help her to save her son and Negan is a lost soul without a clear purpose or drive in his own life other than help others, which I presume, it's to take guilty of his back for all the terrible things he's done. They team up and their dynamic feels different, it has evolved, it's no longer forced -by the writers or the universe inside the show itself-. Also, the cinematography is so much better, since TWD changed 16mm film to digital cameras it looked awful but in this new series it looks freshly cinematic. I still have doubts and think about the future of the show, if AMC has intentions to keep another long spin off, how will Maggie and Negan's relation will be like while keeping it innovative? So far, it seems promising (and entertaining).
Haven't Learned a Thing
barneyruiz30 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Sooo disappointing! I couldn't even finish the episode! The writing is so mediocre that it hurts. Spoilers:
Why would someone escaping from a rooftop have the device to zipline & why the Hell would he do it front & above his captors?! Furthermore, why would they have a cable cutter? Why would the Marshal stand by the door in front of hoardes of zombies (only to keep them excited?) Why is neither Maggie nor Neegan carrying a handgun or rifle ? Not even a crossbow! There's no dialogue worth a damn. Maggie is just a shell of a character that I could care less about. Neegan taking care of an abandoned girl - worn out concept that was poorly executed & again: I had no interest in. I could go scene by scene destroying how absolutely terrible the writing is. Who are these writers? High schoolers ?! We're better off watching reruns of anything else.
"Old Acquaintances" is a great season premiere which offers brilliant writing and acting, giving us a location that breathes new life to The Walking Dead
Holt34420 June 2023
The Walking Dead: Dead City begins a couple of years after the ending of The Walking Dead, it's a new showrunner and he impresses me with his writing, Eli Jorne (the showrunner) wrote the season premiere titled "Old Acquaintances". It was directed by Loren Yaconelli who directed five episodes of TWD: World Beyond, a show I wouldn't call any good, but what's positive about that is her knowledge of the universe and it was always the writing that was bad in that show and not really the direction. For this episode, both the writing and direction is quite great, mostly the writing and acting. Honestly, the dialogue is brilliant, especially the scenes with Maggie and Megan. Their deep conversations are some of the episode's best scenes, I liked all the dialogue and writing, it was great! The whole production is impressive and I'm glad AMC brought them the budget needed, everything looks great, even the VFX. Sound design and the musical score was great, which brought suspense and tension to every scene.
Maggie finds Negan and they travel to Manhattan, meeting a quiet young girl named Ginny. A marshal named Armstrong follows Negan.
TWD: Dead City brings new life to the universe, bringing us a never before seen city and everything that comes with it. I'm of course talking about the world building, the new settlement called New Babylon and the new characters the city of New York City has to offer. Two who stand out the most are Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong: A marshal for New Babylon who is tasked in hunting down Negan, but also Zeljko Ivanek as "The Croat": The ruthless former member of the Saviors who has kidnapped Maggie's son, Hershel Rhee. But the focus is about the fan favorites Maggie and Negan, played by Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan respectively. From the little we got to see of Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee, I can't wait for more! Zeljko Ivanek is terrific in the little we got to see of him, he'll be the antagonist of the film and I got a good feeling about this character, the history he has with Negan is actually a really great retcon. Gaius Charles is too quite great! Honestly, there are not a single bad performance in this episode and why is that? Dead City was cast well and the actors got to work with a good director and were given a great script, then nothing can stop them from doing a good performance. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan were the best though. These actors are in good hands, regarding screenplay. This was truly a great season premiere which gets you hooked in the first half and throws you into New York City in the second half, I loved it! But what I loved other than the duo, is the location and scenery of New York City, I mean of course of how different it is to Virginia and the locations in The Walking Dead. This is more like Atlanta, but ten times worse for the protagonists, which is satisfying and engaging for us viewers. It's nothing we have seen before. It's like the golden era of TWD, unpredictable and high in suspense, also lots of gore and zombies. It was also a long time since I was grossed out during an episode of The Walking Dead, Dead City leans on the horror side of things regarding gore and zombies. The new title sequence was great! To summarize, if you're a fan of The Walking Dead and was wondering if the first spin-off is any good, I would have to say this, hell yeah.
Maggie finds Negan and they travel to Manhattan, meeting a quiet young girl named Ginny. A marshal named Armstrong follows Negan.
TWD: Dead City brings new life to the universe, bringing us a never before seen city and everything that comes with it. I'm of course talking about the world building, the new settlement called New Babylon and the new characters the city of New York City has to offer. Two who stand out the most are Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong: A marshal for New Babylon who is tasked in hunting down Negan, but also Zeljko Ivanek as "The Croat": The ruthless former member of the Saviors who has kidnapped Maggie's son, Hershel Rhee. But the focus is about the fan favorites Maggie and Negan, played by Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan respectively. From the little we got to see of Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee, I can't wait for more! Zeljko Ivanek is terrific in the little we got to see of him, he'll be the antagonist of the film and I got a good feeling about this character, the history he has with Negan is actually a really great retcon. Gaius Charles is too quite great! Honestly, there are not a single bad performance in this episode and why is that? Dead City was cast well and the actors got to work with a good director and were given a great script, then nothing can stop them from doing a good performance. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan were the best though. These actors are in good hands, regarding screenplay. This was truly a great season premiere which gets you hooked in the first half and throws you into New York City in the second half, I loved it! But what I loved other than the duo, is the location and scenery of New York City, I mean of course of how different it is to Virginia and the locations in The Walking Dead. This is more like Atlanta, but ten times worse for the protagonists, which is satisfying and engaging for us viewers. It's nothing we have seen before. It's like the golden era of TWD, unpredictable and high in suspense, also lots of gore and zombies. It was also a long time since I was grossed out during an episode of The Walking Dead, Dead City leans on the horror side of things regarding gore and zombies. The new title sequence was great! To summarize, if you're a fan of The Walking Dead and was wondering if the first spin-off is any good, I would have to say this, hell yeah.
Lauren Cohan is carrying this
tszmalik16 June 2023
Honestly it's a good episode and i liked it. Lauren Cohan is such an amazing actress and i think she's doing an amazing job and u can feel what Maggie's feeling, it's also good seeing her as a executive producer and Jdm too I think that's so important bc it makes a BIG difference for their characters, i though this spin-off was a bad idea ngl but now I think it was a great idea even though it feels weird to say it lol, can't wait to see more about Lauren Cohan playing Maggie she's the main reason I'm watching this and honestly I'm so surprised about how talented she is and how her acting is even better than before !
Fantastic intro!!
tuncibalunci16 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
WOOW that was just amazing. Maggie and Negan's back and forth is SO well written that I actually cared to observe every single line they said to each other. I'm very glad that this won't turn into a slow building romance story though. I mean we're talking about a man who bashed in Glenn's skull and you're expecting to see a love story? Lol.
Lauren Cohen and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are as good as always. They work so well together. I found their dynamic to be my favorite aspect in Season 11 of TWD.
The villains are really interesting as well. There are two quite dangerous threats coming from both sides including Pearlie Armstrong, a man who is a part of this New Babylon society (I guess it's a small town or whatever), who's also a marshal on a hunt for Negan who did something bad or "illegal" according to their "laws". Still, the dude is just doing his job taking care of his family, so he might be an anti-hero. There's also the Croat who is actually a FORMER SAVIOR that Negan knew back in the Sanctuary and he kidnapped HERSHEL, Maggie's son. Maggie really just can't catch a break with the Saviors torturing her family, huh? I find these villains very interesting and intimidating.
The cinematography... top notch. Ever since they switched to digital cameras and lost that classic TWD film grain something was a little off. The filters were very depressing and boring, but the filter they're using for this show is sooo beautiful. It's eye candy, really!
Overall, I'm very satisfied with the introduction to Dead City. It gives me old TWD vibes, but it's also something new and original. Something we haven't seen in a while. I'll give the episode a 9.5/10 rounding it up to a 10. Bravo.
Lauren Cohen and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are as good as always. They work so well together. I found their dynamic to be my favorite aspect in Season 11 of TWD.
The villains are really interesting as well. There are two quite dangerous threats coming from both sides including Pearlie Armstrong, a man who is a part of this New Babylon society (I guess it's a small town or whatever), who's also a marshal on a hunt for Negan who did something bad or "illegal" according to their "laws". Still, the dude is just doing his job taking care of his family, so he might be an anti-hero. There's also the Croat who is actually a FORMER SAVIOR that Negan knew back in the Sanctuary and he kidnapped HERSHEL, Maggie's son. Maggie really just can't catch a break with the Saviors torturing her family, huh? I find these villains very interesting and intimidating.
The cinematography... top notch. Ever since they switched to digital cameras and lost that classic TWD film grain something was a little off. The filters were very depressing and boring, but the filter they're using for this show is sooo beautiful. It's eye candy, really!
Overall, I'm very satisfied with the introduction to Dead City. It gives me old TWD vibes, but it's also something new and original. Something we haven't seen in a while. I'll give the episode a 9.5/10 rounding it up to a 10. Bravo.
Awesome start, and great set-up for the mini series.
ChrisChibnall_Burner21 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, it was great to have 2 familiar faces back in the ranks, and it was pleasant watching a spin-off that actually seems to we well written and well thought out (unlike the atrocity called Fear the Walking Dead).
I like the whole plot-point of Hershel getting snatched and therefore for Maggie, bringing up past memories of what Negan did to Glenn (though it was painful to watch it again!!). Negan and Maggie are both wary of eachother once again in return and it will be interseting to see how their relationship evolves throughout this series.
I love the tie-in to Negans past in the Croat too. It will make a very intriguing watch (I hope...).
A 9/10 for me. First-rate start to the series, only marked down 1 because of Maggie leaving the gun with the Marshall after he got knocked out!! Silly things like that just screams lazy writing IMO; like is there's no way else for the character to regain a weapon?!
I like the whole plot-point of Hershel getting snatched and therefore for Maggie, bringing up past memories of what Negan did to Glenn (though it was painful to watch it again!!). Negan and Maggie are both wary of eachother once again in return and it will be interseting to see how their relationship evolves throughout this series.
I love the tie-in to Negans past in the Croat too. It will make a very intriguing watch (I hope...).
A 9/10 for me. First-rate start to the series, only marked down 1 because of Maggie leaving the gun with the Marshall after he got knocked out!! Silly things like that just screams lazy writing IMO; like is there's no way else for the character to regain a weapon?!
So far so good
marttito2416 June 2023
After the disaster that is "Fear the Walking
Dead's" final seasons and the other garbage spin-offs like "World Beyond" and "Tales of The Walking Dead," I have lost all hope for this universe to be good again. However, "Dead City" is breaking that cycle. I'm really liking the whole vibe of this new series, with its dark, gritty emptiness set in New York City. It gives me vibes reminiscent of John Carpenter's "Escape from New York." I can't believe I'm actually enjoying what I'm watching. I don't think l've enjoyed a premiere this much since Season 9 of "The Walking Dead." I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.
Additionally, I'm enjoying the chemistry between Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan. I'm looking forward to the other episodes.
Additionally, I'm enjoying the chemistry between Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan. I'm looking forward to the other episodes.
Hunted Down in Manhattan
claudio_carvalho7 February 2024
Maggie observes a herd of walkers in Manhattan; she is attacked by one walker and later she goes to a bar of a motel, where she has to fight for her life. Finally, she meets Negan, who was in the motel and is on the run with the teenager Ginny. Negan is wanted in New Babylon for killing a judge and the marshals are hunting him down. Maggie tells him that Hershel was kidnapped by his former follower, The Croat, and she is tracking him down until the Hudson River. Negan says that The Croat is a sick man, and Maggie says that he owes her and proposes to take care of Ginny at Hilltop if he teams up with her to hunt down The Croat and rescue Hershell. Maggie tells him that Hilltop was relocated and fires a flare; soon, her friend Gina arrives to take Ginny to Hilltop. Meanwhile, the Marshal Perlie Armstrong arrives at the bar where Maggie and Negan were, and he shows the wanted poster of Negan and asks his whereabouts. After torturing the owner of the bar to have information about Negan and Maggie, Armstrong throws her to be devoured by walkers restrained by a fence. When Maggie and Negan are ready to navigate to Manhattan, Armstrong and the two marshals arrive, but the junior one, Jano, is captured by Maggie while pissing. They use Jano as a shield and cross the Hudson River by boat. But soon Armstrong and the other marshal follows them, in the beginning of their journey hunted down by a local gang, The Croat gang and the marshals.
"Old Acquaintances" is the first episode of "The Walking Dead" spin-off "Dead City. The beginning of this show is confused, with strange things happening, such as Hershell a teenager and Maggie with the same appearance; people driving cars; and outlaw marshals that kill without judgement, although they claim that Negan killed a judge. The environment of New York recalls John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" (1981), showing a derelict Manhattan. The team-up of Maggie with Negan is maybe the worst in the show, since she hates and do not trust him; therefore, it seems incoherent this association specially when the viewer learns that The Croat has a grudge with him. But the show has many action scenes and twists and is not bad. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Old Acquaintances"
"Old Acquaintances" is the first episode of "The Walking Dead" spin-off "Dead City. The beginning of this show is confused, with strange things happening, such as Hershell a teenager and Maggie with the same appearance; people driving cars; and outlaw marshals that kill without judgement, although they claim that Negan killed a judge. The environment of New York recalls John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" (1981), showing a derelict Manhattan. The team-up of Maggie with Negan is maybe the worst in the show, since she hates and do not trust him; therefore, it seems incoherent this association specially when the viewer learns that The Croat has a grudge with him. But the show has many action scenes and twists and is not bad. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Old Acquaintances"
YES!!
meltingmel23 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I finally finished my binge watch of the entire series last night. It's taken me three months of constant watching to get through every season and universe. I am so happy I can watch the current releases now. I have to say... THESE are my TWD expectations. I PRAY all the mini series are like this. This was phenomenal.
FTWD was hit or miss. World Beyond was a horrible Train wreck and I hope I never see those characters again. TWD recovered the last few seasons.
I'm so excited to watch this current show. Nothing is wrong with it - it's PERFECT!
Negan and Maggie were such a good idea to start us off. I'm also excited about the new actor for Hershel.
FTWD was hit or miss. World Beyond was a horrible Train wreck and I hope I never see those characters again. TWD recovered the last few seasons.
I'm so excited to watch this current show. Nothing is wrong with it - it's PERFECT!
Negan and Maggie were such a good idea to start us off. I'm also excited about the new actor for Hershel.
Great Way to Start the Season [8/10]
panagiotis199319 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My Reaction / Review for The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 Episode 1: Im really hyped for this show, I hope the first episode it's awesome. I wanna see how these two will be able to act like a team. Damn, the episode starts in a gory way. The intro is cool. So Negan and Maggie will have to work together even though they don't like/trust each other. I thought that Maggie's son would be in this episode but I was wrong (we see him later). We also have these police type characters called ''Marshals'' who want to kill Negan, that's interesting. I hope that Maggie's son will be alive, I like Hershel.
I wonder if the whole thing takes place in Manhattan. Also taking one of the marshals with them is probably not the best idea because the rest of the marshals will follow them for sure. Manhattan seems very isolated. Walkers are falling from the sky, what the hell? Damn, Manhattan seems to be full of walkers. Im expecting lots of surprises. Some of the walkers seem to have evolved. Hershel is fine, yes! The Croat guy looks like an absolute creep, I love it. Ok after watching the first episode it seems to be very high quality. Can't wait for what comes next. My rating is 8/10.
I wonder if the whole thing takes place in Manhattan. Also taking one of the marshals with them is probably not the best idea because the rest of the marshals will follow them for sure. Manhattan seems very isolated. Walkers are falling from the sky, what the hell? Damn, Manhattan seems to be full of walkers. Im expecting lots of surprises. Some of the walkers seem to have evolved. Hershel is fine, yes! The Croat guy looks like an absolute creep, I love it. Ok after watching the first episode it seems to be very high quality. Can't wait for what comes next. My rating is 8/10.
I tried, turned off
ottawa10119 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Sorry, watching Maggie and Negan bickering grew tiresome in the original series. After 20 minutes of the new series, I turned it off. I got to them on a boat crossing into Manhattan and turned it off. I do have questions. Where are they getting gas for all these vehicles? Everyone has a car and now a boat. A bar is running a generator for lights. A few years before Michonne was towing a car with horses; now it's basically rush hour again. Also, Is the sun missing in the new apocalyptic world? The last few seasons on TWD and this apparently this series all take place in the dark. Why is everything filmed at night?
A good surprise, the fans of TWD hope the miniseries continues in this neo-western vibe and knows how to take full advantage of New York's metropolitan setting for horror
fernandoschiavi15 May 2024
Following an attack on the new Hilltop, now called the Bricks, Maggie's son Hershel is kidnapped by the Croat, a former Savior who is living in Manhattan. Desperate to save him, Maggie reluctantly tracks down Negan for help who is on the run from New Babylon marshals led by Perlie Armstrong after supposedly murdering five people. In exchange for Maggie giving his young companion Ginny a home at the Bricks, Negan agrees to help her with the two taking young marshal Jano hostage and Maggie having to deal with hatred of Negan for Glenn's murder. In Manhattan, the trio encounter walkers falling from the buildings and a cat-and-mouse game with Perlie in a dry cleaners who accidentally kills Jano while chasing after them. Elsewhere, the Croat questions Hershel for information on Negan and sends an escaped prisoner to his death after the man refuses to answer questions about his group.
In the opening of the episode, we are introduced through Maggie's eyes to one of the world's largest cities destroyed and overrun by the dead. Weakened by the kidnapping of her son, the character is around the city to gather possible evidence of Hershel's whereabouts. It is worth noting here that the CGI of the scene is perfect, and it is evident that AMC really invested in this spin-off.
Maggie's moment of concentration is interrupted when a walker attacks her, and here we have one of Lauren Cohan's best scenes as Maggie, where the actress manages to realistically convey the disturbing feelings of her character. She hits the walker with her binoculars until his skull explodes, referencing the brutal death of her husband (what a clever move by the writers). Next comes the series' opening, which is incredibly well done and detailed. In it, we can see some of New York's most emblematic landmarks, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and the iconic Statue of Liberty. The tense music and vibrant animation perfectly match the series' theme.
With a new camp not too far from The Walking Dead communities, Maggie goes to a hotel and discovers that Negan is sheltering with his new adopted daughter, Ginny. Upon reaching him, Maggie questions him about Annie and her son, but he avoids the subject, a factor that bothered in the episode since everyone wanted to know what happened for him to be alone.
Maggie tells him about Hershel's kidnapping and that he was taken by a former Savior member, The Croat. When Maggie does the iconic whistle to reference the Saviors, it was spine-chilling. In exchange for Negan's help in going to Manhattan and saving the child, Maggie would keep Ginny safe in her camp.
Meanwhile, we are introduced to a new group of antagonists, The Marshals. This group is formed by patrolmen from New Babylon who seek out people who have committed atrocities, serving as vigilantes. Outside the hotel where Negan was staying, the group's leader finds a book on the ground with the region's mapping, and only the Manhattan page is missing, leading them to think that Negan may have gone there.
Waiting for someone to pick up Ginny and take her to the camp safely, Maggie decides to rest in the car, and here we have a strong scene. Memories of Glenn being brutally killed along with flashes of Hershel being kidnapped come to her mind, and the character is increasingly developed and complex, especially regarding her post-traumatic stress disorder, which had not been maturely addressed before as it was in this episode.
When Maggie and Negan are about to board the boat and go to Manhattan, the group appears. Strategically, they both kidnap the young man from the group to use him cleverly. At this point, an intense conflict between the protagonists begins. When the young man starts talking about his family to persuade Maggie, Negan decides he will throw him off the boat, but Maggie intervenes, saying he can be used strategically against the Marshals and that it doesn't matter what Negan thinks. He retorts, saying that since Hershel was kidnapped, old memories have come back along with the desire for revenge. In this sense, he pushes Maggie against the wall by asking how many parents she has killed, a moral debate they had never had before, as in the main series he was always in a position of not questioning.
When they finally arrive in Manhattan, we get a beautiful glimpse of the destroyed Brooklyn Bridge. It is revealed that the government bombed all the bridges leading to the island to isolate it and try to contain the infection. Walking through the city, walkers start being thrown from the tops of buildings, and a huge horde is attracted by a sound truck. Maggie, Negan, and the kidnapped young man hide behind a pile of garbage, and here we have a disgusting scene of a cockroach infestation that forces them to leave. Luckily, the Marshals arrive and eliminate the walkers, giving them time to escape. The slightly greenish lighting and the dark filter create a tense and unsettling atmosphere.
They enter a building to hide, but the group's leader arrives. Finally, Pearlie Armstrong introduces himself to Maggie as a New Babylon vigilante and says that what he does is to protect his wife and daughter. Walkers manage to enter the building, and again, the writers show a lot of creativity in their approach to New York, with a zombie that has a live rat in its mouth attacking the young Marshal, who is soon killed by his own group member. Maggie engages in a physical fight with Armstrong and exposes his motives, which are not enough to make him give up. So, she knocks him out, and Negan and Maggie flee.
In the final scene of the episode, the main antagonist of the series is finally introduced. The Croat is in front of Hershel, who is tied to a chair about to be tortured (hardcore fans will remember that this is similar to the scene from the third season of The Walking Dead when the Governor does the same to Glenn). The moment is cut short when a group member arrives and says that a prisoner has escaped. He tries to escape through the zip lines connecting the buildings of New York, but The Croat cuts the cable and the prisoner falls. The former Savior member, even with little screen time in the episode, has already proven to be interesting and very brutal, as mentioned by Negan at the beginning of the episode.
Obviously, not everything is effectively new, with a narrative quite similar to TWD's cycle of finding a sadistic antagonist who controls a certain region and clashes with our protagonists, this time involving a classic kidnapping and revenge plot, which also resembles Old West stories. I don't have many issues with the basic premise, mainly because showrunner Eli Jorné's script is insightful in avoiding too many connections with the past series other than Negan and Maggie's feud, being able to focus on the unfolding of the mission without too much didacticism and explanations. The time jump also helps in this "disentanglement" of the miniseries.
However, some TWD quirks are embodied here in the form of monologues and cheesy dialogues. We already know that everyone suffers in this universe and that Maggie and Negan love their little fights. But one or two interactions between the two are promising, especially the boat scene, when Negan confronts Maggie for having killed several parents and children. It's so much more three-dimensional to bring Negan back to his roots: the disturbed embodiment of what this new post-apocalyptic society is. We can still see that annoying Negan with sad looks and remorseful faces, but we can also see that malevolent Negan, which is when Morgan excels, as in the great scene with the vehicle where the character makes his sarcastic jokes. Let's see where the script takes this relationship.
Another positive point of coming to a metropolitan area is the return of zombie herds, one of the few resources of the series that still brings some level of danger to the undead, who have become a joke over the years. I also hope they take advantage of urban settings like buildings, malls, and subways. The zombies are still not a major threat, but it's good to see the production trying to incorporate them into the story in new ways, like the "suicidal zombies" scene. At the moment, however, the horror remains superficial in Dead City, with some sequences being quite silly. The scenes of the characters fleeing through the streets of New York are weak, as well as the whole block against the marshal - the sequence of the guy being killed after waiting for the zombies to break down the door is unbelievably stupid.
But what is truly unbelievable is the surprisingly cool start of "The Walking Dead: Dead City." The lack of expectation may have contributed, but one can feel Eli Jorné's genuine direction in creating quality content, which brings out the best in TWD while trying to bring new concepts to a worn-out franchise. "Old Acquaintances" suffers from the problems and also from the common flaws of pilots, which are usually slower to establish the plot, but there is a lot of quality here. I hope the miniseries continues in this neo-western vibe and knows how to take full advantage of New York's metropolitan setting for horror.
In the opening of the episode, we are introduced through Maggie's eyes to one of the world's largest cities destroyed and overrun by the dead. Weakened by the kidnapping of her son, the character is around the city to gather possible evidence of Hershel's whereabouts. It is worth noting here that the CGI of the scene is perfect, and it is evident that AMC really invested in this spin-off.
Maggie's moment of concentration is interrupted when a walker attacks her, and here we have one of Lauren Cohan's best scenes as Maggie, where the actress manages to realistically convey the disturbing feelings of her character. She hits the walker with her binoculars until his skull explodes, referencing the brutal death of her husband (what a clever move by the writers). Next comes the series' opening, which is incredibly well done and detailed. In it, we can see some of New York's most emblematic landmarks, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and the iconic Statue of Liberty. The tense music and vibrant animation perfectly match the series' theme.
With a new camp not too far from The Walking Dead communities, Maggie goes to a hotel and discovers that Negan is sheltering with his new adopted daughter, Ginny. Upon reaching him, Maggie questions him about Annie and her son, but he avoids the subject, a factor that bothered in the episode since everyone wanted to know what happened for him to be alone.
Maggie tells him about Hershel's kidnapping and that he was taken by a former Savior member, The Croat. When Maggie does the iconic whistle to reference the Saviors, it was spine-chilling. In exchange for Negan's help in going to Manhattan and saving the child, Maggie would keep Ginny safe in her camp.
Meanwhile, we are introduced to a new group of antagonists, The Marshals. This group is formed by patrolmen from New Babylon who seek out people who have committed atrocities, serving as vigilantes. Outside the hotel where Negan was staying, the group's leader finds a book on the ground with the region's mapping, and only the Manhattan page is missing, leading them to think that Negan may have gone there.
Waiting for someone to pick up Ginny and take her to the camp safely, Maggie decides to rest in the car, and here we have a strong scene. Memories of Glenn being brutally killed along with flashes of Hershel being kidnapped come to her mind, and the character is increasingly developed and complex, especially regarding her post-traumatic stress disorder, which had not been maturely addressed before as it was in this episode.
When Maggie and Negan are about to board the boat and go to Manhattan, the group appears. Strategically, they both kidnap the young man from the group to use him cleverly. At this point, an intense conflict between the protagonists begins. When the young man starts talking about his family to persuade Maggie, Negan decides he will throw him off the boat, but Maggie intervenes, saying he can be used strategically against the Marshals and that it doesn't matter what Negan thinks. He retorts, saying that since Hershel was kidnapped, old memories have come back along with the desire for revenge. In this sense, he pushes Maggie against the wall by asking how many parents she has killed, a moral debate they had never had before, as in the main series he was always in a position of not questioning.
When they finally arrive in Manhattan, we get a beautiful glimpse of the destroyed Brooklyn Bridge. It is revealed that the government bombed all the bridges leading to the island to isolate it and try to contain the infection. Walking through the city, walkers start being thrown from the tops of buildings, and a huge horde is attracted by a sound truck. Maggie, Negan, and the kidnapped young man hide behind a pile of garbage, and here we have a disgusting scene of a cockroach infestation that forces them to leave. Luckily, the Marshals arrive and eliminate the walkers, giving them time to escape. The slightly greenish lighting and the dark filter create a tense and unsettling atmosphere.
They enter a building to hide, but the group's leader arrives. Finally, Pearlie Armstrong introduces himself to Maggie as a New Babylon vigilante and says that what he does is to protect his wife and daughter. Walkers manage to enter the building, and again, the writers show a lot of creativity in their approach to New York, with a zombie that has a live rat in its mouth attacking the young Marshal, who is soon killed by his own group member. Maggie engages in a physical fight with Armstrong and exposes his motives, which are not enough to make him give up. So, she knocks him out, and Negan and Maggie flee.
In the final scene of the episode, the main antagonist of the series is finally introduced. The Croat is in front of Hershel, who is tied to a chair about to be tortured (hardcore fans will remember that this is similar to the scene from the third season of The Walking Dead when the Governor does the same to Glenn). The moment is cut short when a group member arrives and says that a prisoner has escaped. He tries to escape through the zip lines connecting the buildings of New York, but The Croat cuts the cable and the prisoner falls. The former Savior member, even with little screen time in the episode, has already proven to be interesting and very brutal, as mentioned by Negan at the beginning of the episode.
Obviously, not everything is effectively new, with a narrative quite similar to TWD's cycle of finding a sadistic antagonist who controls a certain region and clashes with our protagonists, this time involving a classic kidnapping and revenge plot, which also resembles Old West stories. I don't have many issues with the basic premise, mainly because showrunner Eli Jorné's script is insightful in avoiding too many connections with the past series other than Negan and Maggie's feud, being able to focus on the unfolding of the mission without too much didacticism and explanations. The time jump also helps in this "disentanglement" of the miniseries.
However, some TWD quirks are embodied here in the form of monologues and cheesy dialogues. We already know that everyone suffers in this universe and that Maggie and Negan love their little fights. But one or two interactions between the two are promising, especially the boat scene, when Negan confronts Maggie for having killed several parents and children. It's so much more three-dimensional to bring Negan back to his roots: the disturbed embodiment of what this new post-apocalyptic society is. We can still see that annoying Negan with sad looks and remorseful faces, but we can also see that malevolent Negan, which is when Morgan excels, as in the great scene with the vehicle where the character makes his sarcastic jokes. Let's see where the script takes this relationship.
Another positive point of coming to a metropolitan area is the return of zombie herds, one of the few resources of the series that still brings some level of danger to the undead, who have become a joke over the years. I also hope they take advantage of urban settings like buildings, malls, and subways. The zombies are still not a major threat, but it's good to see the production trying to incorporate them into the story in new ways, like the "suicidal zombies" scene. At the moment, however, the horror remains superficial in Dead City, with some sequences being quite silly. The scenes of the characters fleeing through the streets of New York are weak, as well as the whole block against the marshal - the sequence of the guy being killed after waiting for the zombies to break down the door is unbelievably stupid.
But what is truly unbelievable is the surprisingly cool start of "The Walking Dead: Dead City." The lack of expectation may have contributed, but one can feel Eli Jorné's genuine direction in creating quality content, which brings out the best in TWD while trying to bring new concepts to a worn-out franchise. "Old Acquaintances" suffers from the problems and also from the common flaws of pilots, which are usually slower to establish the plot, but there is a lot of quality here. I hope the miniseries continues in this neo-western vibe and knows how to take full advantage of New York's metropolitan setting for horror.
Maggie and Negan Reunited
ZegMaarJus22 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This Episode begins with Maggie, she sees a big group of walkers on the other side of the water. Maggie kills a walker. Maggie sees Negan at the bar. Negan is a wanted man, Perlie Armstrong is looking for him. Negan says to Ginny that he and Maggie are old acquaintances. Maggie tells Negan that The Croat ubducted Hershel. Perlie asks the Bar Owner where he can find Negan. The Bar Owner gets eaten by walkers. Maggie, Negan and Jano arrived in a Dead City. Perlie fights with Maggie. Maggie knocked down Perlie. Nice First Episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1, a great beginning of this The Walking Dead spin-off! With a lot of action and thrilling moments!
The walking dead is more exciting than ever
baileysmckellar4 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
For any fan like me that was devistated with the shows fall in season 6 to the end of season 8A, and after that it still didn't quite reach it's full potential again, but after seeing the huge cinematography change and this awfully addictive and intriguing storyline, I can't wait to see what these new spinoffs have to offer, I hope Daryl Dixon doesn't disappoint next week, and can't wait to finish this season, there is hope!
Focusing on two majorly loved characters Maggie and Negan is also great, I'm not worrying about a season 7 of twd where storylines for all these different characters carry on without much of a storyline, for example I didn't really like Ezekiel because his storyline at the kingdom carried on for a while and did annoy me, but as the writing improved I came to absolutely adore Ezekiel.
Let's hope for a good future in the walking dead, all we need now is multiple supernatural spinoffs.
Focusing on two majorly loved characters Maggie and Negan is also great, I'm not worrying about a season 7 of twd where storylines for all these different characters carry on without much of a storyline, for example I didn't really like Ezekiel because his storyline at the kingdom carried on for a while and did annoy me, but as the writing improved I came to absolutely adore Ezekiel.
Let's hope for a good future in the walking dead, all we need now is multiple supernatural spinoffs.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
