The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 - Negan's Storyline and Character Development
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 needs to ensure Negan's story doesn't become cyclical by rehashing old character arcs. Negan's family must be part of his story in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, and this article discusses the importance of including Negan's family, the potential role of Maggie, and the significance of preserving Negan's redemption.
Negan's Family Must Be Part Of His Story
To avoid ruining Negan's progress, The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 needs to include two particular characters. Since his introduction in The Walking Dead season 6, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has become a staple of the franchise. His story from ultimate villain to a member of Alexandria to a family man shows how much character development was invested into his arc. One of Negan's most revealing episodes was in season 10 of the main show when audiences got an intimate look at what hardened him into the ruthless leader of the Saviors - losing his wife Lucille. On a lighter note, Negan's second chance at a happy family life came about in The Walking Dead season 11 when Annie joined the show. Despite giving his redemption arc a positive next step with Annie, who falls pregnant with his child, The Walking Dead undoes his happy ending in Dead City when Negan reveals he had to leave his family behind. Despite Negan's sincere change for the better, he still seems to be proving himself in The Walking Dead universe. Therefore, The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 needs to ensure his story doesn't become cyclical by rehashing old character arcs.
Negan with his hand on Annie's back in a scene from The Walking Dead
Annie and Joshua are a part of Negan's redemption arc. When Negan's last seen in The Walking Dead season 11's ending, he tries to end on amicable terms with Maggie, and she offers him a place to stay with Annie, despite not forgiving him. However, The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1 undoes this by removing Annie and Joshua, her and Negan's son. While Negan does justify their absence, stating they were on the run after he killed New Babylon marshals who brutally beat Annie, the fact that he doesn't return to his family is unsatisfactory. Additionally, his reason for sending Annie and Joshua to Missouri is to protect them. This highlights how Maggie's perception of him is outdated because his loved ones evidently have a deep impact on how he behaves. This is further emphasized by his protecting of Ginny, an orphaned girl Negan meets. Providing Negan with loved ones also strengthens his morality and sense of purpose. Choosing to leave Alexandria shows how much Negan has grown, since he knows it would still hurt Maggie to see him if he stayed. To allow a more satisfying continuation of Negan's story, his family should be a part of it because they're linked to his redemption.
Maggie walking while glancing over at Negan in The Walking Dead Dead City episode 6
Using Negan’s Family To End Maggie's Revenge Arc
Negan's separation from his family echoes Maggie loss. Although season 1 sets up numerous aspects for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, Maggie's exact journey is unconfirmed. She could play a key role in connecting Negan's family to the spinoff. Since Negan gave her the full story of what happened to Annie and Joshua, Maggie could theoretically go out and find them. This would facilitate a way for Maggie to see exactly what Negan has lost in helping her reunite with her own family. Additionally, seeing Negan's family could show her what they've lost - a husband and father - much like she did, which can help her understand his importance to them and amplify how he's changed. Paralleling Maggie's loss in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1 with Negan's loss could provide her with perspective that could aid in ending her revenge arc after betraying Negan. Since Hershel called out Maggie and accused her of being obsessed with Negan, it seems more likely that she won't continue the same aggressive arc toward him, but instead potentially help him. Holding up a metaphorical mirror to Maggie by connecting her with Negan's family could be the way in which she manages to find closure over his horrible actions in the past.
Logan Kim as Hershel and Lauren Cohan as Maggie in Walking Dead Dead City
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Maggie and Negan stare out a window in The Walking Dead Dead City
Preserving Negan’s Redemption
Undoing Negan's character growth would be a disservice to him. Although the Dama and the Croat reference Negan's Savior-era reign as what draws them to him, reverting his behavior back to brutal, senseless conquering would be a bad decision. Not only would it misalign with how his character is now given ow much positive growth he's done, but it would undermine every positive and selfless act he's done since Rick defeated him. This includes caring for Judith, helping Alexandria take down Alpha, helping Maggie get Hershel back, and so on. Additionally, if Negan were to fully revert to brutal leadership to help the Dama protect her territories and the methane supply, it would seem out of character. Even with an incentive to avoid further harm to Hershel, becoming how he was in his Savior days would only be plausible if it were an act. Moreover, downplaying Negan's redemption so far would be a disservice to his character and the relationships he's built since becoming a better person. So, his leadership under the Dama's control would need to end in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, either with Maggie and his family's help or his own strategic methods.
