The Walking Dead's Ending Gets a Shocking Twist with 2 Game-Changing Retcons

The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 1, intended as a sequel spinoff to AMC's original The Walking Dead TV series, presents two plot points that do not align with the main show's ending. Despite the conclusion of The Walking Dead season 11 in November 2022, which introduced spinoff sequels featuring major cast members, The Walking Dead: Dead City focuses on the characters Maggie, played by Lauren Cohan, and Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, several years after the conclusion of The Walking Dead. While the series maintains a connection to the main show, referencing significant events such as Glenn's death, it also takes creative liberties by misremembering certain aspects of the main show's ending.

Dead City Ignores Maggie & Negan's Walking Dead Ending

In The Walking Dead: Dead City, Maggie Rhee's resentment towards Negan resurfaces, despite her previous progress in letting go of her anger and desire for revenge. During their boat ride to Manhattan, Negan points out that their dynamic has returned to its previous state from The Walking Dead season 10. This retcon is particularly frustrating for Negan, as he had previously accepted that Maggie would never forgive him for killing Glenn. Now, he seems strangely irritated that she has not moved on, behaving as if he had merely taken her last candy bar instead of brutally ending her husband's life.

Hilltop's New Location Is A Walking Dead Plot Hole

In The Walking Dead: Dead City, the name Hilltop becomes misleading. Maggie informs Negan that Hilltop had to relocate due to it being burned down, a result of the Whisperers' attack while Negan was undercover. Despite efforts to rebuild in The Walking Dead season 11, Hilltop faced challenges from the Commonwealth and Leah, hindering their progress. However, the final time jump of The Walking Dead season 11 revealed Hilltop's successful rebuilding and thriving under Maggie's leadership. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case in The Walking Dead: Dead City.

It is uncertain whether Hilltop struggled for a year after the Commonwealth battle before ultimately giving up after The Walking Dead's conclusion. It is also possible that Maggie's settlement in the show's final moments was a rebuilt version of Hilltop, referred to as Hilltop 2.0. Regardless, this change contradicts the intended outcome of The Walking Dead's final episode. The optimistic time jump portrayed Alexandria, the Commonwealth, and Hilltop working together harmoniously. The Hilltop depicted in this sequence was meant to be the original one situated on the hill. However, The Walking Dead: Dead City cleverly disregards this, implying that Hilltop's recovery from the Whisperer attack never truly occurred.

The Walking Dead: Dead City continues Sunday on AMC.