Unraveling Negan's Most Puzzling Decision: Stunning Revelations From a Haunting Flashback
Negan's peculiar decision in The Walking Dead is brilliantly dissected in Dead City Flashback, unveiling Simon's backstory that reshapes Negan's character, making his trust in Simon more comprehensible A captivating explanation that delves into the intricacies of Negan's choices (346 characters)
Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 4 below! In episode 4 of The Walking Dead: Dead City titled "Everybody Wins A Prize," a surprising cameo from the show's past sheds light on one of Negan's puzzling decisions as the leader of The Saviors. Serving as one of the spinoffs that continue the beloved franchise following the conclusion of the main series in 2022, Dead City presents an intriguing partnership. Forced to join forces with her husband's murderer, Negan (portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Lauren Cohan's character Maggie must rescue her kidnapped son, who has been taken to Manhattan.
The Walking Dead has dedicated significant efforts to redeeming Negan since the defeat of The Saviors, compelling him to confront the atrocities he committed. Negan's character development has been one of the most captivating storylines of the show, and The Walking Dead: Dead City furthers his journey towards redemption. Nonetheless, Dead City endeavors to make viewers overlook Negan's past malevolence, instead showcasing him as a man who believed he was protecting his community by taking those actions.
Simon's The Walking Dead Backstory Explained
In episode 4 of The Walking Dead: Dead City, titled "Everybody Wins A Prize," the story begins with a flashback revealing the reason for his betrayal against The Croat (Željko Ivanek). A surprise appearance from his former henchman, Simon (Steven Ogg), who has since passed away, sheds light on The Croat's gruesome act of torturing and killing a young girl. Although The Croat believed she was a spy for The Kingdom, Negan is repulsed by the extreme brutality displayed, while Simon vehemently declares that The Saviors have a strict policy against harming children.
As a result, Negan attempted (unsuccessfully) to eliminate The Croat, leading to Simon taking on the role of Negan's trusted assistant. However, it became evident that this decision was a mistake, as Simon proved to be impulsive, overly ambitious, and ultimately disloyal. Throughout seasons 7 and 8 of The Walking Dead, Simon played a significant supporting role, providing moments of humor during the show's darker periods (particularly in the seventh season). Nevertheless, his actions ultimately hindered Negan's leadership. In a desperate bid for power, Simon attempted to seize control of The Saviors, which ultimately led to a personal confrontation with Negan and his subsequent demise.
Negan's Trust In Simon Makes More Sense Now
In episode 4 of The Walking Dead: Dead City, the flashback reveals that Negan, despite his reputation as a heartless killer, had his own moral boundaries. The Croat, whom Negan initially saw as an intelligent and skilled ally in the art of torture, shattered his trust with the killing of The Kingdom scout. These scenes also expose Simon's maneuvering for power, portraying The Croat as a sadistic individual who derives pleasure from causing pain.
Simon's assessment of The Croat is completely accurate, although his own propensity for violence makes him appear hypocritical. Nevertheless, this particular scene in The Walking Dead: Dead City showcases Negan's shrewdness in placing trust in a volatile individual like Simon. Negan probably believed that he could control Simon and, at the very least, expect him to follow orders and remain loyal. In hindsight, it becomes clear that Negan and The Saviors could have emerged victorious in the war against Rick and the other communities if The Croat had remained by Negan's side.
Simon's Backstory Totally Rewrites Negan's Character
The peculiar aspect of The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 4 flashback is Negan's uncharacteristic behavior. Instead of taking the lead, it is Simon who does all the talking, while Negan watches with moral outrage as The Croat carries out his gruesome work. Although Negan resembles his former self from earlier seasons, complete with his iconic "Lucille" bat, his actions are not in line with his character. This issue is part of a larger problem in how The Walking Dead: Dead City handles Negan's transformation from villain to a potential ally.
A crucial aspect of other survivors on The Walking Dead accepting, if not completely forgiving, Negan's past was that he took responsibility for his monstrous actions. He inflicted deep psychological wounds on his victims that can never fully heal, earning their distrust over years of imprisonment. Negan's redemption arc was one of the show's stronger elements in its final years. However, Dead City boldly attempts to rewrite this history.
In this flashback of The Walking Dead: Dead City, we see a different side of Negan during his time as the leader of the Saviors. Rather than being the arrogant bully that viewers were afraid of, he is portrayed as a leader full of remorse, doing his best to navigate a world that has descended into chaos. This depiction does not align with the true nature of the character, as he likely chose Simon as his follower not because they shared the same moral values, but because he believed Simon was a foolish person who would blindly follow his orders. However, Negan eventually regretted this decision, regardless of the reasons behind it.
