However, the season finale reveals that it was actually the Dama who wanted to see Negan, with the Croat being nothing more than a pawn working under her. As the trailer for Dead City season 2 revealed, he's now working for her to unite Manhattan under her rule, doing so after she threatens to invade the bricks and kill Hershel if he doesn't comply. The newest trailer highlights a return to form for his antagonism, even as other Dead City characters arrive to save him. However, I believe the trailer confirmed how his story as the Dama's enforcer ends.
Dead City Season 2's Trailer All But Confirms Maggie & Negan End Up Working Together
It Sounds Like They're Going To Become Allies Once Again
Based on the trailer, I think Dead City season 2's story will see Maggie & Negan working together once they find each other. Despite the outward confidence Negan displays when talking to the communities of Manhattan, flashes of him with the Croat indicate he's still helping the Burazi under duress. His expression is dour in multiple scenes, showing he hasn't lost sight of his mission to protect Hershel despite the evil deeds he'll need to carry out. This includes shocking someone with an electrified Lucille, threatening anyone who doesn't fall in line for the Dama.
The biggest hint comes when Maggie and Negan are seen together in the trailer. A tired-sounding Negan tells her that "The show's about to start; we've got work to do." This signals the pair are going to be teaming up against the Burazi once they find each other, further emphasized by him later fighting someone trying to grab Lucille away from him. I think that, once Negan realizes Maggie's there to save him, he'll turn against the Dama and plot an escape. This includes keeping Hershel safe from any consequences his leaving may bring.
It Looks Like Maggie & Negan Both Work With The Dama In Dead City Season 2
Another Big Alliance Is Poised To Shake Things Up
However, I believe Dead City's latest trailer also revealed another surprise alliance for season 2. In a brief shot, the Dama can be seen standing next to Hershel, the pair looking at something together. While this happens, a voiceover line from her emphasizes needing to protect the "new world" she's building. This indicates she too may work together with Maggie and Negan, despite currently holding the latter hostage by threatening Hershel's life. It's a change that signals how much sides will be changing in season 2, even for the show's current main antagonist.
This seemingly correlates with the arrival of Bruegel, a new, influential survivor who leads his own group of people. In the trailer, he's seen sitting in the middle of a table mirroring Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper, with Negan, the Croat, and the Dama also there. I'm convinced this means he's going to take over her operations in Manhattan, prompting a shaky alliance between her and the main protagonists after her power is stripped. It seems like Dead City resolving Maggie and Negan's conflict is just the start of how many big changes are coming for the spinoff's survivors.
After All The Focus On Bad Negan's Return, I Wish The Walking Dead Had Kept The Ambiguity
It Would Have Been Better To Keep The Audience Guessing
While it was fairly obvious he was only returning to his antagonistic persona because the Dama wanted him to, I wish Dead City's evil Negan wasn't downplayed by season 2's trailer. As Negan got deeper into the Burazi's operations in Manhattan, the show could have toyed with the idea that he was starting to enjoy himself, wrestling with how genuine his return to form was. Instead, the trailers not only spoiled him and Maggie working together, but also the Dama's own turn, seemingly because of a bigger villain getting introduced.
Because of how much information The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 presents about the upcoming story, I think the trailer already spoiled Maggie and Negan working together. The Dama's inclusion in their alliance also lays the groundwork for Bruegel to step up as the show's next big villain, permanently altering allegiances across Manhattan. I'm excited for what this means for Negan and Maggie's interactions when they finally reunite, even if I wish the trailers hadn't convinced me he'll be teaming up with her again.
