On June 30, AMC Ukraine will premiere the officially licensed second season of The Walking Dead: Dead City. This direct spin-off of the iconic zombie franchise The Walking Dead picks up one of the universe’s most tense storylines – Negan and Maggie’s uneasy dynamic – now taking a new turn in the heart of a devastated New York City.
Season 2, consisting of eight episodes, promises more than just a continuation of the journey – it sets the stage for a war. A war for power, territory, and the illusion of safety. Maggie and Negan now find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. But what happens when both carry memories of each other down to the smallest detail? Can the need to survive outweigh a complicated past?
We had the exclusive opportunity to speak with series star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who shared insights into what’s next for Negan. He explained why the character finds himself in chains once again, what makes New York’s urban landscape unique for the story, and why enemies can sometimes share a stronger bond than friends.
Who is the enemy now
For longtime followers of The Walking Dead universe, Negan’s return to a prison cell is a familiar, if unsettling, development. Back in Season 9 of the original series, he was imprisoned as an enemy of the community. This time, though, the circumstances are even more complicated – he’s paying the price for something he didn’t do.
“Negan’s in trouble. He’s back in prison, but this time it’s not for something he did – it’s for something he didn’t do. It’s not a great position to be in, and he’ll have to figure a way out,” says Jeffrey Dean Morgan. “But we know Negan – he’s a strategist, and he always has one more move.”
As with the core Walking Dead franchise, the threat isn’t just the undead – it’s also the living, especially those hungry for control. Negan is no longer just a vengeful figure; now he’s a player forced to navigate someone else’s game – and win it.
Manhattan as a springboard for the dead
Audiences have grown used to seeing the post-apocalyptic world through forests, farms, and small towns – the familiar backdrop of the original The Walking Dead series. But this time, the setting has shifted dramatically.
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“What’s most exciting for me is that we’ve finally left the woods,” says Jeffrey Dean Morgan. “The urban environment changes everything. It’s a different level of threat. The buildings, the streets, even the monsters – they’re not the same. Manhattan is terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time.”
In Dead City, New York isn’t just a backdrop – it’s a living, breathing presence. Even characters who’ve survived hordes of walkers and oppressive regimes find themselves vulnerable here. In this hostile city, they’re no longer seasoned survivors – they’re newcomers, forced to relearn the rules.
Maggie and Negan’s relationship
Their story began back in season 6 of The Walking Dead. Since then, it has become one of the most emotionally complex conflicts in the entire franchise.
“We aren’t together throughout the season, and that’s what makes our interactions so powerful. They carry real weight. Like in life: sometimes a single glance can bring back everything. Maggie and Negan are tied together by events and people that have left a mark. Even if they want to escape from each other – they can’t,” says Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
This isn’t a typical storybook couple. It’s a painful reminder of how a shared past can hold people together, even after the world has ended.
Officially in Ukraine since 30 June
The Walking Dead: Dead City is more than just a series about surviving among zombies. It’s a story about moral compromises, emotional ruins, and how the past keeps crashing back into the present – even when you’re armed to the teeth and standing among the dead.
