‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ Finale: Lauren Cohan Teases Shocking Twist for Negan and Maggie

The Season 2 finale of “The Walking Dead: Dead City” airs Sunday, June 22, and if the buildup so far is any indication, we’re headed for one of the boldest, bloodiest, and most emotionally fraught finales this universe has ever served.

Maggie’s been knocked out, the Dama is not dead, Hershel might be compromised, and Negan, well, he still doesn’t know he’s walking straight into a trap.

It’s all perfectly twisted and exactly what we expect from a franchise that taught us long ago that no one is safe. And we mean NO ONE.

Lauren Cohan: ‘We’re Doing Something Very, Very New’

Ahead of the finale, Lauren Cohan teased major changes for Maggie, her character. In an interview with People in 10, she spoke about her twisted, tension-filled dynamic with Negan. The character is perfectly played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Since his introduction in the original franchise in Season 6, he has easily become one of the top five villains in TV history.

“We’re doing something very, very new,” said Cohan, 43. “The baseline with Maggie and Negan is ultimately what makes us who we are, and how capable are we of change?”

It’s a question that’s haunted both characters since Negan tragically bashed in Glenn’s skull back in Season 7 of the OG show. So tragic, so cruel, and so bloody. Still, fans have long debated whether Maggie should forgive him or not. But it seems like Cohan loves to keep it messy.

“I don’t like to say too much because it’s kind of like the heart of what keeps this tension between us,” she explained. “It’s not tidy, it’s not black and white — and it’s changing.”

Cohan also revealed that Maggie’s identity is about to get a serious shake-up. She wants to see Maggie uncoupled from every title that’s defined her lately. This includes a mother, a leader, a warrior, a protector, and an enemy of Negan. Duh.

“I don’t see a hard ending, but I see something around the corner,” Cohan added. “That stuff really moves me.”

In Case You Missed It: The Dama Lives, and Maggie’s in Trouble

Episode 7 delivered a serious gut punch when it was revealed that the Dama, the calculating villain believed to have died in what we thought was a fiery death, actually survived. Scarred, seething, and very much alive, she returned just in time to sucker-punch Maggie and possibly recruit Hershel to her dark cause.

Yep. That Hershel.

Before knocking Maggie out, Hershel mysteriously told her that “she” would help them. Big red flag. The Dama is known for exploiting emotional wounds and filling voids. And with Hershel still struggling with abandonment, grief, and the baggage of growing up in the apocalypse, he’s prime real estate for her next power play.

If Maggie’s son has fallen under her influence, and Negan doesn’t know any of this is happening… we’re in for a brutal twist.

A Finale with Firepower for ‘Dead City’

AMC released a sneak peek that suggests we’re heading for a finale filled with shootouts. You know, the typical ending.

But it also teased shattered alliances and emotional reckoning. Negan’s back in the center of the action, but it’s unclear what kind of man he’ll be when it all comes to a head.

Cohan, who recently made her directorial debut on the show, admitted she was nervous stepping behind the camera, especially when directing friends like Morgan.

“I had moments at the beginning where I just have so much respect and awe for the people that I work with that there was a moment of me having to just be like, ‘It’s cool. she shared. “They’re your buddies. You’re just talking. But you’re still aware of it.”

Talking might not cut it in the finale, though. If Negan learns that the Dama is alive, Maggie’s been taken, and Hershel could be an unwilling pawn? He may just snap back into the man he once was.

What We Know Going Into Episode 8 of ‘Dead City’

Here’s the deadly cocktail simmering for the June 22 finale:

• The Dama is back and probably planning something diabolical.
• Maggie is unconscious and at the mercy of her greatest enemy.
• Hershel may no longer be Team Mom.
• Negan is in the dark and still a massive wild card. (Not a shocker there.)
• The Croat’s psyche is wrecked, and he might still be loyal to the Dama or is seeking redemption.
• No one’s safe. And we mean no one.

One thing is clear, though “Dead City“ isn’t winding down quietly. This finale is locked, loaded, and about to blow the doors off what we thought we knew about Maggie, Negan, and the next generation of survivors.