The Walking Dead's Maggie Must Avoid The Parenting Mistake Her Comic Counterpart Made

The Walking Dead's Maggie must avoid the parenting mistake her comic counterpart made if she wants to improve her relationship with Hershel in The Walking Dead: Dead City. So far, Dead City season 2 has readily acknowledged the growing rift between Maggie and Hershel as their journey into Manhattan has evolved. This was already illustrated as early as the end of Dead City season 1, when Maggie traded Negan to the Croat in order to get her son back. Hershel was unhappy about the exchange, mostly angry that his mother still hadn't put her past with Negan behind her.

This unhappiness has manifested in some worrying ways in season 2. The biggest of these involved Hershel putting many of Dead City's characters in danger by lighting a smoke signal, warning the Dama about the New Babylon Federation's scouting plans. This resulted in their ship getting attacked by the Burazi, forcing the surviving soldiers to traverse through an overgrown Central Park in season 2, episode 3. This latest episode also confirmed why Hershel did what he did, and how it ties into his frayed relationship with his mother.

Dead City Season 2, Episode 3 Revealed Why Hershel Trusts The Dama So Much

The Dama Became The Mother Figure Hershel Always Wanted

Flashbacks in Dead City season 2, episode 3 revealed that, despite being held captive, the Dama treated Hershel with benevolence. She gave him pencils and paper to draw when asked, and later allowed him out of his cell. While her emotional manipulation of him was so she could use him as a spy within New Babylon, her actions also made the boy feel safe. It explains Hershel's drawings of the Dama and New York, as he sees the same vision for the future that she does. He also feels safe around her, enough that he's willing to betray Maggie.

In contrast, his relationship with Maggie isn't very strong, since he's continued to hide what really happened in New York from her. Maggie does love Hershel, as evident by the lengths she's willing to go to get him back in season 1. But, as her son consistently points out, she is still obsessed with how Negan killed Glenn, something that's seemingly damaged their mother-son relationship in the long-term. It's what drew him more toward the Dama as a mother figure, since his real mother's approach has resulted in a bigger rift between them.

Maggie's Negan Obsession Is Pushing Hershel Away

Season 2, Episode 3 Reveals Just How Damaging Her Fixation Really Is

No better is Maggie's Negan obsession illustrated than in season 2, episode 3, when Hershel gets lost in Central Park. He meets a member of the Foragers, Joan, and shows her some of his drawings. However, they're attacked by a member of the Burazi, Waylen, who fatally stabs the young girl. However, Negan kills him before he can harm Hershel, disappearing back into the foliage. He's discovered by other members of the group who help get him and Joan back to their base of operations, where Maggie is relieved to see her son alive.

However, once he mentions Negan saved him, her tune changes. She begins to fire off a multitude of questions, including asking what Negan was doing there and if he said anything. As she continues asking questions, Hershel grows frustrated, eventually yelling at her to stop. It's clear Maggie's obsession is driving a deeper rift between them, as she can't help but express more worry about the former antagonist's whereabouts than her son being safe. It's something that not only risks their relationship, but could also push Hershel to become more like his comic counterpart.

Hershel Grew Into A Villain In The Walking Dead's Comic Books

In The Walking Dead comic series, Maggie and Hershel's fates are much different from the TV show. Maggie becomes elected as president of the Commonwealth, raising Hershel with very little understanding of the danger of zombies and the world outside their walls. The final issue of the comic sees a Hershel in his late 20s offering a sideshow attraction featuring Walkers. However, when one escapes and Carl kills it, a feud erupts between the two. Maggie's son is too entitled to realize the dangers of the zombies, seeing them as entertainment and property instead.

In the comics, it's heavily implied that Maggie's role as Commonwealth's president kept her from giving Hershel her full attention. A similar mindset is already being reflected in his Dead City behavior, since he's willing to trust a threat like the Dama more than his own mother. This is, of course, because of her preoccupation with Negan, clearly demonstrated in her latest attempt to get answers about him from her son. If she continues to keep her attention on Negan instead of raising Hershel, he's likely going to fall into bad practices, just like his comic counterpart.

Can Maggie Still Make Amends With Hershel?

She Can, But She Needs To Make A Very Big Change

It's clear that Maggie has a long way to go before she can fully make amends with Hershel. She already suspects that he's the one who warned the Croat of their arrival, indicating she should be worried about his current state of mind. In the upcoming episodes of Dead City, her best course of action will be trying to stop obsessing over Negan in order to repair her relationship with her son. Even if she can't fully forgive him, making amends and putting an end to their conflict would be the best way to finally focus on Hershel again.

If she can't, then the boy may be lost to Manhattan forever. He's already proven his willingness to betray the New Babylon Federation, even if it means putting his own mother in harm's way. It seems his focus is on pleasing the Dama and adhering to her vision of Manhattan, even if it means other people around him need to get hurt in the process. It's something that makes him a credible danger to both Maggie and his other allies on her side. He could be swayed against her permanently if she keeps putting her conflict with Negan first.

Maggie has a chance to save Hershel from becoming like his comic counterpart, but only if she can put her feud with Negan in the past. It's not going to be easy for her to do, since she still harbors hate for him after killing Glenn over a decade ago. Still, the only way she's going to be able to save her son from becoming The Walking Dead: Dead City's next antagonist is if she starts putting him before Negan. Otherwise, the Dama and Manhattan will take him for themselves.