Season 2 (Dead City)

This article is about the second season of Dead City. For other pages with the same name, see: Season 2

Season 2
Distributor	AMC
Showrunner	Eli Jorné
Based On	AMC's The Walking Dead
Channels	AMC
Episodes	"Power Equals Power" "Another Shitty Lesson" "Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?" "Feisty Friendly" "The Bird Always Knows" "Bridge Partners Are Hard to Come by These Days" "Novi Dan, Novi Početak" "If History Were a Conflagration"
Original Run	May 4, 2025 to Jun 22, 2025
Preceded By	Season 1
Succeeded By	Season 3

“

New Rules. New Enemies. New York. ―Tagline

”

Season 2 of AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City premiered on May 4, 2025, and will conclude on June 22, 2025, consisting of 8 episodes. The series is a companion series to The Walking Dead, which is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Scott Gimple, Brian Bockrath, Colin Walsh, Michael Satrazemis and Eli Jorné, with Jorné as showrunner for the second consecutive season.

Plot

"Power Equals Power"

A year has passed since Maggie returned from New York. The Bricks has been forced to join the New Babylon Federation while Maggie has been trying to move on with her life with Hershel and Ginny. The newly promoted Colonel Perlie Armstrong and the Governor of New Babylon, Charlie Byrd, arrive at the Bricks, seeking to conscript the residents for an "expeditionary mission" to Manhattan to retake the city, hanging a man who tried to flee. Privately, Perlie admits that New Babylon's ethanol supply has been compromised by a moth infestation, and they are preparing an invasion to get the Burazi's methane. Maggie makes a deal where she volunteers to go in exchange for everyone else being left alone. Joined by Ginny, Maggie proves herself against a herd of walkers, but this causes friction with Hershel who accuses his mother of going back for Negan while dodging her questions about the Dama. In Manhattan, Negan refuses the Dama's attempts to get him to help, causing her to intimidate Negan by arranging for his wife Annie and son Joshua to arrive in the city, which will give her leverage over Negan. Negan finally agrees to help and is given a new upgraded version of Lucille. Negan gives a speech to the three rival gangs ruling Uptown Manhattan, attempting to unite them against the coming invasion

"Another Shitty Lesson"

As the New Babylon forces prepare to set sail for Manhattan, Maggie discovers that a spy amongst their ranks has alerted the Croat to their impending arrival. Having followed his mother, Hershel joins the mission. However, the New Babylon leadership refuses to listen to Maggie who is locked up for insubordination along with Hershel. As they cross the Hudson River in a ferry, New Babylon encounters a minefield and are attacked by the Burazi with walker bombs. Ginny frees Maggie and Hershel who flee in a raft with Perlie and a few others as the ferry is destroyed, killing most of the New Babylon forces, including Governor Byrd and General Houseman. Spotting Hershel, Negan allows the survivors to escape for which the Dama murders his friend Victor while also capturing New Babylon historian Benjamin Pierce. On shore, Maggie realizes that Hershel was the one who had betrayed them to the Croat while Ginny secretly steals Major Lucia Narvaez's gun. Hunted by the Burazi, the New Babylon survivors head into Central Park.

"Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?"

In flashbacks, Hershel is visited by the Dama during his imprisonment who provides the boy with lavish amenities and entices him into her vision of the world. In the present, the surviving New Babylonians fall victim to a herd in Central Park, resulting in several deaths and Hershel getting separated from the others. The group meets the Foragers, a tribe of survivors led by Roksana who are living in a restaurant in the park. Lucia argues with Perlie about her desire to incorporate the Foragers into their forces, forcing Perlie to have to assert his authority over her. Hershel and a Forager named Joan are attacked by Waylen, a Burazi who mortally wounds Joan before Negan kills him to protect Hershel. Hershel explains to his mother his different view of Manhattan and what the city can be while Negan lies to the Croat about what happened and tries to undermine the Dama's hold over him. In turn, the Croat reveals that when he crashed on the island after fleeing the Sanctuary, the Dama gave him purpose again.

"Feisty Friendly"

TBA

"The Bird Always Knows"

TBA

"Bridge Partners Are Hard to Come by These Days"

TBA

"Novi Dan, Novi Početak"

TBA

"If History Were a Conflagration"

TBA

Episodes

	Title	Writer(s)	Director(s)	Original Air Date	U.S. Viewers
1.	"Power Equals Power"	Eli Jorné	Michael Satrazemis	May 4, 2025	0.38 million
2.	"Another Shitty Lesson"	Zoe Vitale	Michael Satrazemis	May 11, 2025	0.28 million
3.	"Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?"	Brenna Kouf	Ed Ornelas	May 18, 2025	0.26 million
4.	"Feisty Friendly"	Keith Staskiewicz	Lauren Cohan	May 25, 2025	TBA
5.	"The Bird Always Knows"	Sarah Nolen	Ed Ornelas	June 1, 2025	TBA
6.	"Bridge Partners Are Hard to Come by These Days"	Eli Jorné	Lauren Cohan	June 8, 2025	TBA
7.	"Novi Dan, Novi Početak"	Eli Jorné	Michael Satrazemis	June 15, 2025	TBA
8.	"If History Were a Conflagration"	Eli Jorné	Michael Satrazemis	June 22, 2025	TBA

Title Screen

Main article: Title Screens (Dead City)

Cast

• Starring
• Also Starring
• Co-Stars

Starring

• Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee (3/8)
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan Smith (3/8)
• Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong (3/8)
• Željko Ivanek as The Croat (3/8)
• Lisa Emery as The Dama (3/8)
• Mahina Napoleon as Ginny (3/8)
• Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee (3/8)
• Dascha Polanco as Lucia Narvaez (3/8)
• Keir Gilchrist as Benjamin Pierce (2/8)

Supporting

• Jake Weary as Christos (1/8)
• Jasmin Walker as Charlie Byrd (2/8)
• Kim Coates as Bruegel (1/8)
• Pooya Mohseni as Roksana (1/8)
• Tom Ukah as Waylen (1/8)

Co-Stars

• Logan Schmucker as Victor (2/8)
• Anthony Molinari as General Houseman (2/8)
• Sean Thompson as Piano Playing Buraz (1/8)
• Karina Bonnefil as Dre (1/8)
• Ari Loeb as Jason Ornell (1/8)
• David J. Curtis as Tim (1/8)
• Cathy Salvodon as Victoria (1/8)
• Liz Bishop as Gretchen (1/8)
• Zuri James as Cole (1/8)
• Christina Leonardi as Joan (1/8)
• Pallavi Sastry as Nina (0/8)

Deaths

• Jason Ornell (Alive; Zombified, Off-Screen)
• Charlie Byrd
• Houseman
• Victor
• Waylen
• Joan (Alive)
• All unnamed Savages (Alive, Confirmed Fate)
• At least 38 unnamed New Babylon Army soldiers (13 Alive)
• 2 unnamed Foragers (Alive, Confirmed Fate; Zombified)
• 1 deer (Off-Screen)

Production

In July 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.

Casting

In April 2024, Kim Coates was announced to have joined the cast for the second season. In July, Keir Gilchrist, Dascha Polanco, Jake Weary, and Pooya Mohseni were announced to have joined the cast. In February 2025, the main cast for the second season was confirmed.

Filming

Filming on the second season began by April 8, 2024 in Taunton, Massachusetts. Michael Satrazemis, who previously directed episodes of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live would be directing, with Adam Suschitzky serving as cinematographer.^{[citation needed]} Filming had wrapped by July 15, 2024, in Massachusetts. Co-star and executive producer Lauren Cohan directed episodes 4 and 6.

Release

Broadcast

The second season premiered on May 4, 2025.

Reception

Critical Response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 71% approval rating, based on 7 critic reviews.

Promotional Material

Images

Release Date Announcement

Trivia

• Below are the changes made to the main cast in this season:
  • Lisa Emery (The Dama) and Logan Kim (Hershel Rhee) have been upgraded to series regulars after recurring appearances.
    • Starting with "Power Equals Power", Lisa Emery and Logan Kim have been added to the opening credits.
  • Dascha Polanco (Lucia Narvaez) and Keir Gilchrist (Benjamin Pierce) are cast as series regulars for their first appearance this season.
    • Starting with "Power Equals Power", Dascha Polanco and Keir Gilchrist have been added to the opening credits.
• The season takes place six months after the events of Season 1.
• Lauren Cohan, who portrays Maggie Rhee, made her directorial debut and directed two episodes of this season.