Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?

Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?
Season 2, Episode 3
Air Date	May 18, 2025
Written By	Brenna Kouf
Directed By	Ed Ornelas
U.S. Viewers	0.26 million
Episode Guide
← previous	"Another Shitty Lesson"
next →	"Feisty Friendly"
Cast Guide
Starring Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan Smith Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong Željko Ivanek as The Craot Lisa Emery as The Dama** Mahina Napoleon as Ginny* Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee Dascha Polanco as Lucia Narvaez
Also Starring Pooya Mohseni as Roksana Tom Ukah as Waylen * no lines ** flashback

"Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?" is the third episode of the second season of AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City. It is the ninth episode of the series overall. It premiered on May 18, 2025. It was written by Brenna Kouf and directed by Ed Ornelas.

Plot

Negan tries something new with the Croat; Maggie travels into a dangerous, surprising place.

Synopsis

In a flashback, Hershel sits taped to a chair and the Dama comes to visit him. The Dama offers Hershel some candy and apologizes for how he's being treated by the Burazi, stating that none of this really has anything to do with Hershel. The Dama frees Hershel's hands and offers him the candy again which she describes as being like peanut brittle, although Hershel doesn't know what that is. The Dama states that this candy is something new, having been made with walnuts, and she likes it better. Putting the candy down, the Dama tells the boy that she's going to arrange to get him a proper bed and a blanket and when Hershel asks for a coat, the Dama gives him her own. As she leaves, Hershel asks for paper and something to draw with as well. Once she's gone, Hershel eats the candy.

In the present, the surviving New Babylon Army forces make their way through Central Park. Eying the injured soldier that Hershel had bandaged up, Maggie asks her son if he's alright which he confirms. As they enter the trees, Maggie warns Perlie that they might've been seen by the Croat and his people so she advises that they find a safe place to take a break and regroup. Perlie is looking for a landmark or something to get oriented and the two hear monkeys in the trees that they presume escaped from the zoo. "Central Park wasn't like this when I was a kid, I'll tell you that much. You probably didn't know I was from the city," remarks Perlie. A walker emerges from the trees and bites one of the New Babylonians before Hershel stabs it in the head. Seeing that the woman is dead, Perlie stabs her in the head in order to keep her from reanimating. As everyone moves on, Lucia takes the dead woman's gun and Hershel notices that the dead walker's heart has been removed. Unseen by anyone, Joan observes them from on top of some nearby rocks.

Several Burazi vehicles stop near Central Park and Waylen reports to the Croat that he saw the New Babylon forces heading in up the block. The Croat orders his men to establish a full perimeter and then search the park. The Croat calls Central Park "a wasteland full of the dead." While he doubts that the New Babylonians are still alive, the Burazi will find them if they are. "You know, I know why you let the lifeboat get away. You draw the line at children. You always have. I promise, if we encounter the child you saw, you won't have to be the one to kill it," comments the Croat to a silent Negan. With a laugh, Waylen promises that he'll do it for Negan.

Spotting a statue, Perlie estimates them to be on the West Side near 70th Street. As they should be safe for now, the New Babylonians take a break. Perlie tells Maggie that they are close to one of the lakes which has a boathouse, the closest place that he can think of that's fortified. Maggie is worried that they're running out of food and need to figure out how to get home, but Perlie points out that it would be dangerous to try to cross the Hudson River again. Instead, he wants to lay low and buy themselves some time. Lucia interrupts, wanting to continue going for the methane. While they obviously can't do this alone, she wants to do what New Babylon did at Roanoke: split the opposition, peel off some numbers, and make new alliances. Maggie points out that New Babylon just got 50 innocent people killed, but Lucia insists that she doesn't want 50 more to die either and they have to finish this now and get the methane themselves and Perlie agrees.

Once Lucia is gone, Perlie promises Maggie that he agrees with her that they have already lost too many people. If they get the methane, they can help the families that the dead soldiers left behind. However, Maggie points out that the soldiers were all forcefully conscripted, torn away from their families. Perlie reminds Maggie that he fought for her to take 20 of her people, but Maggie reminds him that she did the fighting and it's a good thing as her people from the Bricks would all be dead now too. Perlie points out that if Maggie deserts, then her people will certainly be killed as a punishment "I'm on your side, Maggie. Look, there's a lot of things you've been right about. From now on, we do this together. But we'll do it your way," proposes Perlie.

The New Babylonians make their way through a field of very tall grass and two are suddenly attacked and killed by walkers. As the New Babylonians group up, a herd of walkers hidden in the grass approaches them from multiple directions. One man panics and makes a run for it on his own, quickly falling victim to three walkers. With the walkers closing in, the group is forced to flee with Maggie and Hershel getting separated in the chaos. Another woman falls victim to walkers while Ginny is attacked by several. Ginny manages to put two down, but drops her backpack and is forced to leave it behind as she flees. Lucia is grabbed by two walkers, but Perlie takes out one from behind, allowing her to get the other one. Separately, Maggie and Hershel fight their way through the walkers and Hershel finds Ginny's dropped backpack. A walker grabs Hershel, but Joan pulls him free and leads Hershel to a safe area before leaving him again. Realizing that he's completely alone, Hershel calls out for his mother and Ginny.

Outside of the park, the Croat makes pheasant pâté and Negan notes that the Croat must have a lot of responsibilities and power with so many people at his beck and call. However, Negan is confused by why the Dama treats him "like her red-headed step-child." The Croat states that he and the Dama are partners and she trusts and appreciates him. Negan points out that trust comes from being honest and saying when there's a line. "You don't know her like I do. When I fled the Sanctuary, found a little boat, set sail for Hrvatska. My homeland. I, of course, could not have foreseen the storm that sent me crashing into Manhattan's shoreline. I was alone, an island within an island. Until one day, I was searching through an old theater. I collapsed. When I awoke, I was on a sofa, under a blanket. I will never forget this. On the table next to me there was a plate of krhki kikiriki, brittle candy. Yes, she is cruel sometimes. I know. But it is all in the service of bringing out our potential," explains the Croat.

One thing that the Croat know is that the Dama sees that Negan has perhaps gone a bit soft. The Croat is sure the old Negan is still inside of his old friend, and he just needs to get his hands a little bloody. Negan acknowledges that that's possibly true, but nobody will get their hands dirty just by sitting around and eating. Negan knows that there are Burazi in the park, and proposes going in himself. If the soldiers are dead, Negan will find them and if they're not, he'll kill them. Pleased, the Croat calls Waylen to accompany Negan into the park. Waylen hands Negan a spear and they set out together to find the New Babylonians.

Maggie makes it out of the field and is joined by Perlie, Lucia, Ginny, and the surviving soldiers. However, there's no sign of Hershel. Two people emerge from a nearby restaurant and with the herd closing from behind, Maggie is forced to abandon the search for her son for the moment. Inside, they find the Foragers, a large group of survivors led by Roksana who complains that the New Babylonians been making a lot of noise and drawing a lot of attention which they don't like. Roksana warns everyone that they're being hunted by the Burazi who know that they're in Central Park and have it surrounded. While Roksana usually doesn't like strangers, since they're already here she'd rather they stay nice and quiet. In return, she only asks that when it's time to go, they go and never come back "like we never existed. 'Cause we don't."

Maggie is worried about Hershel still being outside, but Roksana reassures Maggie that her people are searching for him and it's not safe for Maggie to go. Although Maggie can handle walkers and monkeys, there are worse things than that in the park. The Foragers have lived in the park for a long time and the best thing that Maggie can do for Hershel is to let them handle it quietly. Perlie thanks her for her help and offers their help in return, explaining about the New Babylon Federation. Perlie makes a pitch for the group to join the Federation, but Roksana is uninterested, telling him that there's nothing that New Babylon can offer that isn't already provided by nature. Perlie offers to clear the park of walkers and make it safe, but Roksana reveals that the dead aren't their problem. Instead, by surrounding her people they're protecting them, it's why they've survived for so long. "We don't fear them. They're us. They were our neighbors, our friends, our sisters, our parents, our children. And one day them. And you, and me."

Unsatisfied, Maggie decides to search for her son herself and orders Perlie to "lay off that New Babylon bullshit while I'm gone." Perlie insists that it's not bullshit, and both sides can benefit, but Maggie bitterly tells Perlie that the only side that ever benefits is New Babylon's. The Foragers don't need anything from New Babylon and if Perlie wants to do things her way, then he has to leave them alone. Watching the interaction, Lucia is displeased with Maggie's attitude.

Hershel reaches an overgrown fountain in an area of the park with a great view of the city. Sitting down, Hershel pulls out a pencil and finds the gun that Ginny had stolen from Lucia. Pulling out a piece of paper, Hershel starts to write on it as he tries to figure out where he is.

In a flashback, Hershel draws at a desk in his cell and the Dama brings him something to drink. The Dama notices that Hershel is drawing the city as it is now and Hershel explains that he saw it from the car, and it stayed with him. While others might've fixed it up and restored it to how it used to be, Hershel wouldn't even know what that would look like because he never saw it like that and didn't live through it. Hershel doesn't care what Manhattan used to be like, he likes the city as it is now, thinking that it's better. The Dama agrees, telling Hershel that one of her favorite artists was a sculptor named Dmitry Allistat. Dmitry was born in 1907 and was too young to fight in World War I, but was young enough to never know what came before it. All that Dmitry knew of the world was death, loss, rage and pain, all of which he expressed in his art.

The Dama heard about how Negan killed Hershel's father, but Hershel claims that he doesn't care since he wasn't born yet. Maggie is the one who is obsessed with Negan, not him. "Something I loved was stolen from me once. I lost everything. I couldn't get it back. But what was worse than the sadness and the anger was that I had to pull myself through it without anyone's help. I've been alone for a very long time. Like you," reveals the Dama. The Dama is sure that Maggie has big feelings about everything that happened, so big that maybe Maggie hasn't left room for anyone else's feelings like Hershel's. As a result, the one person who is supposed to be there for him isn't really there meaning Hershel has to manage it all by himself. The Dama reassures the boy that he doesn't have to pretend with her because she sees him. The Dama leaves Hershel to his drawing and he notices that she fails to properly close and lock the door.

In the present, Hershel flips the paper he's writing on over, revealing that it's his drawing of Manhattan.

Elsewhere, Negan and Waylen find the body of the first New Babylonian who was killed by walkers, proving that they're on the right path. As they make their way through the park, Waylen comments on Negan coming to Manhattan and getting comfortable having been a wanted man on the run. Waylen keeps thinking that if Negan was wanted by the mainlanders, it means he lived with them, thus making Negan a mainlander. "Why did the mainlanders cross the river?" jokes Negan, finishing it with "they didn't" when Waylen doesn't know the answer. Waylen laughs and Negan leads the way through an archway and into a short tunnel overgrown with vines. Behind the vines are walkers who reach out for the two men, grabbing both. Although Negan breaks free and gets out, Waylen is unable to, and he begs for Negan's help. However, Negan leaves Waylen to die who swears at him, calling Negan a traitor as the walkers bite into him.

At the restaurant, Ginny works on some rope and watches while Lucia tells Perlie that he was right to bring up the Federation. Maggie was wrong to chastise him, and she only has her son to think about who is clearly all that she ever thinks about. The rest of them have to think about New Babylon and everyone in the Federation. Lucia sees the potential for more soldiers, a base of operations, and a way to get the methane with the Foragers. Lucia points out how the people live, believing that they can't see what's possible and that New Babylon can get it all back to the way that it was. "So, we gotta help them see it. We just have to wait for the right moment. And we do what we have to do," proposes Lucia.

Hearing a noise, Hershel goes to investigate, only to find that Joan has taken his drawing while Hershel's back was turned. Hershel puts his knife away, recognizing Joan as the person who had saved him. Hershel explains that he's lost and looking for his friends, asking if Joan has seen them. Joan doesn't answer, only interested in Hershel's drawing. Hershel draws for Joan who agrees to help him find his friends.

Waylen, badly bitten and beaten up but still alive, emerges from the trees and confronts Hershel and Joan. Hershel throws his knife at the man, but Waylen easily deflects it with his spear. Waylen knocks Joan to the ground and stabs her in the leg, causing the girl to bleed profusely. Hershel aims the gun that he found at Waylen, but he doubts that the boy even knows how to use it. Before Waylen can attack Hershel, he is suddenly speared from behind by Negan, killing Waylen and saving Hershel's life. Hershel points his gun at Negan and fires a shot, missing. As Hershel diverts his attention for a moment to Joan, Negan runs off and Hershel rushes to Joan's aid.

In the field, Maggie stabs a walker with her arm blade and notices that it too is missing its heart. Maggie hears a roar in the distance before Hershel arrives with Joan and two other Foragers. The group returns to the restaurant as Negan makes his way out of the park. Roksana and her people tend to Joan while Hershel puts his stuff down and looks at his drawing poking out of his bag.

In a flashback, Hershel lays on his bed, looking at the still open door. Grabbing a large fork off of his plate to use as a weapon, Hershel takes his chance to escape, finding himself in the hallways of the King Francis Theater. Three walkers attack Hershel who stabs one, but is taken to the ground with the second on top of him. As the boy struggles with it, the Dama stabs the third walker from behind and tosses her knife to Hershel who finishes off the last one. The Dama checks on Hershel, relieved that the boy is alright.

The Dama leads Hershel through the hallways, explaining that this used to be a very old and very prestigious theater. The Dama briefly pauses to look at a door with a star on it. "People say the past is always with us. You can't escape it, even if we tried." The Dama leads Hershel to a lavish room decorated with art that she had made especially for Hershel. One of the pieces of art is by Dmitry Allistat. The Dama reveals that the room is moveable and raises it to the top of the theater where they get a grand view of Manhattan. "What if it was possible? What if we could not just escape our past, but erase it? What if there was the potential for reinvention? I know you see it for what it is. Empty. Broken. Our world has been destroyed. So, now we get to build something new. Room by room. Block by block. We get to make new rules. We get to be new people. I am no artist, but I've lived too long to unknow what I know. All I can do is show you the canvas. Give you the materials. The resources. And the power. Look out at the city. Don't see what is or was. See what could be." Hershel looks out at Manhattan, entranced by the Dama and the possibilities.

In the present, Hershel returns Ginny's bag to her while Roksana and the Foragers tend to Joan who is near death from her wound and massive blood loss. Hershel explains to his mother that he was lost and couldn't find her, and he didn't know what to do. Joan showed up and started asking about Hershel's drawing before they were attacked by one of the Burazi who was killed by Negan. Shocked, Maggie tries to get answers from her son about Negan, but Hershel doesn't know anything. Frustrated, Hershel snaps that he didn't see where Negan went and didn't try because he doesn't care about him. Hershel accuses his mother of being the only one gets to care about Negan and everything that he did so that Hershel can't. Hershel walks off in anger, leaving Maggie alone.

Perlie offers a first aid kit to help Joan, but Roksana kindly refuses it. Roksana recalls how Joan was just a fourth grader on a class field trip to Federal Hall when the dead rose. Roksana found the class and took them in, and they have been together for a long time, managing it on their own and doing it their own way. Respecting Roksana's decision, Perlie leaves to deal with Lucia who he spots giving orders to the New Babylonians. Lucia wants to move now because the Foragers are distracted, but Perlie berates Lucia for her heartlessness, pointing out that they're distracted because Joan is dying. Asserting his authority as the ranking officer, Perlie forces a reluctant Lucia to stand down. Joan's friends say goodbye by touching their foreheads to hers and Hershel gives her his drawing before doing the same thing. Joan dies and Roksana sings "To Bio" while the Foragers vocalize in mourning. Roksana cuts out the girl's heart as Maggie and Perlie cringe in shock and horror. The heartless walkers were Foragers who had died and been allowed to reanimate.

In his car, the Croat sings along to "Zemlji Ko Materi Reci" before Negan returns. Negan lies that he wasn't able to find anyone and that Waylen died when they got stuck in a bit of a thorny situation. "You were right. It's a wasteland in there. A death trap. I mean, if someone like Waylen went down that fast, those soldiers are long dead." Noticing Negan's scuffed up fingers, the Croat seemingly accepts his story and hands him a cloth to clean up with, acknowledging that accidents happen and drives away from Central Park.

A Forager lays Joan's heart out which draws in a small herd that devours it before leaving. Maggie walks outside in time to see Joan reanimating and leaving with the herd. Maggie approaches Hershel and asks if he had been telling her the truth about the city having no pull on him. Maggie promises her son that it's alright and she just wants to understand. "I know everyone just sees this... terrifying city. I -- I guess I just don't see it like that. To me, it's this place that's been through so much... y'know, broken and... and then ignored and abandoned, an island no one came to save. But it's over now. And now that it's over, it can be something new. It can be free from all that pain. It can reinvent itself. We can make it whatever we want it to be," explains Hershel.

In a flashback, Hershel works on his drawing while looking out the window at the city and the Dama compliments his work. The Dama warns Hershel that not everyone is going to agree with their vision of the world and they're going to have to protect this new world. They're going to have to make some hard sacrifices and when he goes home, there may be some things that he's going to have to do. The Dama gives the boy a fresh pencil and leaves Hershel to his work.

Other Cast

Co-Stars

• Christina Leonardi as Joan

Uncredited

• Jeff Byrd as Larry
• Tessa Diaz as Yadi
• Briana Mitchell as New Babylon Officer
• Stephen Koepfer as New Babylon Officer
• Evelyn Vaccaro as New Babylon Officer
• Theo Kypri as New Babylon Soldier
• Martiza Diaz as New Babylon Soldier
• Josh Vinyard as New Babylon Soldier
• Nelson Padilla as New Babylon Soldier
• Alex Hill as Forager
• Chris Silcox as Forager

Deaths

• Waylen
• Joan (Alive)
• 5 unnamed New Babylon Army soldiers
• 2 unnamed Foragers (Alive, Confirmed Fate; Zombified)

Trivia

• First appearance of Larry.
• First appearance of Yadi.
• First appearance of Roksana.
• Only appearance of Joan.
• Only appearance of Waylen.
• The title of the episode, "Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?", refers to Negan's joke to Waylen "why did the mainlanders cross the river?" with the punchline being "they didn't".
• Keir Gilchrist (Benjamin Pierce) is not in the opening credits for this episode, despite his character still being alive.
• Hershel is shown killing walkers for the first time in this episode.
• In the Episode Insider, it's revealed that Logan Kim's audition involved a fake scene of him throwing knives even though it wasn't actually going to be in the show. Because Logan was excited at the idea of throwing knives on The Walking Dead, Eli Jorné felt bad and included it in Season 2. Logan ordered throwing knives and practiced at home before impressing the stunt team with his skill.
• The extras representing the surviving New Baylon soldiers did not match those seen part of the group at the end of "Another Shitty Lesson", nor were they consistent throughout this episode as some extras did not appear in each scene Armstrong and the rest of his group appeared in. This is likely due to filming of scenes taking place across multiple days in which not all background actors may have been available for filming.
• This episode is the least viewed episode in the entire The Walking Dead franchise.

Episode Highlights

To be added.