Lauren Cohan Explains Why Maggie’s Big Twist Just Happened
Warning! Spoilers ahead for episode 5 of The Walking Dead: Dead City.
The fifth episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City, “Stories We Tell Ourselves,” revealed that Maggie (Lauren Cohan) struck a deal with The Croat (Zeljko Ivanek) to trade Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for her kidnapped son Hershel (Logan Kim). This shocking turn of events was presented through flashbacks, with Maggie lying to Negan and Ginny (Mahina Napoleon).
While The Croat had kidnapped Herschel, he did not interfere with the community’s grain supply. All he wanted was to swap Maggie’s son for Negan, a fact that was obscured since episode one. Maggie’s deception was discovered by Ginny, who wrote the word “liar” in blood along the wall of a New York City subway tunnel.
Lauren Cohan talked about the twist with Entertainment Weekly. “I was so glad when [showrunner] Eli Jorné came with this story and that this was the twist,” she said. “It was something I just didn’t see coming and couldn’t have seen coming. It’s like, what would you do? If somebody said to you, here’s this person, and he may have changed, but you may need to say these things, what would you do?”
Lauren Cohan was pleased to see Maggie’s shocking twist, where she made a deal to turn Negan over to The Croat play out.
This new development alters the dynamic between Maggie, Negan, and Ginny. It also sets the stage for a gripping season one finale. “In those final moments of the show too, when you see Ginny, and you see how we strive so hard to climb this mountain and then get to a place that we think is going to give us resolution and relief, and it’s like, ‘Oh God, it’s just the beginning,’” Lauren Cohan added.
“I was so glad when [showrunner] Eli Jorné came with this story and that this was the twist. It was something I just didn’t see coming and couldn’t have seen coming.”
Lauren Cohan
The mountain Lauren Cohan talks about is the subway tunnel infested with walkers. It reached its climax with the most colossal zombie creature ever seen in the franchise – a nightmarish being with multiple arms, legs, and heads, known as the Walker King. Cohan described the encounter as an incredible experience.
Although Negan may have changed his ways since the end of The Walking Dead, his violent history continues to haunt him in Dead City. Morgan’s character often finds himself reverting to his old ways to navigate challenging situations. One particular encounter involved using a cheese grater as a weapon. “That survival instinct kicks in with ‘What can I use to fight back?’ A cheese grater happened to be at hand,” the actor previously explained.
“In those final moments of the show too, when you see Ginny, and you see how we strive so hard to climb this mountain and then get to a place that we think is going to give us resolution and relief, and it’s like, ‘Oh God, it’s just the beginning.'”
Lauren Cohan
When its first episode premiered on June 18, The Walking Dead: Dead City, starring Lauren Cohan, became the most-watched cable drama of 2023. The episode drew 683,000 viewers on AMC, and its simulcasts on BBC America and IFC contributed to a total viewership of 1.12 million. Furthermore, the series achieved record-breaking viewership and subscriber acquisition for a premiere on AMC+.
The brainchild of Eli Jorné, The Walking Dead: Dead City is the fifth installment in the popular zombie franchise. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprise their roles as Maggie and Negan from the flagship series. Joining them in leading roles are Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, and Mahina Napoleon. The show was developed in March 2022 and wrapped up in October of the same year.
The story chronicles Maggie (Lauren Cohen) and Negan’s journey into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan in search of Maggie’s kidnapped son, Hershel. The city, isolated from the mainland, is in ruins and teeming with the undead and inhabitants who have adopted New York City as their new home.
Consequently, the streets are fraught with chaos, peril, and terror. The first season comprises six episodes.
The Walking Dead: Dead City is the first sequel spin-off to The Walking Dead, which concluded its eleven-season run in 2022. Several other follow-up shows are currently in development, including one centered around Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and another featuring Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira).
The Walking Dead: Dead City’s season one finale, titled “Doma Smo,” will air on July 23 on AMC.
