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Back-to-back great episodes, setting the stage for a potential epic showdown:
Dead City S2 Ep4: “Feisty Friendly”
Bruegel shows off his riches:
These past two episodes of Dead City have hit a good stride. One that, I feel, will pay off in the final three episodes. We catch a glimpse of all that Bruegel has acquired since the fall of humanity. His prized possession is a painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware. The Croat is not too impressed with all that Bruegel has to show off. But the Dama told him to play nice, so they could convince Bruegel to help fight New Babylon.
The Dama pushes Negan’s buttons to get his cooperation by saying that she hopes his family is safe during their travels. Dama brings a couple of canisters of the methane produced by her people, from walkers, as a peace offering.
Bruegel’s Champion:
The Croat mentions Bruegel’s champion walker fighter, and that it has won 26 straight fights, which is unheard of. Bruegel invites them to watch a fight live, and they sit at a long table, which the camera angle makes look like Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” painting. Of course, Bruegel provides a nice dinner of cooked and glazed rat with carrots. Dead City is nothing but showing some gross things every so often. The group watches a fight between the champion and another walker, and Bruegel’s champion wins again.
During the fight, we receive some background information about the Dama. She used to be a famous critic who attacked a writer because he wrote a play mocking her.
The Croat Cries Foul:
After the fight, Bruegel requests a methane production area in their museum. The Croat snaps and mentions that Bruegel’s champion is too quick, and he could test it for performance-enhancing substances. Bruegel takes offense at the accusation. However, Negan steps in and requests a fight between the champion and a walker of their choosing. If Bruegel’s champion wins again, they will allow a methane operation in Bruegel’s care. If the Dama’s walker wins, Bruegel will join their alliance without any addendums.
A Fight For The Future:
During the fight, Negan does not put any protective equipment on their walker fighter. Instead, he douses the walker in oil to make it slippery. Bruegel’s champion has difficulty getting the other walker down to kill it. Instead, Negan’s walker is about to take out the champion when Bruegel sticks his arm out to distract Negan’s walker. Negan then does something odd. He jumps into the ring to distract Bruegel’s champion.
With the fight going the distance, Negan goes to leave the ring, and cheats a bit by grabbing onto Bruegel’s champion. He discovers the secret then, and lets go, and in turn, Bruegel’s champion wins again. After the win, Negan whispers something into Bruegel’s ear, and Bruegel announces that his alliance will join the Dama’s alliance with no strings attached.
Later on, Bruegel talks with his champion, and since the secret is out, he kills his champion. Bruegel says that he is not out of moves just yet. What does Bruegel have up his sleeve?
Maggie, Herchel, and Armstrong:
During the episode, Maggie, Hershel, and Armstrong make their way into the museum to gather information about the methane operation and its location. Hershel sets fire to Bruegel’s prized painting to cause a distraction. Maggie draws Negan’s attention, and they meet to discuss certain matters. Negan tries to warn Maggie that Hershel is not in the right mental state, and the Dama has him under her control. He warns her that Hershel cannot be trusted.
They get in and out. The Dama spotted Maggie at one point and they locked eyes for a few seconds, but the Dama did not alert anyone to Maggie’s presence. Maggie got the address of the methane operation from Negan during their conversation.
Here is the AMC Season 2 Episode 4 insider video:
Dead City S2 Ep 5: “The Bird Always Knows”
Trouble in Dead City Paradise:
At the start of the episode, a group of people infiltrate the Dama’s area and cut some of the power to the area. Because of this, the Dama loses some trust in the Croat. However, that means she has gained some confidence in Negan. And since the Croat messed up the meeting with Bruegel, Dama wants Negan to go by himself to talk to Christos, the last remaining holdout, who is not considering joining their affiliation.
On the other side of the city, Maggie, Hershel, and Armstrong return to Central Park. There, they find that Narvaez has taken over the Foragers’ territory. Narvaez has arrested Roksana, the leader of the foragers. She also arrests Armstrong for lying about killing Negan. Maggie attempts to back up Armstrong, but is threatened with arrest as well. Instead, Narvaez tasks Maggie with leading Negan and Croat into a trap.
Dead City: Setting the board:
Both Negan and Maggie handle their situations their way. Maggie doubles back to take out Narvaez, but Ginny thwarts her effort. Outside in front of everyone, Narvaez hangs Roksana for not pledging to New Babylon. Maggie is next to get hung, but the walkers outside the gate bust in and start eating their way through the crowd. Ginny helps Maggie get loose from the noose, and Maggie helps Hershel, with assistance from a living dead Roksana. Payback is sweet.
Meanwhile, Negan’s effort to talk with Christos was going well. However, Croat shows up unannounced and, with an assist from methane, takes out Christos’ group. Before speaking with Dama, Negan tells Croat that Dama treats her pet rat better than the two of them. The Croat goes off on Dama during their discussion, and Dama says they will talk later when Croat has come to his senses. Dama returns to her room, where she finds her pet rat squished.
After a while, the Croat shows up at Dama’s room to apologize. Instead of a good conversation, they turn on each other, the Dama gets thrown to the ground, and candles set a fire around her. The Croat runs out of her room and leaves her to die. Negan was the one who squashed Dama’s rat, as a scene shows him scraping rat guts, blood, and hair off the bottom of his boot.
Bruegel Late to the Party:
The episode closes out with Maggie, Hershel, Armstrong, and Ginny inside a room in the bunker used by the foragers. There is a knock on the door, and they go outside to see Bruegel’s men finishing off the walking dead.
Here is the AMC Season 2 Episode 5 insider video:
What were your thoughts on these two episodes? Let us know at feedback@somanyshows.com
For a sneak peek at the next episode:
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ICYMI: Dead City Podcast Mashup for Season 2, Episodes 2 and 3.
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