Summary
- Maggie's revenge against Negan has caused her to neglect her own son, Herschel, prioritizing her desire for vengeance over being a good mother.
- Maggie's intricate plot to trap Negan shows her dedication to revenge, even at the expense of Herschel's well-being and emotional stability.
- Maggie's betrayal of Negan goes against her promise in The Walking Dead season 11 to shield Herschel from negative feelings, ultimately causing harm to both of them.
This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1. In the final episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City, it becomes clear that Maggie's intentions aren't as good as they first seemed, and although her actions seem to be honoring her late husband murder, her decision to betray Negan is actually a much more complicated and harmful issue. The Walking Dead: Dead City is a sequel spinoff series to AMC's original The Walking Dead. The series begins when Maggie enlists the help of Negan to save her son Herschel. They travel to post-apocalyptic New York City and find many more secrets and problems than they first thought.
During the last two episodes of Dead City, it is revealed that Maggie has not been honest. Although she made it seem like she simply needed Negan's help in tracking down Herschel, a flashback in episode 5 reveals that Maggie always knew the Croat wanted Negan in exchange for Herschel. This knowledge, along with Maggie luring Negan into the Croat's trap in the finale, shows that she fully intended to give the villain what he wanted. Maggie justifies her Dead City twist by referencing Negan's violent murder of Glenn, however, her revenge quickly turns sour when she realizes that it's been causing her neglect everything else, including Herschel.
Maggie Has Put Revenge Before Raising Her Own Son
The most obvious problem with Maggie's revenge plot, and putting it in Glenn's name, is that her bitterness toward Negan caused her to mistreat Herschel. In the Dead City season 1 ending, Herschel curses his mother even as she saves him from the Croat, claiming that she never cared for him as much as she cared about getting revenge on Negan. Though it takes some time, Maggie eventually sees that he's right and decides to end the feud once and for all. However, this change of heart doesn't erase the fact that, for most of Herschel's life, he hasn't been his mother's primary concern.
Additionally, it's clear that Maggie was more dedicated to her revenge than to her son because of how intricate the plot was. While Maggie obviously didn't want her son to be kidnapped, it's telling that she allowed herself to be pulled into this scheme, and worse, used it as an opportunity to trap Negan. Maggie easily could have enlisted the help of someone else to get Herschel back or told Negan beforehand that he was the Croat's target. This way, Maggie wouldn't have betrayed Negan or hurt Herschel. However, in the end, Maggie let herself do exactly what Dead City's villain wanted her to do for her own selfish reasons.
Would The Walking Dead's Glenn Be Disappointed In Maggie?
In some senses, it does seem likely that Glenn would be disappointed in Maggie's actions. While he might appreciate her dedication to avenging his death, he certainly wouldn't want her to cast Herschel aside to achieve said goal. Arguably, Herschel is all she has left of Glenn in the living world, yet she chooses to fixate on Glenn's memory rather than the son she has right in front of her. There's little doubt that he would ultimately be disappointed with how Maggie has acted in regard to Negan and Herschel since his death.
Furthermore, the fact that Maggie's revenge didn't come until over 15 years after Glenn's death is also a bad sign. While it would have been understandable for Maggie to betray Negan immediately after Glenn's death or a few years later, the fact that it took over a decade indicates that Maggie never moved on. Although Glenn's death was tragic, it's unhealthy for her to fixate on that moment for so long, and even worse for Herschel to see that. Ultimately, Maggie retaining her anger toward Negan shows that she never let go of Glenn's death, and this most likely has been eating at her until the events of Dead City.
Maggie Broke Her Promise From The Walking Dead Season 11
What's worse about Maggie's betrayal is that in The Walking Dead season 11, she declared that something like this wouldn't happen. In Maggie's final conversation with Negan, she asserts that she won't let Herschel see the effect he has on her. Essentially, she promises that she will keep her bitterness buried in order to protect her son. Clearly though, Maggie broke this rule in Dead City. Not only did her vengeance come out during the plot, but clearly, Herschel had seen her hate for Negan long before that. It seems that Maggie completely failed at shielding Herschel from her negative feelings, and worse, they have now all suffered for it.
This promise from The Walking Dead season 11 is what makes Maggie's bitter turn in Dead City so frustrating. Considering that Maggie already had her son's needs in mind at the end of The Walking Dead, it stands to reason that she shouldn't have done what she did in Dead City. However, this has now become Maggie's overarching plot, wherein she must finally forgive Negan after making this massive mistake with Herschel. Her misstep in Dead City will hopefully change her ways, and in Dead City season 2, she can begin to grow again in a healthier direction.
How Maggie's Dead City Story Follows The Walking Dead Comics
Although this exact scenario did not occur in The Walking Dead comics, there are similarities in Maggie and Herschel's dynamics. First and foremost, Herschel resents Maggie, not for her anger towards Negan, but for her budding career in politics. Despite the change in story, both plots involve Herschel growing upset with his mother and isolating himself from her. As he gets older, he slowly becomes enbittered and devolves into a bad person. The Walking Dead: Dead City has seemingly taken the foundations of this development and set them to this new story, wherein a rift forms between Maggie and Herschel but for Negan-related reasons rather than politics.
Overall, Maggie's betrayal of Negan made her something of a villain in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Although Glenn's death was upsetting and difficult, Maggie's refusal to let go of her anger about it leads her to become not only a traitor, but also a bad mother. It may have made sense to betray Negan, but to neglect her child in order to do so makes the entire plot that much worse. For over 15 years, Maggie could have found peace in Herschel and made amends with Negan, but The Walking Dead: Dead City proves that even old wounds may not heal when they should.