The Walking Dead: Dead City continues to tell the tale of tension between the Croat’s forces and The New Babylon Federation. This week’s episode, “Another S*** Lesson,” serves as a grim reminder that stubbornness, desperation, and misplaced trust are far deadlier than the surrounding walkers. While the show has had some highs during its run, this installment struggles to inject freshness into the formula—relying on drawn-out conflicts, frustrating decision-making, and inevitable betrayals to drive the story forward. The problem is they didn’t get very far. Let’s review.
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| “Another S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Anthony Molinari as Lt. Houseman, Keir Gilchrist as Pierce, Jasmin Walker as the Governor Charlie Byrd, Dascha Polanco as Narvaez. Photo: Robert Clark/AMC© 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Governor Charlie Byrd (Jasmin Walker) and Major Lucia Narvaez (Dascha Polano) are at the heart of this week’s chaos. Both women are blinded by their ambition, which makes them unwilling to heed the warnings of more seasoned voices, like Maggie Rhee’s (Lauren Cohen).
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| “Another S*** Lesson”– THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, Gaius Charles as Armstrong. Photo: Robert Clark/AMC © 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Gathering up Herschel, Maggie warns Colonel Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) that the Croat knows they’re coming. Unfortunately, Armstrong, introduced last season as an unstoppable warrior, is now a ‘yes man‘ to Governor Byrd and Narvaez. He knows that the governor’s flawed strategy—months in the making—is insufficient, but he refuses to urge a course-correction, leaving the group vulnerable to a brutal attack.
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| “Another S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Gaius Charles as Armstrong. Photo: Robert Clark/AMC © 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Croat (Zekjko Ivanek), carrying out the Dama’s orders, are responsible for Maggie’s ‘s*** day‘. While Negan is a reluctant participant, he—like Maggie—has been forced into servitude under the ruthless command of the Dama and the Croat, two psychopaths who thrive on control and brutality.
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“Another S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Jeffrey |
Negan loathes being forced back into the role of the ‘Big Bad’. He’s trapped—forced to play the role of a warlord under the command of the Dama and the Croat yet still denied the chance to become the person he hopes to be. His hesitation during the attack that allowed Maggie, Herschel, Ginny and a few others to escape, made it clear that Negan’s struggle is far from over. He is teetering between his past and the future he hasn’t yet been allowed to claim.
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“Another S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Dascha |
The Dama wanted to know who Negan was protecting. He wouldn’t say. So, she summons his guard Victor (Logan Shumucker) whom Negan had formed a kind of friendship with. Victor is an extraordinary violinist who found solace in the music of a specific composer, Bach. He explained to Negan that Bach was his inspiration that got him through ‘another s*** lesson’ playing the violin his father forced him to learn.
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| “Another S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Lisa Emery as The Dama. Photo: Robert Clark/AMC © 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
The episode delivers on tension and emotional stakes, but its pacing falters. The familiar beats—the arrogant leadership, the ignored warnings, the violent fallout—at this point in the franchise feel recycled. Still, the tragic conclusion, particularly Victor’s execution, provides a striking lesson: kindness is a liability in a world that rewards brutality.
Lynette Jones