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The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 was released on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 9 pm ET on AMC+. This episode Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River? delves into the mysterious reasons why Hershel Rhee and the Mainlanders crossed the river. It turns out that they didn't just do it to get away; they did it to follow The Dama's plan to rebuild and reinvent the broken city.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3. Reader discretion is advised.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 follows Maggie Rhee and her group as they try to stay alive in a destroyed Manhattan while avoiding walkers and other hostile groups. In this episode, flashbacks show how Hershel was held captive and became strangely involved with The Dama. In the present, Maggie is desperately trying to find her son.
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The crossing is a metaphor for a choice between destruction and rebirth. Hershel is stuck between his mother's mission and The Dama's radical vision. This episode sets the stage for the dramatic conflicts between people with different ideas and beliefs that will drive the season forward.
Hershel holds the key to Dead City’s fate, as his alliance with either his mother, Maggie, or The Dama will determine the city’s future direction.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 focuses on Hershel’s captivity and The Dama’s influence
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 starts with a shocking flashback that takes viewers back to the first time The Croat locked up Hershel in Manhattan. Hershel seems weak when locked up in a dark room, but his impressive skill with throwing weapons and careful observations show that he is stronger than he seems.
In this flashback, things change when The Dama shows up. Even though she looks scary, she quickly breaks down barriers by being surprisingly nice and giving Hershel food, comfort, and even her coat.
At this point, the captor and the captive begin to form a strange bond. She shows the broken city a hope that goes beyond survival: a chance to start over and be better.
The Dama shows Hershel a room in the ruins, beautifully decorated with artifacts from a long time ago. The room is lit by candles and represents hope amid destruction.
Read more: What time will Dead City season 2 episode 2 be released on AMC+?
As an elevator takes Hershel high above the city, it shows him the destroyed skyline. This is where The Dama's message becomes clear. The mistakes of the past can be erased from this city, making it look like a new one.
During these times, Hershel's drawings are more than just rough ideas. They show how he is internalizing this vision and becoming closer to The Dama. This flashback shows why Hershel sees things so differently from others: he doesn't see a lost city, but one that can be born again.
The present-day survival struggles in the park
In the present, Maggie and Perlie lead a group of survivors through a dangerous urban wilderness unlike anything they have seen before. As they move through the tall grass, it's like they're on a primitive hunt where the walkers sneak up on them like predators and kill them one by one.
The creepy fact that these walkers don't have hearts adds to their mystery and makes us want to know where they came from right away.
Maggie and Hershel are separated from the group and have to navigate the dangerous terrain on their own, testing their ability to stay alive and their strength. Maggie eventually returns with the others, but Hershel is still missing, making things more tense and uncertain.
Also read: Dead City season 2 episode 1 ending explained
As the walkers get closer, the survivors hide out at the Café on the Lake, which is run by another group of survivors led by Roksana.
Hershel finds some peace by a fountain and uses his drawing to figure out where he is and what's happening around him. The arrival of Joan, a survivor who had saved him before, brings back hope and human connection.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 quickly gets worse, though, when Waylan, The Croat's right-hand man, stumbles into the scene hurt and desperate. Negan kills him in a heated fight.
Read more: How many episodes are in The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2? Details explained
Negan and The Croat’s hunt
The Croat and Negan are searching the city for people who were in the New Babylon Federation's failed mission at the same time. The Croat's unclear loyalty to The Dama and his harsh code, especially his readiness to hurt children to uphold it, show how dangerous Hershel's world is morally.
Negan wants to prove himself, so he accompanies Waylan to the park, which is full of walkers. When Waylan gets bitten and can't handle it, Negan steps in and shows how brutally practical he is.
Negan's meeting with Hershel is a turning point that shows how old loyalties and new realities are at odds with each other. Hershel shoots Negan, but when he sees Joan hurt, he doesn't hurt him.
Read more: The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 2 ending explained: Is [spoiler] alive?
The heartless walkers and the survivors’ sanctuary
The mystery of the heartless walkers is solved by the end of the episode. Roksana and her group's ritual removal of Joan's heart at the café shows a scary new way that walkers can control people. By taking out hearts, the survivors seem to be able to make specialized walkers that can be controlled or calmed down.
Maggie's return with Hershel and Joan, who is hurt, forces a confrontation with this creepy behavior. There are problems within the group, especially because Lucia wants to protect Roksana's group through the Federation, which could give them more power.
However, Perlie steps in and stops the coup, showing how fragile the balance is between survivors' willingness to work together and their desire to be left alone.
Also read: Who is Frank Hildebrand? TWD Dead City season 2 episode 2 end credits homage explained
Hershel’s vision and the crossroads ahead
The story of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 revolves around Hershel's choice, which has a big impact on the city's future. Because he is torn between his mother Maggie's mission and The Dama's radical vision, Hershel represents the struggle between sticking to old ways of life and embracing a new, more radical way of life.
His growing support for The Dama suggests that he is ready to help her rebuild the city from the ruins using the power and resources she has.
This choice is a sign of a bigger ideological battle. Maggie stands for the group that wants to protect human survival and get back to familiar structures, putting safety and community first among the survivors.
On the other hand, The Dama's vision is more authoritarian and maybe even cruel. It includes making heartless walkers and keeping a close eye on the city's residents. The fact that Hershel agreed to this plan could mean a change in power and government that changes how people live in Dead City.
His choice affected the relationships between the survivors, the stability of the city, and the balance of power between groups like Maggie's, The Croat, and The Dama.
Maggie and her friends are likely to fight back against any authoritarian rule that puts their values and safety at risk, so if Hershel fully embraces The Dama's ideas, the conflict could get worse. Hershel is also at a crossroads because he is both Maggie's son and The Dama's apprentice.
Genet's transformation in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3
Genet was a normal woman who worked as a cleaner at the Louvre before everything went wrong. Her bosses didn't pay much attention to her job because they valued art over people's lives. This background creates a powerful contrast between how invisible she used to be and how powerful she is now.
Genet went from being a minor character to a strong leader with a hard heart after the end of the world. The tragedy of watching her husband being torn apart by walkers changed her worldview significantly.
Her close connection to the famous Mona Lisa painting, which now hangs in her stronghold, represents both the power of culture and the emotional scars she bears. The painting is a silent reflection of how unclear and hurt she feels.
In the present day, Genet has become a strong candidate for political power in France, where society is very divided. She is a good leader because she cares about the working class and is also very strict when needed. She is sharply aware of the manipulative dynamics at play, recognizing the lies that opposing factions use to control the masses.
Carol discovers Daryl’s whereabouts
Carol is better able to navigate her new environment with the help of a bilingual companion. As she learns more important details, her determination to find Daryl grows.
After looking into it, she finds Codron in a weak spot—he's been hurt but is still strong. Codron tells Carol more about the possible location of the Nest, a place linked to Daryl's whereabouts because he cares about her and her relationship with Daryl.
Carol can figure out what's going on because she trusts her new friend more and more. However, to get ready for what's coming, she tells Remy where she's going and asks for his help.
In The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3, Remy betrays her trust by telling Genet about this information, so it's not kept a secret for long. Carol is captured because of this betrayal, putting her right in the hands of her enemies.
Negan’s role in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3: Ally or threat?
As part of the power struggle in Dead City, Negan is in a tricky spot. They used to be bad guys, but now they work with The Croat and look out for Hershel. To show how involved Negan is in the ongoing conflict, he is willing to go with Waylan into dangerous areas and face threats like walkers and hostile survivors.
His respect for The Croat’s code, particularly the line about not harming children himself, but allowing The Croat to enforce it. This shows a nuanced adherence to certain principles within the brutal environment.
She shoots at Negan in the park but stops short of hurting him after seeing Joan's injury. The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 shows that the relationship between them is anxious but not violent.
Negan's actions change the balance of power and affect the lives of important characters. If future alliances and decisions go badly, his job could either help protect Hershel and others or make things worse between groups.
Therefore, Negan remains a major and unpredictable figure in Dead City's ongoing fight for power and longevity.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 episode 3 is available to stream on AMC+.
