Would you survive a zombie apocalypse in New York City?
As an avid zombie media lover, I think I could, but it definitely wouldn’t be easy. The Walking Dead original show highlighted what I think could be the most realistic-type zombie, and their spin-off show “Dead City” brings zombies somewhere never seen in the original show or comic book–NYC.
While we all know the media term “zombie” as those rotten corpses that raise from the dead to eat our brains, the origin of the word comes from a religious punishment in present-day Haiti. People who’ve committed horrible crimes are poisoned so that their heart rate and breathing slows, and while they’re in a vegetative state, these “zombies” are forced into servitude. While some similarities exist between the two types, one big difference is that the Haitian zombies don’t eat, or even bite humans. This feature grew in popularity following George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968.
And Dead City has a lot of biting.
Dead City’s second season started airing May 4, 2025 on AMC’s TV channel, as well as their own streaming platform AMC+. The show features the two main leads, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffery Dean Morgan), whose friendship has always been rocky. With their differences, they struggled through season one to work together against some of the more hostile habitants of the new New York. This season is no different, except Maggie and Negan are on completely opposite sides of the fight.
This is the show’s creator, Eli Jorne’s, first big project alone. But he does have some zombie experience, having directed seventeen episodes of The Walking Dead season 10. However, season 10, along with season 11 had the worst performing American viewership of all 11 seasons. And sadly, Dead City has around the same numbers. But hardcore fans of The Walking Dead such as myself watch it anyway.
This season, Negan finds himself on the side of The Burazi, a hostile group whose goal is to control all of Manhattan. Through forcing other settlers to help them, and creating chemical reactions that have the potential to power the entire city, they want to rule over the city and never have to fight for their authority again. Maggie, on the other hand, is on the side of the New Babylon Federation, a less-hostile group, reminiscent of old America. They have a set of laws they follow, and public executions for those that break them. They even have a conscription, collecting people to join their fight against The Burazi. The New Babylon Federation wants the city to go back to how it once was, law-abiding and (mostly) civil. And while they’re at it, they want the chemicals from The Burazi so they can turn the city back on. Both groups have their right and wrong ways about things, but the end goal is turning Manhattan into the city they want it to be.
Which is kind of what happens in the real world.
The show has stunning shots of a decrepit New York City. It feels real, and almost hard to believe they primarily filmed in Massachusetts. I found myself pausing at almost every wide shot of the reconstructed city, recognizing buildings in the distance. The crew did a great job at setting the scene, from the overgrown parks to the rotting skyscrapers.
While Maggie and Negan are obligated to their duties on both sides, it’s hard to hate them when they make stupid decisions. We all know Maggie just wants to protect her son in the end, and Negan just wants to reunite with his family. They don’t necessarily like each other, but it’s clear from last season and this one that they need each other’s help to reach their ultimate goals.
With all the wars for control and especially the deaths in this show, I’m starting to rethink being able to survive. But I’d be up for the challenge.
New York looks like its own zombie apocalypse sometimes. The thousands of people on every street, the packed trains and train stations, having to fight for a seat on the bus. Being a New Yorker has already thoroughly prepared me for a possible apocalypse. In The Walking Dead especially, there becomes a point where zombies aren’t even the real threat anymore. It’s having to fight with other humans! And with how tough New Yorkers are, it won’t be an easy fight.
But me personally, I will hide out in some rich person’s high rise!
(And yes, Dead City does have the ultimate New York City staple: the rats).
