Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1, episode 1

Packed with major developments, the series premiere of The Walking Dead: Dead City set in motion a danger-filled journey for its lead characters. The first of the main show’s three new spinoffs reveals that a great deal has transpired in the lives of Maggie and Negan since The Walking Dead ended. Now, the franchise looks set to put them through even more trials.

After going through nearly a full season of reluctantly teaming up with the person she hated the most, Lauren Cohan’s character is back to having to put her trust in Negan. As made clear by the series premiere, their conflict has not been resolved, and will likely continue to fester through Dead City’s remaining five episodes. Similar to how things were when they were up against the Commonwealth, any concern they may have of them killing each other will have to be put aside. Once again, they have a common opponent, and this time, there’s a third party involved, also looking to take them down. Here’s a breakdown of Dead City’s premiere and what it means for Maggie and Negan.

7 Negan Has Been Separated From Annie & His Child

Negan with his hand on Annie's back in a scene from The Walking Dead.

The introduction of Annie and the reveal of her pregnancy in The Walking Dead season 11 came across as changes to Negan’s life that would be relevant to his next story, but so far, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Annie and their child have yet to appear in the spinoff. When asked about their whereabouts by Maggie, Negan uncomfortably changed the subject, implying that they’ve been separated for some reason or another. With Negan traveling with a young girl, with neither having a home, there’s clearly more to the story regarding his split from his new family. Whether they’re dead or alive, this is likely a question a future Dead City episode will answer.

6 Maggie's Son Was Captured By The Croat, A Former Savior

The Croat in Dead City bathed in eerie blue light staring menacingly into the camera

Dead City has confirmed that the villain of the series is a former acquaintance of Negan. Played by Željko Ivanek, the new Walking Dead character is known as the Croat. After leading his people to steal the grain stored at Maggie’s community, he returned to take more later. He abducted Herschel, Maggie and Glenn’s son, as collateral. He and his men managed to scale the Hilltop’s walls in the middle of the night and make off with the child. According to Negan, he was an “exceptionally insane” member of the Saviors. Negan insinuated, much to Maggie’s chagrin, that Herschel wouldn’t live long as one of the Croat’s captives.

What Negan meant was later clarified by the final minutes of the episode, which confirmed the Croat’s fondness for torturing his victims. As for what he would want with Herschel in the first place, he’s yet to fully elaborate on his motivations. What is known, though, is that he’s aware of the history Herschel’s parents have with Negan. Plus, he knows about Negan becoming an ally to Alexandria and the Hilltop in the show’s later seasons.

5 Maggie & Negan Team Up To Rescue Hershel

Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in Walking Dead Dead City

By using Negan’s trademark whistle, the Croat – knowingly or not – gave Maggie a crucial clue about his past. Recalling that this was Negan’s calling card in The Walking Dead, Maggie figured out their connection and now understands that her most hated enemy is the best chance she has of getting her son back. By offering the girl a home and an education, Maggie was able to convince Negan to help her. But as Negan pointed out, there’s one problem with their deal: she gave Negan what he wanted in advance, meaning that he can betray her without consequences.

Although Negan did a lot of good in The Walking Dead, his comments demonstrate that he’s not completely trustworthy. In light of Negan’s remarks about having “paid” for what he did, he no longer thinks he needs redemption. If making up for his crimes is no longer something he thinks he needs to do, self-preservation – as opposed to helping Maggie - may be his primary goal in Dead City. But for the time being, Negan may not be able to end his team-up with Maggie. They’re trapped in Manhattan together and will likely need each other to get out in one piece.

4 Negan Has Become A Wanted Man

Negan wanted poster in Walking Dead Dead City

As if the Croat wasn’t enough, Maggie and Negan will also have to contend with the New Babylon marshals, a post-apocalyptic law enforcement group. They’ve labeled Negan a wanted man and are currently on his trail in Dead City. With Gaius Charles’ Pearlie Armstrong leading the manhunt, the marshals are determined to catch Negan, who stands accused of multiple crimes. Chief among them is the murder of a magistrate, whom Negan is said to have killed “in cold blood.” He allegedly killed four others as well.

Negan hasn’t given his of what happened yet, but he did indicate that things aren’t what they seem. But convincing the marshals of that won’t be easy, considering how much they know about Negan’s past, which goes back to his days as the leader of the Saviors. They know about the events of the season 7 premiere when he murdered Glenn and Abraham.

3 Hilltop Has Relocated Since The Walking Dead Ended

Maggie with a quiver in The Walking Dead

Negan isn’t the only one that’s been busy since The Walking Dead ended. Apparently, the Hilltop has been relocated. They were shown to be rebuilding in The Walking Dead's final episode, but it appears a change in scenery became necessary nonetheless. Maggie took the girl Negan was with somewhere else, but promised it’s the “same setup” and the “same people.”

2 A New Walking Dead Community: New Babylon

An image of Maggie sitting at a bar in a leather jacket in The Walking Dead: Dead City

A new community ed the Walking Dead universe in the Dead City series premiere. Referred to as New Babylon, this new settlement is doing well enough to have cars, law enforcement, and as it would seem, multiple towns. A billboard called New Babylon the “capital city” of the New Babylon Federation, which speaks volumes about the size of this new location in The Walking Dead’s world. And since they arrived at this destination after Maggie drove past the sign, it looks like the new Hilltop is based within New Babylon’s borders.

1 Manhattan Was Lost To The Dead

A horde of Walkers in The Walking Dead Dead City

Pearlie explained that Manhattan was one of the “epicenters” of The Walking Dead's zombie outbreak. For that reason, the military destroyed both the tunnels and the bridges to contain the threat, thus making it hard for the zombies to leave. Like Pearlie said, Manhattan was once the home of more than a million people, hence why the city is arguably one of the most dangerous places to be in the zombie apocalypse. As Maggie and Negan have seen for themselves in The Walking Dead: Dead City, the area is now littered with zombies, which could number into the thousands.