Dead City marketed The Walking Dead spinoff as a continuation of Maggie and Negan's storylines, enticing the audience with the tension between these two long-running characters. This was a focal point for Season 1, highlighting Maggie's difficulty overcoming past trauma and Negan's history coming back to haunt him. While this was a successful way to attract dedicated fans of the franchise, it didn't do Maggie's character justice.
Throughout the many years Maggie has been featured on The Walking Dead, she's one of the main characters that has gained plot armor through her popularity and longevity. Despite Maggie being one of the few significant feminist representations in the universe, her storyline has unfortunately been centered on her relationships with the men in her life.
Maggie Literally Can't Escape Negan
Aside from Maggie, Dead City was significantly lacking in female representation. Most of the new women characters introduced were killed off, and the only other one was the new villain, The Dama. Viewers wondering where Negan's wife and child were eventually learned Annie and their son were in hiding and likely wouldn't have a role in Dead City. This is not a good sign for the female representation in this new Walking Dead spinoff.
While Season 1 should have been an exciting chapter in Maggie's life, it just reestablished that the trauma Negan caused her continues to be a major influence on her development. It's unreasonable to expect Maggie to forget that the ex-villain took her husband away from her. However, it's also not entirely unreasonable to expect her, after so many years, to get a plot that doesn't solely rely on the man that tore her world apart. Dead City's Season 1, Episode 6, "Doma Smo," concluded by making it clear Maggie's arc would continue to have little growth without Negan's involvement.
Glenn Haunts Maggie's Every Move
When Maggie was introduced in Season 2 of The Walking Dead, she quickly transformed from the outspoken daughter of farmer Hershel into Glenn's love interest. The audience got to know her well as the story changed, but most of the time her storyline directly correlated with Glenn. In Dead City, Maggie's main motivation was to betray Negan to get her son back. This highlighted her role as a mother, but fans also understood that she so easily decided to give Negan up to The Croat for Hershel because she was still haunted by Negan killing Glenn in Season 7 of The Walking Dead.
This plot in Dead City is certainly not the first time Maggie made decisions mainly due to her relationship with Glenn. When the group was separated after the fall of the prison, Maggie chose to look for Glenn instead of finding Beth, her last living relative. When Glenn was missing in Season 6, Maggie desired to go after him despite the impending threats on Alexandria. Viewers can't expect her to forget her spouse, but that doesn't mean he has to be the main incentive for her character development.
Hershel Was the Focal Point of Dead City Season 1
In Season 1 of Dead City, Maggie's incentive for seeking out Negan and going to Manhattan with him was to find her kidnapped son. Hershel's storyline was minimal because the plot focused on the tense dynamic between Maggie and Negan. Maggie didn't have any motivation or agency outside protecting Hershel and getting revenge on Negan, re-establishing the point that her character only develops for the men in her life.
Having a child enhanced Maggie's characterization as a strong leader determined to protect her people. Though pregnancy plotlines have grown increasingly unpopular for fans seeking powerful female representation, Maggie's role as a parent hadn't previously overshadowed her fierce persona. However, using Hershel as a reason for her to make decisions in Dead City repeated the poor treatment of her character, who only seems relevant when a male character is involved.
In The Walking Dead, Maggie existed to be the loving and then heartbroken wife of Glenn Rhee. In Dead City, she was a scorned woman determined to get revenge for her husband and save her son by tricking Negan. So, there is one major question Dead City Season 2 needs to address: Can Maggie exist in The Walking Dead universe without a male counterpart to influence her every decision?
The answer to this question should be obvious. Maggie is a strong, well-rounded character that has become a fan favorite in this post-apocalyptic franchise for her bravery, resilience, and leadership. She is the female representation The Walking Dead needed to prove powerful survivors aren't just restricted to misogynistic men that want to protect women and children. With Melissa McBride's Carol only returning as a guest star in Daryl Dixon and Danai Gurira's Michonne being tied to Rick in their upcoming spinoff, Maggie is the only long-running female survivor that can have agency without a male counterpart. Dead City Season 2 doesn't have to pry Maggie and Negan apart, but it can correct the sexism rampant in the universe by giving her a plotline that highlights her own uniqueness and how it isn't solely reliant on men.