The Strolling Lifeless: Lifeless Metropolis continues to inform the story of rigidity between the Croat’s forces and The New Babylon Federation. This week’s episode, “One other S*** Lesson,” serves as a grim reminder that stubbornness, desperation, and misplaced belief are far deadlier than the encompassing walkers. Whereas the present has had some highs throughout its run, this installment struggles to inject freshness into the formulation—counting on drawn-out conflicts, irritating decision-making, and inevitable betrayals to drive the story ahead. The issue is that they didn’t get very far. Let’s evaluation.
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| “One other S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Anthony Molinari as Lt. Houseman, Keir Gilchrist as Pierce, Jasmin Walker because the Governor Charlie Byrd, Dascha Polanco as Narvaez. Picture: Robert Clark/AMC© 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Governor Charlie Byrd (Jasmin Walker) and Main Lucia Narvaez (Dascha Polano) are on the coronary heart of this week’s chaos. Each ladies are blinded by their ambition, which makes them unwilling to heed the warnings of extra seasoned voices, like Maggie Rhee’s (Lauren Cohen).
For instance, Maggie discovers that the burning tire hearth is a sign to the Croat that New Babylon is ready to assault. Humorous sufficient, Herschel (Logan Kim), is found close to this hearth. He informed his mother he couldn’t sit residence whereas she put herself in peril. Nevertheless, we all know Herschel was held captive by The Dama (Lisa Emery), all through the primary season. He refused to reply Maggie when she requested him what the drawing of the Dama meant to him. Did Herschel begin the warning hearth? Is he a turncoat spy?
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| “One other S*** Lesson”– THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, Gaius Charles as Armstrong. Picture: Robert Clark/AMC © 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Gathering up Herschel, Maggie warns Colonel Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) that the Croat is aware of they’re coming. Sadly, Armstrong, launched final season as an unstoppable warrior, is now a ‘sure man‘ to Governor Byrd and Narvaez. He is aware of that the governor’s flawed technique—months within the making—is inadequate, however he refuses to induce a course-correction, leaving the group susceptible to a brutal assault.
Overcome with frustration at being ignored, Maggie punches Narvaez squarely within the face. As punishment for her defiance, she and Herschel are thrown into the hull of the boat meant to hold them into Manhattan, branded as insubordinate. In the meantime, Armstrong has lied his method into cowardice about killing Negan. His deception has paralyzed him, and he suggests they assault early. Despite the fact that the Croat is aware of they’re planning an assault, he believes they may have the aspect of shock.
Maggie in handcuffs tries to speak to a virtually catatonic Herschel. She explains how he can get freed from the pole he’s chained to, however he simply stares blankly on the ground. Because the New Babylon Federation drifts straight into peril, Ginny (Mahina Napoleon) seizes the second, speeding to rescue Maggie and Herschel simply as sodium bombs strapped to buoys start detonating, and walker guts rain down from cannon hearth. It’s an actual ‘s*** present’, one would possibly say.
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| “One other S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Gaius Charles as Armstrong. Picture: Robert Clark/AMC © 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Croat (Zekjko Ivanek), finishing up the Dama’s orders, are answerable for Maggie’s ‘s*** day‘. Whereas Negan is a reluctant participant, he—like Maggie—has been compelled into servitude underneath the ruthless command of the Dama and the Croat, two psychopaths who thrive on management and brutality.
Earlier than the combating begins, Negan listens because the Croat nostalgically recollects the Saviors’ previous conquests, glorifying their ruthless, misleading techniques. He urges Negan to recount a very twisted victory—one the place the Saviors initially suffered defeat, solely to lull their enemies right into a false sense of safety, secretly feeding them walker meat earlier than in the end conquering them. The Croat’s admiration for brutality is plain, however for Negan, the story is a haunting echo of a previous he’s making an attempt to flee.
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“One other S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Jeffrey |
Negan loathes being compelled again into the function of the ‘Massive Dangerous’. He’s trapped—compelled to play the function of a warlord underneath the command of the Dama and the Croat but nonetheless denied the possibility to turn into the individual he hopes to be. His hesitation through the assault that allowed Maggie, Herschel, Ginny and some others to flee, made it clear that Negan’s wrestle is way from over. He’s teetering between his previous and the long run he hasn’t but been allowed to say.
After combating ends, Benjamin Pierce (Keir Gilchrist) is in custody of the Dama. Armstrong and Narvaez survived with Maggie, and poor Governor Byrd obtained taken out with the primary explosion.
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“One other S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Dascha |
The Dama needed to know who Negan was defending. He wouldn’t say. So, she summons his guard Victor (Logan Shumucker) whom Negan had fashioned a sort of friendship with. Victor is a rare violinist who discovered solace within the music of a selected composer, Bach. He defined to Negan that Bach was his inspiration that obtained him by ‘another s*** lesson’ enjoying the violin his father compelled him to be taught.
The Dama asks Victor to play. He performs Bach. Victor stands in brilliant distinction to the darkness surrounding them, which is why, in retaliation, the Dama executes him in chilly blood, making Victor ‘one other s*** lesson‘ for Negan.
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| “One other S*** Lesson” – THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY, Pictured: Lisa Emery as The Dama. Picture: Robert Clark/AMC © 2025 AMC Networks Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
The episode delivers on rigidity and emotional stakes, however its pacing falters. The acquainted beats—the boastful management, the ignored warnings, the violent fallout—at this level within the franchise really feel recycled. Nonetheless, the tragic conclusion, significantly Victor’s execution, gives a putting lesson: kindness is a legal responsibility in a world that rewards brutality.
If this episode proves something, it’s that the nightmare by no means ends—and typically, it’s the smallest acts of humanity that price essentially the most.
Did you discover Herschel’s conduct suspicious? Let me know within the feedback.
Total Ranking:
6:10
Lynette Jones