'The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 3 Got 100% on RT From Critics, but It's Far From That Good

The third season of Dead City, the Walking Dead spinoff about Negan and Maggie, received a 100% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but viewers strongly disagree.

Once delighting fans with its realistic panoramas of a decaying NYC and a plot about gang warfare, the show has become a dull and amorphous spectacle. The second season was the best the franchise's spinoffs have ever seen, but the third chapter is disappointing.

What Is 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 3 About?

In the Season 2 finale, Negan and Maggie escaped to the New York Underground, leaving The Croat's methane plant to be destroyed by New Babylon. Season 3 begins with a series of happy accidents: Maggie and Negan meet Hershel.

Then, the methane plant explodes and Negan seizes control of the dying Mile. Maggie and a group of survivors decide to transform dead New York into a new capital of humanity – they open a hospital and turn on the lights of the Statue of Liberty.

'Dead City' Season 3 Misses the Mark, Becoming a Dreary Drama

The main problem with the third season is its misplaced emphasis. The first few seasons teetered on the edge of crime drama and post-apocalyptic action, delighting viewers with scenes of brutal walker massacres.

However, the third season aggressively disrupts this balance, eschewing action in favor of an unconvincing commentary on the possibility of a new beginning. While it's admirable that Maggie dreams of rebuilding New York, the conversational scenes are dull and derivative.

For three episodes in a row, viewers are subjected to dreary dialogue about forgiveness and faith in the future – Maggie and Negan say the right things, but their speeches resemble the monotonous monologues from Discovery Channel documentaries.

By killing The Croat in the first episode, the writers trapped the story – without the charismatic Željko Ivanek, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has no one to compete with for dominance.

In Season 3, Negan Went From Being a Killing Machine to a Comic Relief Character

Negan, one of the most terrifying antagonists in the original show, has become a comic relief character in Season 3: he spends his days drinking beer, cracking jokes, and occasionally helping Maggie, and there's no real character development.

The only bright spot is the new character Dillard, the bar owner who brews beer with two harmless walkers. The scenes set in the New York bar are the best part of the season: Negan and Dillard play Gears of War, share dirty jokes, and crack open bottle after bottle.

However, this idyll is shattered when Negan discovers Dillard's terrible secret, which ranks among the most shocking moments in franchise history.

The third episode sets the stage for what's to come: hundreds of refugees arrive in Manhattan and refuse to obey Maggie's orders. We'd like to believe that the new showrunner won't allow the plot to deteriorate further, but so far, Season 3 is the worst part of Negan and Maggie's adventures.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 3?

• The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 has 100% from critics and 52% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

Where to Watch 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 3?

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 is available to stream on AMC+.