Timeline Troubles: 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' spin-off complicates franchise's apocalyptic universe

The zombie apocalypse timeline gets even more complicated with the introduction of the new spin off
Maggie and Negan in 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' (The Walking Dead/YouTube)
Maggie and Negan in 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' (The Walking Dead/YouTube)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The zombie apocalypse franchise ‘The Walking Dead’ seems to be one of the 'undead' given how long it has lasted. With a new spin-off set to release, the 'TWD' universe will expand even further. But inevitably, even for the most dedicated viewers, keeping track of the timeline can be hard and it is only going to get more complex.

The franchise had already released three spin offs after the conclusion of the original series. The new spin-off titled ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ is releasing on June 18 and will add to the canon. Many older fans will be curious about the placement of all these spin offs in the complicated universe of ‘The Walking Dead’. Let’s try and figure out where the newest spin-off stands in terms of the time period and also who all will be making a comeback to star on the new show.

What will ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ be about? 

The spin off is going to be focusing on the very interesting pairing of Maggie and Negan. The two were not exactly the pair most viewers expected to see being teamed up. They have a bloody past that cannot be reconciled so the pairing only gave way to confused questions from the viewers. 

Negan had killed Maggie’s husband Glenn back in the seventh season of the original series. This was a major plot element for the original series as well as the following spin offs that gave birth to two other spin offs including this one and ‘Fear of the Walking Dead’. 

The trailer of 'Dead City' reveals that Maggie’s son Hershel gets kidnapped and she has to travel back to Manhattan, New York to save him. Along the way, Negan joins her on the quest to get her son back. 



 

What time period is ‘The Dead City’ set in?

As per the status of Maggie and Negan’s relationship, the show seems to be set a few years after the original series. It will be a completely separate timeline from the currently running ‘Fear of the Walking Dead’ — so it will be a major time jump for the viewers. The exact setting can be said to be around Year 15 in the 'TWD' timeline. 

The pair, Maggie and Negan, had ended on the same side against the commonwealth in the original series and had reached a somewhat uneasy truce. It would be interesting to see how their relationship develops from here on as they cross paths again, especially given the emotional turmoil of Hershel’s absence bringing them together. 

‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ will start airing from June 18, 2023 on AMC and AMC+.

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