It's clear that there is more to Hershel Rhee's story than meets the eye. The Walking Dead: Dead City has been dropping hints that have been hard to miss; all of which have pointed to a dark secret. For starters, he's better at throwing weapons than he wants anyone to believe. And let's not forget the fact that we know that he lit the fire to signal to The Croat - and The Dama - to seeminglywarn them that his mother and the New Babylon Federation were coming.
But what is on the mind of Maggie and Glenn Rhee's wayward son? That's a question that the third episode of the sophomore season looks to answer, as "Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?" takes us back to the beginning of Hershel's time in Manhattan (the first time around) to shed some light on the whole situation. And the answers are pretty unexpected.
Hershel's connection to The Dama revealed
We open with a flashback to the time when Hershel was imprisoned in Manhattan by The Croat. He was being kept as leverage to bring Maggie to the city, knowing that she would bring Negan with her so that a trade could be initiated. But as we all know by now; The Croat isn't the mastermind behind all of this. And so, it's time to see how The Dama fitted into the early days of this plan.
Hershel, imprisned and alone in a dark room, hears footsteps. The Dama enters, looking rather intimidating in her long, dark robe. We're supposed to fear her after what she did in the previous episode (even though this is a flashback), but she drops the stone cold face pretty quickly and apologises for the way he has been treated. She unties him and offers him something to eat; like peanut brittle but new, made with walnuts. He doesn't know what to make of her, but she tells him she's going to get him a proper bed and a blanket. Eventually, he asks a coat and she gives him hers. Then, he asks for paper and something to draw with. When she leaves, he eats the food he left behind. And with that, an unusual bond is formed.
Throughout the episode we get more flashbacks to their time together, as The Dama talks to him about his mother, Maggie. Hershel opens about Maggie's obsession with Negan, at which point his captor tells him that he doesn't need to pretend with her; she sees him. She then smiles and exits his room, leaving the door cracked open.
Later, Hershel decides to leave through the door but he is attacked by two walkers. As one collapses onto him, The Dama takes out the other. She then tosses him the knife to the same with the one in his face. Together, they make their way down a corridor in the theater as The Dama promises to show him something: His new room. It's beautiful, full of lit candles, artistic wallpaper, and both paintings and sculptures from years-gone-by. The Dama talks about the importance of the past and how it's always with them, but asks the question: What if there was the potential for reinvention?
With that, she presses a button and Hershel's room becomes an elevator, lifting them high above the theater so that he can look out at the dilapidated, skeletal remains of the city. She knows that he sees what she sees: A broken city that can be rebuilt, reborn. She offers him the material, resources, and power to look out at the city and see what could be - not what is or was. This is what he ultimately draws - the drawing that he carries with him in the present day.
A New York state of mind
Back in present, Maggie and Perlie attempt to lead the survivors to safety. But, having barely survived the attempt to get on the island in the first place, the New Babylon Federation's resources are limited and they have no way of getting home. So, Maggie attempts to lead them through the park in the hopes that it will keep them off The Croat's radar until they can figure out a plan. As they do so, however, a walker attacks and kills one of the survivors. However, this walker is missing its heart.
To make matters worse, they have to venture into the tall grass... and things suddenly start getting very The Lost World: Jurassic Park as the walkers begin to pick them off. Maggie gets separate from the rest of the pack and so does Hershel. They each do what they can to survive on their own and, eventually, Maggie reunites with the group. But Hershel does not. Unfortunately, with the walkers coming towards them, Maggie and the rest of the survivors have no choice but to retreat into a nearby building. The Cafe on the Lake, it houses a different group of survivors, who tell them to come in and they will lead the walkers away. Maggie is reluctant without Hershel, but they tell her they will find him.
Speaking of Hershel, he wanders through the tall grass until he finds a nearby fountain. Its peaceful there, away from the grass and with a clear view of all its surroundings, ensuring that there won't be any surprise arrivals from either side without Hershel knowing. He takes out a sheet of paper and begins drawing his location in a bid to figure out where he is, but the wind lifts the paper a few feet away. There, another survivor from the group Maggie met picks it up and looks at it. She had saved him earlier in the tall grass and now she was intrigued by his drawing.
Meanwhile, The Croat and Negan are out looking for survivors from the New Babylon boat. The Croat attempts to sell Negan on the fact that The Dama is a good person who saved his life, but he isn't buying it. He then tells him that, although The Dama may not understand his code about harming children, he respects it and the former villain won't be expected to harm any child... as The Croat will do it instead. Seriously... ugh these people!
The Croat's right-hand man Waylan has been sent into the park to track down any remaining survivors. Negan, however, knows that Hershel might be in there so he offers to go with him. The Croat is impressed at his determination to prove himself and allows for it. And so the pair head in, unknowing of what - or who - they will find.
Waylan gets into a spot of bother pretty early when he heads into a walker-filled tunnel. He reaches out to Negan for help, but he is on his own. Waylan shouts obscenities at the traitor as he is seemingly devoured, allowing Negan to see if he can track down Hershel on his own.
Hershel introduces himself to the young woman who saved him. Her name is Joan and she likes the drawing. They are interrupted by Waylan, who is still alive but bleeding (and seemingly in transition to a walker because he was absolutely bitten, right?!). He takes Joan down with his spear and stabs her in the leg. Hershel pulls Ginny's gun on him but Waylan knows he's never fired before. He walks forward, only to be stabbed to death by a spear from behind. It's Negan! Hershel pulls the gun on Negan and fires off to his left. He steadies the gun again but, upon seeing Joan injured, he turns back to see his father's killer has disappeared into the forest.
Maggie decides its time to go and find Hershel. Although the people in the café have been nice to them, especially their leader Roksana, she isn't going to let that stop her from finding her son. When he begins taking out the dead, however, she sees that they are also missing their hearts. But before she can query it, she runs into Hershel, who has an injured Joan with her.
Lucia (our not-so-favorite marshall) sees an opportunity for the New Babylon Federation with Roksana's people. Although they have survived this long, imagine what they could do under the protection of the Federation; with food, medical supplies, resources. They could also provide them with an army to take the methane from The Croat. Perlie isn't buying it, but she's committed to the idea.
When Hershel and Maggie return, they help place Joan on a table, where Roksana tries to help. But it appears that her injuries are too much. Perlie offers a first aid kit but Roksana refuses, gently telling him that they have managed just find on their own. With that, Perlie calls off whatever coup Lucia was playing, telling her to stand down.
Meanwhile, Maggie quizzes Hershel on what happened out there. As soon as she hears about Negan's involvement, she begins interrogating him, which Hershel doesn't like; he snaps at her, telling her that he doesn't give a sh*t about Negan because apparently Maggie is the one allowed to do that. He then storms off, leaving Maggie to think about what happened... and watch as the group of survivors that they met begin preparations for Joan's send-off.
Hershel takes part in the ceremony, gifting Joan with his drawing she lays dying. He then places his head against hers and leaves, watching with the rest of the mourners. The group begin singing as Roksana lifts a pointed rock and stabs Joan in the chest, eventually removing her heart. That heart is then left outside the cafe for the walkers to feast on. Joan is also placed out there, rising from the dead as a walker and joining her fallen friends in the park. Now we know where the heartless walkers came from.
Negan returns to The Croat, informing him that Waylan met an unfortunate end at the hands of the walkers. He then tells him that there are no survivors in that park. Shockingly, The Croat believes him and, together, the two drive off back to the theater.
Ending explained: An island no one came to save
We've all wondered what's been going through Hershel's mind since this season of The Walking Dead: Dead City began, and this episode provided us with a lot of answers. That's clear when Maggie sits with her son and again asks him whether the city has some kind of hold on him. He tells her that he doesn't see the same city that everyone else does; he doesn't see the horrors. He sees a city ignored abandoned; an island no one came to save. But it can now reinvent itself, free from pain.
That's what the closing moments of the episode are all about, as Hershel - now once again via flashbacks with The Dama - draws the view from his room. The Dama tells him that the need to protect this world that they create, prevent it from harm, and that not everyone will see things their way. That's why he's going to have to make some tough choices when he goes home. She hands him a fresh pencil and he, slowly, thoughtfully, accepts it... a slight, subtle smile as he does so.
Hershel isn't returning to New York to take down The Dama like the season premiere had us thinking, he's seemingly planning on reuniting with her. Her plan for the city aligns with his, as the two have a vision to rebuild it. The only problem with that is that Maggie certainly plans to take him back home after their mission is complete... and, you know, The Dama is a murderous villain.
With that in mind, Hershel is going to find himself at a crossroads at some point throughout this season. He's going to be torn between two worlds, two choices. Does he side with his mother or with The Dama and their plan to save the Dead City? And what kind of a role will Negan play in all of this?
The stakes in Dead City have gotten a lot higher and it's going to be very interesting to watch Hershel as he is forced to choose between good and evil at some point in time. It's going to be even more interesting to see which choice he makes.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 airs on AMC and is streaming on AMC+.