Are Negan and Maggie Enemies? Everything to Know Ahead of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 2
Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) has had a complicated and often outright hostile relationship with Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) from the day they met – and rightfully so.
To viewers, Negan's debut on The Walking Dead was one of the most controversial television moves of all time, leaving some delighted with the way Jeffrey brought the bat-wielding big-bad to life with swagger and a gleefully evil aura, while others found themselves frustrated with the cliffhanger ending of season 6 and the heartbreaking deaths that came in the premiere episode of season 7.
But to Maggie, Negan's entrance into her life changed everything forever. While the tension between them rarely wavers, being forced to rely on each other for survival amid their harrowing journey through a walker-infested New York has led to a more nuanced dynamic that has forced them both to reevaluate their beliefs about each other, even if best friendship isn't on the horizon.
Soon after they meet, Maggie (née Greene) and Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) develop an adorable flirtation that quickly becomes a deep emotional bond in the early seasons of The Walking Dead … but it all comes to an end when Negan and the Saviors are introduced in season 6.
Shortly after learning that she's pregnant with Glenn's child, Maggie is forced to watch as he's brutally murdered right in front of her in a show of power from Negan and the Saviors.
Following Glenn's death, there's a clear change in Maggie as she evolves from a resilient but hopeful survivor into a strong leader who has lost much of the hope and faith she once had before losing her father, her sister, and finally, her husband, all in traumatic ways.
Even after Negan is captured and put into a jail cell to pay for his crimes, Maggie struggles with the fact that he's still alive. She eventually leaves and moves to the Hilltop community.
Although Maggie and Negan are occasionally forced to work together to survive over the years, the anger Maggie has for Negan is still there throughout the entirety of the flagship show – though there are moments when it appears to have softened.
A few years after the events of the TWD series finale, it's safe to say that Maggie and Negan are not active mutual enemies – but they don't have warm and fuzzy feelings for each other either. Maggie still despises Negan, and they are both willing to do what it takes when it comes to survival for themselves and their loved ones.
The pair become begrudging allies for a time when Maggie and Glenn's teenage son, Hershel (Logan Kim), is kidnapped by The Croat (Željko Ivanek) – a former Savior who still idolizes Negan – and taken to Manhattan, New York. Throughout their journey, they struggle to reconcile their pasts with their current need to rely on each other in order to rescue Hershel.
As they close in on The Croat, Negan realizes that he's being led into a trap just before Maggie pulls a knife on him. It's later revealed that Maggie decided to trade him to The Croat in exchange for her son.
'The s--t thing is Maggie, we could've done it. We could have saved Hershel,' Negan tells her. 'Maybe some part of you always wanted it to end this way. The fact is, Maggie, it doesn't matter what excuses I give you, or how many apologies I offer, you can't get over it. And you shouldn't.'
After Hershel is saved, he echoes similar thoughts.
"It's like you're obsessed with him. With Negan. With what he did. Getting him back ... And I'm right here. But you don't see me,' he says. 'It's like my whole life you've been looking over my shoulder, watching for him, waiting for him. But you never see me. Whatever. It doesn't matter."
Warning: Spoilers ahead for all released trailers and sneak peeks!
Now that The Croat has finally found Negan, he is setting him up as a leadership figure in his community as he tries to coax out the old, cruel Negan he knew back when he was with the Saviors.
However, fans recall that The Dama (Lisa Emery) – who is The Croat's boss and the true leader of his group – warned Negan at the end of season 1 that if he didn't go along with their plans, she would harm Hershel. So, it's unclear if Negan is actually enjoying his new role or if he is going along with it to protect the teen … or if it's a mix of both.
Meanwhile, Maggie and Hershel's relationship remains complicated back home and it's hinted that she may be intending to return to Manhattan to save Negan from The Croat after trading his life for her son's.
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