THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY Brings Simon Back for an Important Flashback Scene

The Walking Dead: Dead City is all about Maggie and Negan’s ongoing plan to save Hershel from the Croat. The show makes frequent references to characters like Glenn, Annie, and others from the original series via Maggie’s recurring nightmares (i.e. archival footage). However, we hadn’t seen any Dead City cameos until now. Dead City went back to the peak Savior days and, through an important and new flashback scene, brought Simon back into The Walking Dead world.

As we know, Simon was Negan’s second-in-command until things went sour between them. During a failed coup, Negan got the upper hand and strangled Simon to death. Dead City’s fourth episode opens with Negan and Lucille (the bat) chilling at a table. Simon comes in and tells Negan that they have a problem. As they walk down a hallway, Simon says that people are complaining about someone who is way out of line.

That person is the Croat, who claims he got a girl—who was allegedly a King Ezekiel spy—to confess. Her “confession” probably came as a result of torture in hopes that he would stop. This lines up with what Negan told Maggie about when he revealed why he parted ways with the Croat. Negan looks at the girl’s mutilated corpse and gets really angry. We don’t see it happen let’s assume this is what led to Negan booting the Croat from his group.

In the present day, it seems that the Croat wants the good ole days back. However, Negan not the same man who shot off his ear years prior. (I mean, he’s still a killa. Just less chaotic and more remorseful.) Dead City bringing Simon back, even just for a flashback moment, adds necessary context to the complex relationship Negan had with the Croat and his overall past. We don’t know if any other familiar faces will appear for another quick cameo in Dead City. But we can’t wait to see how this dreadful reunion between Negan and the Croat ends.

Originally published on July 9.