The Dama is determined to continue building the Manhattan alliance to better resist the coming assault by the New Babylon Federation in the events of Episode Five. Increasingly concerned that The Croat’s confrontational style is jeopardising her plan to build a coalition of the willing, she’s eager to utilise Negan’s skills in negotiation and flattery to win over new allies.
But some of the more sceptical warlords are reluctant to have their autonomy curtailed, while in the depleted ranks of the New Babylon raiders, a mutiny is stirring. The power struggle now underway on both sides of the island’s battle lines is the key concern of The Bird Always Knows, an episode overstuffed with betrayal and double-crossing shenanigans.
The Dama is furious that a power outage, triggered by a mischievous act of sabotage, might damage her reputation. Negan is sent to meet with the feisty Christos, one of the remaining refuseniks on the island. The challenge that Negan faces in winning Christos over is that, at their previous encounter in Power Equals Power, he humiliated him, zapping him with his newly electrified baseball bat Lucille (new edition).
Negan uses all of his persuasive powers to placate and reassure, empathising with Christos’ desire to protect the women and children in his care. Negan can also sympathise with Christos’ view that the alliance is not an equal one, but a means for the most powerful to exploit others. Unfortunately, The Croat arrives to sour the mood, insulting his host and putting everything at risk. Things turn bloody and The Croat pushes everything past the point of no return. When he sees how ruthless The Croat is prepared to be when dealing with those who resist him, Negan realises he must drive a wedge between The Croat and The Dama if he is to survive.
The hunt for the methane gas supplies continues, as Maggie attempts a reconciliation with her son, suggesting that all his indiscretions are forgiven. Confirmation that Negan is still alive, contrary to Perlie’s insistence that he killed him, gives Lucia the pretext she requires to launch her coup. She detains the Foragers’ leader Roksana, along with Perlie, Maggie and Hershel, and plans her knock-out blow against the Burazi.
After the first of their number is strung up for their alleged crimes, the execution of the remainder is interrupted by an insurgency of walkers, excited by the doting Foragers’ New Age caterwauling. It’s an unimpressive spectacle that leaves all of the clunky plot’s sharp edges in plain sight. The moment does at least settle the question of who’s in charge of the remaining New Babylon survivors, and brings to an end the now tiresome issue of where Ginny’s and Hershel’s true loyalties lie (now their previous duplicities are out in the open).
At a pivotal moment, Bruegel turns up with his henchmen to confirm his status as a power player. He does so as the increasingly tense relationship between The Croat and The Dama reaches a point of irreparable breakdown, in a welter of recriminations. It’s a consequential showdown, made more significant by the revelation of Negan’s involvement in the worsening antagonism between the two.
The leadership of Manhattan might now be decapitated, just as the alliance The Dama sought to build appears to have reached the critical mass necessary to repel the New Babylonians – if they ever return in sufficient numbers to pose a threat. Let’s just hope that this season finale does not arrive at the destination that key plot points are signposting so heavily – the anointing of a new king of New York, who’s able to claim the throne on the basis of a proven track record of ruthlessness, and the death of his rivals.
The second season of THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY premiers on AMC and AMC+ in the US
Read our previous reviews of the second season of THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY below:
Season 2, Episode 1, POWER EQUALS POWER
Season 2, Episode 2, ANOTHER SHITTY LESSON
Season 2, Episode 3, WHY DID THE MAINLANDERS CROSS THE RIVER?
Season 2, Episode 4, FEISTY FRIENDLY
