Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, episode 7, “Novi Dan, Novi Početak”.The Dama has been one ofThe Walking Dead: Dead City’sbiggest villains throughout season 2, but after seemingly being killed off just a few episodes ago, she somehow managed to return. While the Croat acted as the spinoff’s main antagonist throughout the first season,Dead Cityseason 2 added villains like Bruegeland New Babylon to spice up the action, but none felt as important as the Dama. Given the Burazi had been presented as the most influential faction in Manhattan, the Dama seemed to possess a tonne of power, making her supposed death all the more shocking.
She felt almost untouchable for most of the season, butNegan’s plan to kill the Dama’s ratand pit the Croat against her completely turned the tide. With the two Burazi leaders at odds, their confrontation appeared to turn deadly whenthe Croat left the Dama trapped inside a burning room during episode 5’s climax, with episode 6 indicating she had died. However, against all odds, she showed up alongside Hershel during episode 7’s final moments where she knocked out Maggie, creating several questions about how the villain managed to survive such a deadly scenario.
The Croat Left The Room & Never Saw The Dama Die
The Walking Deadis no stranger to fake-out deaths, and given the Croat left the room before seeing the Dama die, her survival is plausible. It still required viewers to suspend belief given how dire her situation was, but she somehow managed to escape before the flames consumed her completely. After the Dama bit the Croat, the latter threw his Burazi partner off of him, causing her to fall and get trapped under furniture as the room went ablaze. While the Croat thought about helping her, he ultimately turned around and ran outside the room, leaving the Dama for dead.
Naturally,Dead Citywanted viewers to assume its central villain had died, but the final shot shows her hand still reaching upwards, suggesting she was still alive at the end of the scene. Considering how important theDama is to New York’s power struggle inDead City, it was surprising to see her seemingly killed off so casually, making her return all the more impactful. In addition,the Croat failing to check if she really died looks to be a rookie mistake as the Dama will undoubtedly be out for revenge, setting up a very intense finale for season 2.
Did The Dama Have Help Surviving?
Hershel Could Have Used First Aid On The Dama After He Fled Bruegel’s Museum
One of the biggest unexplained aspects of the Dama’s survival is how she escaped such a terrifying situation, but it’s possible she had help. It seems unlikely that anyone within the Burazi helped free her, considering there are few important characters that would fit this role. Negan almost certainly wanted her dead, and we know the Croat didn’t help, which only really leaves someone like Benjamin, who has no reason to aid her. As a result, the most likely candidate to have assisted her is Hershel, but he was seemingly heading to Bruegel’s museum at the time.
With that in mind, it’s more likely that the Dama somehow escaped on her own, with Hershel finding her after the incident where he tended to her wounds.Dead Cityhas confirmed Hershel admires the Damaand sees her as a potential mother figure, meaning he would have been quick to try and save her the moment he found her. We know the two eventually crossed paths again, andgiven Hershel went missing the night after the Dama sustained her injuries, it’s possible the young survivor managed to keep her alive.
Assuming she escaped on her own, she may have decided to fake her death, and with Hershel’s help, she might make a full recovery and put together an even more sinister plan during season 2’s finale.
Additionally, we saw that the Dama had indeed suffered injuries when she appeared in episode 7, but they weren’t quite as bad as many would have expected, meaning she could have been overplaying how stuck she really was. Assuming she escaped on her own, she may have decided to fake her death, and with Hershel’s help, she might make a full recovery and put together an even more sinister plan during season 2’s finale.
The Dama Must’ve Faked Her Death Using Another Corpse
She Surely Would Have Been Even More Injured In Episode 7 If She Was Trapped The Whole Time
While it may sound like a bit of a stretch, the Dama using another corpse to fake her death feels like the most probable outcome. The Croat and Negan never questioned the fact that she was dead, meaning they must have found some form of evidence that confirmed the fire killed her. Whether she murdered one of her own Burazi soldiers and placed them there instead or had another contingency plan in place is still unclear, but if there were no signs of a body, surely the Croat or Negan would have mentioned it.
The Croat is paranoid at the best of times, so if there was any suspicion that the Dama could have survived the ordeal, he would have been more worried. Her injuries in episode 7 confirm that she did spend a fair bit of time in the fire, but if she had to wait to be rescued or eventually broke free on her own, the damage surely would have been worse. Therefore,the Dama staging her demise could be the perfect ploy to take revenge on her enemies, which could potentially cause the Croat orNegan’s deaths inDead City.
Her Main Plan Likely Involves Getting Revenge On The Croat & Rebuilding Manhattan With Hershel
With the Dama’s survival confirmed, it raises even more questions about what her true motivation will be going forward. While she could try to return and take over the Burazi, it could prove difficult with Negan in charge, suggesting she may try to conspire with Hershel to kill anyone in her way. This would include Negan, the Croat, Bruegel, and New Babylon, as her central goal has always been to rebuild Manhattan, with the methane operation providing her the resources to do so. Therefore, she may rejoin the power struggle currently taking place in the city.
The Dama may not have an army behind her anymore, but her cunning nature could allow her to bide her time and strike while the other factions are feuding. Bruegel still plans on attacking the Burazi, and New Babylon could reemerge in Manhattan through Charlie Byrd, allowing the Dama a perfect opportunity to reclaim control of the methane operation and take out anyone left standing. Capturing Maggie could also help with this plan, as the Dama could force Maggie to fight for her, now that she has Hershel as leverage.
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Episode 8: “If History Were a Conflagration”
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Whether her plan is straight-up vengeance or she still intends to rule New York will surely become clear inDead Cityseason 2’s finale, but either way, she has the element of surprise on her side. Regardless of what she has in store,the Dama will be a major problem for many of the show’s central characters now that she has returned, and I’m excited to see how she plays into the spinoff’s conclusion.
