Rick Grimes’ return to The Walking Dead franchise has sparked plenty of conversation among fans, and one theory surrounding the character may have explained Dead City‘s biggest plot hole. The spinoff’s first season forced Negan and Maggie to work together as they took on the Dama and the Croat who had kidnapped Hershel. While it seemed like the villainous duo could be the show’s main antagonists going forward, Dead City introduced the New Babylon Federation in season 2, who have proven to be just as evil, and although they present themselves as a lawful community, this isn’t quite the case.

The faction has frequently exploited vulnerable settlements and blackmailed them into joining the Federation, including Maggie’s group. As a result, the Bricks’ residents found themselves having to obey New Babylon’s laws, which include conscription, and given that the punishment for desertion is public execution, it’s clear this community is extremely flawed. While New Babylon is undoubtedly compelling villains, the fact that they took over the Bricks creates a Rick Grimes plot hole in Dead City as it seems unlikely he and the franchise’s other main survivors wouldn’t have helped Maggie, but one interesting theory may offer a potential explanation.

Theory: Rick Grimes & Maggie Had A Huge Falling Out Between The Ones Who Live & Dead City

The Lack Of Help Towards The Bricks Suggests Rick & The Walking Dead’s Other Characters May Have Cut Ties With Maggie

Image via AMC

Considering we haven’t heard any mention of Rick Grimes in Dead City despite his miraculous return happening well before season 1 took place, it’s possible he and Maggie had a huge falling out. Despite the duo knowing each other since almost the very beginning of the apocalypse, it’s not out of the question that something could have driven a wedge between them, resulting in their relationship breaking down. After Rick disappeared, he was presumed dead and wasn’t seen for years until he finally returned home in The Ones Who Live‘s ending, where he reunited with his family.

Although we never saw him interact with the franchise’s central survivors on screen, the spinoff’s climax implied that the Grimes family went to either Alexandria or the Commonwealth, meaning he would have had a chance to interact with everyone. Dead City takes place roughly six years later, meaning there is no way Maggie and Rick wouldn’t have crossed paths, yet the franchise’s protagonist has been completely absent in the project. This indicates something big must have happened between the duo, considering no one has tried to help Maggie’s community.

Maggie and Rick’s last on-screen interaction came in season 9, episode 3, “Warning Signs”, which took place roughly 15 years before The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1.

Not only was Hershel kidnapped by the Croat, but New Babylon’s takeover meant that the Bricks’ trading partners had been completely cut off. Surely, if Rick and Maggie were still on good terms, this would have raised alarms back in the Commonwealth and Alexandria, resulting in the communities coming to help having not heard from the Bricks in months. Instead, Maggie had to turn to Negan to save her son, adding more fuel to the fire that Rick’s return led to a major falling out, hence why Maggie no longer has contact with the franchise’s main settlements.

Rick & Maggie Have A History Of Disagreeing In The Walking Dead

They Butted Heads Over How To Deal With Gregory & Negan

Given everything they’ve been through, it may be hard to believe that Maggie and Rick would have completely cut ties with one another, but this isn’t the first time they’ve clashed. Their biggest disagreement by far involved deciding the fate of Negan. After a long, personal battle with The Walking Dead‘s antagonist, Rick was finally able to defeat Negan, but rather than killing him, he chose to respect Carl’s dying wish of creating peace, imprisoning the Saviors’ leader instead. Unfortunately, Maggie didn’t agree with his decision, believing Negan should pay for his crimes.

After brutally killing Glenn upon his introduction, Negan unintentionally started a Walking Dead feud with Maggie that has lasted several years and is still ongoing, hence why she was so passionate about him being executed. However, Rick ultimately decided against it, causing the long-term allies to butt heads, with Maggie even trying to assassinate Negan while he was in prison. This incident overlapped with their disagreement about Gregory, as Maggie opted to hang the former Hilltop leader after his constant betrayals, a decision that Rick felt was morally wrong.

While Maggie would undoubtedly have been delighted to hear that Rick returned, they weren’t on great terms before the protagonist went missing, and it’s possible the animosity continued, eventually reaching a boiling point.

As a result, it became clear that the two had very different views on how to lead their people, which caused a lot of tension before Rick disappeared. While Maggie would undoubtedly have been delighted to hear that Rick returned, they weren’t on great terms before the protagonist went missing, and it’s possible the animosity continued, eventually reaching a boiling point.

What Maggie & Rick Might’ve Fallen Out Over

The Timeline Means They Could Potentially Have Disagreed On How To Deal With A Villain Group Or Something Regarding Rick’s CRM Connection

While it’s impossible to know for sure what Rick and Maggie could’ve disagreed on, there are a few potential theories. Firstly, their dispute could have simply picked up where it left off, talking about Negan being allowed a second chance and their overall leadership methods. Likewise, their argument could have been about how to deal with a new threat. Given that six years have passed between Rick’s return and Dead City, it’s possible that a new sinister faction arrived on the scene, with both characters having different philosophies on how they should address the problem.

Rick may have wanted a more passive and peaceful approach based on the war he went through with the CRM, whereas Maggie could have pitched a more violent and direct approach. Additionally, the CRM itself could have also been the source of their falling out. Although Rick didn’t become the CRM’s leader, he did seem to form an alliance with them, giving The Walking Dead‘s central communities access to all kinds of resources. While this sounds great on paper, Maggie may have been upset about such a powerful faction knowing their locations, especially considering what they were previously capable of.

Regardless of what their disagreement was about, it must have been big enough to unsettle this long-term friendship, and if the theory is correct, Dead City offers a strong idea of who was in the wrong.

Maggie’s Lack Of Support From Other Walking Dead Characters Suggests She Was In The Wrong

Surely Someone Else Would Have Helped Maggie If She Was Acting Rationally

Maggie may be one of the strongest leaders in the franchise, but her stubborn and sometimes reckless nature can lead to her making bad decisions, and her lack of support means she was likely in the wrong. Not only has Dead City season 2 failed to feature a Rick Grimes cameo so far, but it hasn’t included any legacy characters outside of Maggie, Negan, and Hershel, suggesting Maggie lost the support of everyone. If the dispute was exclusively between her and Rick, other characters would surely have offered support by now, but Maggie may have burned all her bridges.

Her bad reaction could even explain why Hilltop relocated to the Bricks in the first place, as she may have chosen to get away from those who weren’t willing to support her. This may even contribute to Hershel’s disdain towards his mother, as being taken away from his home could have caused some lingering resentment. It’s hard to imagine Maggie acting so irrationally that she fell out with all of her Walking Dead allies, but perhaps leaving the other communities behind made it impossible for them to contact her, hence why they haven’t helped at all.

Rick Grimes Probably Doesn’t Know What’s Happening In The Walking Dead: Dead City

Even If He Was Mad At Maggie, Rick Wouldn’t Completely Abandon Her Given Their History

Even if there is still beef between the duo, Rick would never leave Maggie in such a dire situation without offering support, suggesting he doesn’t know what is happening at the Bricks. Rick and Maggie have fought in several battles together and often looked out for one another, with Maggie even helping deliver Judith back in season 3. There is far too much history for Rick to simply abandon Maggie in a time of need, even if there is animosity between them, suggesting The Walking Dead‘s protagonist must be oblivious as to what is going on in New York.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Episodes
Release Date

Episode 1: “Power Equals Power”
May 4, 2025

Episode 2: “Another Shitty Lesson”
May 11, 2025

Episode 3: “Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?”
May 18, 2025

Episode 4: “Feisty Friendly”
May 25, 2025

Episode 5: “The Bird Always Knows”
June 1, 2025

Episode 6: “Bridge Partners are Hard to Come by These Days”
June 8, 2025

Episode 7: “Novi Dan, Novi Početak”
June 15, 2025

Episode 8: “If History Were a Conflagration”
June 22, 2025

Assuming Maggie cut ties with Alexandria and the Commonwealth, Rick and the others may just assume everything is fine with Maggie, especially if the disagreement happened shortly before New Babylon took over the Bricks. With the community’s trade and communications cut off, it’s probably impossible for Maggie to get a message back home, and the journey could be too far to make on her own. Therefore, Dead City‘s conflict must be happening without Rick’s knowledge, making the idea of a dispute between him and Maggie even more tragic, as he’d undoubtedly still try and help regardless of his personal feelings.