The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 has further complicated The Walking Dead‘s portrayal of post-apocalyptic survivors and the difference between heroes and villains. Though other series in the universe have defined the difference between antagonists and protagonists, this spin-off has highlighted various villains, making it more difficult for viewers to fully side with one group or another. In the last episode, New Babylon attacking the Dama’s group was a rare example of two villains facing off with the same intention to maintain power and control.

Even beloved characters in Dead City, such as Maggie and Negan, are not without their controversies. This doesn’t make these characters less likable, but makes their storylines more intriguing. In the latest episode, it becomes clear that Hershel Rhee is among the most complex and morally gray characters. As of now, this unsuspecting child of the apocalypse is proving to the audience that his unusual attachments to certain people are making him turn to villainous behaviors.

Hershel Rhee Has Unusual Relationships

Dead City Season 1 did not have a major role for Hershel Rhee, largely utilizing his character as a catalyst to get Maggie and Negan to Manhattan, but he is finally getting the attention he deserves in The Walking Dead storyline by having far more agency in Season 2. At the beginning of this season, Hershel and Maggie are starting to mend their relationship a year after they got back from New York. However, when New Babylon shows up and demands soldiers for their mission, and Maggie agrees to stand in for other members of the Bricks, Hershel is upset about this decision, feeling as though this will further complicate their tense relationship.

Hershel has a strained relationship with his mother, despite her being his only living family member, due to her traumatic past and how it has influenced her ability to focus on raising her son. This is an important aspect of Hershel’s characterization, explaining why he may want to develop bonds with others out of loneliness or desperation to connect with someone. Though it seems Ginny has become a hesitant member of their family dynamic, it’s obvious that Hershel has a fascination with the Dama.

The audience doesn’t have much context regarding Hershel and the Dama’s relationship, because Season 1 focused on Negan and Maggie’s mission in Manhattan, but we do know that she had his small toe cut off. This makes viewers confused about Hershel’s fascination with this villain, especially since she’s demonstrated to him how brutal she can be. On the other hand, the leader does seem very forthcoming with her personality and intentions, which is a drastic change compared to Hershel’s relationship with his closed-off mother.

Hershel Made a Shocking Decision In Season 2

Image via AMC

In the first episode of Season 2 of Dead City, Maggie leaves Hershel behind at the Bricks, assuming she convinced him to stay safe at home and let her deal with the threat to their community. However, in the second episode, Maggie sees a signal for the Croat and shows up at the site, finding Hershel, who had followed her with the intention of convincing her to go back home. After the attack on the water, and the survivors regroup to figure out their next actions, Maggie realizes that Hershel was the one who set the fire that signaled to the Dama’s group that New Babylon was attacking.

There are a couple of reasons Hershel may have set the fire, alerting the Dama, the Croat, and Negan that there was an attack on the island. One seemingly obvious reason is his fascination with the Dama. Though the audience is unsure why he is interested in the villain, aiding her group does confirm the suspicion that he is not opposed to the villainous group and is willing to help them when they’re threatened. This doesn’t confirm that Hershel is eager to join the dangerous community in threatening and taking over other communities, but it does establish that he is willing to defend them (or help them defend themselves).

Why it was so shocking that Hershel made this decision to signal to the Croat that New Babylon was attacking is because Maggie and Ginny were a part of this army, which put these two people he cares about in just as much danger as the rest of the soldiers. However, he did tell Maggie that he came to convince her to leave, suggesting he hoped to keep her from being on the ship when it was fired on. Despite this excuse, there was no guarantee that he would be able to save his mother, which emphasizes his naivety and how conflicted his emotions are.

Hershel’s Allegiance Is Split

Image via AMC

There isn’t an obvious side Hershel has taken in this war for power in Dead City Season 2, but there is one side he is obviously not taking. Despite his conflicting allegiances with Maggie and the Dama, his decision to unleash the Croat on New Babylon makes it clear he does not care about this organization or its soldiers. This isn’t an unreasonable or shocking position for the young survivor, especially considering the federation is another tyrannical community in the post-apocalyptic world demanding control and power at the expense of people’s happiness and lives.

His most shocking allegiance in this narrative is his seeming dedication to the Dama, despite knowing she isn’t opposed to using people like the Croat and Negan to make people too fearful to challenge her leadership. Before this complicated and mysterious relationship between the leader and the teenager, viewers may have assumed Hershel would despise violent dictators because of how Negan killed his father and influenced his relationship with his mother before he was even born. On the other hand, this traumatic backstory could be a key reason why Hershel is interested in villains and seeks to understand their perspective.

Hershel’s uncertain relationship with the Dama further complicates and confuses the relationship he has with his mother. While there could be valid reasons he has an interest in this villain, it does make viewers wonder if his interest in the Dama is more important than mending his relationship with Maggie. It’s clear that he still stands beside his mother and wants to see her protected, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s willing to overlook his connections with problematic people in order to maintain his relationship with his only parent.

Hershel’s Future Is More Uncertain Than Ever

AMC

At this point in the narrative, it’s not obvious that Hershel Rhee is one of the villains in Dead City, but his actions in the second episode of this season hint at a major aspect of this characterization. Viewers can sympathize with a traumatized child wanting to know and understand the actions of villains that have intricately impacted their lives. However, there’s an important difference between being fascinated with villains and taking an active role in ensuring they are capable of continuing their heinous and devious actions.

So, while Hershel has attachments to both protagonists, like Maggie, and antagonists, like the Dama, he has already become a villain in Dead City. His inability to decide between the violent leader and his withdrawn mother is understandable, but his decision to support and aid a villain confirms that he is not unwilling to cause harm. New Babylon was a villain attacking a villain, but Hershel was also aware that not all the soldiers on that ship were bad people, confirming to the audience that he is, at the very least, indifferent to people that he doesn’t have an attachment to.

Long-running fans of The Walking Dead Universe may be heartbroken to see Maggie and Glenn’s child become a character who would side with a tyrannical and villainous group. However, Hershel becoming a villain in this storyline shows the exceptional focus on morally gray characters and how the franchise has continued to blur the lines between villain and hero throughout the years. His actions don’t necessarily make him a character viewers can’t like, but rather make him an impressive addition to the complex and unique characters of The Walking Dead.