Jeffrey Dean Morgan Drops Lucille 2.0: Negan’s Identity Crisis in Dead City Season 2

by

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, episode 1.

I, as an ardent fan, am intrigued by Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s interpretation of Negan’s concluding scene with Lucille in “The Walking Dead: Dead City” season 2, episode 1. In previous seasons, Morgan’s character was synonymous with a bat encased in barbed wire, known as Lucille, a grim reminder of his deceased wife. In the premiere of “Dead City” season 2, The Croat (Željko Ivanek) bestows a new Lucille upon Negan, but in the episode’s final moments, he is seen letting it fall to the ground.

In conversation with Deadline, Morgan clarifies that in the scene, Negan discards the bat because it’s not the true Lucille, and he dislikes being reminded of his past self. He hints at a cut scene where Negan didn’t just drop the bat, but flung it far away across the cell. Furthermore, Morgan reveals an interesting detail: although Negan needs to use the bat, he never refers to it as Lucille. Here are Morgan’s insights for you below:

Absolutely. The scene was edited out, and I’m not sure why, but I tossed the bat over the cell because he’s spent years trying to escape Negan’s control, to avoid being the brutal enforcer. All the symbols of Negan – Lucille, the leather coat, etc., bring back painful memories for him. He’s been striving to change or distance himself from that part of his character that he had to adopt during the apocalypse. Now these people are forcing him to return to being that man, and he’s resisting. At the end of the first season, you can see him trying to transform and leave that aspect of his past behind. Here, he’s being coerced and blackmailed into becoming the person he doesn’t wish to be, which is an interesting role to portray.

As for his feelings towards being impressed, I’m not sure that’s the case. Instead, it seems this item holds significant value due to its connection with Lucille, his former wife. The bat wasn’t something he created himself, but rather a gift from Ivanek – a character resembling Lucille 2.0. However, he doesn’t call her by that name; instead, it appears they must utilize her, although their bond isn’t as strong as it once was.

What This Means For The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2

Negan’s Progress Will Not Be Undone By Lucille 2.0

Morgan’s remarks underscore that, though Maggie (Lauren Cohan) betrayed him at the end of Dead City‘s first season and he now has a new Lucille, Negan chooses not to revert back to his former villainous persona. He’ll do whatever is necessary to navigate the harshness of post-apocalyptic New York City, but he dislikes being coerced into becoming the Negan who used to command the Saviors. Reminders of this past are unwelcome to him. This development in the character’s growth won’t be wasted in the spinoff series.

Negan finds the new Lucille unappealing because it lacks personal significance to him. Receiving a fresh bat covered in barbed wire doesn’t equate to the same item that played such a significant role in his story on The Walking Dead, as it reminded him of his wife and shaped his identity in the post-apocalyptic world. Not addressing the new bat as Lucille emphasizes how it falls short compared to the original Lucille.

Our Take On Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Comments

Dead City Season 2 Is Making Smart Choices

I’m pleased that “Dead City” isn’t undercutting Negan’s growth from his brutal past, where he used the original Lucille for gruesome deeds. As Morgan suggests, it’s more captivating to portray a character who is compelled to return to that dark phase, yet resists doing so. The internal struggle will keep the narrative engaging as Negan strives to survive and hold onto the humanity he regained in “The Walking Dead: Dead City” season 2.

Read More

2025-05-05 07:39