Actor Gaius Charles portrays a new character in The Walking Dead universe named Perlie Armstrong. A self-proclaimed “family man,” he is employed as a marshal of New Babylon, but what does that position entail? Are the marshals good guys or bad?
In episode one of Dead City, “Old Acquaintances,” Perlie is introduced as a heavy hand of law and order in the community known as New Babylon. This is the capital city of New Babylon Federation, a group of survivor cities and states likely located in the New York/New Jersey area. They follow a strict code of rules with the motto of Tranquillitas Ordinis – tranquility, justice, order, and the law.
When introduced, he is accompanied by two other marshals, Jano (Trey Santiago-Hudson) and Gritz (David Chen). Sadly, both of these men are killed in episode one.
Many have speculated that his wife and daughters have been killed, giving him a hard edge.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Perlie Armstrong
Like Rick Grimes, Armstrong appears to be a man who is the image of a post-apocalyptic lawman. He has rules he follows to the letter and knows the difference between right and wrong. He is hunting down Negan for killing a New Babylon magistrate and four marshals. He will then execute Negan for his crimes in a manner that seems awful medieval.
This is where it has been questioned whether the marshals of New Babylon are as good as they claim to be. They hang people, allow them to reanimate still hanging from the noose, and fed the bar owner (Michelle Hurd) to the walkers for breaking many laws. Granted, the reanimated hanging victims are supposed to be a warning, but how about the way they will deal with Negan when he is caught?
"For what this man has done, he’ll be dangled upside down and sawed in half lengthwise from the groin to the head, very, very slowly. – Perlie Armstrong"
He also didn’t flinch when he accidentally shot his fellow marshal Jano. Pretty cold.
The marshals are to uphold the law in New Babylon, but now Perlie is in Manhattan, which seems out of his jurisdiction, yet he still hunts Negan. He appears to be one of the good guys, but only time will tell if he really is.
The Walking Dead: Dead City will air new episodes weekly on AMC on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. AMC+ subscribers can watch new episodes three days early on Thursdays.
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