When Beth (Emily Kinney) was killed off in season 5 of The Walking Dead in 2014, it felt as if fans of the show were cheated out of the reunion between Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Beth. Now, twelve years later, I finally got to see the reunion that I always wanted in Dead City — and Emily Kinney felt that too.
In an interview with People, Kinney spoke about how that hug between Maggie and Beth in the very beginning of the alternate reality episode felt like the hug she always wanted back then between the two sisters:
“I don’t know if they were specifically calling back to season five, but yeah, I think it is a hug that never got to happen. I know for me, and for the character, it was really satisfying to be able to see my sister …. When we got separated in the zombie apocalypse, I never got to have that reunion. So it was very satisfying.”
As someone who, honestly, was shocked to her core when Beth was killed in season 5, that was what it felt like for me. I was a part of that train of delusional fans who analyzed every aspect of her gunshot and prayed she was still alive, but in the end, of course, she was gone.
I still stand by the fact that I believe her death ruined the story of the show—or, at the very least, set a precedent for the writers to kill off whoever without any regard to the plot. But even so, seeing her now, in the Dead City spinoff with Maggie, certainly made me smile.
And her being in this world—in New York City, pursuing her dreams—is a bittersweet victory, in a sense, because here she gets to have both her music and her family. She even spoke about that moment in the interview, saying that this story was in the making for ages:
“I feel like we set up who Beth was—being a singer, more artistic—so many years ago. When we got together in this alternate timeline, it was pretty easy to think about who she would be in her 30s, and if the zombie apocalypse hadn’t happened.”
This episode really showed exactly what it would be like. It made me want to see so much more than what I got.
How Beth was involved in the Dead City alternate-reality episode?
Overall, the alternate-reality episode, titled "Genesis," shows Maggie visiting New York City, aiming to see her sister again and watch her sing. Maggie is struggling with life in general, trying to save her father’s farm instead of selling it (since Hershel (Scott Wilson) has passed away), and she's also going through a divorce.
We see Beth at the beginning, with the two sisters embracing in Central Park. Even so, Maggie reveals that she has to race back to Georgia to meet with someone she could potentially use to keep the farm running, which creates tension between the siblings.
Most of the episode features Maggie meeting and spending time with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). It is a chance encounter meant to be like, "Oh, in this other universe, we’d be friends.” And in here, they do get along very well and have some funny moments, like Negan’s monologue in the batting cage and at the very end.
Both of them seem to teach each other valuable lessons by the end about what they should do with their lives, so much so that they wind up going to the bar where Beth is singing to watch her. It’s a nice full-circle moment.
But despite their day together, the episode ends with them reverting to their basic instincts. Maggie gets a call that her plan for the farm might work, and she might not have to sell, despite saying she would, and Negan…well, he’s Negan. He does something bad, and I won’t spoil it here.
Even so, it was interesting to see Beth in this environment. It was like watching worlds collide, and while she wasn’t a huge plot point here, it was lovely to see her with Maggie again and watch the sisters have some valuable scenes together—including a cute singing one.
Whether we’ll get another alternate reality episode ever again, I don’t know, but I certainly enjoyed this. And I hope that maybe, in another lifetime, we might be able to see some other characters too, not just Beth.
You can check out the latest Dead City episode on AMC+.
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