In a franchise as cruel as The Walking Deadâwhere the undead rise from the ground and hunt the livingâyou know death is inevitable. It doesn't matter whether someone meets their end at the hands of a walker or by being hit by a bat wrapped in barbed wire named Lucille; tragedy strikes all the same. Now, a Walking Dead spinoff show has reinforced the idea that no one is actually safe and anyone can perish at any moment.
After a year-long wait, the third season of The Walking Dead: Dead City is finally here, and it kicked things off with a bang. Maggie and Negan's adventure is far from over as the iconic duo keeps attempting to survive a ruthless world filled with walkers, treason, and their own complicated history. But watching our favorite characters take over the small screen once more comes at a price, so of course the opening episode had to make us pay.
But before we begin, be warned: This article contains major SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 episode 1. If you haven't seen the episode and don't want it spoiled, it's best to turn away now.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 opens with an unexpected death
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 has reinvigorated the show with new life and interesting new characters, but it does so by distancing itself from the storylines set up in season 2. Unfortunately, that also means a long-standing veteran had to exit the spin-off, and that person just so happened to be The Croat.
Mile Jurkovic has been an integral part of The Walking Dead: Dead City from the very first season. He was one of the survivors living in Negan's Sanctuary and learned from his leader how to become a ruthless figure. However, he eventually took things a little too far and became a loose end. This immediately put him at odds with Negan, and throughout the first two seasons of the spin-off show, the two had a very complicated relationship. There were moments where a friendship nearly blossomed, but it couldn't quite come to be because... well, sometimes they wanted to kill each other.
One of the Croat's biggest accomplishments was generating electricity powered by methane tanks. The Dama used this resource to try to take over Manhattan and convince other factions to join her ranks. However, it all went awry when the New Babylon Federation arrived at the island and planned to take over everything, including the precious methane tanks capable of lighting up entire cities.
The Croat preferred to watch his life's work go to waste rather than be taken by others. As such, he ignited the methane tanks, which resulted in a huge explosion that killed many and left him heavily injured in the process. Things only got worse with time, as the Croat's injury became infected and it started to become clear that his life was at serious risk.
While most of the methane tanks were destroyed, Mile Jurkovic revealed that he had one more left hidden away. The Walking Dead: Dead City newcomers Luis and Renata needed that tank to run an incubatorâa task that was of vital importance since their sister-in-law had a baby on the way. So, in order to buy himself a few more minutes of life, the Croat agreed to guide the whole group to his hideout and hand over the last remains of his life's work.
Unfortunately, Mile's situation didn't get any better. While he did keep his word and lead the group to the Croatian Consulate (where the last methane tank was hidden), he passed away right at the building's entrance. Negan couldn't help but hold his frenemy in his hands and watch as his final moments of life slipped away. As simple as that, one of the main players of The Walking Dead: Dead City is now gone.
What makes this death all the more unexpected is that it seemed like the Croat would eventually join Negan and Maggie in their fight against the Dama. Season 2 set his character up for a potential revenge storyline, and fans were eager to see what Mile would do next. However, things aren't quite as simple in a ruthless world like that of The Walking Dead. His passing was a big hit for Negan, even if the two weren't always on the best of terms. On the bright side, now The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 has the chance to forge its own path free of previous arcs, and we can't wait to see where the story heads next.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 airs on AMC and streams on AMC+ on Sundays.
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