The Walking Dead‘s newest hero has the same big Rick energy as the show’s original protagonist. Ever since Rick left the original show in season 9, the zombie franchise has floundered trying to introduce a survivor who matches his energy. While long-term heroes like Daryl and Maggie helped lead the charge up through The Walking Dead series finale, they could never measure up to the same grit, tenacity, and care Rick managed to balance all at once.
It’s why The Ones Who Live was the best spinoff to come after the original show ended, its reunion of Rick and Michonne fortifying the ideas that made the franchise so popular to begin with. It’s been difficult to top Rick’s presence onscreen, even as The Walking Dead‘s ongoing spinoffs carve out their own identities. Daryl Dixon, for example, mixes the horror of the apocalypse with a Western feel in season 3, but does so without truly capturing the same energy Rick held onto throughout his run on the show.
The Walking Dead: Dead City, on the other hand, seems to have what it takes to bring big Rick energy back to the franchise. Although its first two seasons were met with mixed-to-negative reception from fans and critics alike, Dead City season 3 has served as a soft reboot of sorts for the story. Maggie and Negan are on better terms as she tries to build a new community in a Manhattan hospital. Said hospital has its own leader, too, and her presence feels very much like Rick’s in the original series.
The Walking Dead: Dead City’s Renata Is Giving Major Rick Grimes Vibes
Renata is the leader of the hospital group, one of Dead City‘s new characters for season 3. Her father was the original leader of the group before his death, resulting in her taking over at a young age. She’s been in charge of the hospital for 15 years, including during the Croat’s reign over New York City. In a flashback, she was established to be someone willing to die for her people, while also being ruthless when necessary.
However, with Maggie by her side, she’s beginning to fight for a more peaceful future where everyone she loves can be safe. While the series established she’ll go to extreme lengths to protect people, similar to Rick’s sacrifice in The Walking Dead season 9, she’s also alright with making tough calls to bring about peace and unity. Her approach is somewhat more benevolent, however, with a focus on unity, such as trying to bring two warring factions of people together to make the hospital stronger.
Her Rick-like energy comes from her determination to keep people safe, even at the cost of her own. Rick himself was a very self-sacrificial leader, but also someone unafraid to get his hands dirty when things got tough. The same can be said for Renata, who’s shown herself willing to go to great lengths to protect those she loves and further strengthen her community in the process.
I’m Worried About Renata’s Future
Yet Renata’s strengths also make me worried about her future. As Dead City‘s events have established, the spinoff has a habit of killing its supporting characters each season, from Tommaso and Amaia in season 1, to Bruegel and Roksana in season 2. Season 3, episode 3 also established that Negan thinks Maggie would be a better leader than Renata, while the episode 4 trailer shows that he’ll be alone with her as Maggie goes on an excursion with Luis.
It seems like things might not be looking so great for Renata, especially if Dead City season 3 follows the same pattern as previous seasons. But, because of how much Rick energy she has, it would be a mistake for The Walking Dead to kill her off. She’s a vital part of the spinoff and the overall franchise, now, which makes her presence a welcoming one that makes it feel like Rick is back in action.
- Release Date
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June 15, 2023
- Showrunner
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Eli Jorne, Seth Hoffman
- Directors
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Kevin Dowling, Loren Yaconelli
- Writers
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Brenna Kouf