Maggie’s Motive for Burning Ginny’s Toy in ‘Walking Dead: Dead City’ Explained

Maggie burnt Ginny’s toy in a sinister move in The Walking Dead: Dead City. She got hold of Ginny’s plush dinosaur from one of her new group members in The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 3. 

Instead of notifying Negan about Ginny’s presence in Manhattan, Maggie secretly eliminated the proof, fueling more doubts about her real intentions.

Ginny, the young girl under Negan’s protection in Dead City, had a strong, emotional bond with the dinosaur toy. However, she lost it in episode 3 soon after her arrival in Manhattan. 

Ginny followed them to Manhattan to reunite with Negan, risking her safety in the process. On the other hand, Ginny being in a place as dangerous as Manhattan is clearly undesirable for Negan. 

Maggie burnt Ginny’s dinosaur plush toy so that Negan does not find out about Ginny’s whereabouts in Manhattan. The plush toy could be proof to the fact that Ginny is in Manhattan and lead Negan to discover her whereabouts. Maggie burns it destroy the proof. 

1. Why Maggie Does Not Want Negan to Find Ginny

Maggie demonstrated her unwillingness to let Negan find Ginny by burning the plush stegosaurus. The reason for this could be explained by the events of Walking Dead: Dead City episode 2. 

The episode highlighted Ginny witnessing a Hilltop resident ascending a grain silo, implying he was either storing it or retrieving something. In another scene, Ginny received a piece of bread. 

These details directly challenge Maggie’s account of a grain scarcity in Hilltop. Allegedly, the Croat seized their grain and is requesting more, but they have none to offer. Judging by the evidence, parts of this account – if not all of it – have been falsified.

Regardless of Ginny’s motive for coming to Manhattan, the chances of Negan discovering this secret would be likely if they met. Depending on what it is, Negan may choose not to assist her in rescuing Herschel from the Croat. 

Ensuring she maintains him as a partner seems to be her objective in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Moreover, knowing about Ginny’s existence in Manhattan would alter Negan’s priorities. It is logical that he’d be more inclined to secure Ginny’s safety before aiding Maggie in saving Herschel.

2. What This Incident Implies About Maggie’s Character 

Maggie’s actions in The Walking Dead: Dead City push her into ethically questionable territory. 

As one of the protagonists of the franchise, it’s uncommon to see Maggie make a choice that could endanger a child’s life, and that’s precisely what she’s doing by concealing the reality about Ginny. 

However, that’s not to imply that Maggie is becoming anything akin to a villain in The Walking Dead universe. It just illustrates how desperate she is to retrieve Herschel and vanquish the Croat. All other concerns are secondary to her.

3. About The Walking Dead: Dead City

The Walking Dead: Dead City is an upcoming television series in The Walking Dead’s TV universe. Eli Jorné will serve as showrunner, who co-created the series along with Scott Gimple. AMC announced the spinoff in March 2022.

The spinoff will follow Maggie and Negan’s adventures through New York City as they look for Maggie’s lost son, Hershel. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan will reprise their roles as Negan and Maggie, respectively, along with new and old cast members. The series will premiere on June 18, 2023.