‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ Jeffrey Dean Morgan Discusses Negan, Rick and the ‘Dora the Explorer’ Connection

Negan may still refer to Rick Grimes as an “a–hole,” but Jeffrey Dean Morgan reveals there’s much more to that remark.

In the latest episode of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City,’ Rick was mentioned even though Andrew Lincoln’s character didn’t appear. While navigating conflicts with two rival groups from New Jersey, Negan recounted a story about someone he knew who asked three pivotal questions before allowing newcomers into his community.

Fans of ‘The Walking Dead’ quickly recognized this as a nod to Rick’s iconic questions regarding the number of walkers and people killed, along with the reasoning behind those actions.

However, Negan opted not to emulate Rick’s approach. Instead, he devised a chaotic plan involving Lucille, a blindfolded Dillard, and a piñata game that was certainly not child-friendly.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Morgan shared that Negan’s perspective on Rick has evolved over the years.

“I think Negan a long time ago came to a conclusion that he liked Rick,” Morgan stated. “I think he respected Rick, and one of the only people he really respected at that time was Rick Grimes.”

Morgan believes that the two characters share more similarities than they might admit. Both emerged as leaders and made tough decisions to safeguard their communities, though their methods differed significantly.

“I don’t think they were completely far off in things they’d done and who they are. They were both trying to lead people. They were both trying to do right by their communities,” Morgan elaborated.

He added that while Rick often grappled with his choices, Negan rarely displayed the same level of remorse.

“Negan just did it in a completely different way — generally in the smiley, evil way,” Morgan explained. “Rick had better reasoning and feelings over what he would have to do, whereas Negan never regretted much.”

This context makes Negan’s jab at Rick even more intriguing. Morgan noted that instead of simply referring to Rick as an old friend, calling him an “a–hole” aligns more closely with Negan’s character.

The scene also harkened back to a familiar aspect of Negan that long-time fans will appreciate. Morgan mentioned that this moment served as a callback to Negan’s initial major appearance in ‘The Walking Dead,’ where he employed a brutal game of “Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Moe” before killing Abraham and Glenn.

This time, however, Negan replaced the old rhyme with something far more bizarre: a song from ‘Dora the Explorer.’ He performed a violent rendition of the children’s song “Rompe La Piñata” while preparing to let Dillard swing Lucille at the two captives. Morgan confessed to Entertainment Weekly that he had never heard the song prior to filming the scene.

“I remember when that was scripted, I didn’t know what the f— it was!” Morgan recalled. “I was like, ‘What is this song?’ I had to Google it, and that’s how I found the song was from Dora the Explorer.”

Morgan expressed that the scene was particularly enjoyable as it allowed him to channel the older, more dangerous version of Negan. He also appreciated collaborating with Jimmi Simpson, who portrays Dillard.

“What I loved most about it was that it was Negan from years ago, enjoying this moment,” Morgan said. He humorously suggested that Negan may have even found his perfect partner in Dillard during the scene. “I think that’s when Negan knew he found his soulmate. I was like, ‘This is my boy here!’” he joked.

While the two actors enjoyed filming the sequence, Morgan admitted he felt sympathy for the actors who spent the day hanging upside down.

“I felt sorry for the two actors that were hanging up,” he said. “Because they had to spend all day in that position. But I had a hoot of a day that day!”

For Negan, it served as a reminder of his former self. For fans, the episode delivered an unexpected reference to Rick, a violent ‘Dora the Explorer’ joke, and a deeper look at the unusual bond developing between Negan and Dillard.

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