The Walking Dead franchise has been re-invigorated by a new slew of spin-off shows that follow fan-favorite characters branching off from the flagship series. Out of the three new spin-offs, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is the first to return with a second season, subtitled The Book of Carol. Slated to premiere on September 29, the new season shifts its focus from Norman Reedus' titular character to Daryl's best friend, Carol (Melissa McBride). Daryl Dixon expanded the franchise's universe to France, which is ground zero of the apocalypse, and its finale left viewers mulling over whether the two besties will be reunited.
The first season sees Daryl washed up on the shores of France, as he was kidnapped by an elusive international power that was intending to use him as a test subject. He escapes the ship and comes across the Abbey of Saint Bernadette, where he finds unexpected allies in the form of killer nuns. In an effort to return to America, he teams up with the nuns and helps them fulfill their mission. However, the season finale makes returning home slightly more complicated for Daryl, as he forms new loyalties and finds himself in the middle of the torrid political climate of post-apocalyptic France.
New Alliances Are Forged in 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon'
At the Abbey, Daryl meets Sister Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) who recruits him into the nun's mission of escorting a child prodigy, Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to the Nest, another community off the coast of Paris. They believe Laurent is the key to ending the apocalypse, as his mother, Isabelle's sister, gave birth to him after she had reanimated as a walker. It is unclear if Laurent is immune to walker bites or if he is simply a symbol of hope — life emerging from death.
Throughout Daryl Dixon, the three face constant danger and are frequently separated to survive on their own in true The Walking Dead fashion. Laurent's father, Quinn (Adam Nagaitis), even makes an attempt to abduct Laurent, but eventually Isabelle reasons with him, and he even sacrifices himself to save Daryl in the end. Quinn also selfishly requests Daryl to inform Isabelle and Laurent about his altruistic act, and despite being piqued by it, Daryl complies, ensuring the two believe Quinn earned his redemption. Daryl once again proves that underneath his tough exterior lies a big ol' softie.
Daryl succeeds in completing his mission of escorting Isabelle and Laurent to the Nest, and they promptly supply him with a boat to return home. Before journeying homebound, he visits his grandfather's grave who had died in France in the war years ago. Despite his single-minded purpose in returning to Rick Grimes' (Andrew Lincoln) children, his nephew and niece, he is now conflicted by the new allegiances he has formed in France. His grandfather's grave reminded him that there are some causes worth fighting for, especially since the nuns' one is to end the apocalypse.
On the other hand, a father-son type of relationship emerges between Laurent and Daryl, as well as a potential budding romance between him and Isabelle. While there are plenty of reasons for him to return to the Commonwealth, there are people who need his help where he is now — people who are quickly becoming dear to him. As such, the final scenes of Daryl Dixon see the titular character standing on the sandy shoreline, uncertain about setting sail for home or remaining at the Nest with his newfound family.
'Daryl Dixon' Reveals New Walker Variants in Apocalypse's Ground Zero
Post-apocalyptic France's politics also has a strong hold on Daryl, especially as he finds himself in the midst of everything. France has two warring sides. One is helmed by Genet (Anna Charrier), a stern commander who has a tyrannical influence over France and also owns labs that are conducting experiments on walkers and humans. We see new variants of walkers in this season, like the burners Daryl confronts in the first episode and the super-charged walker (dubbed "Ampers" by the showrunners) he fights while chained to Quinn in a gladiator ring in Genet's compound.
Due to the insane technology she has and the experiments, it seems like she is affiliated with the CRM, a powerful organization featured in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. If this is true, then Daryl would have been labeled as "B" during his initial abduction, which is why he was caged to be experimented on. It would also mean that Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira) only demolished one branch of the mysterious cooperation, and it is likely they will appear again in coming seasons, especially since the showrunners are planning a massive three-way crossover.
Genet is threatened by Laurent's presence as his symbolic status is rallying the French population against her tyranny. As such, his affiliation with L'Union — the other side of the political struggle — makes him a target in Genet's books, and thus, as Laurent's protector, Daryl also becomes a target. Throughout the season, the three travelers don't only have to face the everyday dangers of the apocalypse, but also have to evade Genet's soldiers. Towards the end of the season, they are abducted, which is where Daryl battles against the super-powered walker, but they are rescued by L'Union. By the season finale, the Nest's residents are gearing up for the inevitable war on the horizon. The question is: will Daryl join them?
Will Codron Switch Sides in 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon'?
Throughout the season, Daryl, Laurent, and Isabelle are also hunted down by mercenary Codron (Romain Levi) and his cronies, the gurriers. While Codron is also being paid by Genet to kill them, his motivations for getting his hands on Daryl are a tad more personal. In the first episode, Daryl comes across a pair of unruly thieves who are attacked by Codron's brother and his friends. The kindhearted Daryl intervenes, killing Codron's brother and cementing Codron's vendetta. While Codron's chase comes close to the group a few times during the season, he confronts them head-on in the finale.
He has the opportunity to inflict immense psychological pain on Daryl by killing Laurent right in front of him, becoming the perfect way to avenge his brother. Despite all the gurrier's pitiless and brutal remarks, Codron draws the line at harming children, and instead shoots at his own team members. "Not today, Dixon. Next time," are the words he whispers to Daryl, as he releases the two and returns to Genet. Although Codron tries to lie about the situation, Genet discerns the truth and the scene closes on Codron facing an impending punishment. With both Codron and Daryl in Genet's bad graces, there is a possibility that the pair will team up in future seasons, hopefully giving us a taste of unstoppable power that we haven't seen since Daryl and Rick shared the screen.
Carol Will Return in 'The Walking Dead: The Book of Carol'
Though Carol wasn't in the majority of the first season, The Book of Carol will revolve around her tracking down Daryl. She does make two brief cameos in Daryl Dixon, both alluding to significant implications. Her first cameo was simply through her voice, as Daryl manages to temporarily contact her through a radio. But her voice is muffled by the weak signal transmission, and we are left with a looming question that Daryl asks for us: "Who came back?" This is likely a callback to the other spin-off shows, with Maggie (Lauren Cohan) potentially returning from Manhattan after The Walking Dead: Dead City, or it could be a reference to Rick and Michonne after The Ones Who Live. Or it could be someone else entirely who relates to The Book of Carol.
Carol also makes an appearance in the closing scenes of the finale, where she embodies the badass she truly is. She ventures off to Maine to search for Daryl, which is the last place he was in America. She finds the group that Daryl met in the flashback that revealed how he arrived in France, and mercilessly takes down a man who was riding Daryl's signature motorcycle. Cramming him into the back of a trunk with a deadpan style only Carol can muster, she rides off on his bike, determined to reunite with her best friend. Little does she know that Daryl's loyalties are being divided, and we can almost imagine the exasperated roll of her eyes as she attempts to drag him back home by his ear. According to showrunners, Season 2 should see all these storylines come to fruition, with Carol's search catching Daryl unawares.
