When The Walking Dead started in 2010, it quickly became a favorite show on TV. The reason for its popularity was not just the zombies, but the strong human characters.
Rick (Andrew Lincoln) was the leader, but the team of characters kept viewers engaged for eleven sometimes slow seasons.
This group included Glenn (Steven Yeun), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and the close friends, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride).
After leaving AMC in 2022, The Walking Dead expanded into several spin-off series, including The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which debuted last year.
On September 29, the series returns to AMC and AMC+ with a new title: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol.
Daryl and Carol are back together, ready for action once again. While the show has its usual flaws, having Daryl and Carol at the center makes it entertaining.
What Is ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol’ About?
In The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl finds himself in France. There, he meets a nun named Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) and a young boy named Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi).
Laurent is smart and kind, treated like a savior by a group called the Union, led by a man named Losang (Joel de la Fuente).
Daryl must also face a woman named Marion Genet (Anne Charrier), who leads a military group creating powerful walkers.
The Book of Carol begins with Daryl hiding with the Union in their island stronghold. Meanwhile, Carol is in America at the Commonwealth. Acting on “a hunch,” as she puts it, Carol goes searching for Daryl.
She learns that Daryl has been taken on a ship to France. In the last season, Daryl wanted to return home, and now Carol is determined to help him.
The challenge is that she needs a way to cross the Atlantic Ocean to reach France. Just as Carol and the audience realize this, she sees a small plane flying overhead.
She tracks it down to a man named Ash (Manish Dayal), a lonely man living on land where he keeps walkers away. Ash and Carol share a similar tragic past, and Carol knows she must use this to convince Ash to fly her to France to find her friend.
‘The Book of Carol’ Has the Same Flaws As Other ‘Walking Dead’ Shows
After the first few excellent seasons of The Walking Dead, the series fell into a pattern that caused ratings to drop each season. The formula is well-known: the heroes walk and talk, fight walkers, talk more, meet villains, get captured, battle the bad guys, and win, then repeat.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol follows this pattern as well. Sometimes, you must suspend disbelief to enjoy the show, but if you can do that, The Book of Carol is one of the better spin-offs.
Yes, Carol finds someone with a plane quickly and easily, but that has to happen for the story. Yes, it seems unrealistic that a small plane could fly from America to France, but it’s necessary for the adventure to happen.
The weakest part of The Book of Carol, as often seen in The Walking Dead, is its villains. In the original series, each season introduced new villains, but outside of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and The Governor (David Morrissey), most did not feel like significant threats.
The Book of Carol improves by keeping the same villains from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Daryl lives with the Union, but Losang’s strong belief that a young boy will save humanity is questionable. His absolute faith in this idea, even when Laurent knows he is not special, is dangerous.
Marion, with her weapons and followers, is also a threat. We see more of her plan to create powerful walkers, along with her tragic backstory, where she was just a worker at the Louvre when the outbreak began.
The Book of Carol adds tension by presenting two groups of villains against each other, with Daryl, Carol, Isabelle, Laurent, and their allies caught in the middle. However, viewers know Daryl and Carol will be safe, which reduces some suspense.
There are many scenes where bad guys are left alive to return later, or where our favorite characters are captured, only for someone to save them at the last moment. This predictability takes away some tension because the resolution feels obvious.
Daryl and Carol Are Paired With Two Great Supporting Characters
Like the rest of The Walking Dead, repetitive plots and weak villains are balanced by strong lead characters. Ash is a good man we can trust, and we hope he will move past his pain and show with Carol. We also have reasons to question Carol, who lies and manipulates people with good intentions to get what she wants.
This complexity makes Carol more interesting, as she is not just a typical good character. Carol and Ash have great chemistry, but once they reach France, they get separated for several episodes. Just as we start to understand Ash, he disappears, making him feel like just a plot device.
This is disappointing for a well-written character, but thankfully, it gets resolved later with a development that deepens their relationship with Carol. We also have reasons to question Carol, who lies and manipulates people with good intentions to get what she wants.
This complexity makes Carol more interesting, as she is not just a typical good character. Carol and Ash have great chemistry, but once they reach France, they get separated for several episodes. Just as we start to understand Ash, he disappears, making him feel like just a plot device. T
Laurent remains intriguing as well. A child written to be a Savior could have been annoying, but Laurent is shown as a kind soul who believes in others without feeling special himself.
He just wants to be a child and sees Daryl as a father figure. Watching the tough Daryl grow closer to Isabelle and bond with Laurent is enjoyable, even though we know Daryl may not earn happiness.
Now, let’s talk about what you really want: the reunion of Daryl and Carol. It takes some time, but when it happens, it brings chills and maybe even tears. The writer wanted a more emotional reunion, but instead, they quickly fall back into their old friendship, as if Daryl expected Carol to show up.
They are as close as ever, and there is no risk of a romantic relationship ruining their bond. The two friends get back to their usual action, trying to defeat Marion, save Laurent, and return to America all at once.
Although their journey has the familiar frustrations of The Walking Dead, it involves our favorite characters, so we can overlook these issues. Furthermore, the finale includes a twist that sets up another season with Daryl and Carol together. What more could fans wish for?
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon—The Book of Carol promises an exciting adventure with beloved characters Daryl and Carol. As they face old foes and new challenges in France, viewers can expect strong character development and emotional moments. Fans will surely enjoy this thrilling continuation of their journey together.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premieres on AMC and AMC+ on September 29.
