The Walking Dead franchise has come back to life with new spin-off shows. These shows feature characters that fans love from the original series. Among the three new spin-offs, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is the first to have a second season, called The Book of Carol.
This season starts on September 29 and shifts its attention from Daryl, played by Norman Reedus, to his best friend, Carol (played by Melissa McBride). Daryl Dixon takes the story to France, where the apocalypse began. The finale of the first season left viewers wondering if Daryl and Carol will meet again.
In the first season, Daryl ends up on the shores of France after an unknown group kidnaps him. They want to use him as a test subject. After escaping from a ship, he finds the Abbey of Saint Bernadette. There, he meets some surprising allies, including killer nuns.
To get back to America, Daryl joins forces with the nuns and helps them with their mission. However, by the end of the season, returning home becomes more complicated for Daryl. He develops new loyalties and gets caught up in the dangerous politics of post-apocalyptic France.
New Alliances Are Forged in ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’
At the Abbey, Daryl meets Sister Isabelle (played by Clémence Poésy). She brings him into the nuns’ mission to escort a gifted child named Laurent (played by Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to a safe place called the Nest.
They believe Laurent could help end the apocalypse because his mother gave birth to him after she turned into a walker. It is unclear if Laurent can resist walker bites or if he represents hope—life coming from death.
Throughout Daryl Dixon, Daryl, Isabelle, and Laurent face constant threats and often have to split up to survive, just like in the original series. Laurent’s father, Quinn (played by Adam Nagaitis), even tries to take Laurent away. In the end, Isabelle convinces him to help them, and he sacrifices himself to save Daryl.
Quinn asks Daryl to tell Isabelle and Laurent about his good deed. Daryl agrees, making sure they think Quinn redeemed himself. This shows that even though Daryl seems tough, he has a kind heart.
Daryl successfully brings Isabelle and Laurent to the Nest, where they give him a boat to go home. Before he leaves, he visits his grandfather’s grave, who died in France during the war.
Although Daryl wants to get back to Rick Grimes’ (played by Andrew Lincoln) children, he feels torn because of the new friendships he has made in France. His grandfather’s grave reminds him that some causes are worth fighting for, especially the nuns’ mission to end the apocalypse.
At the same time, Daryl forms a father-son type bond with Laurent and possibly a romantic connection with Isabelle.
Although he has reasons to return to the Commonwealth, people in France now need his help and have become important to him. In the final scenes of Daryl Dixon, we see Daryl on the beach, unsure whether to go home or stay at the Nest with his new family.
‘Daryl Dixon’ Reveals New Walker Variants in Apocalypse’s Ground Zero
The politics of post-apocalyptic France also play a big role in Daryl’s story as he gets involved in it. France is divided between two sides. One side is led by Genet (played by Anna Charrier), a strict commander who controls France and runs labs that experiment on walkers and humans.
This season introduces new types of walkers, such as the burners Daryl faces in the first episode and the powerful walker (called “Ampers” by the creators) he fights while chained to Quinn in a fighting ring at Genet’s base.
Genet’s advanced technology and experiments suggest she might be connected to the CRM, a powerful group seen in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. If this is correct, it means Daryl was marked as “B” during his kidnapping, explaining why he was caged for experiments.
This connection also suggests that Rick and Michonne (played by Danai Gurira) only defeated one part of the mysterious organization. They may return in future seasons, especially since the showrunners are planning a major three-way crossover.
Genet sees Laurent as a threat because his presence inspires the people of France to stand up against her rule. As a result, Daryl becomes a target for Genet’s forces because he protects Laurent. Throughout the season, the trio must face dangers from the apocalypse and avoid Genet’s soldiers.
Towards the end, they get captured, leading to a showdown between Daryl and the super-powered walker. They are saved by L’Union, the opposing political group. By the end of the season, the people in the Nest prepare for an upcoming war. The question remains: will Daryl join them?
Will Codron Switch Sides in ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’?
During the season, Daryl, Laurent, and Isabelle are hunted by a mercenary named Codron (played by Romain Levi) and his crew, called the gurriers. Codron is hired by Genet to kill them, but he has a personal reason for wanting Daryl.
In the first episode, Daryl stops a group of thieves who are attacked by Codron’s brother and his friends. Daryl kills Codron’s brother, which fuels Codron’s desire for revenge. Although Codron gets close to the group several times during the season, he confronts them directly in the finale.
He could inflict great pain on Daryl by killing Laurent in front of him, a perfect way to get back at Daryl. However, Codron refuses to harm children and instead shoots at his own men. He tells Daryl, “Not today, Dixon. Next time,” before leaving with his team and returning to Genet.
Even though Codron tries to hide what happened, Genet sees through the lie. The scene ends with Codron facing a serious punishment.
Both Codron and Daryl are now on Genet’s bad side, suggesting they might work together in future seasons. This could give viewers a taste of the unstoppable teamwork that we last saw with Daryl and Rick.
Carol Will Return in ‘The Walking Dead: The Book of Carol’
Although Carol does not appear much in the first season, The Book of Carol will focus on her search for Daryl. She has two brief appearances in Daryl Dixon, both hinting at significant events. In her first appearance, Daryl contacts her briefly through a radio.
Her voice is unclear due to a weak signal, leaving viewers with Daryl’s question: “Who came back?” This could relate to other spin-offs, such as Maggie (played by Lauren Cohan) possibly returning from Manhattan after The Walking Dead: Dead City or could refer to Rick and Michonne from The Ones Who Live. It might also involve someone else connected to The Book of Carol.
Carol’s second appearance happens at the end of the finale, showing her strong character. She travels to Maine to find Daryl, the last place he was in America. She confronts a man riding Daryl’s motorcycle and takes him down.
She puts him in the trunk of her car and rides off on his bike, determined to reunite with her best friend. Unbeknownst to her, Daryl is torn between his new relationships and returning home.
We can picture her rolling her eyes as she tries to pull him back to America. According to the showrunners, Season 2 will see these stories unfold, with Carol’s search for Daryl creating unexpected situations.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 will start on September 29 at 9 PM ET on AMC and AMC+. Fans can watch the first season now on AMC+.
