This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn’t exist.
In the series finale of The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon discovers that Rick Grimes is still alive. Loyal to his people, Daryl sets out on his own to find his missing friend and bring him back home. We catch up with his current search in his very own spin-off.
Apparently, the mission is not going so well as we find him adrift in the ocean and unconscious until his boat reaches the shore. Daryl Dixon finds his way through the post-apocalyptic landscape of France. Early in the episode, the music and lack of significant dialog creates the feeling of isolation. After all, the lead is in a foreign land, unable to speak the language, with barely any other survivors in view.
Taking The Walking Dead internationally provides a fresh take to the franchise. The Old World setting accentuates the post-apocalyptic feel. At each location, you can sense a lengthy history behind them, and how antiquated they are further emphasizes the digression of society. Even the weapons the survivors uses give the show a Mad Max-ian aura with a mishmash of a medieval armory and pre-World War firearms that rely on gunpowder. The setting feels distinct compared to the other The Walking Dead entries.
The plot may have viewers thinking of The Last of Us. Our hero must escort a young teen named Laurent to another group of survivors on the other side of the country. Some people believe the child is special and can lead the revival of humanity. This gives the series a sense of purpose as opposed to going to war from one group of disturbed bad guys to the next. It creates a more positive and hopeful tone than what we’re used to from the universe.
However, Daryl Dixon has enough that it can pave its own way. Many viewers have already spent 11 seasons learning what type of person the main character is. Though he is tough and aware enough to navigate this dark world, he still lives by a code and moral compass. Maybe even a big softy when it comes to those he cares about. He’s not a gruff loaner that learns to open up due to his experiences with his charge like Joel in the previously mentioned video game adaptation. Also, it’s more of a group quest with a pair of nuns, Isabelle and Sylvie, joining them.
Daryl Dixon is a wanted man not just by the good guys. Codron is the mid-boss goon who is in direct conflict with the lead. The series tries not to make him too generic with a more personal motive than being a psychotic killer. It’s still to be seen if Codron will be memorable, but he already builds some heat by being a slippery fellow and cowardly fleeing when all his men are dispatched.
More intimidating is his boss, Genet. Anne Charrier gives the character a cold and striking presence and she has a surprising amount of restraint when dealing with incompetence, compared to other The Walking Dead villains. Genet’s short scene implies she plays a key part in how Daryl arrived on the other side of the Atlantic adding more intrigue to the mystery. In addition, there seems to be more links for this series to the universe as a hole.
Hopefully there is some insight later to the tease from the credit scene in The Walking Dead: World Beyond series finale. There were mentions of variant zombies and we saw a version that was quicker and more agile than your typical walker. In the series premiere, Daryl crosses paths with types that cause chemical burns. What other types are out there, and based off of vague references to experiments, are some of them even man-made?
The biggest draw of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is its star. Norman Reedus is as affable and captivating as ever. Like a true hero, you can always count on his character doing the right thing. Even if it causes him to be burned or double crossed, it doesn’t deter him at the next opportunity. Plus, he’s totally bad ass. In the battle of the final act, he efficiently picks apart each attacker one by one proving the point that he is the right man to escort Laurent.
Daryl also develops a noteworthy relationship with the nun Isabelle, played by Clémence Poésy. She is best known as Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter films. Isabelle and Daryl are kindred spirits with many similar life experiences, though they have different outlooks on life. The actors have a clear chemistry, but it’s not necessarily romantic in nature. It starts off as a means to an end for both but has the potential to blossom into something more personal and intimate.
The series premiere breathes some new life into The Walking Dead franchise with a distinct setting and less depressing tone. It also doesn’t hurt that we receive more Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon.
New episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon are released Sundays on AMC.
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