Carol Joins The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon in a Messy, Emotional Season 2
Photo Courtesy of AMC
I was somewhat skeptical about the myriad The Walking Dead spinoffs that AMC started rolling out after the flagship series ended, and while not all have been winners, the Norman Reedus-fronted series Daryl Dixon proved a surprisingly beautiful, poignant adventure in its first season.
The show took Reedus’ fan-favorite character, plucked him out of rural America, and thrust him into the heart of France in a grand adventure to help save the life of a young boy who could potentially hold the secret to immunity from the undead. Part of what made the show work so well was it being so far removed from everything we have seen over the past decade, as it offered some much-needed change for the never-ending zombie franchise. The France-set series’ aesthetic and vibe were excellent, and the slow discovery of how Europe had survived and responded to the end of the world was fascinating—all with Daryl growing outside his comfort zone as he finds his place in this far-flung world.
The first season ended on an open cliffhanger, as Daryl faced a decision to potentially stay in France or try to find a way to return home to his friends in America. In Season 2, we (unsurprisingly) see that Daryl has decided to stay, at least temporarily, to spend more time with the boy, Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), and burgeoning Season 1 love interest Isabelle (Clemence Poesy).
But Season 2 comes with a subtitle, “The Book of Carol,” and The Walking Dead fans know what that means: Melissa McBride’s beloved character Carol Peletier from the original flagship series is jumping in on the action this time around. Interestingly, Carol’s addition to the story fulfills the spinoff’s original pitch, as the show was first conceived as a team-up series that would’ve found Daryl and Carol heading to France together from the jump.
Although it’s delightful to see McBride back in this iconic role, kicking ass and taking names, it’s also a jarring narrative move as Carol is added to this previously siloed world where Daryl has been living with new people and building a new life. Daryl and Carol are arguably the most beloved duo in The Walking Dead history, right there alongside Rick and Michonne, and it makes sense that the creative team would want to keep that relationship alive as the franchise continues through this new era. But the show that Daryl Dixon became without Carol is arguably more compelling than the version with her spliced back into it.