The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Premiere Review

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Daryl Dixon Season 2, Episode 1.

original, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was conceived as a spinoff that would center on both Daryl and Carol, but due to some scheduling conflicts, Melissa McBride was only available to appear very briefly in season 1. The reworking ultimately worked in the show’s favor, though, allowing the First season to focus solely on Daryl (Norman Reedus), using the stranger in a strange country trope to dig into his character. Now, season 2, aptly subtitled The Book of CarolIs able to give Carol his full attention.

This is especially true in the Season 2 premiere, “La gentillesse des étrangers,” which translates to the kindness of strangers. It picks up with Carol right after season 1’s ending as she coolly interrogates the people at the auto shop and junkyard where Daryl was working earlier, recovering his crossbow in the process. After learning that Daryl has been sent to France, she spies a plane flying overhead in a ridiculously fortunate turn of events, practically giving her the means by which she will travel across the ocean and continue her quest.

While this is happening, Daryl continues to train Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) in how to protect himself from the dead. This does not sit well with Losang (Joel de la Fuente) and other members of Union de l’Espoir, as they clearly have something else in mind for the boy’s future.

Carol takes center stage in a powerful opening episode

Melissa McBride returns without missing a beat

The full-time return of Melissa McBride as Carol is fantastic, reminding us why it’s so fun to watch her increase the expectations people have of this petite, gray-haired woman. Carol wallowing in and intimidating a bunch of tough guys with just a few arrows, for example, is hilarious. McBride is so good at playing the many facets of Carol, and this episode gives her plenty to work with.

It’s the quick-thinking that comes with learning about Daryl’s whereabouts, as well as earning Ash’s (Manish Dayal) trust, the pilot she serendipitously stumbles upon. Mercy is shown when she realizes he has also lost a child and still mourns him daily. But then there is a manipulative side to her, to recognize the man’s grief can be the key to getting what she wants.

She tells Ash about seeing her daughter for the last time when she left for France just before the outbreak, weaving in bits of the truth to make her lie more believable. She plays on his sympathies like a grieving parent, and finally convinces him to fly her across the ocean. It’s smart, but it also exposes the truth, which will definitely not go well. Carol feels bad about it, and McBride expertly plays the different emotions at work, but it’s an opportunity she can’t let pass.

Sophia is gone but never forgotten

The memory of Carol’s daughter weighs heavily on the season 2 premiere

The episode also reminds us of the deep pain that Carol is always carrying, reflecting on her most traumatic memory – the death of her daughter, Sophia, all the way back in The Walking Dead Season 2. It’s really shocking when the harrowing revelation of the zombified Sophia walking out of Hershel’s barn is conjured up again, catching both us and Carol away. As a character with a long history to explore, it’s great to see the show interested in unpacking the lingering effects of such a seminal moment.

There are two reasons Daryl Dixon is likely to dredge up the memory. The first is how the loss of a child creates a kinship between Carol and Ash, reminding us what they have in common even as Carol chooses not to be completely honest. The second is that Sofia’s disappearance was what first brought Daryl and Carol together.

This is triggered by another memory, Daryl giving Carol the Cherokee Rose, and it’s a reminder of just how far back their friendship goes. After Sophia’s death, Carol became a more guarded character, with Daryl being one of the few people she would open up to. As such, she is willing to use any means to bring him home because, as she sees it, he is the only family she has left.

Daryl and his adventures in France take a back seat

And there is something wrong with the union

While the season 2 premiere spends most of its time with Carol, and rightfully so, we check in with Daryl and what’s going on across the pond. He continues training Laurent, spending time with Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) and is clearly on the nerves of Losang and the Union. Daryl was never a part of their plan, and his sticking around added to what they had in store.

Exactly what that is, exactly, remains a mystery. There is talk of a ceremony that needs to take place, and since they believe that Laurent is their new Messiah, it is likely connected to this. But just what might this entail? Originally, the union seemed like a good group, and while they still don’t seem as terrifying as Madame Genet (Anne Charrier) Pouvoir, there’s something shady going on here.

Luckily, Laurent still has Daryl around to protect him, at least for now. The desire to go home remains for Daryl, but there is also a sense of duty to keep him in France. Reedus does a great job of showing how Daryl is torn between these two obligations, and it’s hard to predict what he will ultimately choose. Then again, there might not be much of a choice if Carol shows up in France sooner rather than later.

Daryl Dixon Season 2 had a zombie kill of the week

It’s been a while since the walking dead aren’t as scary as they used to be. The survivors are now well trained in dealing with the zombies, and even the new variants don’t cause too much trouble. Still, there are many opportunities to kill the dead, and sometimes in a spectacular fashion.

In the opening episode, there are only a few times the characters have to fight the dead, but the best comes during Carol and Ash’s hasty take-off. When the zombies arrive, they look really spooky, cast in shadow as they melt out of the forest. When they get too close to the plane, Carol pushes one into the whirling propeller, cutting it to pieces. Once a plane was involved, it is clear that the production could not pass up the opportunity to throw a zombie in the propeller blades, and the kill does not disappoint.

Daryl DixonSeason 2 opener is a strong start to the new season. We are reintroduced to Carol, with McBride easily returning to the role as if no time had passed. There’s an interesting rapport built with Dayal’s Ash, and a promise that the show will continue to explore the lingering trauma Carol has over her daughter’s death. As for Daryl, he has some challenges ahead of him, but it’s nothing the seasoned survivor hasn’t dealt with before. After all, compared to The Saviors or The Whispers, The Union and Pouvoir aren’t all that scary.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol weekly on Sunday nights on AMC and AMC+.