The second season of The Walking Dead spin-off Daryl Dixon is an intense, high-energy experience that leverages its six-episode miniseries format to conclude its Gallic adventures in impressive style. The season’s story arc resolves the show’s key dilemmas – reuniting Daryl and Carol, ending Daryl’s complex relationship with Isabelle, and settling the fate of reluctant proto-messiah Laurent – allowing season three to unfold unencumbered by earlier plot hangovers.
What becomes clear on viewing the whole season afresh is just how cleverly the journeys of different protagonists are threaded through the separate episodes. Carol’s determination to head for Europe in search of Daryl feels as true to her nature as does her willingness to manipulate and deceive the pilot she finds to convince him to fly her there. The character dynamic between her and Ash is not rushed, as the pair are bonded through the perils they encounter en route. Early on in the story of The Walking Dead, Melissa McBride found the steeliness and resilience in Carol, and that’s strongly evidenced here as she takes on what should feel like an almost impossible task. In the guise of the unstoppable Daryl, Norman Reedus is again compelling, but there’s time set aside for development for him too, particularly in his growing sense of guardianship for the young Laurent.
The credibility of the series’ three villains – the ruthless Genet, the deluded Losang and the conflicted Codron – is boosted by some unpredictable character twists. Killing off major characters is a signature Walking Dead move, but the decision to sacrifice Isabelle is one that left many of the show’s most fervent supporters bitterly disappointed. It felt misplaced to reject the intriguing possibility of having two powerful and distinctive female protagonists complicating Daryl’s innate sense of primary loyalty.
For the most part, the many combat sequences and action set pieces are well executed and delivered with a satisfying sense of scale. Throughout the season, the showrunners continue to make extraordinarily effective use of the urban and bucolic locations that France afforded them – with scenes set in the ruins of post-apocalyptic Paris and around the timeless grandeur of Mont Saint-Michel being particularly memorable. As Daryl Dixon ends its French sojourn, bidding au revoir to a country plunged back into political, religious and paramilitary chaos, it’s apparent that the struggle to find a way back to the United States will need to take a detour through some enticing new European destinations.
SEASON TWO of THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON is available now on Blu-ray and DVD
