After the missteps and upsets of last week’s instalment, the penultimate story of the season is a welcome improvement both in terms of plot and execution. The episode title Vouloir, C’est Pouvoir (‘Where there’s a Will, There’s a Way”) is a well-worn aphorism which still neatly captures the importance of blending determination with optimism. That combination of conviction and problem-solving resolve is evidenced throughout the storyline, as events build towards the season finale and the departure from France. More action-packed than some other Season Two episodes, there are also many effective character moments as key relationships are affected by revelations and appeals for forgiveness. The narrative momentum that began in Le Paradis Pour Toi is carried over here, as other story arcs that have shaped the season end with equal abruptness as the show’s Gallic adventure nears its conclusion.
The story follows Daryl and Carol’s return to Paris in search of Laurent, who has been transported to temporary safety within the Montmartre rooftop community, in the company of Fallou. Their arrival is followed by Codron, now fully convinced of the rightness of their cause and in search of redemption. Carol takes Daryl to the makeshift aircraft hangar to meet Ash, where she finds new fortifications but no sign of the pilot. In search of leads on Ash’s whereabouts, Daryl brings Carol to the Demimonde Club where he knows supplies and materials are bought and sold. There he finds an unexpected ally, now that Anna has taken over operations following Quinn’s death.
When Losang’s group arrives at Montmartre to seize Laurent, Codron sneaks him away – saving him from a grisly fate as a religious sacrifice. Hunting for Ash, Daryl and Carol locate the car being swarmed by walkers where he had taken refuge before being knocked out. The two of them battle their way to the car where Daryl uses the amped-up walker serum to animate two of the cadavers who lay waste to the attackers and allow them to escape. Reunited with Laurent and Codron at the Demimonde, the fugitives head into the catacombs when Losang and his enforcers arrive. A shoot-out and brutal hand-to-hand combat ensues. When a reluctant Laurent agrees to fly to America to begin a new life, the group of would-be escapees congregate at the hangar where a disgruntled Ash reveals the insurmountable obstacle preventing their collective escape.
Throughout this season, Daryl Dixon has continued to distinguish itself by its impressive use of real-world locations. The show’s producers have skillfully resisted the temptation to “overuse” photogenic Paris vistas, but it’s a welcome decision to see the capital city brought back into view here. Everything looks as stunning as ever, whether it’s the desolation of La Défense business district, or the disarray of Maison Mère, the Power of the Living’s failed headquarters. The catacombs beneath Paris are such a singularly atmospheric location that returning to them feels justified, particularly as their caverns, shadows and gruesome bone structures are used to stage one of the episode’s most electric set pieces.
Walking Dead showrunners have a particular fondness for the jeopardy that comes from trapping characters in vehicles besieged by walkers. But if the motif is a familiar one, the staging of the entrapment here has a gloriously over-the-top quality to it, reinforced by some excellent camera work and the decision to include the best presentation yet of the truly devastating abilities of the unleashed amped-up undead.
The rehabilitation of Codron plays out well, as Daryl’s former nemesis is given the chance to be heroic and earn the trust of his former adversaries. It’s also great to see that Anna has not slid into victimhood following the killing of Quinn. She’s now risen to the status of business owner and power player. And while she’s no selfless altruist, she’s not as cynical or self-serving as her predecessor. Not all character stories are afforded the same amount of space. That sense of plot compression is highlighted when Losang’s storyline comes to an end just one episode after he became boss of the newly unified religious-paramilitary group after Genet’s death. His smackdown with Daryl plays out surprisingly violently, as Daryl exacts retribution for Isabelle’s death, but his end means that the forces that have both menaced and protected Laurent since the first episode are now rudderless.
Alongside that bigger picture, touching and emotional sequences abound. It’s an astute choice not to show Daryl telling Laurent of Isabelle’s death, but instead to focus on their later conversation as Laurent absorbs the news and wrestles with his sense of guilt. It’s a beautifully played scene, which shows how far the emotional relationship between these two misfits has evolved from its transactional beginnings. After the initial surprise of their reunion, Carol’s overdue confession to Daryl of the extent of her deception of Ash signals the return to the pair’s previous level of intimacy and mutual trust. It’s a brief moment, but it’s an important one, as it reinforces the idea that their separation has not weakened the close connection between the two of them. Codron’s appeal to Laurent for forgiveness has a more melodramatic texture to it, but it still feels like a moment earned by what’s gone before.
The episode ends with a cliffhanger conundrum that it would be difficult to say comes as a complete shock. It is though an inspired dramatic conceit. It is also an irresistible primer for the season finale that Norman Reedus has repeatedly stated is the Walking Dead universe’s best episode to date. Not long to wait to see if he’s right.
NEW EPISODES of season two of THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON premiere in the UK on Sky Max and NOW each Friday
Read our reviews of SEASON TWO of THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON below:
SEASON 2, EPISODE 1, LA GENTILLESSE DES ÉTRANGERS
SEASON 2, EPISODE 2, MOULIN ROUGE
SEASON 2, EPISODE 3, L’INVISIBLE
SEASON 2, EPISODE 4, LE PARADIS POUR TOI
