The Walking Dead: Season 2 Review Daryl Dixon: 'Frustrating Sequel Lacks the Freshness of the Far Better First Season'

The first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon freshened things up by sending one of the show’s most beloved characters to France and letting her meet a whole new family across the pond. It was a welcome change of scenery, a “dépaysant,” if you will, as Daryl grappled with faith and fatherhood while emerging as a more emotional and communicative version of himself. It’s a shame that the second season — titled “The Book of Carol” — basically blows it all away.

More action-packed than its predecessor, the second season of Daryl Dixon’s show feels more like old-school The Walking Dead , and not necessarily in a good way. It’s scattershot, rushing through plot threads while trying to juggle too many characters, much like the last few seasons of the main series — which is likely why more streamlined spinoffs were greenlit.

The first few episodes focus mostly on Carol (Melissa McBride), presumably to make up for lost time in Season 1, when she quickly forges a friendship with plane owner Ash (Hamish Patel) back in the States. Carol and Ash, who has been living alone since the death of his young son, are growing closer through the tragedies surrounding their children — or so Ash thinks. Carol has only one concern: reuniting with Daryl as soon as possible, and the show shares that feeling. After a Walker invasion, one hot dinner, and a strange stopover in Greenland, the pair end up in Paris.

Meanwhile, in Normandy, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) are making moves to move to the U.S., while Union of the Hope leader Losang (Joel de la Fuente) enacts his sinister plans for Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) and clashes with Pouvoir’s Genet. Part of what made Reedus and Poésy’s scenes so effective last season was their slow-burn nature; their obvious affection for each other whispered quietly in a furtive glance or a whispered, heartfelt conversation. There’s no time for that this time, resulting in unsatisfyingly hasty declarations — and then unearned, unsavory conclusions.

Haunted Pasts

Clemence Poesy as Isabelle and Norman Reedus as Daryl in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol

(Photo source: AMC)

When it comes to Daryl and Carol’s dynamic, the latter has always been the calmer of the two, but now, after gaining so much influence in Season 1, it’s suddenly worrying that she’s the one taking control now that the pair are together.

In reality, Daryl spends the better part of six episodes hearing from a lot of people what to do and what to feel: from Isabelle, from Judith and the other kids in the house, from where home even is. Is to him. It would be much more powerful if he could express those emotions on his own. It would also allow the show to explore the coexistence of Daryl’s loved ones and the ups and downs that would come with figuring it all out, giving the chapter some much-needed depth. After all, The Walking Dead has always been about building human connections — so why pass up the opportunity to do so?

Instead, Poésy and Scigliuzzi’s screen time is relegated to supporting characters: Romain Levi’s Codron and Eriq Ebouaney’s Fallou; both are decent characters, well played by those who brought them to life. But, again, this just seems like a misguided swerve.

Of course, this is “The Book of Carol,” so the cookie-baking survivor takes up most of the attention. Alongside the likes of Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, and Andrew Lincoln, McBride has long been one of The Walking Dead’s strongest actors, and she’s often been given the heavier stuff. But here, it all feels forced. The parents who lose their children never really get over that loss, but considering Sophia died at the beginning of the apocalypse and Carol has suffered so much since then, it’s a bit arbitrary that the trauma of that is rearing its ugly head again. Carol’s struggles are underscored by unsubtle flashbacks of zombie Sophia emerging from these the barn door and Daryl giving her a Cherokee Rose in Season 2. At this point, every Walking Dead character has some trauma woven into the fabric of their being. Fans don’t need such glaring reminders, and out-of-context clips will likely only confuse newcomers.

Siege of Sunset

Mont Saint-Michel/The Nest in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol

(Photo source: AMC)

Okay, so it’s not all bad. There’s a fantastically choreographed scene where Mont Saint-Michel is besieged, which leads to Daryl, Isabelle, Laurent, and Fallou splitting up and traversing the impressive grounds of the fortress, fending off enemies with bows and arrows. The whole thing has a Game of Thrones feel that’s different from the battle sequences we’ve seen before, and it’s exciting. There’s also a fun sequence where Daryl, Carol, and company are attacked by a group of bioluminescent zombies, which is a nice update on last year’s burners.

As Daryl’s French Revolution comes to an end, the show’s commitment to casting native actors is also commendable, as is its willingness to have most of its dialogue spoken in their language. It’s something that will likely continue into Season 3, even if we’d rather not know it yet… Thanks to the show’s early renewal, we know that Carol and Daryl will eventually end up in Spain, which, if there’s no other way to put it, kind of ruins a second season that revolves around Daryl and Carol’s efforts to get back to America. It’s like when they announced spin-offs before The Walking Dead Season 11 ended, and that cemented the post-credits fates of many characters.

If The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol had been the first outing of the spin-off, it would undoubtedly have gone a lot smoother. Is watchable, and Caryl fans will love seeing the best friends reunited, but it’s frustrating that certain storylines and characters aren’t given a fair chance, and that comes at a cost. Instead of continuing to expand the possibilities of the series and offering a new perspective, Daryl Dixon Season 2 settles for something familiar. Less “dépaysant” and more déjà vu.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premieres on AMC on September 29. In the UK, it will air on Sky. For more, check out our handy guide to how to watch The Walking Dead franchise in order, or check out our list of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.

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The Walking Dead: Season 2 Review Daryl Dixon: ‘Frustrating Sequel Lacks the Freshness of the Far Better First Season’

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