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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Prologues "The Book of Carol" & More

Here's a spoiler-filled look at how AMC's The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season finale "Coming Home" ties into Season 2: "The Book of Carol."


We knew when Daryl (Norman Reedus) had a chance to speak briefly with Carol (Melissa McBride) in the season's penultimate episode that we were going to be shifting our focus when it comes to AMC's The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. And after what we learned last week during New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2023 and what we experienced with S01E06: "Coming Home" (directed by Daniel Percival and written by Jason Richman & Laura Snow), it looks like we picked the right time. By the time the credits rolled on the season finale, we had a very clear understanding of the tough decisions that Daryl faces – and an even clearer understanding of just how far Carol will go to make sure Daryl is okay. As far as season-enders go, "Coming Home" checked all the right boxes: offering us a sense of closure in some areas while leaving enough threads dangling for next season. And then, throwing a huge "wildcard" factor into the mix with Carol – meaning it's time to start looking at how "Daryl Dixon" is tying into the overall TWD universe. With that in mind, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer before deep-diving into what all of this could mean moving forward.

the walking dead
Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AMC

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, "The Book of Carol" & TWD Universe

We're still not sure exactly what Genet (Anne Charrier) and the "Power of the Living" have been up to with their walker experiments, but the speed of that walker that Daryl fought was horrifyingly fast – and its recovery time from a hit was a little too quick for our liking.

Wow, Dr. Lafleur (François Delaive) is not impressing Genet – but how many twisted variants have they mistakingly created? We saw one whose head exploded and another walker with so much rage that it attacked & ripped apart another walker.

An interesting response from Daryl when asked by Sylvie (Laïka Blanc-Francard) if he ever loved someone: kept quiet and shifted gears.

Speaking of backstory, here's a moment of some personal backstory on Daryl's part that gives us insight into why he isn't looking to get lost in France's fight and wants to get back home as soon as possible.

And with that, Romain Levi's Codron just became a character that I need to see a lot more of next season. Okay… so The Nest? Hmmm… does Genet not know about it? Is it another but more friendly power broker in play? It felt like we just got a tease about a possible war next season if "Power of the Living" makes a play for The Nest – and now it's confirmed. Genet's going to be making a visit to The Nest – much sooner rather than later.

Is it wrong that I don't fully trust Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) and Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi)? It feels like they've been running pretty hard when it comes to emotionally manipulating Daryl – especially considering they have no understanding whatsoever about who & what he's left behind.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON (Image: AMC Networks Screencap)

THE SCENE! Okay, for those of you who thought McBride was only going to appear in the Season 2 teaser that leaked over the weekend? Surprise! Because we learn that Carol's been tracking Daryl – and she's getting really, really close to his last location before the French ship disaster. "If you're lying, I won't be back" could be one of the best return lines they could've given Carol – and the song below hits so differently now. A quick theory? Whoever returned would've been someone important enough that their return would've made Carol feel more comfortable leaving to find Daryl. I'm still leaning towards Morgan (Lennie James).

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 1 Episode 6 "Coming Home"

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Review by Ray Flook

9/10
We knew when Daryl (Norman Reedus) had a chance to speak briefly with Carol (Melissa McBride) in the season's penultimate episode that we were going to be shifting our focus when it comes to AMC's The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. And after what we learned last week during New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2023 and what we experienced with S01E06: "Coming Home" (directed by Daniel Percival and written by Jason Richman & Laura Snow), it looks like we picked the right time. By the time the credits rolled on the season finale, we had a very clear understanding of the tough decisions that Daryl faces - and an even clearer understanding of just how far Carol will go to make sure Daryl is okay. As far as season-enders go, "Coming Home" checked all the right boxes: offering us a sense of closure in some areas while leaving enough threads dangling for next season. And then, throwing a huge "wildcard" factor into the mix with Carol - meaning it's time to start looking at how "Daryl Dixon" is tying into the overall TWD universe.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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