I had high expectations for The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol. Despite this, the six episodes managed to score several doubles and triples, with our protagonist successfully reaching second and third base without too many errors or outs. Okay, my knowledge of baseball is limited, and this analogy is not perfect. The point is that the show didn't have a winning season, but that doesn't mean I won't be back to watch and cheer again next season. Keep reading to learn why.
“Au Revoir Les Enfants” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON THE BOOK OF CAROL, Pictured: Louis Puech Scigliuzzi as Laurent. Photo Credit: Stéphanie Branchu/AMC @2024 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved
The excellent news is that season two is over. Just kidding. I loved that humanity found its way among the madness, violence, and death. For example, Laurent and Daryl's duet of the Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was unexpectedly beautiful. Daryl softly singing, "If you try sometimes, you'll find you get what you need," as he prepares to send Laurent to America without him, got to me. Another special moment was Fallou finding love with the new Algerian bad ass, Akila. I also appreciated how the show stopped to recognize and acknowledge Daryl and Codron as “brothers in arms.” Codron finally learns that Daryl did not kill his brother, Michel. It’s endearing how Codron reacts to knowing that all his pain and suffering while trying to kill Daryl was based on the lie.
“Au Revoir Les Enfants” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON THE BOOK OF CAROL, Pictured: Soraya Hachoumi as Alika. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AMC @2024 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved
The bad news is that TWDDD was always more abstract in nature than other shows in TWDU. I loved that the show moved to France. It was a bold attempt at art, but unfortunately, it was too abstract, and left viewers like me more confused than intrigued. For example, at the start, survivors struggled to find guns, ammunition, and fuel. Twelve years into the ZA, everyone has these items in abundance. If someone can help make this make sense, I’m happy to listen. Also, loose ends littered the storyline, such as Codron disappearing into the night after hallucinating that he'd seen his brother, Michel. Will Carol and Daryl meet him again? Codron, Laurent, and Ash need to return to bolster this franchise. They were the freshest part of this well-worn tale.
The finale dribbled to an end without a proper cliffhanger. The Walking Dead has been criticized for leaving story elements unresolved to hook viewers. I've never criticized this plot device, so the lack of a cliffhanger at the end of 'Au Revoir Les Enfants' felt like an overcorrection, I loved the main show's cliffhangers. Remember the flagship’s season finale when Carol was on the phone with Daryl, and we couldn't quite hear who she said returned? Was it Rick? Was it Morgan? Fans were buzzing. Nothing like this happened here. Perhaps, leaving Laurent and Ash's escape unresolved or leaving Carol's fate after her hallucinatory fight with her chimera uncertain, would have been solid cliffhangers. I would have respected these choices.
“Au Revoir Les Enfants” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON THE BOOK OF CAROL, Pictured: Romain Levi as Cordon. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AMC @2024 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved
In a world overflowing with content, the cardinal sin is failing to entertain. TWDU is renowned for being engaging, thought-provoking, emotional, and at a minimum, escapist. The finale of season two disappointed by not delivering a satisfying conclusion, resulting in a lackluster viewing experience that left the audience questioning if they wasted their time and attention. That’s ok. Baseball is also kind of boring, but I still watch.
“Au Revoir Les Enfants” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON THE BOOK OF CAROL, Pictured: Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AM @2024 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved
Do you think Daryl and Carol will be reunited with Laurent in season three? What do you think about the finale?
Overall Rating:
6/10
Lynette Jones
