‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ Recap – ‘Deux Amours’

10/9/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Norman Reedus and François Delaive as Daryl Dixon and Dr. Lafleur in Episode 105 of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ – ‘‘Deux Amours’. (Photo Courtesy of Emmanuel Guimier/AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

If there is one particular burning question that fans of the AMC series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, have yet to have answered regarding the show, it would have to be, how Daryl Dixon made his way to France. Because that is… one hell of a journey. One that likely was not easy and likely was not of his own volition from the hints we’ve been receiving over the course of the first season of this show, and this is a question that the show has made great efforts to not address, and rightfully so. After all, Daryl is indeed in the midst of some important work. Because keeping a child safe and keeping others moving forward is something that Daryl has always done well in his time in this franchise. But of course, this is a franchise that always answers our questions when the time is right and well, it just so happened that this week’s story was the right time to have Daryl reflect upon the journey that brought him to an old country with very modern problems.

A feat that ‘Deux Amours’ accomplished, by giving Daryl a little downtime to think and ponder. For he and Laurent were heading toward The Nest aboard that cozy little boat and that brought forth a lot of silence. The kind that allowed for Daryl to reflect deeply upon what happened. As it turned out, while he was out and about searching for others to bring to the Commonwealth and his own internal peace, he ran out of gas in Maine, near the coast, and stumbled upon quite the wild opportunity. For there was a small ragtag community nearby, one that was eager to collect walker samples for heaven knew what. But they were in fact, offering fuel and other various goods as a reward for bringing in samples that were of the fresh varietal and of course… Daryl made some quick enemies in this place. Not because he caused trouble, but because… he was too damn good at the job.

Because day in and day out, he was loading up trailers with the freshest of the dead and enjoying the best spoils this community had to offer. To the point where an important moment took place in this story. Because the good will that Daryl engendered, allowed for him to make use of the crude radio setup present in this place, and that allowed for him to contact home. Which in turn, brought about a unique cameo from Melissa McBride as Carol, wherein she and Daryl were able to talk for a bit, reconnect and remind us of how much their BFFL-ship healed them and how much they cared for one another. That is… before a bombshell arrived in this sequence since Carol may have hinted that this story takes place well after the events of the upcoming series The Ones Who Live and that… Rick Grimes and Michonne might be home at last.

But that aside, that wonderful moment did not inform us as to how Daryl made it to France and well, that was the result of the bad blood in the camp. Because one fine day, a guy that was just trying to get by and get home to his girl so they could go west, turned up with the day’s haul from a group that was picking on the decased, and that was more than Daryl could bear, and that led to an ugly fight. One that went against the rules of this community and put him on that boat. For apparently, troublemakers were to be used as food for some of Genet’s specimens. But of course… Daryl Dixon wasn’t one to sit back and wait to die, and with a little guile, he escaped, caused trouble, and encountered his first variant before heading into the water to find his way toward France. Which gave us… the answers we’ve been waiting for, alongside a little extra depth for that matter as well. Because Daryl hasn’t quite been himself this story, despite heroics, and it would appear that the cruelty, he saw on display on the boat and in that camp, combined with being away from good and decent people, helped him to lose hope in humanity, in his cause and well… that’s important to note.

Clémence Poésy as Isabelle in Episode 105 of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ – ‘‘Deux Amours’. (Photo Courtesy of Emmanuel Guimier/AMC.)

Because that is what Daryl needs to find in France and this episode also made it appear as though he was moving back toward hope at last. But not before really reaching rock bottom with frustrations regarding his predicament. For a short stop to rest, led to the boat being sent adrift and the death of their escort. And the former problem was a result of Laurent oddly enough. Because he feared being alone and feared his future and wanted to find a way to spend more time with Daryl. Because he did look up to him as a father figure and went the extra mile to show him that they were bonding, as evidenced by the ugliness that took place on the road. Since Genet and Codron’s forces found the both of them in the middle of nowhere, and when given the chance to run to The Nest, Laurent stayed by Daryl’s side… to show him that there was still good and loyalty in this world and that people still believed in one another. Elements critical to finding hope in a dark time.

However, we’d be remiss to not discuss what Isabelle was up to in this story since she too was in the midst of a soul-searching moment back in Paris. Simply because Quinn locked her away and played with her emotions and her future. Because he wanted nothing more than to have her submit to him. In the name of love of course… but in reality, it was his need for control and his need to make her atone for abandonment through ‘love’ that drove this desire, and she wasn’t sure she could handle that. Because she worked so hard to leave that life behind and be a new and better person that had faith in something more. But eventually some contact from old friends outside the walls of her bougie prison, prompted her to realize she should use this moment to her advantage and use Quinn’s fawning over her to gather intelligence and to find a way to perhaps delay whatever Genet had in mind for Paris since Quinn was working with her now and it is a wonderful thing that she did.

For this story also had quite the surprise in store for us in the finale. Wherein Isabelle and Laurent, and Daryl were reunited in Genet’s palace of horrors. For Genet was gathering a fair chunk of the city, to make it clear she wanted to unite France under one flag again, and she expected Laurent to be part of that unity and stand by her side at this gathering, after a powerful show for the crowd. One that saw Daryl marched out into an arena of sorts, to battle it out with a walker that was… different from the rest. For it was doped up with whatever serum Genet has been toying with all of this time, and it was… hyper aggressive and ready for combat and well, that left us with a cliffhanger as well. One where Daryl was prepared to face off against this new variant/walking nightmare and well, in the end… all of these elements brought together one delightful and incredible episode of the show.

Because it reminded us of the humanity this franchise resides within, and how we as a species ebb and flow between great moments and sorrowful ones externally and internally, and how easy it is to lose our way when we see our worst. But it also informed us, that, we can come back when that happens, we can be better. All of which was expressed through some of Norman Reedus’ finest work as Daryl Dixon here. Since he expressed all of those thoughts and emotions through subtle or powerful moments. But above all, we now know how Daryl came to France, and why he is so eager to return home. Because he knows he is losing himself, and knows he needs something positive to keep him focused, and hopefully this mission can help him find that and hopefully… Daryl can accomplish wonders in doing so. Because there is indeed something evil brewing in Paris and it needs to be addressed before more dark days befall this city, and its people. Until next time.

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