‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol’ Recap – ‘La Paradis Pour Toi’

10/21/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus as Carol Peletier and Daryl Dixon in Episode 204 of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ – ‘The Book of Carol’ – ‘La Paradis Pour Toi’. (Photo Courtesy of Stéphanie Branchu/AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

It is definitely safe to say that fans of hit AMC series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, have been patiently awaiting two important things to happen in season two of the show. The first, is resolution regarding the villains that populate this world. Simply because evil does not win in this world, the heroes of this world see to that, so fans have been counting down the days to the end of Genet and Losang, and of course… they’ve also been waiting for the reunion to end all reunions. That moment when Carol and Daryl stand next to each other again and bring us joy and remind us of the true power of friendship in the process, and well, after three incredible weeks of commentary and tension building, at long last… the show finally worked to give the fans what they wanted during this week’s episode.

For ‘La Paradis Pour Toi’ wasted little time in letting us know that Carol was going to be okay after being thrown in with Genet’s new batch of angry walkers. Since she smartly figured out how to hide among the corpses Genet created, and she managed to avoid dealing with the horror of the serum. All so she could escape post haste, with Codron no less, who was carted out as living bait for the dead… and make her way to the Nest. Wherein, pure chaos erupted. Mainly because Genet began her all-out assault on the place and that brought forth some of the patented action and adventure we’ve come to enjoy from this series. For the dead were everywhere, and terror was the order of the day and that brought about… sorrow and joy within the compound.

Sorrow from the fact that Losang’s darker tendencies were put on display in this tale. For while his world began to collapse, he continued to push Isabelle for information regarding Laurent’s whereabouts and when that did not go as planned, since Isabelle fought back… he was quick to stab her and leave her for death and resurrection shortly before leaving to fight the monsters in his stead. Which did not go well, for the variant walkers were tough and so many of Losang’s flock suffered and it truly seemed as though we were about to bid farewell to a character we love and eventually… we did. For Isabelle did not survive her injuries, but she was able to at least say goodbye to her love and be with Daryl one last time, simply because he escaped and that… led to the pure joy in this tale.

Because once Daryl was out of his makeshift cell and causing good trouble, he ran into Carol and thus… came that big moment we were waiting for. Wherein two best friends, no longer separated by an ocean, were able to reunite and know that bond again, and that led… to an epic escape from the Nest and some powerful moments for certain. The kind that showcased how best friends don’t miss a beat when they reunite after some time, because this duo were quickly back to their quippy ways, and they were able to catch up and fill each other in using minimal words because of the trust they harbor and this reunion also allowed for us to learn, that Daryl has some emotional work to do in this story as well. Since clearly, he was shattered by losing Isabelle and Laurent and needs to process that pain as much as Carol.

Anne Charrier as Genet in Episode 204 of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ – ‘The Book of Carol’ – ‘La Paradis Pour Toi’. (Photo Courtesy of Stéphanie Branchu/AMC.)

But of course, there was mention of the fact that this story also resolved some darkness, and it accomplished that feat, in a supremely unique manner. Because eventually, Daryl and Carol were able to find a small village that Laurent traveled to with Fallou on their way back to Paris, and this was a fascinating place. For it was filled to the brim with people that were just plain older than everyone else, and because of that, they had a pact regarding death. In that, when someone passed in this quaint little village, those that went on, simply locked the fallen in their yard and let them live their second life. Giving rise to an eerie main street, one that was balanced nicely by the sweet couple that our heroes encountered along the way.

For in this village was a loving couple, filled with a measure of hope and acceptance we’ve never seen in this universe before. They simply understood the rules, made peace with everything and just enjoyed the moment. Which was something we can all learn from, and sadly, one half of them wasn’t as gentle as the other. For the old man they spent time with here, was ready to turn Daryl and Carol over to Genet, to enjoy more hot meals and more time on this Earth, and that brought Genet herself to their humble abode to deal with the mess at hand, and that led to a tense and sorrowful sequence. One where the sweet old lady in this house perished and where… Carol dealt with Genet herself. For when there was a window to strike true, Carol used the very serum Genet created to end her in a violent and oddly satisfying manner.

But while it was lovely to see good triumph over evil again in this story, one cannot forget that sometimes… one fallen monster can easily be replaced by another, and that happened here. Because Genet did not kill Losang after seizing control of the Nest. Likely to keep him around for information and a rainy day as she was wont to do, and that… was problematic for our heroes. Because without a leader, Genet’s scattered forces turned to Losang to step in and guide them, and of course… he was more than happy to help with that. For now, he could spread the good word further and use vast resources to find his messiah and continue to propagate his lie, and bring suffering in the process. Spelling nothing but trouble for our heroes down the line.

All of which brought forth, a stunningly epic episode. One that truly delivered on everything we’ve been waiting for. For at last, Genet paid the piper for her special evil, Codron played the hero, and of course… the greatest best friends in the history of television are together again, and that’s a good thing. Because one evil has replaced another, one that flat out will be more ruthless than Genet ever was since he believes that God is on his side, and Laurent will need their strength to stay safe. But while we wait to see what that battle looks like; we can celebrate just an incredible story. One that really did deliver on that big moment and made it worth our while and special, and it was just a real treat to see Daryl and Carol together again and doing what they do best, and that will make the wait for next week’s episode quite painful, since we are now more than eager to see them continue to do good in this faraway land. Until next time.

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