Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol
By Sioph W. Leal
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol picks up with Daryl (Norman Reedus) training Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) in survival and immediately being confronted by Losang (Joel de la Fuente) who still firmly believes that Laurent will be saviour of mankind and wants Daryl to stop out of concern that Laurent will lose his empathy. Carol (Melissa McBride) is on the hunt to find her lost friend and makes the journey to France and is forced to confront old, buried feelings, from the traumas in her life. While Laurent is still a focal point to the story and the Power of the Living, and the Union of Hope battle it out with Carol and Daryl’s aims mixed in with the factions as they fight, and both want Laurent in the fight for France’s future.
Right away the pace is much improved from the first season with a stronger plot and dynamic thanks to the inclusion of Carol. She wastes no time and makes for a much better season, presenting a more human and layered arc that the first season lacked. As she grapples with the re-emerging trauma of losing Sophia all those years ago and even laments how her life has gotten quiet meaning everything she has bottled away to survive is forcing its way up. This inclusion is the true strength of the series combined with a beautiful and, at times, harrowing performance by McBride who carries the heart of the series and perfectly captures what it is like to live with grief and how it affects a person no matter how much time has passed. Despite this, Carol’s strength shines through in a much more realistic way than other titular characters. No matter the situation he is in, it seems Daryl will always survive and that can hinder the story and reaction to it.
Last season we saw Daryl face a horde and large groups of people fighting against him, but he'd always come out unscathed due to how loved he is. Obviously, he’s a fan favourite and a writer’s favourite but his seemingly indestructibility was often a hindrance to the story because we know that he will survive everything he encounters and that’s thrown at him. On the other side of that Carol shows more personality and faces more danger but you can suspend any belief that she will make it through and have a genuine fear that she will succumb to the world. Early on, in her search for Daryl, she encounters the very people who sent him to France and is able to use the skills we’ve seen her grow from the parent series to now. Her ability to switch from meek and mild to resourceful and a force to be reckoned with is one of the reasons she breathes a new life into the show and an air of danger. While we can’t say much, there is one hallucination induced scene that will have comic fans with their hearts in their mouths that brings togethers Carol’s arc in the series and in the original show. Sometimes going back can prove fruitful and that is exactly what this season has done with Carol. Not only does she have to navigate multiple countries, new people, new rules and new Walkers but she does so carrying her own trauma and history and uses it to power through, determined to find Daryl.
The Union of Hope and Power of the Living create an interesting contrast to each other in their beliefs and how they’ve managed not only to survive, but how they carry their ideals and how it spreads out either through fear or genuine hope and support. It does, at times, feel a little lost and forced in some aspects and conflicts are quickly resolved or jumped from one to the other midway through the season. In the previous season, Genet (Anne Charrier) came off as a caricature villain filled with French stereotypes but this season she is more menacing and rounded as a villain as her plan is expanded on and we see her backstory and how it has shaped the ruthless leader she has become. For a villain she is a stronger character, writing wise, than Losang but her more interesting scenes are with none other than Carol herself. Again, Carol’s inclusion is not only an asset to the show but its saving grace as she elevates every part of it.
Often the plot of Laurent and his messiah/saviour status becomes tedious, but it loosely holds the plot together when the series chooses not to focus on the inevitable reunion of Carol and Daryl. That itself does come across a little rushed but the situations after provides more depth than the reunion. It’s a brave choice but one that works well for the narrative of the season and allows the plot to grow around them.
A staple of The Walking Dead franchise is how creative the team are in designing and showcasing their Walkers. After multiple series and seasons it is a testament to the creative energy of the franchise to show them in a new light and in different forms. From the trailer we see the marsh Walkers, but they aren’t the only new variant. How the living interacts with the Walkers is also new. We have people trying to survive and kill the Walkers that is a default reaction, but so much more is shown. There is a village full of old people who manage to show compassion to the undead, using them to fondly remember those that have passed. Unable to bury their undead or kill them, they are simply locked in their gardens and as the residents walk past, they pay their respects. It adds a human touch, a tenderness, that brings more heart to the series and a layer that feels like its impact will last despite it being brief. Then we have the Power of the Living using them as enhanced soldiers. Some use the Walkers for their own gain, some for compassion but it is the different reactions that bring more to the show than being a tired show about survival that we have seen in over seven different series. That is what sets this season apart from the others and the true strength.
Horror is a vital part of the series with the Walkers being the scariest part, but it isn’t until the end of the season that the fear will grip. There are moments throughout the season that almost grasp that, but it builds up into the final moments in a remarkable moment that makes you feel true fear, heartache and a truly touching performance from McBride.
Carol is the true heart of the season and the strength in every way. While Daryl will forever be a fan favourite, it is clear that his story has run out only to be revitalised by Carol who reanimates life into the story. The Book of Carol is its best when the characters are finally in perilous situations that they can’t easily escape from and when the new Walker variations are showcased to create the long missing fear. There are some new characters such as Ash (Manish Dayal) who bring more humanity but also bring a sense of morality that makes for more interesting situations.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premiers Sunday, September 29 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+.