The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2, Episode 5 Review - The Show Suffers From Rushed Storytelling

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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Daryl Dixon season 2, episode 5.

Last week’s episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol was a high point for the season. Though there was the tragedy of Isabelle’s (Clémence Poésy) death, it was nicely counterbalanced by the reunion of Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride), plus some great action at both the Nest and later on in a charming French village. Genet (Anne Charrier) was also killed off and too soon, though she at least died in spectacular fashion. Episode 4 set a high bar, but sadly, episode 5, “Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir”, doesn’t come close to matching it.

Cast Norman Reedus , Clemence Poesy , Louis Puech Scigliuzzi , Laïka Blanc-Francard , Anne Charrier , Romain Levi , Melissa McBride , Joel de la Fuente , Adam Nagaitis , Eriq Ebouaney , Tristan Zanchi , François Delaive , Maxime Lefrançois , Lukerya Ilyashenko , Catherine Arditi , Hugo Dillon

Character(s) Daryl Dixon , Isabelle Carriere , Laurent , Sylvie , Genet , Stéphane Codron , Carol Peletier , Losang , Quinn , Fallou Boukar , Emile , Dr. Henri Lafleur , Capo , Anna Valery , Mother Superior Véronique , Père Jean

Release Date October 1, 2023

Seasons 2

Streaming Service(s) AMC Plus

Writers David Zabel , Angela Kang

Directors Daniel Percival , Greg Nicotero

Showrunner David Zabel

Daryl Dixon season 2 returns to Paris in this episode, revisiting many of season 1’s notable locations and characters. There’s the nightclub, Demimonde, now overseen by Anna (Lukerya Ilyashenko); the rooftop community where they briefly stayed in season 1; and Maison Mère, the former stronghold of Pouvoir that now appears abandoned. The quick stops give the episode a “season 1’s greatest hits” vibe, with the series clearly trying to tie up as many of its lingering plots before the finale.

A Former Foe Becomes A Much-Needed Friend

Codron Finally Receives Some Focus

One of the plot threads kept on the backburner is Codron's (Romain Levi) – a season 1 villain turned season 2 ally. He’s popped up throughout season 2, first seen being tortured by Genet and then befriended by Carol. Now, after miraculously surviving the attack on the Nest, he shows up in Paris seeking safety among the rooftop community. While there, Codron gets a little one-on-one time with Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), who forgives him for his past misdeeds.

Codron’s transformation over two seasons has been one of the more interesting elements of the show. Where in the first season he was basically chasing and then occasionally fighting with Daryl, season 2 has given his character more nuance, particularly with this episode. Levi has been able to give his character more depth with the few appearances he's had this season, and now that it appears he's firmly among the good guys, I want to see him and Daryl work things out.

Still, waiting until the penultimate episode of season 2 to examine his change of heart at the end of season 1 feels a tad late. While sweet, Codron’s scene with Laurent also feels rushed, like the show is just looking to tidily wrap up its many residual storylines in the short time left.

Another Enemy Bites The Dust

After Finishing Off Genet Last Episode, Losang Is Quickly Dispatched

Speaking of rushing things, Losang’s (Joel de la Fuente) time as season 2’s main threat is cut unbelievably short. With Genet gone, it seemed that Losang would have the remainder of season 2 and possibly some of season 3 to be the big bad, similar to how Genet stuck around from season 1. But no, soon after tracking Laurent to Paris and eventually to the Demimonde, Losang is killed during an underwhelming fight with Daryl. In the span of two episodes, Daryl Dixon season 2 has gone from having too many villains to none at all.

In the span of two episodes, Daryl Dixon season 2 has gone from having too many villains to none at all.

This comes from season 2 trying to do too much in a short amount of time. The first season of Daryl Dixon had simpler, more streamlined storytelling, and that fit with it being a short, six-episode season. Season 2, meanwhile, has attempted a bigger story in that same number of episodes, becoming overly complicated as a result. Nowhere is this more evident than with the villains, as L’Union and Pouvoir serve basically the same purpose in the narrative; so much so that the two groups unite under Losang once Genet is dead.

Killing off Losang so quickly also makes it more regrettable that Genet was taken out in the previous episode. Both deaths seem like the series is wiping the slate clean to start fresh next season. And that would be fine if these villains had received enough time to become memorable parts of the story. Genet was at least able to menace Daryl for a season and a half, but Losang’s evil turn was already sudden, and with him now dead just a few episodes later, it feels kind of pointless.

Carol’s Confession Goes Just As Well As Expected

She's Lied A Lot This Season, But Her Lie To Ash Was Easily The Biggest One

Carol has been going through some things this season. She’s spent months searching for her best friend, grappling with her renewed grief over her daughter’s death, and now her guilt over manipulating another grieving parent into flying her halfway across the world to find her best friend. All of that comes to a head in episode 5, as Carol finally confesses to Ash (Manish Dayal) the truth about Sophia and why she really needed his plane.

And that reveal goes about just as well as anyone would expect. Ash is understandably angry, furious even, over how Carol manipulated him, using the pain of his own son’s death to encourage him to take on a risky endeavor in the hope of rescuing her daughter. Carol’s told a lot of lies this season, but her lie to Ash was the biggest and most cruel. However, I don’t believe the show is really going to punish her for it.

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Already, she’s been given a slight out with Ash admitting that going on this wild journey has been good for him, allowing him to process and move on from his own grief. With only one episode left, it’s doubtful Carol and Ash will be at odds for long. And it’s a bit of a shame there don't seem to be real consequences for Carol’s big lie, but then that falls in line with how quickly Daryl Dixon season 2 is working to tie everything up in a neat little bow.

All that said, Dayal deserves some serious praise for his performance when Ash does learn the truth. McBride does a good job as well, really selling how this lie has been eating away at Carol, but it’s Dayal who steals the scene with his deserved rage.

Daryl Dixon Season 2's Zombie Kill Of The Week

Finally, Daryl Dixon Delivers Some Zombie Kills That Make This Section Worthwhile

Norman Reedus as Daryl inside a car with zombies at the window in The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon season 2-1

All season long I’ve been on the lookout for some cool, zombie-killing action. The Walking Dead may not center its walkers, roamers, and other undead variants as much as it used to, but the production team can still deliver some gnarly zombies when they want to. And finally, in its penultimate episode, Daryl Dixon season 2 has delivered.

The whole setup for this scene feels a tad contrived, but I can’t really complain given the results. Of course, I'm talking about Carol and Daryl rescuing Ash from a swarm of walkers and using Genet’s super zombie serum to take them out. Besides the attack on the Nest, these faster variants haven’t made too much of an impression, but here, Daryl Dixon shows off the sort of damage they can do.

Cleverly filmed from inside the car, all we see at first is blood and guts splattering the windows as the two zombies Daryl shoots with the serum rip apart the regular walkers. The super-powered variants eventually crash through the windows, and Carol and Daryl need to quickly dispose of them. Once they leave the vehicle, the magnitude of the carnage becomes apparent, with walker body parts strewn everywhere, some even still twitching. We may not get to actually see the variants slaughtering those walkers (likely for budgetary reasons), but the aftermath is more than enough to paint a bloody picture.

Where episode 4 of Daryl Dixon season 2 felt like a high point, episode 5 is a definite step down, largely because now it feels like the series is rushing towards its finale. A quick pace has served the show well in the past, but with how much was set up in both seasons, now it’s a race to wrap everything up. Here’s hoping what plot threads remain are given satisfactory endings in the finale, while the series also looks to set up where Daryl and Carol will go in season 3.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol airs weekly every Sunday at 9pm ET on AMC.

The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon official poster

6/10

In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.

Pros

Codron is given some screentime to focus on his growth.
Finally, the series gives us a memorable and gory scene with its zombie variants.

Cons

The attention given to Codron feels like too little, too late.
Losang is killed off too quickly, making his heel turn feel a bit pointless.
Carol finally confesses the truth to Ash, but it's doubtful there'll be any major consequences.
Overall, the penultimate entry in season 2 feels rushed.

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