The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – Season 1 Review

Trailer:

So I firstly wanna mention that even after watching this show I still can’t figure out what was even the point of this show… it just feels like filler. It doesn’t really connect into anything, and it doesn’t expand a previous series or any future series. To me, this show felt very gimmicky. The whole gimmick being: well hey, Daryl Dixon is in France—ain’t that cool? Also, I think I’m getting tired of these spinoff shows… (don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the Maggie and Negan spinoff show), but this show right here might be the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.

Now, I ain’t saying I hated this show—no, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that I’m starting to not understand what the hell is the point of these spinoff shows? The Walking Dead was based off the comics. It never should’ve branched off into spin-off shows making it another cinematic universe. Also, I’m getting sick and tired of cinematic universes—please, just no more of that. It ain’t necessary.

Non-Spoiler Rundown:

So in this show, if you couldn’t tell by what I said, Daryl Dixon washes up on the shores of France. Now… what was he doing? How did he end up unconscious in the ocean? Is beyond me—for now, at least. It isn’t explained clearly until later in a few vague flashbacks.

Anyway, when he wakes up, he heads off looking for anyone, anything, or specifically a radio to contact home. Instead, he finds a new variant of walkers that burn your skin with a single touch. Yikes. He then gets picked up by a group of nuns who take him to their church and heal him up.

And this is where things just nosedive off a cliff. Because apparently these nuns think Daryl is the second coming of Jesus Christ. No, I wish I was joking. Here’s why:

They show Daryl a drawing that this kid named Laurent made—a drawing of a man washing ashore. It resembles Jesus, apparently. And then Daryl washed ashore a few days later. So their conclusion? He must be the prophesied one. He must be divine.

I’m sorry but—Jesus Christ, literally. End my suffering.

Apparently, Laurent is considered by the nuns to be the cure for humanity, a messianic child who will save the world. Yes, now The Walking Dead has a messiah kid. That’s where we are now.

And they want Daryl to escort this messiah child to a specific town in France. He says no at first, understandably, but after the church is attacked and many nuns are killed, Daryl agrees to take the kid. Great timing, Daryl. Real heroic.

At this point I was asking myself: why am I watching this? Why does this show exist? But then there was one great moment. On their journey, Daryl and Laurent stumble upon a commune trying to bring back some semblance of normal life. The group includes children, and one night, the kids and Daryl sit together and watch TV (powered by a pedaling generator). For once in the apocalypse, there’s a moment of peace. A moment of genuine humanity.

It was actually really nice.

Character Rundown:

• Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) – A silent survivalist who’s now being treated like Jesus Christ because… well… he washed up on a beach. He spends most of the season grumbling and carrying the plot on his back.
• Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) – The so-called “messiah kid”. Apparently the cure to all of humanity. I don’t know how. The show doesn’t explain how. But he’s wise beyond his years and oddly calm about everything.
• Isabelle Carriere (Clémence Poésy) – A former nun with a complicated past who becomes a close companion to Daryl. She has a tragic love story and personal guilt that plays heavily into the show.
• Quinn (Adam Nagaitis) – Isabelle’s old flame turned villain. He’s now running a nightclub in the apocalypse (because why not) and serves as one of the antagonists.
• Genet (Anne Charrier) – The main villain and leader of a new authoritarian group experimenting on zombies. She’s trying to build an empire, and yes, she’s French and evil because of course she is.
• Codron (Romain Levi) – A French nationalist soldier turned extremist who hates Americans, especially Daryl. His brother’s death fuels his revenge arc.

Why This Show Is Dumb:

Let’s pause for a second and talk about why this show might be one of the dumbest concepts in the entire franchise. First, Daryl Dixon is now being treated as a literal religious prophecy. The showrunners looked at this gruff, brooding biker and said, “Yeah, let’s turn him into Jesus.” I’m sorry—what?

He washed up on a beach and suddenly he’s a divine figure? The nuns just know he’s the one because a child drew a vaguely Jesus-looking man coming out of the ocean? That’s the bar now?

But wait—it gets worse. That same child, Laurent, is now considered a messiah. The literal future savior of humanity. This show really leaned hard into the “biblical prophecy” angle for no reason at all. It’s a complete tonal whiplash from the grounded, survivalist nature of The Walking Dead.

It’s like someone watched The Da Vinci Code and said, “You know what would make The Walking Dead better? Catholic conspiracy mysticism!”

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the zombies were the most believable part of this show.

Pros:

• A few genuinely emotional moments, like the kids watching TV for the first time.
• Strong visual cinematography in the French countryside.
• A few new walker variants to shake things up.

Cons:

• The plot is bizarre, and not in a good way.
• The whole “Daryl as Jesus” arc is unearned and just plain dumb.
• Too many characters that lack depth.
• The messiah kid subplot feels forced and tonally off.
• Doesn’t feel like it connects to the larger franchise.

Rating: 4/10

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Spoiler Warning ⚠️

Okay, let’s talk about how this show wraps up.

Eventually, we learn how Daryl ended up in France: he was tricked by a community in Maine who betrayed him, knocked him out, and sent him to France as a test subject in a zombie experiment. He escaped mid-transit and washed up on the beach. That’s the big mystery unraveled.

Meanwhile, Laurent continues his whole “messiah” routine, and everyone around him treats him like he’s going to save the world—even though he’s just a kid with a calm attitude and a good moral compass.

Isabelle’s story becomes tragic when her ex, Quinn, reveals he’s Laurent’s father. Yeah. It’s complicated. Quinn ends up dying, and Isabelle kills Codron’s brother, fueling his desire for revenge.

The final scenes show Codron surviving and still hunting Daryl, while Daryl chooses not to return to America—despite having the chance. He sees the beach, says goodbye to the man who could’ve helped him get home, and chooses to stay behind. Isabelle’s voiceover narrates this moment with emotional gravitas, suggesting that Daryl might finally be finding a new purpose—something beyond survival.

But again—none of this feels like it needed to happen.

Final thoughts: I’m so confused. This entire show feels like it was made for no reason other than to justify Norman Reedus’s paycheck and an extended vacation in Europe. It’s not terrible, but it’s not great. And honestly, turning Daryl into Jesus and introducing a messiah child? I can’t even.

Final Rating: 4/10

This might be the weirdest, most unnecessary detour in The Walking Dead universe yet.