I had high hopes for Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead: The Book of Carol . Still, the six episodes yielded a few doubles and triples, with our protagonists successfully reaching second and third base without too many errors or outs. Well, with my limited knowledge of baseball, this analogy isn’t perfect. The point is this show didn’t have a winning season, but that doesn’t mean I won’t come back again next season to watch and cheer. Read on to find out why.
“Goodbye, Children” – Daryl Dixon, “The Walking Dead”, “The Book of Carol”, pictured: Louis Puccigliuzzi as Laurent. Photo credit: Stéphanie Branchu/AMC @2024 AMC Inc. All rights reserved
The good news is that Season 2 has ended. just kidding. I love when humanity finds its way through madness, violence, and death. For example, Laurent and Daryl’s Rolling Stones duet “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is unexpectedly beautiful. “If you try sometimes, you’ll find you get what you need,” Daryl sang softly, as he was preparing to send Laurent off to America alone, when he approached me. Another special moment is when Fallou falls in love with Akira, the new Algerian bad guy. I also appreciate how the show pauses to acknowledge that Daryl and Codron are “comrades.” Codren finally learns that Daryl did not kill his brother, Michelle. Codren’s reaction when he learns that all of his pain and suffering in trying to kill Daryl was based on lies is adorable.
“Goodbye, Kids” – Daryl Dixon, “The Walking Dead”, “The Book of Carol”, pictured: Soraya Khachumi as Elektra. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AMC @2024 AMC Inc. All rights reserved
The bad news is that TWDDD has always been more abstract in nature than the other shows in TWDU. I love that the show moved to France. It’s a bold artistic endeavor, but unfortunately it’s too abstract, leaving viewers like me confused rather than intrigued. For example, in the beginning, survivors had a hard time finding guns, ammo, and fuel. Twelve years into ZA, everyone has an abundance of these items. If anyone can help make sense of this, I’d love to hear it. Additionally, the storyline is filled with loose ends, such as Codron disappearing into the night after seeing his brother Michel in a hallucination. Will Carol and Daryl see him again? Codron, Laurent, and Ash need to return to support this team. They are the freshest part of this well-worn story.
The last episode ended without a proper cliffhanger. The Walking Dead has been criticized for leaving elements of its story unresolved in order to keep audiences hooked. I’ve never criticized this plot device, so the lack of suspense at the end of “Goodbye Kids” felt a bit overkill, and I loved the suspense of the main show. Remember in the Flagship season finale when Carol was on the phone with Daryl and we couldn’t hear clearly who she said was back? Is it Rick? Is it Morgan? Fans are talking a lot. Nothing like that happened here. Perhaps, leaving Laurent and Ash’s escape unresolved, or leaving Carol’s fate uncertain after battling her chimera’s hallucinations, would be a cliffhanger. I will respect these choices.
“Goodbye, Kids” – Daryl Dixon, “The Walking Dead”, “The Book of Carol”, pictured: Roman Levy as Corden. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AMC @2024 AMC Inc. All rights reserved
In a world filled with content, the biggest sin is failing to entertain. TWDU is known for being engaging, thought-provoking, emotional and, at the very least, escapist. The Season 2 finale was disappointing as it didn’t offer a satisfying ending, resulting in a lackluster viewing experience that left viewers questioning whether they’d wasted their time and attention. It doesn’t matter. Baseball is also a bit boring, but I still watch it.
“Goodbye, Kids” – “The Walking Dead” Daryl Dixon “The Book of Carol” Pictured: Melissa McBride as Carol Pelletier. Photo credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AM @2024 AMC Inc. All rights reserved
Do you think Daryl and Carol will reunite with Laurent in season 3? What did you think of the ending?
Overall rating:
6/10
