The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 5 recap and review: “Vouloir, C’est Pouvoir”

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 5 recap and review: "Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir"

As a devoted fan of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon“, I must say that this season has been a rollercoaster ride, and episode 5, “Vouloir, C’est Pouvoir”, was no exception. The search for Ash, the tense moments between Daryl and Laurent, and the heart-pounding showdown with Losang kept me on the edge of my seat!

Following the tumultuous events and emotional turmoil from the last episode, it’s refreshing to see a brief respite in the narrative unfold. In “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” season 2 episode 5, titled “Vouloir, C’Est Pouvoir”, I find myself rooting for Daryl as he endeavors to persuade Laurent to join him in America. Unfortunately, their pilot Ash has gone missing, adding another layer of complexity to their journey.

As Daryl and Carol look for him, Losang persists in his quest for Laurent, which eventually culminates in a confrontation with Daryl. Can our protagonists manage to flee France using Ash’s aircraft?

The search for Ash

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 5 recap and review: "Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir"

The initial scene finds Daryl deep in contemplation, visibly distraught, as he and Carol abandon a damaged vehicle without looking back. As they progress towards where Ash’s plane supposedly crashed, they discover it empty and the vicinity rigged with explosives.

In the group of folks ensnared by these traps, I find myself included, barely keeping my head above water. This fellow shares that he was lured here by the plane’s allure. Meanwhile, it turns out that Carol deceived Ash, leading him to believe she needed to go to France, which wasn’t entirely true.

Unbeknownst to them, Ash had stumbled upon a group of walkers while on the run and found refuge in an abandoned vehicle. In his struggle to fend off these walkers, he suffered a concussion and lost consciousness within the car.

In their reunion at the hidden camp reminiscent of season 1, both Daryl and Carol experience a shift in fortune as they cross paths with Laurent and Fallou once more. Interestingly, this encounter also leads Daryl to discover Codron, a character who has undergone significant transformation throughout the series, showcasing remarkable development among all characters.

He deeply regrets all his previous mistakes and is currently focused on protecting Laurent, even if that means working with Daryl. Although Daryl and Laurent reunite, the boy seems less than thrilled at the idea of going to America and declines Daryl’s offer.

Daryl feels disappointed, thinking he let Laurent down, so he chooses to accompany Carol in their quest for Ash. Consequently, this involves traveling to Demimonde, a nightclub that belonged to Quinn from the first season.

After Quinn’s passing, it appears that his former girlfriend, Anna (though the series didn’t confirm this, she seemed to have stronger feelings for him), now manages the establishment. Meanwhile, Carol identifies the fuel containers that Ash employed for his aircraft.

They trace the origin of the cans and make a plan to look for Ash in that location. Simultaneously, Laurent and Codron share emotional exchanges until Losang brings soldiers along. (Paraphrased)

Currently, everyone at the camp now knows about Losang’s actions at The Nest, which leads them to try and divert his attention so that Codron can flee with Laurent. Eventually, Carol and Daryl locate Ash in the vehicle, but after overcoming numerous obstacles to get there, walkers encircle them yet again, even as they climb into the car.

Unable to find an alternative way out, they opted to use two of the zombies, which their community had been developing a serum called Genet, as a lethal weapon against the others. This was an incredibly fortunate turn of events since, in previous seasons, we’ve witnessed instances where this outcome wasn’t guaranteed.

It only seemed to happen once when Daryl was forced to fight the walkers but hasn’t happened since.

Who will stay and who will go?

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 5 recap and review: "Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir"

Regardless, the walkers are mostly killed enabling Daryl and Carol to escape with Ash. They make it back to the plane but once again Daryl needs Anna’s help.

While Carol looks after Ash, Daryl goes in search of Anna. In the process, he encounters Codron and Laurent. It transpires during this period that Laurent has been concerned about Daryl, given that he’s lost all those close to his heart.

After a quick, intimate conversation, Laurent consents to travel back to America alongside Daryl and Carol. Shortly following this, Losang starts looking for Laurent.

They enter the catacombs with Daryl, Codron, and Laurent through a hidden door from Anna’s office. It is here that Daryl and Codron start taking out Losang’s soldiers individually.

Daryl and Losang engaged in an intense battle, one that was sometimes difficult to follow due to its intensity. The fight culminated with Daryl brutally crushing Losang’s skull. However, even with Losang dead, it seems our heroes haven’t escaped unscathed as Losang’s chief lieutenant wasn’t eliminated by Codron. This suggests she may seek revenge in the future.

In simpler terms, when Carol couldn’t provide a satisfactory explanation for her need to go to France, she ultimately confessed the truth to Ash. As anticipated, he handled it as best as could be expected. Nevertheless, he agreed to fly them back home.

Upon Daryl and Laurent’s arrival, I find myself confronted with another challenge: our aircraft accommodates just three individuals. A tough decision looms – who among us must remain behind while the others embark on this journey?

Far better episode but not much happens

Despite featuring some impressive scenes like Codron’s character growth, Laurent’s trust in Daryl deepening, and Losang receiving his just desserts, this installment seemed to involve an excess of chasing about. The scenario where Daryl had to visit Demimonde repeatedly, and the compulsion on him and Carol to embark on a detour to locate Ash, only for the episode to culminate in a nail-biting cliffhanger, leaving one character with no choice but to remain behind, felt somewhat complex and drawn out.

This episode seemed to be a whirlwind of hastily covering missed plot points for the season finale, yet it still felt rather slow-paced. I found myself frequently glancing at the clock, eagerly waiting for its conclusion.

Currently, only one episode remains in this season, and it seems quite clear that Laurent is likely to be eliminated alongside Ash, while Daryl and Carol will carry on. This situation strongly suggests that the storyline will extend into a third season for our protagonists.

Although Season 2 aimed to carry on the narrative, it fell short compared to Season 1 in my opinion. There were instances when I found myself longing for the earlier season, which seemed to masterfully tell a near-perfect story, such as a hero’s journey or an epic tale of transformation and growth.

In a more natural and easy-to-understand way: The second season seems like a completely different program, unfortunately not in a good way. It moved slowly, was filled with questionable choices, and didn’t contribute much to the main storyline at all. I’m hoping that the finale can make up for it somehow.

On November 3, 2024, catch the sixth episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s second season airing on AMC. Tune in with us every week as we delve into the season’s events!

2024-10-28 22:28