The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 6 recap and review: “Au Revoir Les Enfants”

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 6 recap and review: "Au Revoir Les Enfants"

As an ardent fan of The Walking Dead franchise, I must admit that I was thoroughly disappointed with the second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. After the captivating storytelling and edge-of-your-seat suspense of season 1, I had high hopes for this installment. However, it seemed like the writers were more interested in dragging out plot points rather than tying them up neatly.

The final episode of season 2 for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is here! Despite the deaths of Losang and Genet, the surviving groups remain committed to locating Laurent. Could Laurent manage an escape using Ash’s plane? Who will join him as the third passenger on this journey?

Laurent finally escapes

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 6 recap and review: "Au Revoir Les Enfants"

The episode starts off briskly, giving Daryl and Laurent a chance for their farewell chat as Daryl strums the guitar, and also offering Carol an opportunity to express regret to Ash. In both instances, neither Daryl nor Carol engage in verbal communication, but independently decide to remain behind.

What they don’t realize is that the remnants of Losang and Genet’s group is hot on their trail, finding Fallou and Codron while they search an abandoned mental hospital for supplies. The two manage to survive thanks to a sudden love interest for Fallou (isn’t it a little late to be throwing in this last-minute love story?).

In the midst of all this, I, being Losang’s trusted confidante, am relentlessly pursuing Laurent. However, tracking down his plane proves to be a challenge. I realize I need assistance, so I turn to Anna. Fortunately, she consents to help me in my quest. But there’s a catch – she yearns to return home to her family in Paris. I understand her longing and agree to her terms, hoping that together we can resolve this matter and fulfill our respective desires.

It’s fortunate that Anna stays faithful to Laurent, guiding their group into a walker trap, with the expectation that they all might perish. Predictably, not many of the enemies meet their end, and unfortunately, Anna’s selfless act ends up taking her life (another beloved character falls).

However, the person leading the group has been bitten, so it’s inevitable that she will transform soon. As they hear Ash’s airplane, the group prepares to act swiftly to prevent its departure. Fortunately, Daryl has reconnected with Fallou and Codron, and thanks to their warning, they prepare the plane for takeoff. It’s decided that Daryl will remain behind, making the third seat in Ash’s plane available for Carol.

In the heat of the moment, I found myself squared off against Daryl, Codron, and Fallou against a formidable group of soldiers. The tension was palpable as slow-motion drama unfolded, heart pounding moments leaving me on the edge of my seat. Somehow, Ash and Laurent managed to slip away unnoticed, abandoning Daryl with an enigma – how Carol vanished before the plane took flight remains a mystery to this day.

In the end, Losang’s trusted aide takes her life, thus creating uncertainty about the future of Genet’s army unit.

The journey to England

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 episode 6 recap and review: "Au Revoir Les Enfants"

As the episode is still unfolding, it leaves us curious about what’s going to happen next. Interestingly, not much seems to be happening at the moment.

Daryl, Carol, Fallou, and Codron seek assistance from two travelers for their planned journey from France to England, as they aim to find a route back to America. However, given the pattern we’ve seen on this series so far, it’s not hard to suspect that once these newcomers arrive, they may eventually turn against everyone due to the consistent trend of betrayal in the show.

On the eve of their departure, each member gathers together, exchanging tales and emotional moments. Among them, Fallou and his newfound romantic companion, Codron, come to terms with a revelation about Codron’s brother’s demise. Meanwhile, Carol opens up to Daryl about her lingering guilt over Sophia’s passing. The following morning, as they prepare to traverse the tunnel destined for England, Fallou makes an unexpected decision at the last minute – choosing to remain behind with his love interest, who is determined to find her lost sister in France instead of joining them on their journey.

In the tunnel, the team stumbles upon remnants of a military installation. It soon becomes clear that those stationed here perished due to a substance disseminated in the air causing delusions (as depicted more effectively in TWD: Dead City). As they progress through the tunnel where walkers are coated with glowing slime, hallucinations start to take hold.

Carol observes Sophia and trails behind her, separating from their companions, which leads to Codron recognizing a zombie as his sibling. Consequently, when Daryl eliminates it for his safety, Codron panics, assaults Daryl, and subsequently departs in pursuit of his undead brother. In an unexpected turn of events, the pair deceives Daryl (quite a twist), seizing oxygen masks and his belongings. Overwhelmed by the situation, Daryl experiences a hallucination where he sees Isabelle appearing to him, offering him the fortitude necessary for him to persevere.

This refers to Daryl, whose grandfather perished during the Normandy invasion in World War II. Subsequently, he manages to eliminate a couple and reconnect with Carol, who had been lost while following walker Sophia. Their hallucinations provide a sense of resolution, but they linger for an excessive amount of time, ultimately serving as the climax of the episode and season. Essentially, that’s all there is to it.

In simpler terms, they experience hallucinations, achieve resolution, manage to reconnect, and venture further into the tunnel while wearing oxygen masks as the story concludes. Having dealt with their existing problems, they’re now ready to confront whatever lies ahead directly.

Season 2 unfortunately doesn’t live up to the hype

Overall, the latest season didn’t quite match the excitement or splendor of its first installment. However, there were moments when the action became truly engaging, and while many plot surprises could be predicted, they still managed to deliver a satisfying payoff.

Genet’s backstory, which shaped her into the woman we recognize later, was captivating. The progression of Codron’s character and his most significant development in the series so far has been highly valued and essential. The show had the opportunity to eliminate him like it did with almost everyone else, but instead, they expanded his role. However, the choice to have him disappear in the final episode left room for speculation.

Although there were a handful of beneficial aspects, there were an overwhelming number of drawbacks that significantly outweighed them. While it’s impractical to enumerate all the negatives, I’ll mention some key ones: Isabelle’s demise, Carol’s excessive plot protection that bordered on the unrealistic, the convoluted pathways Carol took to reach France (including the many lies involved), the endless, aimless scenes that led nowhere, and how virtually every character introduced as an aid ultimately proved to be a superfluous antagonist.

It was disappointing to witness such high expectations surrounding the new season, only to find it falling short in numerous aspects. The second installment held great promise, yet ultimately, it managed to be just satisfactory without offering any thrilling moments or shedding light on the overall narrative.

Instead of neatly tying up many loose ends by the end of the season, we’re left with numerous unresolved plot points that seem to carry over into season 3. The reason for Daryl and Carol’s unexpected appearance in Spain during season 3 remains unexplained. It’s a fine line between providing too much guidance throughout the series and abruptly dropping several ongoing stories without resolution. Essentially, season 3 now faces twice the challenge of resolving these lingering plots.

Having concluded the main narrative of “TWD: Daryl Dixon,” we wonder how much longer the series will continue, before Daryl and Carol finally return home. We’re crossing our fingers that “TWD: Dead City” season 2, set to premiere next year, avoids repeating the same missteps as its predecessor.

As a huge fan, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the second season of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.” If you haven’t seen it yet, you can catch up with Daryl on AMC. It’s an unmissable experience!

2024-11-04 22:28

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