There was a time when people couldn't go into a Hot Topic or on Facebook without seeing an "If Daryl Dies, We Riot" meme. The Walking Dead has taken this meme to a whole other level by giving Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) his own spinoff and taking the Disney+ approach by outright naming the series after the character. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon appears as a straightforward move to focus solely on the Southern archer's journey as a fish out of water in France, but the series is more plentiful than meets the eye.
The title is an obvious attempt to take advantage of the beloved character's popularity. Honed by David Zabel, known for his work as the showrunner of ER for several seasons, Daryl Dixon is produced by some recognizable Walking Dead names (Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, and Reedus himself) who understand the gravitas of titling a series with a merchandise-friendly character. Taking place in France, most of the creatives and supporting characters are of European descent to authenticate Daryl's experience in a foreign country.
The series takes no time to thrust Daryl into a situation after he mysteriously washes ashore in the premiere of the six-episode first season. He meets Clémence Poésy's Isabelle, a progressive nun who asks him to take a young boy named Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) north of France so he can fulfill his duty as a messiah to lead the new world. Poésy proves she would've made an exceptional lead character given the chance. She perfectly captures Isabelle's restrained demeanor that's quickly undone by her fascination with Daryl, a "man without God," as the nuns call him, and her unconditional love for Laurent.
She and Reedus are supported by a number of characters in side quests, many of whom don't get the time to develop. The antagonist, Genet, raises the stakes for Daryl, but her purpose for disrupting the peace is barely explored. Genet suffers from being a typical "big bad has big plans for the future of humanity" type of villain, which has plagued The Walking Dead spinoffs for the last few years.
The creative team behind Daryl Dixon clearly didn't want to "Americanize" French culture, as so often happens in American productions set in foreign countries. Natives almost always speak French to each other when Daryl's not around. The production design and cinematography are a treat, with numerous scenes shot in such a way that they feel inspired by classic artwork. Destroyed landmarks like the Eiffel Tower are obviously a work of special visual effects, but set pieces like the Abbey and the streets of Paris act as beautiful backdrops juxtaposed against well-choreographed fight scenes that are exceptionally violent for a cable series.
Daryl Dixon keeps the train running through its unanswered questions, some of which reach a satisfying conclusion. Daryl himself isn't an entirely interesting character to follow, especially compared to Isabelle, who suffers from an internal battle of integrity and faith. He's a pair of binoculars offering a look into how a vastly different culture situates itself in the zombie apocalypse. But the motivation to reach home creates a sense of urgency and peril. He's a dedicated man without a solid plan, willing to fight through flesh-burning walkers, insistent nuns, or political soldiers with a vendetta against him. Even when old sparks of the hot-headed Daryl shoot off or the pace slows, this hero's journey is easy to root for.
The hot topic surrounding Daryl Dixon as of late is its eerie similarities to HBO's The Last of Us. The Walking Dead is no longer the reigning apocalyptic king of television, and Dead City received its own comparisons. Criticisms of Daryl Dixon's plot being too similar to The Last of Us aren't unjust; both focus on world-saving children with grumpy men forced to look after them. Arguably, it's about time to put this trope to sleep, and Daryl Dixon doesn't exactly prove otherwise. It's dangerous for Daryl Dixon to be treading similar waters as the Emmy Award-nominated series, and the similarities feel far less coincidental as the series progresses.
Resemblances aside, Daryl Dixon handles the touchy subject matter with delicate care. The Walking Dead has always engaged in themes of religion to try to make sense of the messed up world and the deviating morality of faithful characters. Daryl Dixon ups these themes in a country where Catholicism is highly influential and has a rich history. It isn't executed as a preacher's sermon but as an outsider's perspective into how devout religious followers cope with an unexplainable catastrophe. There are head-turning moments where the message feels muddled, and the show seems to criticize people without faith.
Like Dead City before it, Daryl Dixon is another attempt to pump blood into the franchise by recycling a fan-favorite character who might've been better off retired. With seasons of development, it's not Daryl who keeps his self-titled series running like a well-oiled machine. It's the spirited (albeit at times ill-advised) handling of sensitive themes and familiar tropes through his more absorbing female counterpart while bringing the bloodiness and brutality to a lush environment. There's no shame in saying Daryl Dixon is the force majeure to keep the franchise floating, even if others want it to sink in the water.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres Sept. 10 at 9:00 PM ET on AMC and AMC+.