What Daryl & Carol's Reunion Means For Daryl Dixon Season 3 (2024)

Caution: spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2, episode 4.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 looks destined for a major overhaul after Daryl finally reunited with Melissa McBride's Carol. When news of The Walking Dead's various spinoff shows first dropped, Daryl and Carol were touted as co-stars on a project later confirmed to take place in France. McBride soon exited, leaving Daryl Dixon as a solo series, before rejoining for a second season that was subsequently dubbed "The Book of Carol." Their long-awaited reunion eventually comes in Daryl Dixon season 2, episode 4, "La Dame de Fer," as the war between Genet's Pouvoir villain group and Losang's Union reaches its climax.

Daryl and Carol are now officially a tandem once again, and will continue in that vein for the foreseeable future, as both Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are confirmed as main cast members for Daryl Dixon season 3. The forthcoming season of the Walking Dead spinoff was already set for major upheaval due to the planned relocation from France to Spain, but with the Daryl-Carol partnership back together, Daryl Dixon season 3 begins to take on a different complexion altogether.

Daryl Dixon Season 3 Will Have A Very Different Premise With Carol & Daryl Reunited

Daryl Won't Be A Fish Out Of American Waters Anymore

The most obvious tonal change in Daryl Dixon season 3 will be the vastly different cast dynamic. Until now, Normal Reedus' character has cut the figure of a lone outsider, struggling to acclimatize to his new surroundings and allies. Whether because of the cultural differences, his unfamiliarity with the country, or because Isabelle and Laurent forced him to feel alien emotions, Daryl has been permanently camped outside his comfort zone since the series began. The addition of Carol, however, flips the situation on its head.

While Daryl and Carol will, technically speaking, still be tourists in Daryl Dixon season 3's Spanish setting, their familiarity with each other totally changes the show's premise. With Carol at his side, Daryl will no longer feel like the lone outsider of previous seasons. Rather than Daryl experiencing inner conflict over becoming a father figure to Laurent and falling in love with Isabelle, he will be accompanied by his closest friend. And whereas Daryl has struggled with the dilemma over whether to return home or remain in France before, traveling with Carol confirms any doubt has been resolved.

In essence, Daryl Dixon season 3 will feel a lot more like traditional The Walking Dead. When Daryl and Carol wander through the overgrown wildness of the zombie apocalypse together, the spinoff will feel indistinguishable from the main show until a passer-by begins speaking or the Nou Camp appears in the background. This transition can already be felt in Daryl and Carol's reunion episode. French accents aside, the entire sequence where Daryl and Carol take refuge in an old couple's home could have been plucked straight from the main show, whereas Daryl Dixon previously felt far more distinct in style and tone.

Daryl & Carol's Reunion Will Sideline Supporting Characters

Past Spinoffs Suggest Daryl Dixon Will Rely Less On Supporting Characters In Season 3

The shift from Daryl Dixon being the sole main character to Daryl and Carol jointly topping the bill signals another big change for season 3. Previously, Norman Reedus was accompanied by a small handful of supporting characters - chiefly Isabelle and Laurent, but also the likes of Codron, Fallou, and Sylvie. The addition of Carol naturally means less room for Daryl Dixon's supporting cast, which will lead to another considerable shift.

Daryl Dixon has already been making moves to accommodate Carol by killing off Sylvie and Isabelle in season 2. Fallou and Codron are unlikely to feature in season 3, leaving Laurent as the only supporting character with a vague hope of staying among Daryl Dixon's cast for the long haul. Regardless of whether Laurent stays, however, Daryl Dixon season 3 simply won't have the same space to explore new characters in-depth.

The Walking Dead: Dead City and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live both focused on a pair of survivors from the main show(Maggie and Negan, and Rick and Michonne, respectively), and were both far more ruthless towards supporting characters as a result. The Ones Who Live killed off Okafor, Major General Beale, Thorne, Nat, Jadis - anyone without the surname "Grimes." Dead City cut Tommaso, Amaia, and most of their community in Manhattan.

Daryl Dixon season 1 was more forgiving, as Quinn was the only real casualty among the newcomers. With an extra main star to consider, however, Daryl Dixon season 3 may fall in line with its sibling shows in terms of not letting viewers get attached to characters who weren't in The Walking Dead.

Daryl Dixon Season 3 Will Be More Like "Carol & Dixon"

Audiences can expect the overall focus of Daryl Dixon to change in season 3. Due to Melissa McBride's absence, Daryl Dixon season 1 was inherently Daryl's story. Season 2, with its "The Book of Carol" subtitle, is more Carol's, even if both characters appear prominently. Daryl Dixon season 3 will mark the first time both characters share the spotlight equally, and that promises a fundamentally different narrative.

Whereas previous seasons tested Daryl and Carol as individuals, Daryl Dixon season 3 will likely move the focus onto their bond of friendship. Exploring Spain and achieving their mission of returning home will inevitably toss up the usual gauntlet of challenges and obstacles to overcome, and especially if Rick Grimes' brother from The Walking Dead's comic series turns up. Daryl and Carol will need to call upon their shared trust, loyalty, and experience to overcome those odds.

The Walking Dead's European spinoff could also delve into the fuel that has kept Daryl and Carol's relationship burning so brightly for over 10 years, and perhaps even address the longstanding rumors of a romantic frisson between the pair. Finally honoring what AMC initially promised when a spinoff starring Daryl and Carol was announced, the partnership itself will be the driving force of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, not the two heroes surviving in isolation.

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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.

Where to Watch

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Not available

*Availability in US

Cast

Norman Reedus , Clemence Poesy , Louis Puech Scigliuzzi , Laïka Blanc-Francard , Anne Charrier , Romain Levi , Melissa McBride , Joel de la Fuente , Adam Nagaitis , Eriq Ebouaney , Tristan Zanchi , François Delaive , Maxime Lefrançois , Lukerya Ilyashenko , Catherine Arditi , Hugo Dillon

Release Date

October 1, 2023

Seasons

2

Network

AMC

Franchise(s)

The Walking Dead