The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Season 3 Episode 1 – “Costa da Morta”

Sunday nights on AMC and AMC+ just got a lot creepier, and just in time for spooky season. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is back! While the main show ended in 2022, the spinoffs are going strong. Dead City recently wrapped and already announced a season 3. Meanwhile Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) are across the pond and still kicking some walker (and human) ass.

WARNING: there are spoilers for season 2 ahead, however, the recap and review for the season premier is spoiler free, outside of what was in the trailers.

Last Seen on Daryl Dixon

Season 2, referred to as ‘The Book of Carol’ gave us a beautiful reunion between Daryl and Carol. That was a highlight of last season for me. The look of relief, happiness, and sadness on Daryl’s face felt so incredibly real. It was the look of a lost child who finally found their mom. I love the sibling relationship these two have, and it never shined brighter than in that moment. Of course, nothing stays calm in a zombie apocalypse.

The reunion quickly turned into a rescue mission. In addition to learning about the mission to find and save Laurent, Carol also learns Daryl found someone. Sadly, the someone he found, Isabelle, dies as soon as he gets Carol back. She was stabbed by a religious group determined to prove Laurent was more than human, by exposing him to walkers.

However, Daryl still vows to protect her nephew, Laurent. He manages to get him to safety via Ash, the pilot who got Carol to France. They took off in Ash’s plane with directions to the Commonwealth. While Daryl and Carol are forced to take the long way home. Last we see them they’re heading to England via the Channel Tunnel. Surrounded by bat guano inside the tunnel everyone begins to hallucinate. Carol and Daryl manage to find gas masks, and each other. Once a group, they now continue just the two of them.

“COSTA DE MORTA” or Coast of Death

We pick right up where we left Daryl and Carol. They continue their journey in an attempt to get home. Their walk at times is so beautiful you forget the earth is covered in walking corpses. Anyone who has seen any trailers or read any articles, know they inevitably end up in Spain. However, their journey to there begins in London. Anyone who has been to London knows it’s full of people, and to ‘Mind the Gap.’ Both couldn’t be further from the truth. Faced with a zombie problem as old as time, the unstoppable duo of the apocalypse enjoy a hell of a view, eat some candy, and meet an Englishman. One problem solved, and another begins.

Overall Grade: 7.5/10

One of my favorite things about the Daryl Dixon spinoff has been the religious aspect they brought in. It makes complete sense that in times of hopelessness, many turn to faith. However, many turn darkside as well. A combination I thought they brought together incredibly well with Laurent. As he is, hopefully safe in America by now, the story continues without him.

In season 2, The Book Carol, Carol seemed to get some closure for Sofia’s death. As she feels free and hopeful having finally faced that grief, Daryl’s grief is fresh. He finally found a love interest, and this time she didn’t want to kill him. So of course, she gets stabbed to death. While there is a comfort in them being back together, he still mourns Isabelle as they still continue their journey home. However, heading home is proving to be a lot more difficult than their journeys there. The hope and the scotch don’t last forever, and they quickly find themselves “KNOT ALONE.”

Check out Lauren’s review for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 Finale.

For more from Lauren, check out her article about The Walking Dead at New York Comic Con. You can also find her on Hops ‘GEEK’ News.

Did you watch this season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon? Let us know your thoughts.