We are back in France and realize that Daryl did not leave Laurent. In fact, he is mentoring the boy. Daryl misses his friends, especially Carol, but there are enemies to fight and friendships to test. To tell the truth…I’m more interested is what Carol is up to in this season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon?
The Book of Carol: La gentillesse des Etrangers
“The Kindness of Stranger” is more about Carol’s journey. Yes, we get to peek in on Daryl (Norman Reedus) as he tries to train Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to protect himself, while also rescuing friends from Genet (Anne Charrier). Daryl is not happy at the Nest. There is still this mystery about the boy. Why are people willing to lose their lives for the boy? Losang (Joel de la Fuente), when he isn’t practicing Aikido, gives no hint at all why and how Laurent will save the world. This blind belief in the boy by everyone, including Isabelle (Clemence Poesy) and Sylvie (Laika Blanc Francard), is wearing thin on me. Show me the magic!
In this first episode about our Ninja Queen, we watch Carol tracking Daryl’s last whereabouts. Not only is Carol comfortable riding Daryl’s bike, but she is also proficient with the crossbow. After learning that he was put on a boat to France, Carol (Melissa McBride) heads out to the boatyard. You can feel her frustration, standing at the abandoned boats, but it isn’t long before Carol makes a new friend, Ash (Manish Dayal). Carol and Ash are sharing the same grief. Both have lost a child. When Ash pulls open the barn door for Carol to spend the night, we get a flashback to Sophia walking out of the barn. I was not expecting this scene to hit me this hard, but it did.
Ash is a kindhearted soul, but he is grieving the loss of his son. He has set up a safe sanctuary for himself. The hothouse not only has edible plants to eat, but a shrine to his child. Ash is definitely a resourceful man because he has not only found a plane, but he also repaired it. It is the perfect sanctuary except when the generator fails. As trustworthy as Ash is, we are reminded that Carol did not survive all these years by playing nice.
Conclusion and Spoilers
I don’t know if I am experiencing Walker exhaustion, but with the events going on in real life (a felon running for president, the Evangelical Taliban ready to strip women of all rights, Russia threatening to steal Alaska from the United States) I had a hard time getting excited about the return of TWD: Daryl Dixon. Plus, I had just attended a ceremony for my cousin who fought in Vietnam fifty-four years ago. He was shot in the head as he rescued the men in his company at the Ambush of Renegade Woods. Jerry has two Purple Hearts, but his paperwork was lost for fifty-four years, and he finally received his medals. It was with this mindset that I reviewed S02 E01. Do we ever find peace? Will Carol and Daryl?
I know that Carol is more ruthless than Daryl. Carol lied about Sophia. She tells Ash that her daughter and husband were visiting relatives in France when the apocalypse hit. Ash offers to fly her to France. Carol has never been on a plane before. The plane is held together by duct tape, and I am pretty sure there will be no drinks or peanuts on this flight. But as the plane takes off, we are left with so many questions. Carol was in a safe place, and yet she is lost without Daryl. Her need to find her friend opens so many scenarios…not all of them with happy endings.
Daryl, although not happy at the Nest, is determined to protect Laurent. There seems to be some feelings towards Isabelle, although we haven’t determined if there is a budding romantic relationship yet, and although Daryl wonders if his friends think about him…would Daryl be happy to see Carol if that meant leaving the boy alone?
Let’s hope this funk that I am in is just temporary because out of all the spinoffs, Carol and Daryl are my favorite characters.
