I don’t know about any other fans of The Walking Dead Universe…but I am freaking enjoying the travel itinerary as we walk across Europe with Daryl and Carol.
La Ofrenda
Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) have not only arrived in Spain but have been sideswiped right smack in the middle of a Spaghetti Western in this episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Thankfully, Carol was not abducted but had wandered down to the river where she watches young lovers, Justina (Candela Saitta) and Roberto (Hugo Arbues) play in the river.
This episode is filmed in the Northeastern part of Madrid in the Segovia Region in the town of Sepúlveda, a municipality in Spain. Carol is in dire need of medical help, but is happy just watching the young Romeo and Juliet scene before her. Daryl, forever in Conquistador mindset, wants to see if the young couple have any needed supplies. His only worry is Carol. Their decision to intervene is made when they rescue the young lovers from a band of thugs. Justina and Roberto were running away from town, but as we all know…Daryl can be quite forceful when it comes to protecting one of his own.
Travel insights: We really need to pay attention to the locations chosen for this season because the scenery is absolutely stunning, and the fact that the town that Justina and Roberto hail from is along a coastal and rocky formation may be the main reason that the two warring factions have survived the Hollow Ones (walkers). Justina has her grandmother tending to Carol. The old woman is knowledgeable in the power of healing herbs and plants and proceeds to break Carol’s fever and heal her wound.
Daryl and Carol then stay with Roberto’s father, Antonio (Eduardo Noriega). The town has a kind mayor (Oscar Jaenada) and a strong fighter, Paz (Alexandra Masangkay), but when the remaining royalty of Spain (Gonzalo Bouza) arrives for the yearly festival of exchanging supplies for one of the town’s young girls…our Apocalyptic Ninja Warriors are sucked into the drama.
Conclusion
After the ceremony of picking a young girl to be taken away from her family, there is a feast. The young girl who was picked is not happy, and neither is her mother. The girls who are taken are never seen again, except for the girl who arrived with the royal prince. There is a touch of The Hunger Games in this episode.
I’ve heard that there will only be one more season for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. I’m not sure if this is true, but I will miss Daryl and Carol if this is. The reason I’m such a loyal fan of The Walking Dead is that the series mirrors what is going on in the world. In these United States, women’s rights and healthcare are being stolen by corrupt religious leaders posing as government servants. Justina and the other girls are considered barterers for needed supplies.
At one point, Daryl is told the history of Spain, including its involvement in the Civil War, which took place between 1936 and 1939 between the Nationalists and Republicans. In our country, at this very moment, politicians are saying aloud that the homeless have no worth and they should be jailed or murdered. I see our homeless as representatives of the Walkers. The homeless were created by a malfunctioning society, the same way the Walkers were created by biowarfare, be it human or alien source.
I heard once that zombie films and books are more popular during hard times, whereas vampire films and books do better in good times. I don’t know if that is true, but right now, the world is becoming a scary place.
For now…I am sitting back and enjoying seeing places that I’ve never been to with our favourite travel guides, Daryl and Carol. I wonder if we’ll get to visit Africa.
