The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 (2024) Review
CHRISTMAS HAS come early for fans of THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON as the acclaimed spin-off from one of the biggest TV franchises of all time returns for a bold second outing, following the huge success of the first series, which was the most-viewed premiere and season of all time on AMC+ and Sky Max’s most watched show. This time, the titular Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus – THE BIKERIDERS) is reunited with his dearest friend and franchise favourite – the kick-ass survivor Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride – THE MIST, DAWSON’S CREEK).
Following its transmission on Sky Max, THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON – THE BOOK OF CAROL and THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON Season 1 & 2 Box set will walk on to Blu-ray and DVD on 16 December 2024, courtesy of Acorn Media International. With a third season on its way, now is the perfect time to devour this acclaimed series, which makes a perfect Christmas gift for those seeking festive gore and more. All episodes have been available digitally since 5 November 2024.
We pick up where season one left off with Daryl struggling with his decision to stay in post-apocalyptic France, all the while battling bloodthirsty brain-eaters and caring for Isabelle (Clémence Poésy – HARRY POTTER, THE TUNNEL, IN BRUGES) and 12-year-old Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi – SHOW ME MORE), who have become like a family to him in the loneliest and most challenging of times. Meanwhile, back in the USA, Carol searches for her long-lost friend – whom she’s been determined to find since their separation in THE WALKING DEAD.
Divided by an ocean and facing dangers from all sides, living and undead, Carol and Daryl must fight their own battles. Carol enlists the help of a pilot to fly a small aircraft across the Atlantic in her desperate search, while Daryl, facing the growing threat of Genet’s (Anne Charrier) totalitarian movement in France, does everything he can to protect Laurent as the Union de L’Espoir (Union of Hope) fights for the future of the country.
Of the THE WALKING DEAD spin-offs I have been sent to me for reviewing, the first season of DARYL DIXON proved to be the strongest and more agreeable. I still didn’t fully warm to it as it’s by-the-numbers and formulaic however it had more stand-out moments than the others, not many admittedly but still more, so I not so begrudgingly agreed to review its second season.
Not surprisingly SEASON 2 is business as usual, there is plenty of chat and not enough else to appeal to anyone that was not already a fan of the franchise. As always new characters are introduced and then killed off before the episode that they appeared in has ended.
The makers ensure that things kick off with a bang – another key WALKING DEAD character Carol has her hands full with undead mayhem in the season’s first episode – before committing to dull dialogue scenes that do nothing more than pad things out and ensure that the main story thrust takes that bit longer to move along. It reminds of THE LAST OF US another apocalyptic TV series that has an exceptionally large number of ardent fans which again was nothing more than a couple of people chatting away as other characters introduced and then killed off and nothing much else happens of any note.
For those of you that are WALKING DEAD fans you’ll need no convincing to purchase either SEASON 2 or the collective to date after all you probably see these characters as family now, you’ve been following them for so long, for everyone else then there’s not much here to recommend unless you have a weakness for the formulaic.
SPECIAL FEATURES include:
Season 1:
• Cast Diaries
• Show Me More: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Season 2:
• Reverse sleeve with two key art designs
• Show Me More: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol
• Episode Insiders
• San Diego Comicon 2024 Panel