Daryl Dixon Season 2 Episode 2 is the most controversial one yet

There is a word in French that has no exact English translation, but which essentially describes a change of scenery: “dépaysant”. Isabelle embodies this word in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2, Episode 2, when everything she worked for during the outbreak crashes and burns. “Dépaysant” is the ray of hope for Daryl Dixon and Isabelle in a now hopeless situation, but it could also be the reason for it Daryl DixonThe viewers type out of the series.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon attracts only two types of viewers: Engaged Walking dead Fans looking for a new setting and a new take on the zombie apocalypse in this world, or supporters of a possible romance between Daryl and Carol Peletier. Some fans may fall into both categories, but the distinction is still valid. Some people just want a new story, others want a fan service solution to a decades-long fantasy. “Moulin Rouge” doesn’t necessarily ruin their vision of Daryl and Carol, but the episode giving way to another female character could burn some bridges. As much as it’s a picnic for “Moulin Rouge” to have a side quest involving quirky environmentalists and a climactic betrayal, the defining plot point is a Daryl Dixon Romance. And after a decade of being around Daryl, it becomes more and more banal for his character and his female counterparts to only revolve around his romantic life.

Carol and Ash embark on a fun side quest

Carol and Ash’s pit stop in Greenland offers a short but sweet glimpse of the new survivors

Before we jump into destroying all the ships, let’s talk about the real fun of the episode: the hijacking incident in Greenland. When Carol and Ash make a pit stop in Greenland, they meet two initially friendly environmentalists named Hanna and Eun… who actually want to kill Carol and use Ash as a sperm donor. The plot on paper is legitimately perverse, but the abrupt transition between overly friendly strangers and murderous agents is genuinely amusing. The characterization of Hanna and Eun as oddball environmentalists makes it difficult to take them seriously. But that’s the genius of her characters: anyone can be unbalanced and turn around in an instant.

Carol and Ash’s side quest has some problems in its execution. Carol is supposed to be this experienced survivor whose background as a former abused wife gives her an edge. As Hanna slowly takes the crossbow away from her, eventually holding it at the “crossing point,” Carol turns into the bumbling mess that she is shocked through this betrayal. Is this because Carol was wary of staying in the Commonwealth for too long? That’s what people said about Joel The Last of Us Part IIand the players know how The turned out for him. It’s understandable that the authors have to put their protagonists in a situation where they are surprised and have to strategically find a way out. But when the protagonist finds himself in a situation he should have avoided, it’s time to enlighten or punish that “perfect” character.

Another problem with Greenland’s environmentalists is that there simply aren’t enough of them. The plot quickly wraps up with Carol and Ash being kidnapped to France to further a Daryl and Carol reunion. Supporting characters in an episode are a staple for The walking dead Spin-offs. They’re written to buy time and give the main characters a heroic moment to show how tough they are. But the environmentalists have a real story to tell in comparison Dead cityis one-dimensional supporting characters like Amaia and Tommaso. That would be a job for Tales of the Walking Deadbut this spin-off seems to have bitten the dust like Hanna and Eun.

TWD: Daryl Dixon blurs the line between hero and villain

The Union of Hope shows its true colors

Daryl’s storyline continues to be embroiled in his ongoing passive-aggressive feud with Losang, who gradually loses her passivity. Losang and Daryl are coworkers who fight over the last donut in the break room, but only take their frustration out on other people in the office instead of facing each other like real adults. Their argument over Laurent’s priorities has escalated into a battle of father figures, and this is not a clean war.Losang gets his hands dirty by hiding Laurent and portraying it as a kidnapping by the Force of the Living, which ends up involving Daryl, Isabelle and Fallou in a Red Wedding massacre.

Of course it is The walking deadfar from his best state – so this ambush doesn’t have the same fatal consequences as the Red Wedding game of Thrones“Good people. But no matter how tough the plot armor may be, the deceit takes the mask away from Losang and his companions. The Union of Hope is the visionary leader for the future of France. Her name is gentler, but ironically more positively powerful than The Power of the Living. But the Union of Hope also lives by the lie that Laurent is immune. Fables and fairy tales are a funnel for the imagination as children, but as adults they are a gateway to harm and bigotry if not practiced with pragmatism. Religion was a guide to hope in the first season of Daryl Dixon. Now, “Moulin Rouge” explores the evil that can happen when its followers teeter on the brink of obsession.

Daryl Dixon makes a controversial decision

A new romance pushes the characters in the wrong direction

The Union of Hope color change is the Coup de grace for Isabelle – the only person who balances realism and religion. But instead of overcoming Isabelle’s skepticism when her life’s work is corrupted by selfishness, “Moulin Rouge” manifests her pain in a kiss with Daryl. This isn’t a kiss that comes out of the blue Daryl Dixon has been planting the seeds for some time, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right narrative choice for this character.

Let us know that a romance between Daryl and Isabelle is not a bad choice. There’s something strictly forbidden about a French nun and a stereotypical American atheist falling in love. Someone probably wrote a hot novel about it with the most inappropriate book cover of all time. The problem isn’t the couple’s idea, it’s them Man of the couple. Daryl has never been seen as someone who has a sexual interest in people, not even Carol. It became such a universal, non-canon fact within the franchise that fans assumed he was asexual. That’s not to say that’s not the case – he’s never had a sex scene and there’s never been any indication that he’s had sex, even with his former partner Leah. But he’s such a super awkward guy who rebels against any kind of affection that the kiss between Daryl and Isabelle feels more like checking off a box with a stale character rather than a natural progression on his path to opening up to him People.

The kiss also doesn’t serve Isabelle, who is now the second largest female character in the series. Isabelle’s storyline as a thief with addiction turned religious nun was better than any progress Daryl made in the first season. The story is driven by her motivation to fulfill Laurent’s destiny, and her journey through France not only broadens her perspective but also forces her to develop a thick skin to protect Laurent from those who would kill or exploit him. In any other series that didn’t rely on an old hero, Isabelle would unanimously be the main character. But this isn’t any other show. To Daryl Dixonshe has one goal: to give Daryl everything he needs to make him more attractive to the audience.

Daryl Dixon treads on precarious territory, both good and bad. The story is no longer entirely about good guys versus bad guys, and with Daryl and Carol thrown in the middle, it becomes a fight for pure survival. But now that there’s a romantic subplot, will the remaining episodes be a battle of ships? That would eclipse anything extraordinary in the series, such as Genet torturing Stéphane Codron in this episode in an incredibly bloody job. Daryl Dixon is a great show that gave The walking dead Franchise a shiny makeover with religious tension and beautiful environments. It’s a shame that it’s now “the show where Daryl kisses a nun” no matter how great the nun is.

“The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC and AMC+.