Alouette – As the episode opens, Isabelle (Clemence Poesy) parties at a pub. At the elevator, she looks at two men’s watches in her purse. When someone approaches, she rushes into the hallway where she swallows some pills. Later, she witnesses a dispute and a car mowing someone down. At the Metro, she sees chaos erupting inside a train as it passes. A group of frantic people flee the station. Outside, she approaches a man who turns out to be a zombie. She walks away with the zombie in tow. Mowing down the zombie, Quinn (Adam Nagaitis) prods her to get inside the vehicle before driving away.
Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Isabelle study a map. He reminds her of their plan. She says it has changed.
In the past, Quinn warns Isabelle that Paris is in chaos before inviting her to stay at Olly’s place in Dordogne. He waits in the car while she gathers her belongings from her flat. She demands Lily (Faustine Koziel) go with her. Preparing to leave, they encounter Aimee (Naia Pichler) on her scooter. Aimee tells Isabelle that her mum is upset after her father never came home last night. Isabelle urges her to go inside with her mum.
Back to the present, Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) tells Sylvie (Laika Blanc-Francard) that everyone she knew is dead except for them. She asks Daryl how would he prefer to die. Daryl sarcastically says a “quiet one” when the mule, Asteriz senses incoming zombies. After releasing the strap, Daryl fires a shot into the into the air before Asteriz races through the zombies. They head in the opposite direction. Later, Laurent voices concern for Asteriz. Isabelle assures her that the mule is too smart to get lost. She suggests he fled to the apple orchard. Sylvie says Asteriz prefers apples. Laurent agrees. Isabelle tells Daryl that they need safe refuge for the night. He urges her to be honest with them. Whistling is followed by an arrow into a pole. Laurent, Sylvie, and Isabelle take refuge as Daryl races after the boy only to be ambushed a short distance away.
The boys lead Daryl, Laurent, Sylvie, and Isabelle to a former preschool building. A woman asks why they are there. Isabelle claims they are “religious people” stuck after their mule broke down. Lou (Kim Highelin) suggests they know “Saint Joseph’s prayer.” Sylvie, Laurent, and Isabelle recite the prayer. She asks if Daryl is a nun as well. Isabelle says “Father Daryl” came there a long time ago as part of a mission. Lou informs the children that they will learn English for Daryl. She gives them a tour of the building while explaining their classroom schedule. Criquet (Joao Philippe Oshoffa) says they are cooking. Lou tells them that many of the children are orphans. She says they grow food, hunt, and mend used clothes. She escorts them into a room where Madame Dubois is in bed. She tells them that Dubois came down with something six months ago. Daryl looks outside to see the children working. Gathered around the dining table, Lou asks Daryl to say a prayer. After an awkward prayer, Daryl slurps his soup. Laughing, the children mimic him. He says the soup is good, raising a roomful of laughter.
Lou asks what is their plan with their mule being lost. Laurent assures her that the mule is only eating apples. Daryl asks if they know where they can get another mule. Lou says La Tarasque. Sylvie tells him that La Tarasque is a lizard in fables. Lou claims La Tarasque lives in a nearby castle. She says he raided all the shops in the village. Daryl asks if she will show him how to get to the castle. She warns it is extremely dangerous. He suggests La Tarasque has medicine that could help Dubois. Moof (Durel Nkounkou) offers to take them but Lou stops him.
A small child urges Daryl to sit next to him. “Mork & Mindy” appears on the TV screen. Sacha (Ethann Isidore) peddles a bike to generate electricity. Later, Isabelle asks Daryl if the medicine will help Dubois. He says it won’t but they need a horse to reach the radio. She admits to feeling bad for the children. He says when he and his brother watched “Mork & Mindy,” it helped things. She says they needed an escape.
In the past, Quinn slips his gun in his waistband before urging a sick Lily to see a doctor. Lily vomits. Isabelle asks how far along is she. Lily says a few months. Quinn warns that it is too dangerous to take Lily with them. He suggests dropping Lily off at a clinic before vowing to always take care of Isabelle. While they embrace, she slips the car key out of his pocket. As he walks away to utilize the phone, she drives away.
Back to the present, Lou tells Daryl that she knows he isn’t a priest. He stresses the need to return to his people. She assures him that Dubois will improve once she has the medicine. At the old preschool, Laurent tells Renard (Tiago Simonnet) that he went to the abbey after his mum died and his father joined the Foreign Legion to escape false imprisonment. He boasts of his father earning a medal. The children tease him. Hibou (Victoria Comte) convinces the children to hunt “le bête de Gevaudan.” Inside, Sylvie says Laurent wants to know about his past. Isabelle vows to tell her and Laurent everything when they reach their destination.
In the past, Lily complains of abdominal pain when they see an ambulance parked on the shoulder. Isabelle stops the vehicle. They gradually approach the ambulance when encounter zombies. They race back to the safety of the vehicle. Isabelle speeds away.
Back to the present, Laurent finds wild animals feeding on Asteriz. Running the animals off, he apologizes to Asteriz for not being there for him. Elsewhere, Lou says she, Moof’s brother, and another child carried at the raid on the village. She tells Daryl that they died before admitting to not telling the children. They find the moat surrounding the castle filled with zombies.
In the past, Isabelle and Lily reach St. Bernadette Abbey. Father Jean (Hugo Dillon) welcomes them when they realize Lily has been bitten by a zombie. A nun treats the wound. It is revealed Lily is seven months into her pregnancy. Isabelle asks who is the father when Lily is overcome with pain. Lily urges Isabelle to promise to care for her baby.
Back to the present, Isabelle and Sylvie find a distraught Laurent and Asteriz. He hands the mule’s harness to her before walking away. Elsewhere, Daryl locks Lou in a shed. Utilizing a grappling hook, he reaches the other side of the drawbridge. He is searching a room for medicine when he hears a boy demanding to be released. Bursting through the cellar door, he finds Herisson (Milo Maze) from the school. As they prepare to leave, someone shoots at them from an upper window. He teaches Herisson how to fire the gun before fleeing toward the castle. A man finds Lou in the shed. Daryl attacks grabs R.J. Gaines (Ned Dennehy) from behind and takes his gun. Gaines claims to be from Texas. Daryl accuses him of stealing from the villagers. Outside, Herisson urges Daryl to put Gaines in the moat. Daryl informs Gaines that everyone in America is gone.
Tied to a wagon, Gaines tries to bribe Daryl with 15 cans of sardines. As the horse crosses the drawbridge, several tanks roll off the wagon into the moat. Placing his gun in the wagon, Daryl orders Herrison to shoot Gaines if he tries anything. Gaines offers to help Daryl fix the broken wheel in exchange for his freedom. When he rushes to grab the gun, Daryl tries to stop him. A struggle leads to both men falling into the moat. Daryl fights off zombies while Gaines dangles from a rope. The zombies kill Gaines. Daryl fires a shoot into a tank causing an explosion. Lou, Herrison, and Moof utilize the horse to pull Daryl up the moat wall. Lou thanks him for the medicine. Moof down into the moat to see his brother, Julien as a zombie. He accuses Lou of lying about Julien leaving. Sobbing, she aims her bow but Daryl shoots him in the head.
The children welcome Herrison back to the school. Lou learns Madame Dubois passed while she was away. Daryl admits to lying about the medicine helping her to get a horse. She questions what they will do without her. He urges her to continue what she is doing because the children look up to her.
The children hold a memorial for Dubois. Laurent is none too happy to leave his new friends at the school. The children wave as Darryl drives the horse and cart away from the school.
Codron (Romain Levi) listens to Daryl’s recording. He sees a marked map starting at Toulouse and ending at Paris, France.
Sylvie tries to convince Laurent to get in the wagon. Isabelle has a flashback of Lily turning into a zombie during childbirth. Father Jean surgically removes the baby. Seeing a statue of St. Laurent, Isabelle names the baby Laurent. The episode ends.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Review
The show crawls at a snail’s pace. The action, or lack thereof makes for a lackluster episode. The missions seem a bit too easy. For example, Daryl takes medicine and a horse from the castle with little to no effort. Ned Dennehy being killed off in the second episode is a true travesty.
The scene in which Daryl releases the mule, their only mode of transportation, is ludicrous. Why not redirect the horse to go back in the direction it came from? When the mule darts toward the zombies, they scatter to avoid getting hit.
The cinematography is subpar. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life. The dialogue is hit-and-miss and unintelligible at times.
The episode deserves a 6. Get more The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Our onsite advertising builds brand awareness, click the link to learn more.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
