The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
- Thread starter TREK_GOD_1
- Start date
As much as I hate to give in to accepting one of TWD franchise's most repeated tropes, I feel Isabelle will be killed this season, just to place Daryl in an all-out "clear" mode. The idea of Daryl being the eternal loner incapable of a relationship at this point in the ZA is simply unrealistic, since he's not entirely closed off about the idea of being romantically involved with a woman.
I hope they don't kill Isabelle since seeing Daryl in an ongoing relationship would be something new and different for the character, but, yeah, I'm certain it'll almost definitely happen.
If it happens, it will leave a sour taste in my mouth; I know TWD franchise's various producers and writers love killing off well-received characters, but they have to hit the brakes on that storytelling gimmick eventually,
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol
Season 2 - Episode 3:"L'Invisible"
Power of the Living I: In flashback to Genet's early years, she and Sabine were once custodians at Musée de Louvre, where their supervisor coldly barked orders for the staff to clean up after the indifferent visitors. Sabine prods Genet to join her and other employees for a meeting about joining a national walk-out. Genet feels the picketing will be fruitless, only gaining some media attention while the government conducts business as usual. Suddenly all cellphones in the area sound off an alarm, and before long, Genet watched chaos in the streets as the police and military attempt to direct people away from something.
Genet's boyfriend attempts to enter the Musée de Louvre, but is prevented from doing so by the police. Meeting at a window, the pair declare their love for each other, and a moment later, the boyfriend is attacked by one of the first Walkers of the Wildfire Virus--his blood spraying the glass between him and a horrified Genet. Back in the museum, the sobbing Genet stares at the Mona Lisa...
The present: at PoTL mess hall, Carol also stares the painting, her thoughts interrupted by Genet, who hides nothing about what she's thinking when she says she sees a secret behind the Mona Lisa's smile...something withheld as she glances at Carol. One of her soldiers disrespectfully flings a tray of stew to the floor, while berating the server. Genet, once being in the server's position, reminds the soldier that food is a precious commodity, then orders him to eat it from the floor. The soldier complies. Genet turns to Carol, stating her intolerance for bullies.
Later, Carol & Rèmy are given assignments, but are distracted watching captives shot to death, then Dr. Lafleur injecting the victims with the serum to turn them into enhanced Walkers. The dose created far too aggressive Walkers, so once again, the good doctor must moderate his dosages. Rèmy wants to accompany Carol in her search for Daryl, but she suggests they split up, so Rèmy can look for Julien.
The Nest I: A captive Sylvie prays to God, asking Him to protect Laurent, and give her the strength to do the same. She strangles the guard serving her food, then runs though the Nest, calling out for Laurent, until she's cornered on a walkway overlooking the site of Laurent's future test. Losang asks her to come down, attempting to plead the case for Laurent's test, but Sylvie refuses, and in her struggle, falls two stories to the ground, crushing the back of her head. Losang kneels over the bleeding body, only saying her faith was weak. Jacinta stands nearby, her expression slightly pleased at the turn of events.
The Nest II: Fallou leads Daryl and Isabelle to a rock formation they will use to enter the Nest. Daryl paints an idyllic picture of the kind of life she and Laurent can live in America....
Losang prepares Laurent for the ceremony; despite Laurent stating he's not at all nervous, Losang forces him to drink something containing a sedative, which dulls the boy's senses (read: ability to protect himself), as he's led to the courtyard for the ceremony. Losang gives a speech which is the opposite of one who is guided by true faith:
Losang: "We've had to be patient to prove that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a future where we will no longer be vulnerable to the bite of the hungry ones. Now is the time to cast doubt aside, and to embrace hope. To celebrate the inspiring power of our unity and love."
Guards lead a hooded Walker out to face Laurent...
"We are all human, and even les affamès, lost to us, carry with them the memory of love. So who better to confirm our faith in Laurent than someone we've just lost, but who loved him dearly? And now, her love will deliver us all."
The hood is removed, revealing a reanimated Sylvie, much to the shock of Fallou, Isabelle and Daryl, who hid among the spectators. Walker-Sylvie is mere inches from biting the sedated Laurent when Daryl fires an arrow into Walker-Sylvie's head, growling, "Show's over, motherfucker." Daryl aims at the enraged Losang, but is forced to flee as crowds run in every direction. Fallou and Isabelle retrieve Laurent, racing through passages until they manage to hide with Daryl, who tries snap the boy out of his drugged stupor, imploring him to lead Isabelle & Fallou to a cave where he was training. Daryl does not leave (SEE NOTES), deciding to hang back to buy the others time, but as Fallou and Laurent inch their way closer to escaping, Isabelle cannot bring herself to leave Daryl, who has turned into a one-man hunt-and-destroy machine, viciously taking out several Nest guards, until he he is cornered...
Power of the Living II: Carol--assigned kitchen duty--uses the position to ask various survivors if they've heard about an American named Dixon. Someone overhears the name, repeats it, which draws Carol to Codron, still bearing the marks of his torture--including two amputated fingers. Codron asks why would he tell her anything:
Carol: "Because I don't believe in coincidences. There's a reason I found you--there has to be! Its a sign."
Codron: "I don't believe in signs."
Carol: "Please....Daryl Dixon and I ...He's my brother. He's my only surviving family."
Begging Codron for help, the man finally tells her about the Nest and its location, but warns her Daryl is a dead man if Genet finds him first. Later, Carol confides in Rèmy, but cannot convince him to accompany her on her trip--not without Julien...
The Nest III: A badly beaten Daryl regains consciousness, and is immediately questioned by Losang about Laurent's whereabouts, and begins to analyze the American:
Losang: "I was hoping we'd convince you--that your thinking would evolve and come around, but...no. Must be hard living without a semblance of faith. No organizing principle, nothing to cling to. Existence spent simply reacting. A man alone. Its a sad state." (SEE NOTES)
Daryl: "Fuck off."
Losang: "Perhaps its easier to reject faith when you live only for yourself. But i've dedicated my life to a community of people. A community that I have a responsibility to protect. Faith and hope--our oxygen and water, elements crucial to out survival. And over time, our reserves...they've run low. Laurent will replenish them. The public display of his light will give our people the strength to continue on in the darkness."
Daryl: "Your people don't even know what you're doing."
Losang: "I meditated. I prayed on it. And I realized its our love for Laurent--that's precisely why he's being called on to take this leap. Because only by risking everything can we find the true meaning of faith." (SEE NOTES)
Daryl: "What happens if you're wrong?"
Losang: "If i'm wrong? There would be no point in going on."
Daryl remains silent about Laurent.
Power of the Living III: Carol steals a horse, racing toward the POTL compound gates, but is apprehended by the smug Sabine and her soldiers. Carol is brought to Genet's office, where she's reunited with Rèmy...sitting with Julien. Carol's face sours as Genet informs her that Rèmy betrayed Carol in order to save Julien (SEE NOTES). For Rèmy's treachery, he and Julien will be dropped off anywhere in Paris.
Once alone with Carol, Genet tries to play the "gentle" intimidation game with the following:
Genet: "..or I can have you assigned to the Atelier. I believe you have witnessed some of our research tests."
Carol:"Nasty-looking stuff going on in there. What's that all about?"
Genet: "Creating a new subtype of affamé.More directable warriors. They will help bring peace back to the world."
Carol: "Right. The war to end all wars...I've heard that one before."
Genet: "No more lies. How did you get here?"
Carol being Carol, the lies keep on a-comin', mixed with a bit of truth about how she conned Ash into flying her to France, their Greenland misadventure with two she described as "insane environmentalists", and her eventual arrival in Paris to find Daryl...so she can kill him. Genet appears to buy Carol's feigned anguish, and thanks to Rèmy's backstabbing, not only knows where the Nest is located, but offers Carol the chance to kill Daryl...
The next morning, Genet, Sabine and their war party drive past Musée de Louvre; Carol rides with Genet, listening to the woman speak of her past:
Genet: "I'd sweep the floors of galleries full of religious paintings and wonder why the greatest artists felt compelled to depict the same violent imagery over and over again. When les affamés came, we were locked in for a week. It was there the that the paintings began to make sense to me. There was one in particular--La Deluge--A desperate family hangs in peril over a raging flood."
...which nosedives into yet another atheistic screed::
Genet (continued): "And I realized all these scenes of apocalypse, they want to make sense of the chaos and destruction that humanity brings upon itself. The fantasy that there's higher power that can make things better. Prayers didn't help us. Not then and not now."
Carol: "Everyone needs hope."
Genet: "Yes, but religion is not about hope. It's about control." (SEE NOTES)
Carol: "Keeping the masses in line."
Genet: "Exactly"
Carol: "sometimes it can turn into that."
Genet: "Deluded by an opiate of hope. L'Union de l'Espoir thinks we, the masses, the small and unseen, are stupid.That their fairy tales can control us. We will show then they're wrong."
Carol looks away slightly, getting the full picture behind Genet's campaign.
The cave: Fallou--after seeing no sign of Daryl and Isabelle--returns to Laurent, who believes Isabelle might be dead all because of a story created about him. The boy feels guilty for once enjoying the belief in that story. Fallou assures him that believing makes it easier to live. Laurent questions that statement, saying belief did not help Sylvie, but Fallou places all blame on Losang.
The Nest IV: After another beating, Daryl is carried to a concrete shower stall, where he's chained to a faucet--his captor promising Daryl he will break, after another round of torture. Hours later, he's startled to see Isabelle brought in, barely able to walk...beaten. Like Daryl, she's chained in the next stall. While Daryl talks about escaping, Isabelle is in deep thought. She uses her boot to pull a loose drain grating to her...
Not being able to see each other, Isabelle asks Daryl to tell her a story, just so she can hear his voice:
Daryl: "There was this guy...and he left home, looking for something. Wasn't even sure what it was. And he found himself far, far away from home. And he couldn't get back. That's all he ever cared about--getting back. He didn't care about anything or anyone." (SEE NOTES).
Isabelle: "Poor guy."
Daryl: "Then one day, something changed."
Isabelle: "Oh. Change is good."
Daryl: "Dépaysement."
Isabelle (pauses): "Tell me about the fireflies."
Daryl: "They're like...uh..little Tinkerbells flying around in the sky. You guys have Tinkerbell here?"
Isabelle: "Yeah. She saves Peter Pan."
Daryl: "You know, I think Laurent's really gonna like it when we get back home to America. He can go to school. Be like a normal kid."
Isabelle is clearly sad at any mention of a future. She hesitates before replying:
Isabelle: "...and what will I do?"
Daryl: "We can do whatever you want. We can sleep late. Take long walks and watch the sun go down by the river."
Isabelle: "That sounds like a dream."
Straining, Isabelle reaches around to the middle of the wall dividng them; Daryl returns the gesture, their fingers touching.
Daryl: "You know, you're right. I found something here."
Isabelle (in French): "I love you."
Daryl understands, perhaps not knowing how to respond.
The moment is broken by Losang (and his guards), who insists on speaking to Isabelle--praying with her--trying to make her understand. Daryl panics as Losang escorts Isabelle from the room, leading his to say anything to stop him--including a promise to tell Losang where Laurent is. Losang slows his gait, only to coldly reply:
Losang: "Isabelle has always had an open mind and heart. You sadly, are beyond hope."
Losang signals one of his guards to beat Daryl again, as he calls out for Isabelle.
Power of the Living IV: That evening, Genet's war party reaches the shores leading to the Nest; despite Sabine's warning against the rushed offensive, Genet is headstrong, fully believing her army will finally end the Union. A group of civilians are lined up, believing they have entered a new station in life by becoming Genet's select soldiers. This belief is fueled by one of Genet's "mission" speeches, and the clue-in that they're about to make a great sacrifice to crush the Union's "tyranny of false hope".. Carol sees Dr. Lafleur preparing syringes filled with his Walker enhancement concoction; realizing what's about to happen, she questions Genet, who turns the tables on Carol, saying she's giving her what she wants: the chance to kill her friend. Soldiers force Carol into the crowd of civilians, who are now ready to be shot to death--and reanimated as Walker soldiers....
NOTES:
I'm enjoying the mounting tension of this season; by now, its difficult to see all main characters coming out of alive. The odds are stacked against them at every turn, yet the gold standard for the series is the exploration of clashing extremes--both hopelessly misguided in arrogance. First, there's Losang and Jacinta's gross misunderstanding of what faith means, using their collective fear of the Walking Dead to seek some sort of "evidence" of a power in Laurent (to somehow resist the lethal effect of a Walker bite) no one--whether spoken or written in history ever attributed to any as yet unborn human for unforeseen circumstances (i.e. a child born from an infected, reanimated mother) created in a lab.
The Union's leadership was all over the place, with its catch-as-catch-can, smorgasbord-esque philosophies (nevermind how many would clash on as many points as Genet's beliefs do with religion in general), with the appearance of serenity and strength, yet according to Losang's own words, their "reserves" had run low, which was quite the revelation of an ignorant group that sought belief (and strength from it) in a most non-spiritual manner.
Losang saying he'd have no reason to go on if he was wrong about Laurent was another indication that he is more talk than understanding, since he's admitting he does not believe in anything before latching on to the story of Laurent's unusual birth.
Next, there's Genet, who--unironically like Losang--also comes from a position of ignorance, only with open hostility about the very idea of faith fueling her side of the ideological coin. Genet blames religion for life's problems, and assumed faith was the equivalent of twitching one's nose to make magic just happen--getting everything you ask for when you want it...like placing an order with Amazon Prime. Moreover, she makes the blanket accusation that religion tries to control everyone--thinking everyone is stupid, yet her entire Power of the Living order is based on absolute, enforced labor and experimentation, slavery, summary executions, and psychological manipulation created from a belief that the populations are not competent enough to survive and rebuild sans her dictatorial methods. Essentially the same criticism Genet made against religion.
I'm not sure if Carol will ever run into her "friend" Rèmy again, but it would be a satisfying bit of justice for the man to end up not dropped off in Paris as promised, but sent to another POTL lab for the expected.
One of The Walking Dead's more nagging character inconsistencies centers on the on-again, off-again semi-rebooting of Daryl's history; this is not the first time in this series where he claimed he did not care for anyone, when the parent series so successfully built him into a loving (in his own way) brother and uncle figure. Even in this series, he's talked about the people he cares about back home, yet in this episode, he's leading Isabelle to believe he was just some guy wandering around with no emotional / familial ties whatsoever. Further, I realize the showrunners did not want Daryl explicitly saying he was searching for Rick (given the plans for other WD spin-offs down the road), but come on, the only reason he left the Commonwealth in TWD's series finale was to find Rick.
Losang--twisted as he is--was not too far off in describing at least a part of Daryl's personality or drive: "No organizing principle, nothing to cling to. Existence spent simply reacting. A man alone. Its a sad state.". At times, Daryl fits the profile, and, as seen in his interactions with the nuns in season one, he comes off like a surly, reactionary animal only breathing to track down the next meal, but nothing else. If Daryl still clings to that empty, hopeless side after his interactions with Isabelle and Laurent, that will go quite a way in making his solo journey a "so why should I care what he's doing?" situation.
I cannot shake the feeling that er...Han Dixon or Daryl Solo's failure to say "I love you, too" to Isabelle will come back to haunt him.
GRADE: A+.
Season 2 - Episode 3:"L'Invisible"
Power of the Living I: In flashback to Genet's early years, she and Sabine were once custodians at Musée de Louvre, where their supervisor coldly barked orders for the staff to clean up after the indifferent visitors. Sabine prods Genet to join her and other employees for a meeting about joining a national walk-out. Genet feels the picketing will be fruitless, only gaining some media attention while the government conducts business as usual. Suddenly all cellphones in the area sound off an alarm, and before long, Genet watched chaos in the streets as the police and military attempt to direct people away from something.
Genet's boyfriend attempts to enter the Musée de Louvre, but is prevented from doing so by the police. Meeting at a window, the pair declare their love for each other, and a moment later, the boyfriend is attacked by one of the first Walkers of the Wildfire Virus--his blood spraying the glass between him and a horrified Genet. Back in the museum, the sobbing Genet stares at the Mona Lisa...
The present: at PoTL mess hall, Carol also stares the painting, her thoughts interrupted by Genet, who hides nothing about what she's thinking when she says she sees a secret behind the Mona Lisa's smile...something withheld as she glances at Carol. One of her soldiers disrespectfully flings a tray of stew to the floor, while berating the server. Genet, once being in the server's position, reminds the soldier that food is a precious commodity, then orders him to eat it from the floor. The soldier complies. Genet turns to Carol, stating her intolerance for bullies.
Later, Carol & Rèmy are given assignments, but are distracted watching captives shot to death, then Dr. Lafleur injecting the victims with the serum to turn them into enhanced Walkers. The dose created far too aggressive Walkers, so once again, the good doctor must moderate his dosages. Rèmy wants to accompany Carol in her search for Daryl, but she suggests they split up, so Rèmy can look for Julien.
The Nest I: A captive Sylvie prays to God, asking Him to protect Laurent, and give her the strength to do the same. She strangles the guard serving her food, then runs though the Nest, calling out for Laurent, until she's cornered on a walkway overlooking the site of Laurent's future test. Losang asks her to come down, attempting to plead the case for Laurent's test, but Sylvie refuses, and in her struggle, falls two stories to the ground, crushing the back of her head. Losang kneels over the bleeding body, only saying her faith was weak. Jacinta stands nearby, her expression slightly pleased at the turn of events.
The Nest II: Fallou leads Daryl and Isabelle to a rock formation they will use to enter the Nest. Daryl paints an idyllic picture of the kind of life she and Laurent can live in America....
Losang prepares Laurent for the ceremony; despite Laurent stating he's not at all nervous, Losang forces him to drink something containing a sedative, which dulls the boy's senses (read: ability to protect himself), as he's led to the courtyard for the ceremony. Losang gives a speech which is the opposite of one who is guided by true faith:
Losang: "We've had to be patient to prove that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a future where we will no longer be vulnerable to the bite of the hungry ones. Now is the time to cast doubt aside, and to embrace hope. To celebrate the inspiring power of our unity and love."
Guards lead a hooded Walker out to face Laurent...
"We are all human, and even les affamès, lost to us, carry with them the memory of love. So who better to confirm our faith in Laurent than someone we've just lost, but who loved him dearly? And now, her love will deliver us all."
The hood is removed, revealing a reanimated Sylvie, much to the shock of Fallou, Isabelle and Daryl, who hid among the spectators. Walker-Sylvie is mere inches from biting the sedated Laurent when Daryl fires an arrow into Walker-Sylvie's head, growling, "Show's over, motherfucker." Daryl aims at the enraged Losang, but is forced to flee as crowds run in every direction. Fallou and Isabelle retrieve Laurent, racing through passages until they manage to hide with Daryl, who tries snap the boy out of his drugged stupor, imploring him to lead Isabelle & Fallou to a cave where he was training. Daryl does not leave (SEE NOTES), deciding to hang back to buy the others time, but as Fallou and Laurent inch their way closer to escaping, Isabelle cannot bring herself to leave Daryl, who has turned into a one-man hunt-and-destroy machine, viciously taking out several Nest guards, until he he is cornered...
Power of the Living II: Carol--assigned kitchen duty--uses the position to ask various survivors if they've heard about an American named Dixon. Someone overhears the name, repeats it, which draws Carol to Codron, still bearing the marks of his torture--including two amputated fingers. Codron asks why would he tell her anything:
Carol: "Because I don't believe in coincidences. There's a reason I found you--there has to be! Its a sign."
Codron: "I don't believe in signs."
Carol: "Please....Daryl Dixon and I ...He's my brother. He's my only surviving family."
Begging Codron for help, the man finally tells her about the Nest and its location, but warns her Daryl is a dead man if Genet finds him first. Later, Carol confides in Rèmy, but cannot convince him to accompany her on her trip--not without Julien...
The Nest III: A badly beaten Daryl regains consciousness, and is immediately questioned by Losang about Laurent's whereabouts, and begins to analyze the American:
Losang: "I was hoping we'd convince you--that your thinking would evolve and come around, but...no. Must be hard living without a semblance of faith. No organizing principle, nothing to cling to. Existence spent simply reacting. A man alone. Its a sad state." (SEE NOTES)
Daryl: "Fuck off."
Losang: "Perhaps its easier to reject faith when you live only for yourself. But i've dedicated my life to a community of people. A community that I have a responsibility to protect. Faith and hope--our oxygen and water, elements crucial to out survival. And over time, our reserves...they've run low. Laurent will replenish them. The public display of his light will give our people the strength to continue on in the darkness."
Daryl: "Your people don't even know what you're doing."
Losang: "I meditated. I prayed on it. And I realized its our love for Laurent--that's precisely why he's being called on to take this leap. Because only by risking everything can we find the true meaning of faith." (SEE NOTES)
Daryl: "What happens if you're wrong?"
Losang: "If i'm wrong? There would be no point in going on."
Daryl remains silent about Laurent.
Power of the Living III: Carol steals a horse, racing toward the POTL compound gates, but is apprehended by the smug Sabine and her soldiers. Carol is brought to Genet's office, where she's reunited with Rèmy...sitting with Julien. Carol's face sours as Genet informs her that Rèmy betrayed Carol in order to save Julien (SEE NOTES). For Rèmy's treachery, he and Julien will be dropped off anywhere in Paris.
Once alone with Carol, Genet tries to play the "gentle" intimidation game with the following:
Genet: "..or I can have you assigned to the Atelier. I believe you have witnessed some of our research tests."
Carol:"Nasty-looking stuff going on in there. What's that all about?"
Genet: "Creating a new subtype of affamé.More directable warriors. They will help bring peace back to the world."
Carol: "Right. The war to end all wars...I've heard that one before."
Genet: "No more lies. How did you get here?"
Carol being Carol, the lies keep on a-comin', mixed with a bit of truth about how she conned Ash into flying her to France, their Greenland misadventure with two she described as "insane environmentalists", and her eventual arrival in Paris to find Daryl...so she can kill him. Genet appears to buy Carol's feigned anguish, and thanks to Rèmy's backstabbing, not only knows where the Nest is located, but offers Carol the chance to kill Daryl...
The next morning, Genet, Sabine and their war party drive past Musée de Louvre; Carol rides with Genet, listening to the woman speak of her past:
Genet: "I'd sweep the floors of galleries full of religious paintings and wonder why the greatest artists felt compelled to depict the same violent imagery over and over again. When les affamés came, we were locked in for a week. It was there the that the paintings began to make sense to me. There was one in particular--La Deluge--A desperate family hangs in peril over a raging flood."
...which nosedives into yet another atheistic screed::
Genet (continued): "And I realized all these scenes of apocalypse, they want to make sense of the chaos and destruction that humanity brings upon itself. The fantasy that there's higher power that can make things better. Prayers didn't help us. Not then and not now."
Carol: "Everyone needs hope."
Genet: "Yes, but religion is not about hope. It's about control." (SEE NOTES)
Carol: "Keeping the masses in line."
Genet: "Exactly"
Carol: "sometimes it can turn into that."
Genet: "Deluded by an opiate of hope. L'Union de l'Espoir thinks we, the masses, the small and unseen, are stupid.That their fairy tales can control us. We will show then they're wrong."
Carol looks away slightly, getting the full picture behind Genet's campaign.
The cave: Fallou--after seeing no sign of Daryl and Isabelle--returns to Laurent, who believes Isabelle might be dead all because of a story created about him. The boy feels guilty for once enjoying the belief in that story. Fallou assures him that believing makes it easier to live. Laurent questions that statement, saying belief did not help Sylvie, but Fallou places all blame on Losang.
The Nest IV: After another beating, Daryl is carried to a concrete shower stall, where he's chained to a faucet--his captor promising Daryl he will break, after another round of torture. Hours later, he's startled to see Isabelle brought in, barely able to walk...beaten. Like Daryl, she's chained in the next stall. While Daryl talks about escaping, Isabelle is in deep thought. She uses her boot to pull a loose drain grating to her...
Not being able to see each other, Isabelle asks Daryl to tell her a story, just so she can hear his voice:
Daryl: "There was this guy...and he left home, looking for something. Wasn't even sure what it was. And he found himself far, far away from home. And he couldn't get back. That's all he ever cared about--getting back. He didn't care about anything or anyone." (SEE NOTES).
Isabelle: "Poor guy."
Daryl: "Then one day, something changed."
Isabelle: "Oh. Change is good."
Daryl: "Dépaysement."
Isabelle (pauses): "Tell me about the fireflies."
Daryl: "They're like...uh..little Tinkerbells flying around in the sky. You guys have Tinkerbell here?"
Isabelle: "Yeah. She saves Peter Pan."
Daryl: "You know, I think Laurent's really gonna like it when we get back home to America. He can go to school. Be like a normal kid."
Isabelle is clearly sad at any mention of a future. She hesitates before replying:
Isabelle: "...and what will I do?"
Daryl: "We can do whatever you want. We can sleep late. Take long walks and watch the sun go down by the river."
Isabelle: "That sounds like a dream."
Straining, Isabelle reaches around to the middle of the wall dividng them; Daryl returns the gesture, their fingers touching.
Daryl: "You know, you're right. I found something here."
Isabelle (in French): "I love you."
Daryl understands, perhaps not knowing how to respond.
The moment is broken by Losang (and his guards), who insists on speaking to Isabelle--praying with her--trying to make her understand. Daryl panics as Losang escorts Isabelle from the room, leading his to say anything to stop him--including a promise to tell Losang where Laurent is. Losang slows his gait, only to coldly reply:
Losang: "Isabelle has always had an open mind and heart. You sadly, are beyond hope."
Losang signals one of his guards to beat Daryl again, as he calls out for Isabelle.
Power of the Living IV: That evening, Genet's war party reaches the shores leading to the Nest; despite Sabine's warning against the rushed offensive, Genet is headstrong, fully believing her army will finally end the Union. A group of civilians are lined up, believing they have entered a new station in life by becoming Genet's select soldiers. This belief is fueled by one of Genet's "mission" speeches, and the clue-in that they're about to make a great sacrifice to crush the Union's "tyranny of false hope".. Carol sees Dr. Lafleur preparing syringes filled with his Walker enhancement concoction; realizing what's about to happen, she questions Genet, who turns the tables on Carol, saying she's giving her what she wants: the chance to kill her friend. Soldiers force Carol into the crowd of civilians, who are now ready to be shot to death--and reanimated as Walker soldiers....
NOTES:
I'm enjoying the mounting tension of this season; by now, its difficult to see all main characters coming out of alive. The odds are stacked against them at every turn, yet the gold standard for the series is the exploration of clashing extremes--both hopelessly misguided in arrogance. First, there's Losang and Jacinta's gross misunderstanding of what faith means, using their collective fear of the Walking Dead to seek some sort of "evidence" of a power in Laurent (to somehow resist the lethal effect of a Walker bite) no one--whether spoken or written in history ever attributed to any as yet unborn human for unforeseen circumstances (i.e. a child born from an infected, reanimated mother) created in a lab.
The Union's leadership was all over the place, with its catch-as-catch-can, smorgasbord-esque philosophies (nevermind how many would clash on as many points as Genet's beliefs do with religion in general), with the appearance of serenity and strength, yet according to Losang's own words, their "reserves" had run low, which was quite the revelation of an ignorant group that sought belief (and strength from it) in a most non-spiritual manner.
Losang saying he'd have no reason to go on if he was wrong about Laurent was another indication that he is more talk than understanding, since he's admitting he does not believe in anything before latching on to the story of Laurent's unusual birth.
Next, there's Genet, who--unironically like Losang--also comes from a position of ignorance, only with open hostility about the very idea of faith fueling her side of the ideological coin. Genet blames religion for life's problems, and assumed faith was the equivalent of twitching one's nose to make magic just happen--getting everything you ask for when you want it...like placing an order with Amazon Prime. Moreover, she makes the blanket accusation that religion tries to control everyone--thinking everyone is stupid, yet her entire Power of the Living order is based on absolute, enforced labor and experimentation, slavery, summary executions, and psychological manipulation created from a belief that the populations are not competent enough to survive and rebuild sans her dictatorial methods. Essentially the same criticism Genet made against religion.
I'm not sure if Carol will ever run into her "friend" Rèmy again, but it would be a satisfying bit of justice for the man to end up not dropped off in Paris as promised, but sent to another POTL lab for the expected.
One of The Walking Dead's more nagging character inconsistencies centers on the on-again, off-again semi-rebooting of Daryl's history; this is not the first time in this series where he claimed he did not care for anyone, when the parent series so successfully built him into a loving (in his own way) brother and uncle figure. Even in this series, he's talked about the people he cares about back home, yet in this episode, he's leading Isabelle to believe he was just some guy wandering around with no emotional / familial ties whatsoever. Further, I realize the showrunners did not want Daryl explicitly saying he was searching for Rick (given the plans for other WD spin-offs down the road), but come on, the only reason he left the Commonwealth in TWD's series finale was to find Rick.
Losang--twisted as he is--was not too far off in describing at least a part of Daryl's personality or drive: "No organizing principle, nothing to cling to. Existence spent simply reacting. A man alone. Its a sad state.". At times, Daryl fits the profile, and, as seen in his interactions with the nuns in season one, he comes off like a surly, reactionary animal only breathing to track down the next meal, but nothing else. If Daryl still clings to that empty, hopeless side after his interactions with Isabelle and Laurent, that will go quite a way in making his solo journey a "so why should I care what he's doing?" situation.
I cannot shake the feeling that er...Han Dixon or Daryl Solo's failure to say "I love you, too" to Isabelle will come back to haunt him.
GRADE: A+.
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So I take it in S1 when Genet said she was a security guard in her pre-apocalyptic life she was lying, perhaps trying to present a "tougher" version of her past while still maintaining humble roots as a commoner?
And damn, Daryl being a one man army as he fights his way through the Nest might be up there as one of the best action sequences in the entire franchise. To use the vocabulary of the young folk, those scenes were "sick."
It seemed to me Carol was able to convince Codron a bit too easily to reveal where Daryl went. Yes, needs of the plot, and Carol claiming Daryl was her brother was clearly meant to click with Codron who was close to his own brother, who he saw turned into a walker in the series premiere. Still, after being tortured for a few weeks into giving up the location, Codron had no way of knowing Carol wasn't sent in by Genet to attempt a softer form of interrogation. Though, I guess we're meant to infer at this point Codron is so worn out he isn't thinking clearly or something. Still, it came off as a bit to easy to me.
And damn, Daryl being a one man army as he fights his way through the Nest might be up there as one of the best action sequences in the entire franchise. To use the vocabulary of the young folk, those scenes were "sick."
It seemed to me Carol was able to convince Codron a bit too easily to reveal where Daryl went. Yes, needs of the plot, and Carol claiming Daryl was her brother was clearly meant to click with Codron who was close to his own brother, who he saw turned into a walker in the series premiere. Still, after being tortured for a few weeks into giving up the location, Codron had no way of knowing Carol wasn't sent in by Genet to attempt a softer form of interrogation. Though, I guess we're meant to infer at this point Codron is so worn out he isn't thinking clearly or something. Still, it came off as a bit to easy to me.
Yeah, the Daryl fight scene was well executed, however, in taking another look at the episode, Daryl and Isabelle did not need to fall back--effectively handing themselves to the Nest. One, Isabelle was right next to Fallou and Laurent before they hid behind crates, yet Isabelle decided to hide behind a door so she could--presumably--chase after Daryl. Two, Daryl wanted to cause a distraction for the others, but their mountainside escape route was not covered by / known to the Nest guards, so he could have joined the others. That's one of the few things that did not make sense, which is why I can pretty much guess part of the remaining episodes' plot.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol
Season 2 - Episode 4:"Le Paradis Pour Toi"
Power of the Living at the Nest I: Daryl--still chained to a wall hears his own cries to Isabelle in his mind. Outside, Genet's soldiers gun down the hapless volunteers; Carol survived this first attack by hiding behind the rest, but she is shot with one of Dr. Lafleur's Walker soldier darts, which she instantly pulls out of her arm before the drug is administered. As the frenzied Walker-soldiers rise, Carol darts to an ATV--with Codron tied to the back--intended to be used as Walker bait to the Nest's entrance. Commandeering the ATV, Carol races to the Nest's doors, as Walker-soldiers chase after her. Not knowing how to get in, Carol's dilemma is solved when Genet has a cannon blow the door away, allowing her to drive into the fortress...with Nest guards shooting at her.
Carol's would-be killers are attacked by the Walker-soldiers, giving her time to free Codron. Now armed, Codron tells Carol to find Daryl, while he attacks the dead, asking her to tell Daryl he's taking his actions for Laurent. Carol runs into the heart of the Nest, as Genet's war party races toward the entrance...
The Nest I: Isabelle is untied from a chair. Losang (with Jacinta watching) tries to relate the story of Laurent's early life as evidence of his alleged position; Isabelle now rejects all of what was slapped together as a prophecy regarding her nephew:
Losang: "When we first met, Laurent was six. I'd heard of him--the child torn from the womb of an Affamé. From a horrific ending...a miraculous beginning. We met with the boy, we evaluated his gifts We found him to be special, as Paré Jean had said he would be. As you said he would be. For year, the good father and I stayed in touch as best we could, and then, when it seemed time, we summoned the boy here."
Isabelle: "Time for you, or time for him?"
Losang: "Time for us all. To be free again."
Isabelle: "There was only one reason. He feared losing control. I can see that now."
Losang: I'm sorry your will has weakened. I want to fortify you and everyone who's feeling tired and hopeless."
Isabelle: "What you're doing is not strength, Losang. It's desperate, misguided, and its savage."
Losang: "Sounds like Daryl talking."
Isabelle: "No, its me. Part of me that was asleep until I met him. the part that doesn't believe in false prophets anymore."
Losang: "You yourself said how special the boy was all those years ago--"
Isabelle: "He is special. He thinks and feels in a way that humanity needs in order to survive! But he's human! He can bleed, he can be hurt, he can die. Like Jesus, like Mohammed, like Buddha."
Jacinta (angrily interrupting): "This is waste of time!"
Losang: "Arrete! Sister, we're going to offer the flock proof of their faith. It must be done. Do you understand?"
Isabelle grips the drain cover...
Losang: "And so I need you to tell me where the boy is."
A guard rushes in, warning Losang about the attack; in that moment, Isabelle, lashes out with the drain cover, aiming for Losang's throat, but slicing into his cheek. As Jacinta and a guard restrain Isabelle, the vengeful Losang grabs a knife and shoves into Isabelle's abdomen, sending the nun to the ground. Losang drops the knife, incredulously staring at Isabelle curled up on the ground. Agenda-minded Jacinta pulls Losang away, leaving Isabelle alone. In great pain, she pulls herself up, and as she slowly leaves the room, the severity of her wound is made clear by her bloody footprints...
Carol makes her way through the Nest walkways, killing Nest and Genet guards along the way; Isabelle has managed to inch her way into the same walkway, but is completely helpless as a Walker-soldier races toward her. Fortunately, Carol arrives to kill the creature, and as she tries to help Isabelle apply pressure to the wound, while trying to prevent her from going into shock. It is at this moment, they exchange enough information to learn the Carol is here to find Daryl, and where he's being held.
In the prison, a lone Nest member runs from a Walker-soldier, locking himself in with Daryl, but is frightened out of his wits. Looking to Daryl, he receives one response: Daryl holding up his chained wrist. Soon, Daryl moves through the prison hall, killing armed guards, no matter the affiliation, until a path is cleared, where Carol (working her way from the opposite end) stands staring at him. The tears flow as the pair embrace, each thinking they'd never see each other again.
Daryl soon returns to Isabelle--panic setting in as he sees her condition taking a turn for the worst.
Isabelle: "Daryl...it's okay."
Daryl: "We're getting out of here! Come on!"
Isabelle: "No--this is too late."
Daryl: "It's not too late. Not like this."
Isabelle: "Don't. Just...just make sure he's okay."
Daryl (voice cracking): "We can do that together."
Isabelle: "Make sure he's taken care of. And that he knows I'm always...with him. Okay?"
Daryl: "Okay."
Isabelle (weakly smiling, her breathing becoming shallow, taking one last look at Daryl): Okay. I..can see them. The fireflies...they're so beautiful..."
Isabelle stares at the fireflies as she takes her last breath. Daryl drop his head, weeping as Carol tries to offer some comfort.
Sometime later, Daryl marches away from the battle-scarred Nest; Carol has to trot to keep pace with her friend, who is trying to suppress any thoughts about Isabelle. He says nothing when she reminds him that everyone back home misses him, only speaking to point to their destination.
Power of the Living at the Nest I: In one of the halls, Losang kills random PoL soldiers, just as another is about to drive a knife into Jacinta's throat. The fight is brought to an end with the arrival of a confident Genet and her soldiers, announcing that they now own the Nest.
Daryl and Carol I: Daryl is beside himself with unspoken grief, which gives way to fear as he discovers Laurent and Fallou have abandoned the cave. He finds Laurent's Rubik's Cube, left hidden as a sign that he was at the cave at some point. Tracking the pair, Daryl briefly talks about Isabelle--how they helped each other. He wonders how Carol just decided to leave home--if she was simply playing a hunch; Carol admits to it, adding he was supposed to come home. Carol lightheartedly observes they're not in Ohio anymore, prompting Daryl to remark, "dépaysant", his definition cluing Carol in how this trip may have changed Daryl. Carol finally tells him it was Codron who helped her, doing it for Laurent, which takes Daryl by surprise.
Power of the Living at the Nest II: Tied to a chair, Losang is questioned by Genet regarding Laurent's whereabouts. Losang--self interested--asks that she leave the boy out of their conflict. She sees his empathy as a tool he used to lull his "sheep" into submission. Genet brings up Isabelle:
Genet: "we found the nun--Isabelle."
Losang: She won't tell you anything."
Genet: "Not anymore, no."
Losang--after fooling himself for a moment, looks to the ground with the confirmation that he did murder Isabelle.
Genet: "Was she hiding the boy? Did she fear what you would do to him?"
Losang:"She had nothing to fear."
Genet: "But you do."
Losang: 'I fear for my people. For the future. When the boy escaped, I feared that God was protecting him from me. I doubted myself, even my faith. But I don't anymore. Because I realize now that God was protecting him from you."
Genet: "Does the American work for God?"
Losang: "We all serve Him, whether we believe or not, even you."
Genet (smug): "So, if I find the boy, it will prove God is on my side."
Ordering her troops to search the countryside for Laurent, Genet faces Losang to leave him with a blunt bit of truth:
Genet: "I wouldn't worry so much about the future. You don't have one."
Losang can only sit in dread about the odds of his living--the same position he left Daryl and Isabelle in only hours before.
Daryl and Carol II: Trekking through the countryside, Carol recalls how she was a poor student (in French & math), and never really went anywhere before--more than around the areas during the zombie apocalypse. Her dreams of seeing the world were put to rest once she became a mother, and that became her world.
Daryl asks about the radio message--about someone had "come back"; Carol clarifies that she was not talking about a person, but a feeling, as everything became so quiet at the Commonwealth, the silence triggering her past to come to the fore like ghosts, which moved her search for Daryl.
The pair see Fallou & Laurent's tracks were now mixed with others--perhaps Genet & her soldiers. They walk well into the evening, where they find a gated home--and the sound of music. Entering the home, they discover an elderly couple (Didi and Theo) having dinner. Initially, Daryl holds them at gunpoint, until Didi asks if Carol is Isabelle, based on Laurent's information.
Didi and Theo gave Fallou and Laurent a car for their journey to Paris, and promise to do the same for Daryl and Carol. Theo gives Daryl some insight into his survivalist thinking, a habit of selling their food to anyone who needs it if its advantageous for the family, no matter their affiliation (including Nazis during WW2).
Inside, Carol helps Didi prepare food; still believing Carol is Isabelle, Didi offers some insight into that which Daryl would not discuss about aunt and nephew:
Didi: "He's very fond of his Aunt Isabelle...and Daryl. He went on and on."
Carol: "Daryl's a really good influence."
Didi: "And the way he talked about the two of you...sometimes, children see things we're afraid to look
at."
Carol:"Why do I get the feeling you're trying to tell me something?"
Didi: "Laurent thinks that Daryl loves you but won't say it, because if he says it, he won't be able to leave." (SEE NOTES)
Carol: "Hm. It's a little more complicated than that."
Didi: "Not to a child. And not to me. I know how rare love is"
Carol's mind is swirling with the implications of Didi's observation, and it does not help that Didi's relationship with Theo--finding love again, was the thing which allowed her to stop being torn between the world she left and the one she found with him.
Later, Daryl and Carol accompany Theo to retrieve parts to fix their car. While Theo speaks to one of the neighborhood's last surviving men, Carol proudly notes how much Laurent idolizes Daryl. When she adds that Laurent--thanks to Daryl--will do really well at the Commonwealth, Daryl gives a surprising reply:
Daryl: "Well, he's got friends in Paris...maybe its better he stays with them."
Carol: "Better for who? He's your responsibility."
Daryl: "Maybe I don't want that."
Carol: "What about the kids back home?"
Daryl: "This is different."
Carol: "Is it?"
Daryl: "Yeah. It is. I don't want to lose him."
Carol: "What, you'll end up like me? Is that what you're afraid of?"
Daryl: "No...I ain't afraid of that."
Carol does not buy anything Daryl's saying.
After obtaining the necessary parts, Carol aids Didi find the ethanol in her barn, but is stopped cold with the voices from the moment Sophia walked out the Greene barn. Didi--after Carol just mentions she had a little girl--hugs Carol, telling her she will get through it, just as she had to.
Daryl and Carol III: Later, Theo watches Daryl & Carol uncharacteristically bicker over inconsequential things, chuckling that he enjoys their arguing like an old married couple. Suddenly, a Guerrier jeep speeds up to the property; while the American hide, Theo has a conversation with the soldiers, as Didi gives them carts filled with fruit and vegetables.
That evening, Carol believes seeing the Guerriers in the area implies Genet won the fight against the Nest. Daryl sits, staring into nothing, but its clear what's on his mind.
Carol: "I know you had people there."
Daryl (sniffling): "Isabelle and Laurent."
Watching the grief on her friend's face, Carol gives him an assembled "Daryl" toy soldier, made by Judith.
Daryl: "How is she?"
Carol: "She didn't want me to go. Part of her knew I had to, if there was a chance I could find you. I guess i'm just surprised you got so close to people here."
Daryl: "I didn't mean to. It's hard to explain, I guess."
Carol: "Well, if you ever want to try..."
Daryl does not respond to that, which hurts Carol, who feels rejected, until:
Daryl: "Hey. i'm glad you came."
Carol: "Me too."
Daryl stares at Judith's gift.
Showdown with Genet: The next morning, the duo pack their car, preparing to leave, but their drawn back to Theo and Didi's for breakfast. While they're eating, several Power of the Living vehicles are heading toward the house, and before Daryl and Carol can react, Theo aims a shotgun at them. Daryl zeroes in on the situation, asking Theo what the Guerriers offered him; Theo lives up to his family history, stating no one survives picking the losing side. Disgusted, Didi disarms Theo and allows Carol and Daryl to avoid detection while attempting to get to their car.
Inside, the ever-distrustful Genet questions the elderly couple, with Didi saying she's heard of her from her father. The statement shocks Genet, as she believes Didi's father must have lived a long time to have seen Genet come to power, considering Didi's own age. In fact, Didi was referring to her father having fought tyrants who were looking for children before, implying Genet--knowing who she's hunting--is just the latest.
Genet grows tired of the deception, noticing that the eggs on the extra plates are still warm; one of the soldiers volunteers to search the house, but Genet orders him to stand by, after all, the dead are best at sniffing out the living. With that, one of the soldiers--armed with a rifle loaded with the Walker-soldier darts--takes aim at Didi, when a shotgun blast through a door kills the soldier--and one standing behind him, who involuntarily fires off his machine gun...
Genet and another soldier flee from the room, while Carol ducks, dodges and kills yet another Guerrier, until her luck runs out and she's surrounded--Genet and her guard on one side, a lone soldier on the other.
Genet: "Judgement. I see it in your eyes."
Carol: "More like confusion. About how someone like you could turn into this?"
Genet (lowering her gun): "Do you know what else i've seen? The City of Lights gone dark, while the wealthy fled to their villas and their chateaux. Families huddled in terror under the Pont Neuf as barges took the powerful down the seine for refuge."
Carol: "So, you're making up for that now?"
Genet: "And while the great works were safe...I saw my love...my hope devoured by the monsters they made. Five feet from me! On the other side of the glass. Have you ever known that kind of loss?"
Carol chuckles at how much Genet does not know about her own history of loss, which angers Genet into giving the order to shoot--a moment too late, as Daryl runs in from behind her, shooting her guard and the one behind Carol--who takes that opportunity to grab the Walker-soldier dart rifle, aiming it at Genet. Surrounded, Genet still aims her gun at Carol, hoping to force Daryl to disarm. Genet takes another glance at Daryl, giving Carol the opening to fire a dart into Genet's back.
The woman shakily turns in circles, trying to claw at the dart. Genet catches a look at her reflection--seeing the large purple veins and blackened eyes experienced by her victims. Genet drops to the floor convulsing, her eyes and facial boils bursting until she quickly dies.
Daryl and Carol find Theo in the floor of his kitchen, cradling the corpse of Didi, who was shot by one of the soldiers' stray bullets. Carol & Daryl bury Didi in the yard, leaving Theo kneeling by the grave, speaking softly. Come nightfall, Daryl and Carol load their car for the trip. Daryl finally decides to open up--to a certain point:
Daryl: "You know, I...I didn't think much of Isabelle when I first met her. She needed my help, and I needed a way home, so we made a deal."
Carol: "Makes sense."
Daryl: "And Laurent...he, uh, kind of became the glue that held us all together, you know."
Carol: "Yeah, I do."
Daryl: "And I never, ever stopped trying to get home to you. The longer I stayed here, the...harder it got."
Carol (with an understanding smile): "You loved her."
Daryl just looks at Carol without answering, which still provides one.
Daryl: "You know Laurent's coming home with us, right?"
Carol (with a reassuring smile): "Yeah, I know."
The duo drive away, heading for Paris.
Power of the Living at the Nest III: Back at the Nest, Sabine, Dr. Lafleur and their surviving soldiers release Losang and Jacinta, informing the pair that Genet has been killed by Daryl.
Losang (eyes darting about): "She went after the boy, and now she's gone. If that isn't proof that God is on our side..."
Sabine: "Marion's way was not enough. But neither is yours."
Jacinta: "So now what?"
Now armed, Losang addresses the remaining Nest residents and Power of the Living soldiers--Sabine carefully watching him the entire time:
Losang: "All is forgiven, my friends. Let us merge our dreams for a better, stronger future. Ahead is the promised land. Laurent will take us there. Let's find the child."
NOTES:
So, it happened: Isabelle died. For the second time in Daryl's life a woman who was inherently good, one of true, deep faith, and had changed Daryl to some degree, met her end at the hands of a controlling lead antagonist. Some might say Isabelle attacking Losang when she had no way of actually killing him, only resulting in her death mirrored Beth stabbing Lt. Dawn Lerner (TWD: S5/E8 - "Coda"). Whether it does or not, Isabelle was one of the strongest characters created in at least the past five years of TWD TV franchise. Through her life and interactions with Daryl, a universe of weighty, spiritual / philosophical ideas were explored (not really seen in the TV franchise since the days of Hershel in season 3 or Father Gabriel in season 8). It is now almost certain her sadness while listening to Daryl talk about [i[their[/i] future in America was brought on by her believing her planned attack would lead to her death.
There's no doubt Daryl with face-off with Losang, and likely avenge Isabelle's death, but the crucial factor post-Losang is Daryl as a person; will he return to being the kind of semi-nihilistic personality he adopted after Beth's killing, or Rick's supposed demise? I'd say he should not, for fear that his character would be "sentenced" stay in a regressive loop, which is not what longtime viewers want to see (as opposed to some Negan fans who desperately want him to be "line-up" Negan forever).
Losang is more delusional than ever before; all of his debates with Daryl about not being violent, and wanting to be the one to "throw the last punch" flew out of the window with his vicious stabbing of Isabelle. One might argue it was an impulsive reaction, but I reject that, as he could have just as easily struck her with his hand, instead of fueling all of his resentment for her into that knife. As a murderer, he cannot "go back", and Sabine must have realized it when she made her offer to him.
About Sabine's offer: If she's as much an atheist as Genet, she cannot possibly believe her forces can work with / trust Losang's group, since the latter still believes and lives on the idea of Laurent being their savior. How--exactly--is Sabine going to bring an end to all threats to the Power of Living's mission if a part of the population still places their hope in / service to a religious mission? On the other hand, she could be the ultimate cutthroat and plan to kill everyone--Laurent included--after Losang's group brings him in.
For a moment, Carol almost appeared to be a little jealous when Didi told her Laurent believed Daryl loved Isabelle. Yes, yes, Carol and Daryl are surrogate siblings at this point, but the expression on Carol's face suggested a particle of jealousy.
Two episodes of the season left. Daryl Dixon stands as some of TWS TV franchise's best hours.
GRADE: A+.
Season 2 - Episode 4:"Le Paradis Pour Toi"
Power of the Living at the Nest I: Daryl--still chained to a wall hears his own cries to Isabelle in his mind. Outside, Genet's soldiers gun down the hapless volunteers; Carol survived this first attack by hiding behind the rest, but she is shot with one of Dr. Lafleur's Walker soldier darts, which she instantly pulls out of her arm before the drug is administered. As the frenzied Walker-soldiers rise, Carol darts to an ATV--with Codron tied to the back--intended to be used as Walker bait to the Nest's entrance. Commandeering the ATV, Carol races to the Nest's doors, as Walker-soldiers chase after her. Not knowing how to get in, Carol's dilemma is solved when Genet has a cannon blow the door away, allowing her to drive into the fortress...with Nest guards shooting at her.
Carol's would-be killers are attacked by the Walker-soldiers, giving her time to free Codron. Now armed, Codron tells Carol to find Daryl, while he attacks the dead, asking her to tell Daryl he's taking his actions for Laurent. Carol runs into the heart of the Nest, as Genet's war party races toward the entrance...
The Nest I: Isabelle is untied from a chair. Losang (with Jacinta watching) tries to relate the story of Laurent's early life as evidence of his alleged position; Isabelle now rejects all of what was slapped together as a prophecy regarding her nephew:
Losang: "When we first met, Laurent was six. I'd heard of him--the child torn from the womb of an Affamé. From a horrific ending...a miraculous beginning. We met with the boy, we evaluated his gifts We found him to be special, as Paré Jean had said he would be. As you said he would be. For year, the good father and I stayed in touch as best we could, and then, when it seemed time, we summoned the boy here."
Isabelle: "Time for you, or time for him?"
Losang: "Time for us all. To be free again."
Isabelle: "There was only one reason. He feared losing control. I can see that now."
Losang: I'm sorry your will has weakened. I want to fortify you and everyone who's feeling tired and hopeless."
Isabelle: "What you're doing is not strength, Losang. It's desperate, misguided, and its savage."
Losang: "Sounds like Daryl talking."
Isabelle: "No, its me. Part of me that was asleep until I met him. the part that doesn't believe in false prophets anymore."
Losang: "You yourself said how special the boy was all those years ago--"
Isabelle: "He is special. He thinks and feels in a way that humanity needs in order to survive! But he's human! He can bleed, he can be hurt, he can die. Like Jesus, like Mohammed, like Buddha."
Jacinta (angrily interrupting): "This is waste of time!"
Losang: "Arrete! Sister, we're going to offer the flock proof of their faith. It must be done. Do you understand?"
Isabelle grips the drain cover...
Losang: "And so I need you to tell me where the boy is."
A guard rushes in, warning Losang about the attack; in that moment, Isabelle, lashes out with the drain cover, aiming for Losang's throat, but slicing into his cheek. As Jacinta and a guard restrain Isabelle, the vengeful Losang grabs a knife and shoves into Isabelle's abdomen, sending the nun to the ground. Losang drops the knife, incredulously staring at Isabelle curled up on the ground. Agenda-minded Jacinta pulls Losang away, leaving Isabelle alone. In great pain, she pulls herself up, and as she slowly leaves the room, the severity of her wound is made clear by her bloody footprints...
Carol makes her way through the Nest walkways, killing Nest and Genet guards along the way; Isabelle has managed to inch her way into the same walkway, but is completely helpless as a Walker-soldier races toward her. Fortunately, Carol arrives to kill the creature, and as she tries to help Isabelle apply pressure to the wound, while trying to prevent her from going into shock. It is at this moment, they exchange enough information to learn the Carol is here to find Daryl, and where he's being held.
In the prison, a lone Nest member runs from a Walker-soldier, locking himself in with Daryl, but is frightened out of his wits. Looking to Daryl, he receives one response: Daryl holding up his chained wrist. Soon, Daryl moves through the prison hall, killing armed guards, no matter the affiliation, until a path is cleared, where Carol (working her way from the opposite end) stands staring at him. The tears flow as the pair embrace, each thinking they'd never see each other again.
Daryl soon returns to Isabelle--panic setting in as he sees her condition taking a turn for the worst.
Isabelle: "Daryl...it's okay."
Daryl: "We're getting out of here! Come on!"
Isabelle: "No--this is too late."
Daryl: "It's not too late. Not like this."
Isabelle: "Don't. Just...just make sure he's okay."
Daryl (voice cracking): "We can do that together."
Isabelle: "Make sure he's taken care of. And that he knows I'm always...with him. Okay?"
Daryl: "Okay."
Isabelle (weakly smiling, her breathing becoming shallow, taking one last look at Daryl): Okay. I..can see them. The fireflies...they're so beautiful..."
Isabelle stares at the fireflies as she takes her last breath. Daryl drop his head, weeping as Carol tries to offer some comfort.
Sometime later, Daryl marches away from the battle-scarred Nest; Carol has to trot to keep pace with her friend, who is trying to suppress any thoughts about Isabelle. He says nothing when she reminds him that everyone back home misses him, only speaking to point to their destination.
Power of the Living at the Nest I: In one of the halls, Losang kills random PoL soldiers, just as another is about to drive a knife into Jacinta's throat. The fight is brought to an end with the arrival of a confident Genet and her soldiers, announcing that they now own the Nest.
Daryl and Carol I: Daryl is beside himself with unspoken grief, which gives way to fear as he discovers Laurent and Fallou have abandoned the cave. He finds Laurent's Rubik's Cube, left hidden as a sign that he was at the cave at some point. Tracking the pair, Daryl briefly talks about Isabelle--how they helped each other. He wonders how Carol just decided to leave home--if she was simply playing a hunch; Carol admits to it, adding he was supposed to come home. Carol lightheartedly observes they're not in Ohio anymore, prompting Daryl to remark, "dépaysant", his definition cluing Carol in how this trip may have changed Daryl. Carol finally tells him it was Codron who helped her, doing it for Laurent, which takes Daryl by surprise.
Power of the Living at the Nest II: Tied to a chair, Losang is questioned by Genet regarding Laurent's whereabouts. Losang--self interested--asks that she leave the boy out of their conflict. She sees his empathy as a tool he used to lull his "sheep" into submission. Genet brings up Isabelle:
Genet: "we found the nun--Isabelle."
Losang: She won't tell you anything."
Genet: "Not anymore, no."
Losang--after fooling himself for a moment, looks to the ground with the confirmation that he did murder Isabelle.
Genet: "Was she hiding the boy? Did she fear what you would do to him?"
Losang:"She had nothing to fear."
Genet: "But you do."
Losang: 'I fear for my people. For the future. When the boy escaped, I feared that God was protecting him from me. I doubted myself, even my faith. But I don't anymore. Because I realize now that God was protecting him from you."
Genet: "Does the American work for God?"
Losang: "We all serve Him, whether we believe or not, even you."
Genet (smug): "So, if I find the boy, it will prove God is on my side."
Ordering her troops to search the countryside for Laurent, Genet faces Losang to leave him with a blunt bit of truth:
Genet: "I wouldn't worry so much about the future. You don't have one."
Losang can only sit in dread about the odds of his living--the same position he left Daryl and Isabelle in only hours before.
Daryl and Carol II: Trekking through the countryside, Carol recalls how she was a poor student (in French & math), and never really went anywhere before--more than around the areas during the zombie apocalypse. Her dreams of seeing the world were put to rest once she became a mother, and that became her world.
Daryl asks about the radio message--about someone had "come back"; Carol clarifies that she was not talking about a person, but a feeling, as everything became so quiet at the Commonwealth, the silence triggering her past to come to the fore like ghosts, which moved her search for Daryl.
The pair see Fallou & Laurent's tracks were now mixed with others--perhaps Genet & her soldiers. They walk well into the evening, where they find a gated home--and the sound of music. Entering the home, they discover an elderly couple (Didi and Theo) having dinner. Initially, Daryl holds them at gunpoint, until Didi asks if Carol is Isabelle, based on Laurent's information.
Didi and Theo gave Fallou and Laurent a car for their journey to Paris, and promise to do the same for Daryl and Carol. Theo gives Daryl some insight into his survivalist thinking, a habit of selling their food to anyone who needs it if its advantageous for the family, no matter their affiliation (including Nazis during WW2).
Inside, Carol helps Didi prepare food; still believing Carol is Isabelle, Didi offers some insight into that which Daryl would not discuss about aunt and nephew:
Didi: "He's very fond of his Aunt Isabelle...and Daryl. He went on and on."
Carol: "Daryl's a really good influence."
Didi: "And the way he talked about the two of you...sometimes, children see things we're afraid to look
at."
Carol:"Why do I get the feeling you're trying to tell me something?"
Didi: "Laurent thinks that Daryl loves you but won't say it, because if he says it, he won't be able to leave." (SEE NOTES)
Carol: "Hm. It's a little more complicated than that."
Didi: "Not to a child. And not to me. I know how rare love is"
Carol's mind is swirling with the implications of Didi's observation, and it does not help that Didi's relationship with Theo--finding love again, was the thing which allowed her to stop being torn between the world she left and the one she found with him.
Later, Daryl and Carol accompany Theo to retrieve parts to fix their car. While Theo speaks to one of the neighborhood's last surviving men, Carol proudly notes how much Laurent idolizes Daryl. When she adds that Laurent--thanks to Daryl--will do really well at the Commonwealth, Daryl gives a surprising reply:
Daryl: "Well, he's got friends in Paris...maybe its better he stays with them."
Carol: "Better for who? He's your responsibility."
Daryl: "Maybe I don't want that."
Carol: "What about the kids back home?"
Daryl: "This is different."
Carol: "Is it?"
Daryl: "Yeah. It is. I don't want to lose him."
Carol: "What, you'll end up like me? Is that what you're afraid of?"
Daryl: "No...I ain't afraid of that."
Carol does not buy anything Daryl's saying.
After obtaining the necessary parts, Carol aids Didi find the ethanol in her barn, but is stopped cold with the voices from the moment Sophia walked out the Greene barn. Didi--after Carol just mentions she had a little girl--hugs Carol, telling her she will get through it, just as she had to.
Daryl and Carol III: Later, Theo watches Daryl & Carol uncharacteristically bicker over inconsequential things, chuckling that he enjoys their arguing like an old married couple. Suddenly, a Guerrier jeep speeds up to the property; while the American hide, Theo has a conversation with the soldiers, as Didi gives them carts filled with fruit and vegetables.
That evening, Carol believes seeing the Guerriers in the area implies Genet won the fight against the Nest. Daryl sits, staring into nothing, but its clear what's on his mind.
Carol: "I know you had people there."
Daryl (sniffling): "Isabelle and Laurent."
Watching the grief on her friend's face, Carol gives him an assembled "Daryl" toy soldier, made by Judith.
Daryl: "How is she?"
Carol: "She didn't want me to go. Part of her knew I had to, if there was a chance I could find you. I guess i'm just surprised you got so close to people here."
Daryl: "I didn't mean to. It's hard to explain, I guess."
Carol: "Well, if you ever want to try..."
Daryl does not respond to that, which hurts Carol, who feels rejected, until:
Daryl: "Hey. i'm glad you came."
Carol: "Me too."
Daryl stares at Judith's gift.
Showdown with Genet: The next morning, the duo pack their car, preparing to leave, but their drawn back to Theo and Didi's for breakfast. While they're eating, several Power of the Living vehicles are heading toward the house, and before Daryl and Carol can react, Theo aims a shotgun at them. Daryl zeroes in on the situation, asking Theo what the Guerriers offered him; Theo lives up to his family history, stating no one survives picking the losing side. Disgusted, Didi disarms Theo and allows Carol and Daryl to avoid detection while attempting to get to their car.
Inside, the ever-distrustful Genet questions the elderly couple, with Didi saying she's heard of her from her father. The statement shocks Genet, as she believes Didi's father must have lived a long time to have seen Genet come to power, considering Didi's own age. In fact, Didi was referring to her father having fought tyrants who were looking for children before, implying Genet--knowing who she's hunting--is just the latest.
Genet grows tired of the deception, noticing that the eggs on the extra plates are still warm; one of the soldiers volunteers to search the house, but Genet orders him to stand by, after all, the dead are best at sniffing out the living. With that, one of the soldiers--armed with a rifle loaded with the Walker-soldier darts--takes aim at Didi, when a shotgun blast through a door kills the soldier--and one standing behind him, who involuntarily fires off his machine gun...
Genet and another soldier flee from the room, while Carol ducks, dodges and kills yet another Guerrier, until her luck runs out and she's surrounded--Genet and her guard on one side, a lone soldier on the other.
Genet: "Judgement. I see it in your eyes."
Carol: "More like confusion. About how someone like you could turn into this?"
Genet (lowering her gun): "Do you know what else i've seen? The City of Lights gone dark, while the wealthy fled to their villas and their chateaux. Families huddled in terror under the Pont Neuf as barges took the powerful down the seine for refuge."
Carol: "So, you're making up for that now?"
Genet: "And while the great works were safe...I saw my love...my hope devoured by the monsters they made. Five feet from me! On the other side of the glass. Have you ever known that kind of loss?"
Carol chuckles at how much Genet does not know about her own history of loss, which angers Genet into giving the order to shoot--a moment too late, as Daryl runs in from behind her, shooting her guard and the one behind Carol--who takes that opportunity to grab the Walker-soldier dart rifle, aiming it at Genet. Surrounded, Genet still aims her gun at Carol, hoping to force Daryl to disarm. Genet takes another glance at Daryl, giving Carol the opening to fire a dart into Genet's back.
The woman shakily turns in circles, trying to claw at the dart. Genet catches a look at her reflection--seeing the large purple veins and blackened eyes experienced by her victims. Genet drops to the floor convulsing, her eyes and facial boils bursting until she quickly dies.
Daryl and Carol find Theo in the floor of his kitchen, cradling the corpse of Didi, who was shot by one of the soldiers' stray bullets. Carol & Daryl bury Didi in the yard, leaving Theo kneeling by the grave, speaking softly. Come nightfall, Daryl and Carol load their car for the trip. Daryl finally decides to open up--to a certain point:
Daryl: "You know, I...I didn't think much of Isabelle when I first met her. She needed my help, and I needed a way home, so we made a deal."
Carol: "Makes sense."
Daryl: "And Laurent...he, uh, kind of became the glue that held us all together, you know."
Carol: "Yeah, I do."
Daryl: "And I never, ever stopped trying to get home to you. The longer I stayed here, the...harder it got."
Carol (with an understanding smile): "You loved her."
Daryl just looks at Carol without answering, which still provides one.
Daryl: "You know Laurent's coming home with us, right?"
Carol (with a reassuring smile): "Yeah, I know."
The duo drive away, heading for Paris.
Power of the Living at the Nest III: Back at the Nest, Sabine, Dr. Lafleur and their surviving soldiers release Losang and Jacinta, informing the pair that Genet has been killed by Daryl.
Losang (eyes darting about): "She went after the boy, and now she's gone. If that isn't proof that God is on our side..."
Sabine: "Marion's way was not enough. But neither is yours."
Jacinta: "So now what?"
Now armed, Losang addresses the remaining Nest residents and Power of the Living soldiers--Sabine carefully watching him the entire time:
Losang: "All is forgiven, my friends. Let us merge our dreams for a better, stronger future. Ahead is the promised land. Laurent will take us there. Let's find the child."
NOTES:
So, it happened: Isabelle died. For the second time in Daryl's life a woman who was inherently good, one of true, deep faith, and had changed Daryl to some degree, met her end at the hands of a controlling lead antagonist. Some might say Isabelle attacking Losang when she had no way of actually killing him, only resulting in her death mirrored Beth stabbing Lt. Dawn Lerner (TWD: S5/E8 - "Coda"). Whether it does or not, Isabelle was one of the strongest characters created in at least the past five years of TWD TV franchise. Through her life and interactions with Daryl, a universe of weighty, spiritual / philosophical ideas were explored (not really seen in the TV franchise since the days of Hershel in season 3 or Father Gabriel in season 8). It is now almost certain her sadness while listening to Daryl talk about [i[their[/i] future in America was brought on by her believing her planned attack would lead to her death.
There's no doubt Daryl with face-off with Losang, and likely avenge Isabelle's death, but the crucial factor post-Losang is Daryl as a person; will he return to being the kind of semi-nihilistic personality he adopted after Beth's killing, or Rick's supposed demise? I'd say he should not, for fear that his character would be "sentenced" stay in a regressive loop, which is not what longtime viewers want to see (as opposed to some Negan fans who desperately want him to be "line-up" Negan forever).
Losang is more delusional than ever before; all of his debates with Daryl about not being violent, and wanting to be the one to "throw the last punch" flew out of the window with his vicious stabbing of Isabelle. One might argue it was an impulsive reaction, but I reject that, as he could have just as easily struck her with his hand, instead of fueling all of his resentment for her into that knife. As a murderer, he cannot "go back", and Sabine must have realized it when she made her offer to him.
About Sabine's offer: If she's as much an atheist as Genet, she cannot possibly believe her forces can work with / trust Losang's group, since the latter still believes and lives on the idea of Laurent being their savior. How--exactly--is Sabine going to bring an end to all threats to the Power of Living's mission if a part of the population still places their hope in / service to a religious mission? On the other hand, she could be the ultimate cutthroat and plan to kill everyone--Laurent included--after Losang's group brings him in.
For a moment, Carol almost appeared to be a little jealous when Didi told her Laurent believed Daryl loved Isabelle. Yes, yes, Carol and Daryl are surrogate siblings at this point, but the expression on Carol's face suggested a particle of jealousy.
Two episodes of the season left. Daryl Dixon stands as some of TWS TV franchise's best hours.
GRADE: A+.
Well, that was certainly a game changer. I should be disappointed over Isabelle's death, and I am sad to see her go, but given it's been telegraphed the past couple of weeks it really came as a rather expected moment. Genet's death was a bit more surprising. I mean, I knew her storyline could only end that way, though I was a bit surprised it happened this week. Though given we did get her origin story last week, I guess it could be argued her time on the show was nearing its end.
Some great moments between Daryl and Carol. Their scenes literally felt like it was only yesterday we saw them on the original Walking Dead as opposed to the two years it's actually been. Great stuff this week.
Some great moments between Daryl and Carol. Their scenes literally felt like it was only yesterday we saw them on the original Walking Dead as opposed to the two years it's actually been. Great stuff this week.
I would have been pleasantly surprised if the showrunners subverted expectations (death hints), by having Isabelle survive, but if her death was planned from the start of the series, then, what's done is done. As noted earlier, I just hope the grand plan is not pulling Daryl back into the surly loner realm.
I would hope they avoid that with the implication he's now Laurent's surrogate father. Which isn't entirely new, we've seen him fill in a fatherly role with Judith and RJ in the later seasons, but it should at least help them avoid him going back to the surly loner.
Double post.
Sorry i haven't responded since the beginning here, but....
To be honest, i don't think they really had any serious plans. It just feels like AMC is just trying to milk its IP, the way Sony did with SPiderman via Andrew Garfield.
I think they had the 2 seasons set up, kinda like World Beyond... so that they checked to see how well season 1 did. For World Beyond, the started labeling it a "limited series" for the second season, when it became obvious it was ratings failure.
I assume Darryl did much better, so that they are setting this up so that Darryl stays a lot longer than logic dictates. And i guess whatever hangups Melissa McBride had doing the first season, it's cleared up now (not sure if see simply needed a year off, or if it's because she's not getting any new roles that she OUGHT to get).. With Carol being gone 1st season, they definitely wanted Isabelle alive. But i think it wasn't until Melissa McBride decided to return, that they thought it was "ok" to kill isabelle.
Scott Gimple as "Chief Creative Officer" has been doing a terrible job of maing things feel like it is the same creative universe. LIke how Ones who Lived basically dumped the Civic Republic storyline that was being built up in World Beyond, and even the other shows.
Darryl Dixon, meanwhile, avoids the previous set-up we saw in an end credits scene , where it made it seem like a real scientific situation was set up like the Civic Republic, where these "super dead" were perhaps more developed in Europe. But instead, they seemed to have dumped the idea of "smart" Walkers that Jerry & others encountered at the outpost.
Also, Book of Carol basically dumped Carol's highly responsible role at the very end of TWD.
They've also had her responsible for getting a lot of LONG TIME survivors killed, or in the case of Ash, really hurt (emotionally).
SOrry to get ahead of Trek_God, but for this latest episode
-Losang just getting wpied out RIGHT AFTER making this new alliance? Sheesh... really anti-climatic. It would have been fa rmore interesting see the tension between two former allies and see how they could be on the same side, and how if one or the other would also try to take out their new ally (and possible fail miserably).
- Sabine seems conspicously missing from all the action? Are they setting her up to the Big Bad for season 3?
Sorry @TREK_GOD_1 , i simply do NOT understand why you rate these episodes A+??? I mean it's ain't World Beyond or the last couple seasons of Fear.... but this is not the best of TWD.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol
Season 2 - Episode 5:"Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir"
Daryl and Carol:[/B] As Carol checks on their stalled car's engine, Daryl barely hears Carol--his mind lost in thought about Isabelle. Now on foot, the pair continue their journey to Ash's makeshift hangar. Daryl wonders if Ash will be alright with new passengers; Carol seems to believe so, but insists she speak to Ash alone--to break the news to man, which Daryl rejects. Carol finally admits she lied to Ash, using Sophia as subject. They discover Ash has covered the hangar opening with sheet metal, and set pendulum-esque bladed traps for intruders triggered by trip wires. entering the hangar, the pair discover a barely living man impaled by one of the traps, who informs them that he was looking for the plane (everyone seems to be aware of), and Ash left some time ago. The man--not wanting to turn into a Walker--begs for death. His wish is granted.
Elsewhere, Ash runs from a herd of Walkers, slips into a car, but is concussed as a Walker slams the car door back into his face as he tried to leave. Within moments, the car is swarmed by an army of Walkers.
Montmartre Rooftop Community: Fallou speaks with Nadine about the fall of the Nest--how Losang lost his way, and Laurent's place as a symbol of hope. The sound of someone pounding on their main entrance sets off alarms--likely expecting Genet--only to see a drained Codron. Fallou--based on past experience with the man--aims his rifle at Codron, until the former Guerrier's is spared by the testimony of Laurent, who recounts how Codron saved the lives of Daryl, Isabelle, Sylvie and himself from fellow Guerriers. Codron informs the group of Genet's takeover of the Nest, and Losang's arrest, but does not know the fate of Isabelle or Daryl--only that he met an American woman searching for Dixon.
Fallou and Sonia question Codron...
Fallou: "What made you come here?"
Codron: "Nowhere else to go."
Sonia: "So, you had a change of heart?"
Codron: "Locked up at Maison Mere, I had time to think...about my brother, Michel...my parents...my men in the South...all lost. Everyone I wanted to protect is dead. And why? Because of me."
Laurent listens carefully, personalizing Codron's admission of guilt, when Daryl and Carol arrive. Although their reunion is joyous, Laurent asks about his aunt, leading Daryl to speak to the boy in private. Daryl and Codron exchange uneasy glances.
Carol gets Fallou and the others up to speed:
Fallou: "We heard Genet was dead, but we were unsure it was true."
Carol: "It's true."
Sonia: "Maybe now, it will be safer here."
Carol: "I hope so--for all of you."
Fallou: "How about this friend you're looking for? What do you know?"
Carol: "He must be in trouble."
In Laurent's makeshift room, the boy stares sadly at the photo of his mother, and thinking of the aunt he now knows is dead.
Laurent: "She's with my mother, now."
Daryl: "Yeah. She died protecting you. That's what she wanted."
Laurent: "Like Sylvie...and the sisters.."
Daryl: "That's right."
Laurent: "It's a terrible thing to think of...the world without them in it."
Daryl: "Yeah...yeah, it is."
Daryl grows sad thinking about what he's just said, along with Laurent's reply:
Laurent: "Issa loved you. She told me."
Daryl: "You know, Isabelle and I were talking about the three of us going back to America. We could still do that...together. Carol has a friend who has a plane. We just gotta find him, and then we'll do that. Alright?"
Laurent: "Do you think that someday this will all be over? And we'll be able to do normal things? we'll be able to go to school with other kids. See a movie...ride a bike?"
Daryl: "there was...we have something like that back home. Hell, i'll teach you how to ride a bike."
Laurent smiles at the thought, but it melts away when looking at his mother's picture:
Laurent: "I don't think so. I should stay here, and you should go back where you belong. That's what you always wanted."
Daryl: "I was wrong. That's not what I want. Hell, it's not what you want, either. "
Laurent: "It's different now."
Daryl: "Why? Why is it different?"
Laurent: "Because I feel at peace here."
Daryl: "Hm."
Laurent: "Don't be sad. I'm happy here. And... you'll be happy, too, when you go back home."
Daryl: "You sure?"
Laurent: "Good night."
Daryl is crushed by Laurent's stand; if the boy stays, its as though all of their struggle and sacrifice meant nothing. Daryl leaves a teary-eyed Laurent.
Montmartre Rooftop Community II: Carol wanders around the community's active residents, but has another flashback to Sophia when she sees a girl dressed in clothing similar to Sophia's. Breaking out of the memory, she gently approaches a heartbroken Daryl, reminding him of their need to find Ash, and:
Carol: "I know you really wanted him to come, and I know he's not, and that sucks, and i'm really sorry."
Daryl: "I let him down. I can't really blame him."
Carol: "So what--he's getting back at you?"
Daryl: "I probably deserve it. I mean i'm here, she's not--right?"
Carol: "And now you're replaying every decision...thinking of everything you could have done differently." (SEE NOTES)
Daryl: "It's a pretty long list."
Carol: "You and me both.The past just becomes one big giant hole of what-ifs."
Daryl: "Why us? You and me. Why do we get to go so far?"
Carol: "Luck?"
Daryl: "Bad luck, maybe."
Carol: "It's kind of hard to tell the difference."
Fallou suggests the best place to obtain information about a missing man is the Demmonde--the debauchery-laden club once run by Quinn, now owned by his ex-girlfriend Anna Valery.
Demmonde: Daryl and Carol enter the club, and are immediately propositioned by one of the hosts, who tries to steal Carol's knife before it is pulled back. Carol scans the area, noticing some of Genet's soldiers now patrons of the club; Daryl assumes they no longer have an association with Genet's group, before spotting Anna, who is genuinely surprised to see him still among the living. The club has far fewer rules than the way Quinn ran it, but Anna has become just as abusive to any ex-Guerriers.
Carol: "You're very popular with the Guerriers."
Anna: "When the queen dies, the bees scatter with the honey. And who are you, exactly?"
Daryl:"She's a friend of mine."
Anna: "Oh. Another friend. What happened to the last one? The nun?"
Daryl (after a pause): "She died."
Anna: "...and the boy?"
Daryl (directing his comment at Anna, specifically): "Somewhere safe where no one can find him or hurt him."
Anna: "I did what I had to...with Quinn."
Daryl: "I'm sorry for any, um, what do you call it? Collateral damage."
Anna: "Well, you can make it up to us. We're looking for someone."
Carol: "Another American."
Anna: "Whoa, you people are everywhere! How exactly did you come to France?"
Carol: "Does it matter?"
Anna: (very suggestive) "Not to me, but you show up around the same time an airplane landed West of the city. Be careful. Some people will do anything for a way out."
Daryl: "Yeah, we'll keep that in mind."
Anna: "In fact, I hired a few men to track it down. They never came back."
Carol notices fuel canisters similar to Ash's passed over a counter..
Daryl: "What about our friend?"
Anna: "I'll put out the word."
Carol questions the source of the canisters, learning that they were obtained from the Maison Mere--the location once controlled by Genet. Daryl and Carol ask for a car and weapons....
Montmartre Rooftop Community III: Codron samples strawberries, leading Laurent to strike up a conversation with him that goes far deeper than a food source:
Laurent: "Why did you want to kill Daryl?"
Codron: "He killed my brother. I was angry."
Laurent: "Because you loved your brother."
Codron (nods in agreement): "Anger...is a disease. It makes you do terrible things."
Laurent:"Was your brother a bad person?"
Codron: "No. He was afraid."
Laurent: "Fear also makes you do terrible things."
Codron: "I should have protected him from that. But...what you said to me on the road...I believed you. God loves us all. And for the first time, I felt like He was watching me, to see what I would do. What choice I would make."
Laurent: "You did the right thing."
Codron: "But i've hurt you a lot. I beg your forgiveness."
Laurent: "I already forgave you. i hope that one day, you will forgive yourself."
Codron is brought to tears, but this moment is interrupted by...
Super-Villain Team-Up I: Sabine, Dr. Lafleur, Losang, Jacinta and a squad of soldiers burst into the community (as Codron & Laurent hide); Losang tries to deescalate the situation, by announcing the union of the once-opposing groups--all searching for Laurent, their "chosen one". Sonia pretends the last thing she knew was Laurent going to the Nest, countered by Jacinta accusing Daryl of "luring" the boy away. Continuing her ruse, Sonia rallies the community to form a search party...until Laurent's Rubik's Cube is spotted on a table, indicating his presence. Incensed, Losang orders the soldiers to search the community; Fallou--making eye contact with Codron & Laurent--hints the need for a diversion. Holding a knife to a soldier's throat:
Losang: "Brother Fallou..."
Fallou: "I am not your brother!"
Losang: "Fallen Brother, perhaps. Under the spell of the apostate Dixon."
Fallou (letting his hostage go): "You may speak the word...but he lives it."
Losang: "Dixon is faithful only to himself! He wants to go home! Wants to go back to his world! If he takes the boy, what becomes of ours??"
Fallou: "Daryl wants to save Laurent! You want to make him a martyr!"
Losang (to the community):"Look! Look how we have to hide from the hungry ones. On the rooftops. In the cellars. Our children--all they've known is fear. And what of their children? The living cower! The numbers dwindling, the dead flourishing...the natural order of things twisted and perverted beyond comprehension. Some people believe the world has ended. That God is also dead! THAT is why we must find him! The world must see that God is still here, and the boy is proof!"
Fallou: "That's what faith is? If you need proof, you've already lost it." (SEE NOTES)
Losang glares at Fallou. At that moment, Sonia begins to lead the community in a clapping rhythm, creating enough noise to cover Codron & Laurent's escape.
Daryl and Carol II: The duo drive to the Maison Mere, finding it abandoned, scattered with dead bodies, the Walker enclosure and weapons. While Daryl searches another room, Carol finds Daryl's tape recorder, listening to his message regarding his desire to return home. Daryl overhears the tape, but says nothing. He leads her to the sight of a car completely surrounded by Walkers. Concluding someone living had to be in the car, the pair use their weapons to kill enough of the dead to jump into the car..where they find Ash. Carol helps Ash come to--the man surprised to see Carol at all. In his delirium, he asks about Sophia...and wonders who the new guy is.
The Walkers pound on the car to the point they're threatening to break into the vehicle; with only knives left (a death sentence in close quarters), Daryl digs for any sort of weapon, and finds a case loaded with Dr. Lafleur's Walker enhancement syringes and two delivery rifles. Inventive as ever, Daryl loads the rifles, and from the sunroof, shoots two Walkers, and quickly retreats to the car. Moments later, from the interior of the car, waves of blood and flesh paint the windows--the result of the enhanced Walkers decimating the "regulars".
Demmonde II: Taking Ash back to the hangar to recover, Daryl wonders why Carol did not use another lie to convince Ash to fly her to France; Carol sadly replies that she used Sophia because she wished the story had been the truth. While Carol begins to prepare the airplane, while Daryl heads back to Demmonde for fuel. Once he arrives, Anna presents him with a "present": Laurent--and Codron, who tells Daryl about the Nest / PoL alliance. Anna appears genuinely concerned that Daryl will take Laurent to America, and predicts another Genet will come to power, because the French--unlike Americans--fall for fascists.
Daryl makes one last attempt to change Laurent's mind:
Daryl: "You should come with us."
Laurent: "I wanna stay at the camp."
Daryl: "It's not safe at the camp."
Laurent: "Fallou will find a new place. And I have friends there."
Daryl: "You can find friends anywhere. You can find friends where we're going--there's kids there. Carol's there. I'm there!"
Laurent: "I can't come with you."
Daryl: "Why?"
Laurent: "I don't want to."
Daryl: "Explain it to me."
Laurent: "I just can't."
Daryl: "Why not?!?"
Laurent: "Because I don't want you to die!" The sisters, Isabelle, Sylvie...they're all gone because of ME. Everybody--everybody I love dies."
Daryl: "That's not true. It has nothing to do with you."
Daryl's attention is caught by the sight of Losang and his followers entering the club; Codron (pouring ethanol) ducks and heads up to Anna's office, along with Daryl & Laurent. Jacinta catches sight of Daryl and Laurent running into the office, but the would-be hunters follow, only to find Anna. While Anna tries to bluff Losang, Jacinta notices a breeze moving a lamp shade where there should've been a solid wall. Discovering a hidden entrance into the Paris Catacombs, Losang and his minion race into the darkness after their prize. Somewhat ahead in the catacombs, Daryl & Laurent meet up with Codron, but split up--with Daryl hiding Laurent in an empty vault section of a wall...
Daryl versus Losang: Jacinta leads Dr. Lafleur and three guards down one path--Losang and the rest past the vault where Laurent is hiding. Codron stealthily attacks Jacinta's soldiers one by one, leading the wild-eyed Jacinta and the increasingly fearful Dr. Lafleur to lose their focus and direction. Suddenly, Codron emerges behind the doctor, turning his own rifle to his face as he squeezes the trigger, blowing through the top of Lafleurs head. Codron turns to face Jacinta, now readying her sword. She attacks, but Codron easily dodges her attacks, disarms her and with a single hand, begins to strangle her. As she begins to succumb to the loss of air, she produces a knife, plunging it into his shoulder. Codron steps back in repressed agony as Jacinta smiles, which fades as Codron pulls the knife out of his shoulder, grabs Jacinta and swings her body crashing into a wall. He stumbles away, leaving the unconscious Jacinta in a heap.
In another corridor, Losang hears gurgling--the source being the dying sounds of his two soldiers. He turns to see Daryl approaching. Losang carefully sets his flashlight on the ground, never taking his eyes off of Daryl. the fight begins--Losang's staff blocking Daryl's strikes, until Daryl reverse spins to slice into Losang's face with his knife. Losang disarms Daryl from his Morning Star Flail, then activates a blade hidden on an end of his staff; Losang send Daryl rolling over one of the skull monuments, and as the bruised Daryl crawls away, he reaches for a fallen skull, just as Losang readies his blade to finish off Daryl. Dixon spins to strike Losang in the head with the skull, which drops the man to the ground. In a rage, Daryl grabs another skull and repeatedly beats Losang's head--crushing it. (SEE NOTES) Losang's head is not seen, but the blood covering the weaponized skull clarifies what happened.
Daryl retrieves Laurent, and meets up with Codron, who make their escape. Elsewhere, Jacinta slowly regains consciousness....
Carol and Ash I: Ash slowly recovers, and upon talking about Carol's learning her daughter "died," Carol's guilt mounts as Ash admits he was able to overcome his own guilt about Avi by taking the flight--giving him a reason to live again.
Carol has run out of time--she has to come clean with Ash before the others return.
Carol: "I lied. I didn't come here looking for Sophia. I came here to look for Daryl."
Ash: "What are you saying?"
Carol: "Sophia died twelve years ago."
Ash: "No, you--you said that--"
Carol: "No, I know what I said. It's not like that."
Ash: "What's it like, then?"
Carol: "It's like she never went away...it's like I never let her go because I never forgave myself. I think you get that. I know that we share that feeling. And lately, that feeling has gotten worse. And when I met you...I told you what I needed to--to convince you to help me."
Ash (growing anger): "So that makes it alright??"
Carol: "It's not a excuse. Just an explanation."
Ash: "I really hope your therapy is going well."
Carol: "I know how terrible this is--"
Ash: "It's not just that you lied! It's the lie itself! I mean using your dead daughter to manipulate me! What kind of person does that??"
Carol: "A really desperate one. I'm sorry."
Ash: "I BELIEVED IN YOU. DON'T YOU GET THAT?!? I gave up everything. i gave up my world. I gave up my home, I gave up my memory of Avi! "
Carol: "But you said before that--"
Ash: "Oh, you think the ends justifies the means?? Whatever was happening between us--every moment of comfort or bonding, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, it was Goddamn fucking meaningless!"
Carol: "The pain was real. The grief, it--"
Ash: "Oh, come on! It was all based on a lie--YOUR lie to get my fucking plane! God damn it!!"
Ash storms off, rightfully enraged at Carol's deception, leaving the woman speechless.
Daryl, Laurent & Codron: Anna prepares to send Daryl off with the fuel; Daryl thanks Codron, who reluctantly shakes Dixon's hand. Laurent maintains his desire to stay with Fallou's community, but Daryl asks him to let go of the things that scare him (i.e. his involvement with the death of loved ones), and remember Daryl--as well as Isabelle--wanted Laurent to migrate to America, but in the end, he (Laurent) has to make up his own mind. Laurent considers Daryl's point, and agrees to go.
Arriving at the hangar, Laurent is fascinated by the plane--something he's only seen in books.
Laurent: "Up in the clouds, we;ll be close to Issa and Sylvie and my mother."
Daryl: "Yeah...they'll watch over us."
Ash returns, not at all pleased to see Daryl and Laurent. Although Ash is semi-cordial enough to Laurent, he's visibly acidic toward the others, and when learning Laurent and Daryl intend to travel back to America, Ash informs the group that the plane cannot hold four people.
Someone will have to be left behind.
NOTES:
Fantastic episode, perfectly managing three plots without any feeling neglected.
Scene of the episode was the exchange between Fallou and Losang:
Losang:"Some people believe the world has ended. That God is also dead! THAT is why we must find him! The world must see that God is still here, and the boy is proof!"
Fallou: "That's what faith is? If you need proof, you've already lost it."
Fallou delivered the defining line of the series; for a show where the conflict between spiritual belief--faith and its truth (as opposed to Losang and Jacinta's need to constructed a physical manifestation of evidence), and still another conflict with militant atheists represented by Genet's collective, Fallou essentially had his mike drop moment. The historical record of various spiritual (and/or Biblically recorded) events exists, but they are not belief, the actual connection to / communion with God. Losang was so bereft of true faith, that he cloaked himself in his buffet of ideas all requiring that a physical manifestation was required to live out and/or carry God's will (when He does not need anyone to do that for Him). In addition to his twisted perception of faith, he was a fraud struggling with his adopted identity of a peaceful man, as evidenced by his brutal murder of Isabelle, and his staff containing a retractable blade, he was thirsting to drive into Daryl's back. Hardly a man of God.
The gruesome implication of Daryl's fatal blows to Losang was powerful, more for the assumption that Daryl learned Losang was Isabelle's murderer than the act itself. Technically, he "avenged" Isabelle, but he's an evolving man who can no longer take any sort of satisfaction in revenge.
Daryl wondered why he and Carol are the survivors while losing so many; Carol refers to the idea they have bad luck, which was a weighty statement making one recall not only all of the friends they've lost over the years, but the price of simply being some Alpha-survivor who is "rewarded" with the unenviable position of watching others die--echoing the warning of Dr. Jenner (TWD: S1/E6 - "TS-19") to--among others--Daryl and Carol. For Daryl, he must be thinking of that warning (in a general sense, not necessarily thinking of Jenner) after what might be the worst personal loss of his life.
Ash and Carol: he was more than justified in his outrage at Carol's deception, and at this point, i'm not certain he will ever forgive her (or if he should). The tension is so thick that either should not trust the other for defense if Jacinta and her soldiers locate the hangar, and i'm fairly certain that will be part of the chaos of Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol's season finale next week.
GRADE: A+.
Season 2 - Episode 5:"Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir"
Daryl and Carol:[/B] As Carol checks on their stalled car's engine, Daryl barely hears Carol--his mind lost in thought about Isabelle. Now on foot, the pair continue their journey to Ash's makeshift hangar. Daryl wonders if Ash will be alright with new passengers; Carol seems to believe so, but insists she speak to Ash alone--to break the news to man, which Daryl rejects. Carol finally admits she lied to Ash, using Sophia as subject. They discover Ash has covered the hangar opening with sheet metal, and set pendulum-esque bladed traps for intruders triggered by trip wires. entering the hangar, the pair discover a barely living man impaled by one of the traps, who informs them that he was looking for the plane (everyone seems to be aware of), and Ash left some time ago. The man--not wanting to turn into a Walker--begs for death. His wish is granted.
Elsewhere, Ash runs from a herd of Walkers, slips into a car, but is concussed as a Walker slams the car door back into his face as he tried to leave. Within moments, the car is swarmed by an army of Walkers.
Montmartre Rooftop Community: Fallou speaks with Nadine about the fall of the Nest--how Losang lost his way, and Laurent's place as a symbol of hope. The sound of someone pounding on their main entrance sets off alarms--likely expecting Genet--only to see a drained Codron. Fallou--based on past experience with the man--aims his rifle at Codron, until the former Guerrier's is spared by the testimony of Laurent, who recounts how Codron saved the lives of Daryl, Isabelle, Sylvie and himself from fellow Guerriers. Codron informs the group of Genet's takeover of the Nest, and Losang's arrest, but does not know the fate of Isabelle or Daryl--only that he met an American woman searching for Dixon.
Fallou and Sonia question Codron...
Fallou: "What made you come here?"
Codron: "Nowhere else to go."
Sonia: "So, you had a change of heart?"
Codron: "Locked up at Maison Mere, I had time to think...about my brother, Michel...my parents...my men in the South...all lost. Everyone I wanted to protect is dead. And why? Because of me."
Laurent listens carefully, personalizing Codron's admission of guilt, when Daryl and Carol arrive. Although their reunion is joyous, Laurent asks about his aunt, leading Daryl to speak to the boy in private. Daryl and Codron exchange uneasy glances.
Carol gets Fallou and the others up to speed:
Fallou: "We heard Genet was dead, but we were unsure it was true."
Carol: "It's true."
Sonia: "Maybe now, it will be safer here."
Carol: "I hope so--for all of you."
Fallou: "How about this friend you're looking for? What do you know?"
Carol: "He must be in trouble."
In Laurent's makeshift room, the boy stares sadly at the photo of his mother, and thinking of the aunt he now knows is dead.
Laurent: "She's with my mother, now."
Daryl: "Yeah. She died protecting you. That's what she wanted."
Laurent: "Like Sylvie...and the sisters.."
Daryl: "That's right."
Laurent: "It's a terrible thing to think of...the world without them in it."
Daryl: "Yeah...yeah, it is."
Daryl grows sad thinking about what he's just said, along with Laurent's reply:
Laurent: "Issa loved you. She told me."
Daryl: "You know, Isabelle and I were talking about the three of us going back to America. We could still do that...together. Carol has a friend who has a plane. We just gotta find him, and then we'll do that. Alright?"
Laurent: "Do you think that someday this will all be over? And we'll be able to do normal things? we'll be able to go to school with other kids. See a movie...ride a bike?"
Daryl: "there was...we have something like that back home. Hell, i'll teach you how to ride a bike."
Laurent smiles at the thought, but it melts away when looking at his mother's picture:
Laurent: "I don't think so. I should stay here, and you should go back where you belong. That's what you always wanted."
Daryl: "I was wrong. That's not what I want. Hell, it's not what you want, either. "
Laurent: "It's different now."
Daryl: "Why? Why is it different?"
Laurent: "Because I feel at peace here."
Daryl: "Hm."
Laurent: "Don't be sad. I'm happy here. And... you'll be happy, too, when you go back home."
Daryl: "You sure?"
Laurent: "Good night."
Daryl is crushed by Laurent's stand; if the boy stays, its as though all of their struggle and sacrifice meant nothing. Daryl leaves a teary-eyed Laurent.
Montmartre Rooftop Community II: Carol wanders around the community's active residents, but has another flashback to Sophia when she sees a girl dressed in clothing similar to Sophia's. Breaking out of the memory, she gently approaches a heartbroken Daryl, reminding him of their need to find Ash, and:
Carol: "I know you really wanted him to come, and I know he's not, and that sucks, and i'm really sorry."
Daryl: "I let him down. I can't really blame him."
Carol: "So what--he's getting back at you?"
Daryl: "I probably deserve it. I mean i'm here, she's not--right?"
Carol: "And now you're replaying every decision...thinking of everything you could have done differently." (SEE NOTES)
Daryl: "It's a pretty long list."
Carol: "You and me both.The past just becomes one big giant hole of what-ifs."
Daryl: "Why us? You and me. Why do we get to go so far?"
Carol: "Luck?"
Daryl: "Bad luck, maybe."
Carol: "It's kind of hard to tell the difference."
Fallou suggests the best place to obtain information about a missing man is the Demmonde--the debauchery-laden club once run by Quinn, now owned by his ex-girlfriend Anna Valery.
Demmonde: Daryl and Carol enter the club, and are immediately propositioned by one of the hosts, who tries to steal Carol's knife before it is pulled back. Carol scans the area, noticing some of Genet's soldiers now patrons of the club; Daryl assumes they no longer have an association with Genet's group, before spotting Anna, who is genuinely surprised to see him still among the living. The club has far fewer rules than the way Quinn ran it, but Anna has become just as abusive to any ex-Guerriers.
Carol: "You're very popular with the Guerriers."
Anna: "When the queen dies, the bees scatter with the honey. And who are you, exactly?"
Daryl:"She's a friend of mine."
Anna: "Oh. Another friend. What happened to the last one? The nun?"
Daryl (after a pause): "She died."
Anna: "...and the boy?"
Daryl (directing his comment at Anna, specifically): "Somewhere safe where no one can find him or hurt him."
Anna: "I did what I had to...with Quinn."
Daryl: "I'm sorry for any, um, what do you call it? Collateral damage."
Anna: "Well, you can make it up to us. We're looking for someone."
Carol: "Another American."
Anna: "Whoa, you people are everywhere! How exactly did you come to France?"
Carol: "Does it matter?"
Anna: (very suggestive) "Not to me, but you show up around the same time an airplane landed West of the city. Be careful. Some people will do anything for a way out."
Daryl: "Yeah, we'll keep that in mind."
Anna: "In fact, I hired a few men to track it down. They never came back."
Carol notices fuel canisters similar to Ash's passed over a counter..
Daryl: "What about our friend?"
Anna: "I'll put out the word."
Carol questions the source of the canisters, learning that they were obtained from the Maison Mere--the location once controlled by Genet. Daryl and Carol ask for a car and weapons....
Montmartre Rooftop Community III: Codron samples strawberries, leading Laurent to strike up a conversation with him that goes far deeper than a food source:
Laurent: "Why did you want to kill Daryl?"
Codron: "He killed my brother. I was angry."
Laurent: "Because you loved your brother."
Codron (nods in agreement): "Anger...is a disease. It makes you do terrible things."
Laurent:"Was your brother a bad person?"
Codron: "No. He was afraid."
Laurent: "Fear also makes you do terrible things."
Codron: "I should have protected him from that. But...what you said to me on the road...I believed you. God loves us all. And for the first time, I felt like He was watching me, to see what I would do. What choice I would make."
Laurent: "You did the right thing."
Codron: "But i've hurt you a lot. I beg your forgiveness."
Laurent: "I already forgave you. i hope that one day, you will forgive yourself."
Codron is brought to tears, but this moment is interrupted by...
Super-Villain Team-Up I: Sabine, Dr. Lafleur, Losang, Jacinta and a squad of soldiers burst into the community (as Codron & Laurent hide); Losang tries to deescalate the situation, by announcing the union of the once-opposing groups--all searching for Laurent, their "chosen one". Sonia pretends the last thing she knew was Laurent going to the Nest, countered by Jacinta accusing Daryl of "luring" the boy away. Continuing her ruse, Sonia rallies the community to form a search party...until Laurent's Rubik's Cube is spotted on a table, indicating his presence. Incensed, Losang orders the soldiers to search the community; Fallou--making eye contact with Codron & Laurent--hints the need for a diversion. Holding a knife to a soldier's throat:
Losang: "Brother Fallou..."
Fallou: "I am not your brother!"
Losang: "Fallen Brother, perhaps. Under the spell of the apostate Dixon."
Fallou (letting his hostage go): "You may speak the word...but he lives it."
Losang: "Dixon is faithful only to himself! He wants to go home! Wants to go back to his world! If he takes the boy, what becomes of ours??"
Fallou: "Daryl wants to save Laurent! You want to make him a martyr!"
Losang (to the community):"Look! Look how we have to hide from the hungry ones. On the rooftops. In the cellars. Our children--all they've known is fear. And what of their children? The living cower! The numbers dwindling, the dead flourishing...the natural order of things twisted and perverted beyond comprehension. Some people believe the world has ended. That God is also dead! THAT is why we must find him! The world must see that God is still here, and the boy is proof!"
Fallou: "That's what faith is? If you need proof, you've already lost it." (SEE NOTES)
Losang glares at Fallou. At that moment, Sonia begins to lead the community in a clapping rhythm, creating enough noise to cover Codron & Laurent's escape.
Daryl and Carol II: The duo drive to the Maison Mere, finding it abandoned, scattered with dead bodies, the Walker enclosure and weapons. While Daryl searches another room, Carol finds Daryl's tape recorder, listening to his message regarding his desire to return home. Daryl overhears the tape, but says nothing. He leads her to the sight of a car completely surrounded by Walkers. Concluding someone living had to be in the car, the pair use their weapons to kill enough of the dead to jump into the car..where they find Ash. Carol helps Ash come to--the man surprised to see Carol at all. In his delirium, he asks about Sophia...and wonders who the new guy is.
The Walkers pound on the car to the point they're threatening to break into the vehicle; with only knives left (a death sentence in close quarters), Daryl digs for any sort of weapon, and finds a case loaded with Dr. Lafleur's Walker enhancement syringes and two delivery rifles. Inventive as ever, Daryl loads the rifles, and from the sunroof, shoots two Walkers, and quickly retreats to the car. Moments later, from the interior of the car, waves of blood and flesh paint the windows--the result of the enhanced Walkers decimating the "regulars".
Demmonde II: Taking Ash back to the hangar to recover, Daryl wonders why Carol did not use another lie to convince Ash to fly her to France; Carol sadly replies that she used Sophia because she wished the story had been the truth. While Carol begins to prepare the airplane, while Daryl heads back to Demmonde for fuel. Once he arrives, Anna presents him with a "present": Laurent--and Codron, who tells Daryl about the Nest / PoL alliance. Anna appears genuinely concerned that Daryl will take Laurent to America, and predicts another Genet will come to power, because the French--unlike Americans--fall for fascists.
Daryl makes one last attempt to change Laurent's mind:
Daryl: "You should come with us."
Laurent: "I wanna stay at the camp."
Daryl: "It's not safe at the camp."
Laurent: "Fallou will find a new place. And I have friends there."
Daryl: "You can find friends anywhere. You can find friends where we're going--there's kids there. Carol's there. I'm there!"
Laurent: "I can't come with you."
Daryl: "Why?"
Laurent: "I don't want to."
Daryl: "Explain it to me."
Laurent: "I just can't."
Daryl: "Why not?!?"
Laurent: "Because I don't want you to die!" The sisters, Isabelle, Sylvie...they're all gone because of ME. Everybody--everybody I love dies."
Daryl: "That's not true. It has nothing to do with you."
Daryl's attention is caught by the sight of Losang and his followers entering the club; Codron (pouring ethanol) ducks and heads up to Anna's office, along with Daryl & Laurent. Jacinta catches sight of Daryl and Laurent running into the office, but the would-be hunters follow, only to find Anna. While Anna tries to bluff Losang, Jacinta notices a breeze moving a lamp shade where there should've been a solid wall. Discovering a hidden entrance into the Paris Catacombs, Losang and his minion race into the darkness after their prize. Somewhat ahead in the catacombs, Daryl & Laurent meet up with Codron, but split up--with Daryl hiding Laurent in an empty vault section of a wall...
Daryl versus Losang: Jacinta leads Dr. Lafleur and three guards down one path--Losang and the rest past the vault where Laurent is hiding. Codron stealthily attacks Jacinta's soldiers one by one, leading the wild-eyed Jacinta and the increasingly fearful Dr. Lafleur to lose their focus and direction. Suddenly, Codron emerges behind the doctor, turning his own rifle to his face as he squeezes the trigger, blowing through the top of Lafleurs head. Codron turns to face Jacinta, now readying her sword. She attacks, but Codron easily dodges her attacks, disarms her and with a single hand, begins to strangle her. As she begins to succumb to the loss of air, she produces a knife, plunging it into his shoulder. Codron steps back in repressed agony as Jacinta smiles, which fades as Codron pulls the knife out of his shoulder, grabs Jacinta and swings her body crashing into a wall. He stumbles away, leaving the unconscious Jacinta in a heap.
In another corridor, Losang hears gurgling--the source being the dying sounds of his two soldiers. He turns to see Daryl approaching. Losang carefully sets his flashlight on the ground, never taking his eyes off of Daryl. the fight begins--Losang's staff blocking Daryl's strikes, until Daryl reverse spins to slice into Losang's face with his knife. Losang disarms Daryl from his Morning Star Flail, then activates a blade hidden on an end of his staff; Losang send Daryl rolling over one of the skull monuments, and as the bruised Daryl crawls away, he reaches for a fallen skull, just as Losang readies his blade to finish off Daryl. Dixon spins to strike Losang in the head with the skull, which drops the man to the ground. In a rage, Daryl grabs another skull and repeatedly beats Losang's head--crushing it. (SEE NOTES) Losang's head is not seen, but the blood covering the weaponized skull clarifies what happened.
Daryl retrieves Laurent, and meets up with Codron, who make their escape. Elsewhere, Jacinta slowly regains consciousness....
Carol and Ash I: Ash slowly recovers, and upon talking about Carol's learning her daughter "died," Carol's guilt mounts as Ash admits he was able to overcome his own guilt about Avi by taking the flight--giving him a reason to live again.
Carol has run out of time--she has to come clean with Ash before the others return.
Carol: "I lied. I didn't come here looking for Sophia. I came here to look for Daryl."
Ash: "What are you saying?"
Carol: "Sophia died twelve years ago."
Ash: "No, you--you said that--"
Carol: "No, I know what I said. It's not like that."
Ash: "What's it like, then?"
Carol: "It's like she never went away...it's like I never let her go because I never forgave myself. I think you get that. I know that we share that feeling. And lately, that feeling has gotten worse. And when I met you...I told you what I needed to--to convince you to help me."
Ash (growing anger): "So that makes it alright??"
Carol: "It's not a excuse. Just an explanation."
Ash: "I really hope your therapy is going well."
Carol: "I know how terrible this is--"
Ash: "It's not just that you lied! It's the lie itself! I mean using your dead daughter to manipulate me! What kind of person does that??"
Carol: "A really desperate one. I'm sorry."
Ash: "I BELIEVED IN YOU. DON'T YOU GET THAT?!? I gave up everything. i gave up my world. I gave up my home, I gave up my memory of Avi! "
Carol: "But you said before that--"
Ash: "Oh, you think the ends justifies the means?? Whatever was happening between us--every moment of comfort or bonding, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, it was Goddamn fucking meaningless!"
Carol: "The pain was real. The grief, it--"
Ash: "Oh, come on! It was all based on a lie--YOUR lie to get my fucking plane! God damn it!!"
Ash storms off, rightfully enraged at Carol's deception, leaving the woman speechless.
Daryl, Laurent & Codron: Anna prepares to send Daryl off with the fuel; Daryl thanks Codron, who reluctantly shakes Dixon's hand. Laurent maintains his desire to stay with Fallou's community, but Daryl asks him to let go of the things that scare him (i.e. his involvement with the death of loved ones), and remember Daryl--as well as Isabelle--wanted Laurent to migrate to America, but in the end, he (Laurent) has to make up his own mind. Laurent considers Daryl's point, and agrees to go.
Arriving at the hangar, Laurent is fascinated by the plane--something he's only seen in books.
Laurent: "Up in the clouds, we;ll be close to Issa and Sylvie and my mother."
Daryl: "Yeah...they'll watch over us."
Ash returns, not at all pleased to see Daryl and Laurent. Although Ash is semi-cordial enough to Laurent, he's visibly acidic toward the others, and when learning Laurent and Daryl intend to travel back to America, Ash informs the group that the plane cannot hold four people.
Someone will have to be left behind.
NOTES:
Fantastic episode, perfectly managing three plots without any feeling neglected.
Scene of the episode was the exchange between Fallou and Losang:
Losang:"Some people believe the world has ended. That God is also dead! THAT is why we must find him! The world must see that God is still here, and the boy is proof!"
Fallou: "That's what faith is? If you need proof, you've already lost it."
Fallou delivered the defining line of the series; for a show where the conflict between spiritual belief--faith and its truth (as opposed to Losang and Jacinta's need to constructed a physical manifestation of evidence), and still another conflict with militant atheists represented by Genet's collective, Fallou essentially had his mike drop moment. The historical record of various spiritual (and/or Biblically recorded) events exists, but they are not belief, the actual connection to / communion with God. Losang was so bereft of true faith, that he cloaked himself in his buffet of ideas all requiring that a physical manifestation was required to live out and/or carry God's will (when He does not need anyone to do that for Him). In addition to his twisted perception of faith, he was a fraud struggling with his adopted identity of a peaceful man, as evidenced by his brutal murder of Isabelle, and his staff containing a retractable blade, he was thirsting to drive into Daryl's back. Hardly a man of God.
The gruesome implication of Daryl's fatal blows to Losang was powerful, more for the assumption that Daryl learned Losang was Isabelle's murderer than the act itself. Technically, he "avenged" Isabelle, but he's an evolving man who can no longer take any sort of satisfaction in revenge.
Daryl wondered why he and Carol are the survivors while losing so many; Carol refers to the idea they have bad luck, which was a weighty statement making one recall not only all of the friends they've lost over the years, but the price of simply being some Alpha-survivor who is "rewarded" with the unenviable position of watching others die--echoing the warning of Dr. Jenner (TWD: S1/E6 - "TS-19") to--among others--Daryl and Carol. For Daryl, he must be thinking of that warning (in a general sense, not necessarily thinking of Jenner) after what might be the worst personal loss of his life.
Ash and Carol: he was more than justified in his outrage at Carol's deception, and at this point, i'm not certain he will ever forgive her (or if he should). The tension is so thick that either should not trust the other for defense if Jacinta and her soldiers locate the hangar, and i'm fairly certain that will be part of the chaos of Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol's season finale next week.
GRADE: A+.
You say this quite often, but it ignores the fact that the decision to end World Beyond with its second season was made in January 2020, nine months before the first season even premiered. You even commented on the news at the time. There is no possible way World Beyond's ratings influenced the decision to end the series.
Wow...i guess it was just so blah i forgot
.Thanks for reminding me... definitely interesting looking at that thread, and all the stuff that didn't really fly... like that original anthology that flopped.
I think i got confused because season 1 didn't feel like it was advertised as a limited series, and then the whole Civic republic set up for something beyond World Beyond made me confused.
TWD universe just feels...i dunno, just so played out...
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol
Season 2 Finale - Episode 6:"Au Revoir Les Enfants"
Laurent is sad--worried about Daryl staying behind in France. Daryl assures the boy he will find a way back to America, but Laurent replies that Daryl cannot promise that. Daryl gifts a found guitar to Laurent, and both sing "You Can't Always Get What You Want", leading Daryl to become choked up at the end of one verse, one making him think of the life that could have been.
Carol & Ash I: Carol tells a still-angered Ash she will stay behind, begging him to take Daryl and Laurent to America, adding that his trying to punish her is no worse than the punishment she inflicts on herself. Later, Laurent--observing Ash's sullen attitude--speaks to Carol about her deception, gently admonishing her for it, but is glad she did, otherwise, Daryl would have not have been saved (at the Nest). Laurent wonders if Daryl will be able to make it back to America on his own--a decision Carol knew nothing about.
Elsewhere, Daryl accompnies Ash in his search for a tube long enough to run an external tank on the plane, preventing the need to stop. Ash snaps at Daryl, saying he did not ask for Dixon's help, but inquires about Laurent, learning the boy is an orphan, and--sticking up for Carol--mentions being there with Carol when Sophia died, something he would not wish on anyone. The intentional parallel to Ash's son is not lost on the pilot, who acknowleges that the loss of a child--more than any other kind of death--is beyond description. Daryl suggests that Ash--who came to France to save a kid--still can with Laurent.
Fallou & Codron vs Sabine: Guided by Nadine and a woman named Akila (catching the interest of Fallou), Codron and Fallou are taken to a former mental institution looking for supplies; while the women remain outside, Fallou and Codron (who have since bonded to a degree).search the wrecked facilty, discovering reanimated patients cuffed to wheelchairs & strapped to beds. Codron notices a crucifix on one Walker, and take it for himself. Fallou--in another room--calls out for Codron, who walks into Sabine and a couple of soldiers holding Fallou at gunpoint. Sabine demands to know the location of Laurent & the makeshift airstrip, but both men deny having such information.
Codron: "The cause is dead."
Sabine: "Sister Jacinta will see the prophecy fulfilled."
Threatening to kill Fallou if he does not tell them what she wants, her order is interrupted by arrows fired into the soldiers guarding Fallou as Codron kills the last of Sabine's group--the fight giving Sabine time to make her escape. Codron--who knows the location of the plane--leads the others to warn Daryl.
Anna, Sabine and Jacinta I: As Anna and her would-be knife thief (see E5) ride through the streets of Paris, Anna shows a side of herself not wrapped in the flirty manipulator role most know her for by reminiscing about her mother back in Karelia. The look back does not last long, as her car is intercepted by Sabine & Jacinta's caravan. Jacinta's disgust with Anna could not be more apparent, but Anna twists her own kind of knife into Jacinta:
Anna: 'You came with a man and left alone."
Seething at the reference to Losang's death, Jacinta has Anna's driver shot in the leg and beaten; Anna is uttlerly unphased by the violence, and as Sabine aims a gun at the face of Anna's friend, the club owner brushes the tactic off by stating this is why she does not make friends. Forced to negotiate, Jacinta has to agree to give Anna the plane if she leads her to Laurent.
Daryl & Carol I: While Ash teaches Laurent some basics for the trip. Carol confronts Daryl about who will stay in France, stating she would not be able to live with herself if something happened to him. Ash steps in, arguing in favor of Daryl's decision since he's a survivor who has experience in France...and Carol can help him fly the plane. Fallou and Codron arrive--their warning (about Jacinta) pushing the flight schedlue up to now. With all hands pushing the plane out of the hangar, Ash tests the engine as...
Anna, Sabine and Jacinta II: Anna leads Jacinta and her soldiers through the staduim's rear garage. Anna momentarily stops to look at a tourist poster for Paris, recalling how she spoke to Laurent (S1) about its future--and her hop that he would get to go home. Jacinta's urging breaks Anna's thoughts, with the latter now moving with purpose, straight to an empty, gated service hall. With an expression of acceptance, Anna walks a few feet into the hall, which attracts a horde of once-dormant Walkers. Jacinta and her soldiers realize it was a trap too late for their own good, as several soldiers are attacked...and Jacinta is bitten on the arm. Retreating, the rattled Jacinta locks Anna on the "business" side of the hall:
Jacinta: "You knew!"
Anna: "Dixon will kill you."
Jacinta: "No. God is on our side."
Anna: "God gave up on us a long time ago."
Jacinta smirks as Walkers pull a curiously siilent Anna to the floor, devouring her.
The flight: As Ash fires up the plane, a hyperventillating, frightened Jacinta leads the soldiers through the empty hangar and out to the field--spotted by Fallou & Codron, who take positons in the grass as Daryl hugs Laurent goodbye, promising to see the boy soon. Daryl. reading everything in Carol's expression (as she take a long look and is on the verge of tears) replies:
"I know. Go."
The plane taxis acoss the field as Jacinta's forces attempt to disable the plane with gunfire; Daryl, Codron and Fallou hold their own, picking off a number of the soldiers as the plane races away--a tense Carol and Laurent turning to watch the fight while they can. Jacinta--feverishly fighting against the inevitable--sends a motorcycle-riding soldier after the plance, but he's cut down by Daryl. Another vehicle goes after the plane, but Daryl is out of ammunition--just as the vehicle closes on the plane, that is, until its driver is shot by another sniper, sending the car crashing. Ash achieves lift off, happily yelling back at the soldiers:
"Suck it, motherfuckers!"
The sniper turns out to be Carol. Daryl can only give a faint smile at all that motivated Carol's act. The pair watch and wave to the plane, as it soars away. The firefight dies down as all watch the plane head off. Jacinta watches as well, and with the object of her prophecy gone, the shattered woman places the barrel of her gun under her chin and fires. Daryl--although successful in keeping his promise to send Laurent to America--seems more broken than ever before.
The road to England I: Daryl, Carol, Fallou, Codron and Akila meet Fiona and Angus, a Scottish couple who promise to guide the group to the islands. That evening, as the Scottish couple talk about their young and dumb ideas on how they imagined France, they ask Fallou about the country pre-ZA:
Fallou: "France? Parfait. Well, most of the time. Of course, some things were not always so good. I had these neighbors--Les Desjardins, white family. They were so nice. My food smelled bad, I played music too loud... I worked in a hospital back then, so I came and went all hours. They complained about it. Then Monsieur Desjardin--he lost his job. Drank a lot. Started calling me names. Terrible words. Telling me I should go abd live in la Goutte d'Or with my people, then...boom! The world changed.
We stayed in our flats, hoping to hold out--wait for this terrible thing to pass. One night, I hear a knock at my door. I grab my weapon and look out. It's him holding his two-year old child, limp in his arms, pleading in his eyes for me to help. He thinks she's dead, but no. Her airway was blocked and she passed out. I got her breathing again. She smiled at me."
Akila: "And the father?"
Fallou: "He took her and left, but I saw gratitude in his eyes."
Angus: "So...the apaocalypse put an end to racism?"
Fallou: "Well, maybe it leveled the playing field a tiny bit. Only two kinds of people now--the dead and the living."
With Akila deciding to stay in Paris until she finds a missing relative, she gives Fallou and goodbye kiss. Fallou reciprocates, letting her know where he stands.
Daryl and Codron: Codron expresses sympathy for Isabelle's death, leading Daryl to respond in a surprising manner:
She's probably in a better place, though."
Nodding in agreement, Codron, adds, "Like my brother, Michel."
The pain still raw over Michel's death, Codron asks Daryl why he killed him. Daryl--doing something he should have back in season one--simply says he did not kill Michel--the thin girl who traveled with the old man--did. Codron cannot believe what he's hearing, feeling all of the harm and death he's caused--from L'Abbaye, le Nid & La Maison Mere were all caused by a lie. Codron looks at the crucifix in his hands...
Daryl & Carol II: Daryl finds Carol lost in thought. She imagines Ask and Laurent have made it to America by now, with various friends showing the boy how life is lived there. Carol slides deeper into depression:
Carol: "It wasn't easy there. Never felt like home."
Daryl: "It'll be different this time. We;ll stay together."
Carol (choking up): "I can't remember her face. All I see is of her after the farm. But her before, that little girl that I would read stories to...to sing with...to laugh with...time took that Sophia away. All that's left is what came out of the barn."
Daryl: "It's more than that. Just seems that way."
Carol (crying & whispering): "I'm tired, you know. It's been so long, it all just got churned up again. Her--Lizzie, Henry..."
Daryl: "Hey. None of that's your fault. We keep going, alright?That's what we do."
Daryl holds his friend, hoping she's believed a word he's said.
The Channel Tunnel I: The group travel to the Channel Tunnel, which was converted into a military checkpoint after the rise of the dead. Using the tunnel, their journey will take 50 kilometers--or nine hours of walking to reach England. As all are prepared to go, Fallou suddenly bids farewell to his "brothers in arms", announcing he's staying--to be with Akila. Daryl stops to take one last look at his friend.
Although the travellers brought goods (e.g., wine, food, etc.) to use as bribes to get past checkpoints, they discover two things: all of the posted soldiers are dead, and the years of bat guano concentrated in the tunnels has produced a psychoactive gas. Activating the generators, the group discovers the remains of two soldiers who killed each other, which Fiona attributes to the paranoia-inducing effects of the gas. Weaving through piles of phosphorus-generating Walkers, the group's noise awakens the creatures, leading to a flight for survival, as Walkers approach from all directions...
The Channel Tunnel II: Angus and Fiona run off, as Carol, Daryl and Codron are forced to split up while killing Walkers. Daryl suddenly stops fighting, seeing distorted visions of all around him. It takes great effort for Dixon to break--temporarily--the effects of the gas, but Codron's not so fortunate, as he imagines the reanimated corpse of his brother, while his gun transforms into a sword. The "Michel" Walker attacks Codron, who cannot bring himself to kill the creature, but Daryl--obviously not sharring the hallucination--knocks the Walker off of its feet, sending Codron into a raging attack against Daryl, who is stabbed in the shoulder by his newfound friend. Although Daryl breaks free of Codron, the former enemy--still in a highly hallucinogenic state--runs off, calling for his brother...
Elsewhere, Carol hallucinates she's seeing Sophia --first as a Walker, then as a living child, one who runs off into another corridor. Giving chase, Carol has to kill several Walkers before coming face to face with a Walker version of herself--possibly a reflection of her inner self, or what she desires. Sobbing, Carol stabs at the vision, until she sees the imaginary Sophia--the living Sophia--standing before her. Calling out to the child, Sophia runs to hug her mother, a reunion Carol did not have in reality, of course. Terribly upset, Carol asks if she can come with her daughter, but the child says nothing, turns and walks away, yet Carol is happier for getting something of a resolution her heat's longed for over the past 12 years.
The Channel Tunnel III: Suffering from the effects of the gas, Daryl races to one of the military tens to retrieve a gas mas, but he's struck on the head by Angus, who grabs the remaining two masks for himself and Fiona, his rationale being people back in England waiting for them. Fiona questions if they're going to leave Daryl there, which Angus answers with a request for his gun...
As Daryl lays stunned, he imagines a smiling Isabelle walking up to him, and keeling to face him:
Isabelle: "You think you've had enough. That there's nothing left inside you. You think its over? But you won't die here. Not like him."
The vision of Isabelle holds the dogtags of Daryl's grandfather; he reaches for the tags, too, and looks over to see his grandfather--as he would look as a soldier during WW2--echange a glance, then walk into oblivion.
Isabelle: "Remember when we first met? What I told you? Bet on hope."
The vision of Isabelle caresses Daryl's cheek before disappearing, leaving Daryl in stunned silence...until he comes to, remmebering Isabelle's words about "hope" as he grabs a shovel, slamming it into Angus' head; Fiona screams at the sight, trying to attack Daryl, only to be tossed to the floor in order for Daryl to slam her head into the ground, killing her. After shooting Angus, Daryl takes their masks, and has one last look at the vision of Isabelle, who says:
"Bon courage, Monseiur Dixon."
Isabelle fades into a group of fireflies (which Isabelle--in her dying breath--said she was able to see). Daryl shakes his head in acknowledgement of her words, though he's still in pain.
Carol walks up, putting on the other gas mask--both firends seeing the fatigue in the other's faces. Carol says "Let's go home", and with that, the two head toward England...
NOTES:
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol wraps up after a pivotal season for all main characters involved. After more than a decade of writing for / developing a character, many TV writers have found the well run dry of any meaningful development, or interest without pulling a rinse-and-repeat of past "hits". Its been the opposite situation with the handling of Daryl & Carol, who continue to prove how they are played in such a realistic manner, that one feels their pain, dysfunction, and fear presenting like--real people who carry burdens that are not placed on a subconscios shelf, but informs every part of who they are, whether they're able to deal with it, or not.
So far, two of the three spin-off series have been wonderful character studies, and obviously, I hope to see more of this approach to TWD franchise in the years to come.
After E5's discussion between Carol & Daryl about their "luck" in surviving when so many did not, "Au Revoir Les Enfants" establishes both displaying some signs of suicidal ideation, brought to the surface by the psychoactive effects of the bat guano fumes. In Carol's case, she asked the vision of Sophia if she could come with her; Carol was not imagining Sophia returned from the dead, but was already on the other side, hence the talk of a destination, coupled with her reluctance to kill the approaching Walkers. She may feel dead as personified by the vision of herself as a Walker; the time taken for Carol to stop struggling and commit to "killing" the Carol-Walker, only for the vision to disappear seems to have exorcised this franchise-long demon.
Then, there's Daryl, throughout this season--or at least since E4--he's tried to give Laurent a hope for a better life, yet he's so increasingly despondent over that loss, he's lost his purpose, to a point...until he sees/hears the vision or "ghost" of Isabelle, who assured him he--as emotionally worn as he is--is not at the end of his life. Sure, he will press forward, but carrying a broken heart that may not fully recover naturally prods some into wondering "What is it all for, if--?"
Jacinta--like Losang before her--turned out to be...well, flat out stupid. In her case, because she--after the bite--seemed to believe still subjecting Laurent to the test meant her life would be saved. How--when no one involved ever said Laurent's destiny (to survive a Walker bite) was to have some impact on everyone else, as if Laurent's alleged immuntiy meant a reversal of the biologcal course of the plague's effect on ordinary humans. Jacinta, Losang and Sabine were never playing with a full deck.
speaking of Sabine, I believe she's the last villain standing, but she's also aware Laurent is long gone, so she effectively lost her purpose as a villain. Hopefully, she is simply written out of the series and does not track Daryl and Carol to England...
GRADE: A+.
Season 2 Finale - Episode 6:"Au Revoir Les Enfants"
Laurent is sad--worried about Daryl staying behind in France. Daryl assures the boy he will find a way back to America, but Laurent replies that Daryl cannot promise that. Daryl gifts a found guitar to Laurent, and both sing "You Can't Always Get What You Want", leading Daryl to become choked up at the end of one verse, one making him think of the life that could have been.
Carol & Ash I: Carol tells a still-angered Ash she will stay behind, begging him to take Daryl and Laurent to America, adding that his trying to punish her is no worse than the punishment she inflicts on herself. Later, Laurent--observing Ash's sullen attitude--speaks to Carol about her deception, gently admonishing her for it, but is glad she did, otherwise, Daryl would have not have been saved (at the Nest). Laurent wonders if Daryl will be able to make it back to America on his own--a decision Carol knew nothing about.
Elsewhere, Daryl accompnies Ash in his search for a tube long enough to run an external tank on the plane, preventing the need to stop. Ash snaps at Daryl, saying he did not ask for Dixon's help, but inquires about Laurent, learning the boy is an orphan, and--sticking up for Carol--mentions being there with Carol when Sophia died, something he would not wish on anyone. The intentional parallel to Ash's son is not lost on the pilot, who acknowleges that the loss of a child--more than any other kind of death--is beyond description. Daryl suggests that Ash--who came to France to save a kid--still can with Laurent.
Fallou & Codron vs Sabine: Guided by Nadine and a woman named Akila (catching the interest of Fallou), Codron and Fallou are taken to a former mental institution looking for supplies; while the women remain outside, Fallou and Codron (who have since bonded to a degree).search the wrecked facilty, discovering reanimated patients cuffed to wheelchairs & strapped to beds. Codron notices a crucifix on one Walker, and take it for himself. Fallou--in another room--calls out for Codron, who walks into Sabine and a couple of soldiers holding Fallou at gunpoint. Sabine demands to know the location of Laurent & the makeshift airstrip, but both men deny having such information.
Codron: "The cause is dead."
Sabine: "Sister Jacinta will see the prophecy fulfilled."
Threatening to kill Fallou if he does not tell them what she wants, her order is interrupted by arrows fired into the soldiers guarding Fallou as Codron kills the last of Sabine's group--the fight giving Sabine time to make her escape. Codron--who knows the location of the plane--leads the others to warn Daryl.
Anna, Sabine and Jacinta I: As Anna and her would-be knife thief (see E5) ride through the streets of Paris, Anna shows a side of herself not wrapped in the flirty manipulator role most know her for by reminiscing about her mother back in Karelia. The look back does not last long, as her car is intercepted by Sabine & Jacinta's caravan. Jacinta's disgust with Anna could not be more apparent, but Anna twists her own kind of knife into Jacinta:
Anna: 'You came with a man and left alone."
Seething at the reference to Losang's death, Jacinta has Anna's driver shot in the leg and beaten; Anna is uttlerly unphased by the violence, and as Sabine aims a gun at the face of Anna's friend, the club owner brushes the tactic off by stating this is why she does not make friends. Forced to negotiate, Jacinta has to agree to give Anna the plane if she leads her to Laurent.
Daryl & Carol I: While Ash teaches Laurent some basics for the trip. Carol confronts Daryl about who will stay in France, stating she would not be able to live with herself if something happened to him. Ash steps in, arguing in favor of Daryl's decision since he's a survivor who has experience in France...and Carol can help him fly the plane. Fallou and Codron arrive--their warning (about Jacinta) pushing the flight schedlue up to now. With all hands pushing the plane out of the hangar, Ash tests the engine as...
Anna, Sabine and Jacinta II: Anna leads Jacinta and her soldiers through the staduim's rear garage. Anna momentarily stops to look at a tourist poster for Paris, recalling how she spoke to Laurent (S1) about its future--and her hop that he would get to go home. Jacinta's urging breaks Anna's thoughts, with the latter now moving with purpose, straight to an empty, gated service hall. With an expression of acceptance, Anna walks a few feet into the hall, which attracts a horde of once-dormant Walkers. Jacinta and her soldiers realize it was a trap too late for their own good, as several soldiers are attacked...and Jacinta is bitten on the arm. Retreating, the rattled Jacinta locks Anna on the "business" side of the hall:
Jacinta: "You knew!"
Anna: "Dixon will kill you."
Jacinta: "No. God is on our side."
Anna: "God gave up on us a long time ago."
Jacinta smirks as Walkers pull a curiously siilent Anna to the floor, devouring her.
The flight: As Ash fires up the plane, a hyperventillating, frightened Jacinta leads the soldiers through the empty hangar and out to the field--spotted by Fallou & Codron, who take positons in the grass as Daryl hugs Laurent goodbye, promising to see the boy soon. Daryl. reading everything in Carol's expression (as she take a long look and is on the verge of tears) replies:
"I know. Go."
The plane taxis acoss the field as Jacinta's forces attempt to disable the plane with gunfire; Daryl, Codron and Fallou hold their own, picking off a number of the soldiers as the plane races away--a tense Carol and Laurent turning to watch the fight while they can. Jacinta--feverishly fighting against the inevitable--sends a motorcycle-riding soldier after the plance, but he's cut down by Daryl. Another vehicle goes after the plane, but Daryl is out of ammunition--just as the vehicle closes on the plane, that is, until its driver is shot by another sniper, sending the car crashing. Ash achieves lift off, happily yelling back at the soldiers:
"Suck it, motherfuckers!"
The sniper turns out to be Carol. Daryl can only give a faint smile at all that motivated Carol's act. The pair watch and wave to the plane, as it soars away. The firefight dies down as all watch the plane head off. Jacinta watches as well, and with the object of her prophecy gone, the shattered woman places the barrel of her gun under her chin and fires. Daryl--although successful in keeping his promise to send Laurent to America--seems more broken than ever before.
The road to England I: Daryl, Carol, Fallou, Codron and Akila meet Fiona and Angus, a Scottish couple who promise to guide the group to the islands. That evening, as the Scottish couple talk about their young and dumb ideas on how they imagined France, they ask Fallou about the country pre-ZA:
Fallou: "France? Parfait. Well, most of the time. Of course, some things were not always so good. I had these neighbors--Les Desjardins, white family. They were so nice. My food smelled bad, I played music too loud... I worked in a hospital back then, so I came and went all hours. They complained about it. Then Monsieur Desjardin--he lost his job. Drank a lot. Started calling me names. Terrible words. Telling me I should go abd live in la Goutte d'Or with my people, then...boom! The world changed.
We stayed in our flats, hoping to hold out--wait for this terrible thing to pass. One night, I hear a knock at my door. I grab my weapon and look out. It's him holding his two-year old child, limp in his arms, pleading in his eyes for me to help. He thinks she's dead, but no. Her airway was blocked and she passed out. I got her breathing again. She smiled at me."
Akila: "And the father?"
Fallou: "He took her and left, but I saw gratitude in his eyes."
Angus: "So...the apaocalypse put an end to racism?"
Fallou: "Well, maybe it leveled the playing field a tiny bit. Only two kinds of people now--the dead and the living."
With Akila deciding to stay in Paris until she finds a missing relative, she gives Fallou and goodbye kiss. Fallou reciprocates, letting her know where he stands.
Daryl and Codron: Codron expresses sympathy for Isabelle's death, leading Daryl to respond in a surprising manner:
She's probably in a better place, though."
Nodding in agreement, Codron, adds, "Like my brother, Michel."
The pain still raw over Michel's death, Codron asks Daryl why he killed him. Daryl--doing something he should have back in season one--simply says he did not kill Michel--the thin girl who traveled with the old man--did. Codron cannot believe what he's hearing, feeling all of the harm and death he's caused--from L'Abbaye, le Nid & La Maison Mere were all caused by a lie. Codron looks at the crucifix in his hands...
Daryl & Carol II: Daryl finds Carol lost in thought. She imagines Ask and Laurent have made it to America by now, with various friends showing the boy how life is lived there. Carol slides deeper into depression:
Carol: "It wasn't easy there. Never felt like home."
Daryl: "It'll be different this time. We;ll stay together."
Carol (choking up): "I can't remember her face. All I see is of her after the farm. But her before, that little girl that I would read stories to...to sing with...to laugh with...time took that Sophia away. All that's left is what came out of the barn."
Daryl: "It's more than that. Just seems that way."
Carol (crying & whispering): "I'm tired, you know. It's been so long, it all just got churned up again. Her--Lizzie, Henry..."
Daryl: "Hey. None of that's your fault. We keep going, alright?That's what we do."
Daryl holds his friend, hoping she's believed a word he's said.
The Channel Tunnel I: The group travel to the Channel Tunnel, which was converted into a military checkpoint after the rise of the dead. Using the tunnel, their journey will take 50 kilometers--or nine hours of walking to reach England. As all are prepared to go, Fallou suddenly bids farewell to his "brothers in arms", announcing he's staying--to be with Akila. Daryl stops to take one last look at his friend.
Although the travellers brought goods (e.g., wine, food, etc.) to use as bribes to get past checkpoints, they discover two things: all of the posted soldiers are dead, and the years of bat guano concentrated in the tunnels has produced a psychoactive gas. Activating the generators, the group discovers the remains of two soldiers who killed each other, which Fiona attributes to the paranoia-inducing effects of the gas. Weaving through piles of phosphorus-generating Walkers, the group's noise awakens the creatures, leading to a flight for survival, as Walkers approach from all directions...
The Channel Tunnel II: Angus and Fiona run off, as Carol, Daryl and Codron are forced to split up while killing Walkers. Daryl suddenly stops fighting, seeing distorted visions of all around him. It takes great effort for Dixon to break--temporarily--the effects of the gas, but Codron's not so fortunate, as he imagines the reanimated corpse of his brother, while his gun transforms into a sword. The "Michel" Walker attacks Codron, who cannot bring himself to kill the creature, but Daryl--obviously not sharring the hallucination--knocks the Walker off of its feet, sending Codron into a raging attack against Daryl, who is stabbed in the shoulder by his newfound friend. Although Daryl breaks free of Codron, the former enemy--still in a highly hallucinogenic state--runs off, calling for his brother...
Elsewhere, Carol hallucinates she's seeing Sophia --first as a Walker, then as a living child, one who runs off into another corridor. Giving chase, Carol has to kill several Walkers before coming face to face with a Walker version of herself--possibly a reflection of her inner self, or what she desires. Sobbing, Carol stabs at the vision, until she sees the imaginary Sophia--the living Sophia--standing before her. Calling out to the child, Sophia runs to hug her mother, a reunion Carol did not have in reality, of course. Terribly upset, Carol asks if she can come with her daughter, but the child says nothing, turns and walks away, yet Carol is happier for getting something of a resolution her heat's longed for over the past 12 years.
The Channel Tunnel III: Suffering from the effects of the gas, Daryl races to one of the military tens to retrieve a gas mas, but he's struck on the head by Angus, who grabs the remaining two masks for himself and Fiona, his rationale being people back in England waiting for them. Fiona questions if they're going to leave Daryl there, which Angus answers with a request for his gun...
As Daryl lays stunned, he imagines a smiling Isabelle walking up to him, and keeling to face him:
Isabelle: "You think you've had enough. That there's nothing left inside you. You think its over? But you won't die here. Not like him."
The vision of Isabelle holds the dogtags of Daryl's grandfather; he reaches for the tags, too, and looks over to see his grandfather--as he would look as a soldier during WW2--echange a glance, then walk into oblivion.
Isabelle: "Remember when we first met? What I told you? Bet on hope."
The vision of Isabelle caresses Daryl's cheek before disappearing, leaving Daryl in stunned silence...until he comes to, remmebering Isabelle's words about "hope" as he grabs a shovel, slamming it into Angus' head; Fiona screams at the sight, trying to attack Daryl, only to be tossed to the floor in order for Daryl to slam her head into the ground, killing her. After shooting Angus, Daryl takes their masks, and has one last look at the vision of Isabelle, who says:
"Bon courage, Monseiur Dixon."
Isabelle fades into a group of fireflies (which Isabelle--in her dying breath--said she was able to see). Daryl shakes his head in acknowledgement of her words, though he's still in pain.
Carol walks up, putting on the other gas mask--both firends seeing the fatigue in the other's faces. Carol says "Let's go home", and with that, the two head toward England...
NOTES:
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol wraps up after a pivotal season for all main characters involved. After more than a decade of writing for / developing a character, many TV writers have found the well run dry of any meaningful development, or interest without pulling a rinse-and-repeat of past "hits". Its been the opposite situation with the handling of Daryl & Carol, who continue to prove how they are played in such a realistic manner, that one feels their pain, dysfunction, and fear presenting like--real people who carry burdens that are not placed on a subconscios shelf, but informs every part of who they are, whether they're able to deal with it, or not.
So far, two of the three spin-off series have been wonderful character studies, and obviously, I hope to see more of this approach to TWD franchise in the years to come.
After E5's discussion between Carol & Daryl about their "luck" in surviving when so many did not, "Au Revoir Les Enfants" establishes both displaying some signs of suicidal ideation, brought to the surface by the psychoactive effects of the bat guano fumes. In Carol's case, she asked the vision of Sophia if she could come with her; Carol was not imagining Sophia returned from the dead, but was already on the other side, hence the talk of a destination, coupled with her reluctance to kill the approaching Walkers. She may feel dead as personified by the vision of herself as a Walker; the time taken for Carol to stop struggling and commit to "killing" the Carol-Walker, only for the vision to disappear seems to have exorcised this franchise-long demon.
Then, there's Daryl, throughout this season--or at least since E4--he's tried to give Laurent a hope for a better life, yet he's so increasingly despondent over that loss, he's lost his purpose, to a point...until he sees/hears the vision or "ghost" of Isabelle, who assured him he--as emotionally worn as he is--is not at the end of his life. Sure, he will press forward, but carrying a broken heart that may not fully recover naturally prods some into wondering "What is it all for, if--?"
Jacinta--like Losang before her--turned out to be...well, flat out stupid. In her case, because she--after the bite--seemed to believe still subjecting Laurent to the test meant her life would be saved. How--when no one involved ever said Laurent's destiny (to survive a Walker bite) was to have some impact on everyone else, as if Laurent's alleged immuntiy meant a reversal of the biologcal course of the plague's effect on ordinary humans. Jacinta, Losang and Sabine were never playing with a full deck.
speaking of Sabine, I believe she's the last villain standing, but she's also aware Laurent is long gone, so she effectively lost her purpose as a villain. Hopefully, she is simply written out of the series and does not track Daryl and Carol to England...
GRADE: A+.
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