The Walking Dead: Aaron Recruits Daryl Dixon
By Susie Graham
Aaron has proved himself to be quite the recruiter. He managed to recruit Daryl Dixon to be his partner recruiter. While we have yet to see what Daryl’s pitch style will be, maybe he’ll be the back up with the flare gun, we listened to Aaron smoothly and sincerely work Daryl so that he felt understood and cared for and not manipulated.
Early in the day Aaron followed Daryl into the woods to be in Daryl’s comfort zone and not be watched and in the spotlight-an introvert’s least favorite place. Even though Daryl knew he was following him, he let him tag along so he could find out where this was going.
Aaron was able to talk enough for both of them, but not so much as to be annoying. It was soft and smooth, not like a Eugene monologue. Im not sure we know who is smarter than whom in this case anyway. He let Daryl know that he had some idea of what it feels like to be an outsider. He was able to empathize without being condescending. Daryl listened. They helped each other silently with walker threats.
Aaron let Daryl try to rope Buttons, a horse one of the Alexandria children had named. And when walkers squashed his efforts, Aaron didn’t blame him or get emotional. When walkers eventually finished off poor Buttons, Daryl let Aaron put him down-a gesture of understanding. Aaron suggested that Daryl try to go to the party, but didn’t insist.
More from Undead Walking
- Walking Dead alum Jayson Warner Smith promotes new film, Chipper, watch it now
- Walking Dead actor Chandler Riggs filming new movie in Tampa Bay
- Why is there no season 12 of The Walking Dead?
- Will Morgan Jones find Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff?
- Watch Tales of TWD actress Jillian Bell in Prime Video’s Candy Cane Lane
Later while Daryl Dixon is debating going to the party,
Aaron invites him to join him and a still injured Eric for a hilarious spaghetti dinner where even though Aaron and Eric have impeccable table manners and Daryl is slurping up spaghetti like Lady and the Tramp if they used a box of spaghetti instead if a strand, nobody seems to feel out-of-place. Daryl doesn’t appear to mind one bit.
When time comes to close the deal, Aaron brings out his most powerful weapons: a pristine garage full of motorcycle parts and a keen understanding of what Daryl really needs in order to be able to stay in Alexandria. I admit, when listening to Aaron, I had tears come to my eyes with his way with words to show Daryl how he understood him.
Aaron even managed to criticize Rick without offending Daryl, not an easy task to criticize someone’s family member without provoking a defensive reaction!
He let Daryl know that whether or not Daryl believes it, he deserves a chance to be safe and cared for just as much as anyone else, something an abused child might not feel worthy of even preapocalypse.
But Aaron doesn’t coddle Daryl; he gives him the opportunity to be himself and be out there and use what he’s learned and the value that he’s gained in this new world. And my favorite part, he let’s him accept his new position in the most Daryl Dixon of ways: “I got nothing else to do. Thanks.”