Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon episode 1 recap, the good, bad & what’s next

The first episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has aired on AMC and AMC+. Titled “L’âme Perdue” (The Lost Soul), the episode was written by showrunner David Zabel and directed by Daniel Percival, both newcomers to The Walking Dead universe. With a run time of about an hour, the first episode establishes Daryl (Norman Reedus) in France while he meets several new characters.

This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 1, “L’âme Perdue” (The Lost Soul).

Below, the recap is segmented into good and bad, what’s to come, and features some standout characters from episode 1.

The Good: 

• The score for this series is fantastic. It gives such an old-world feel and is very emotional.
• The ocean gave Daryl a good washing as his hair doesn’t look as greasy as usual.
• Daryl is a survivor, and his resourcefulness kicks in first thing. He searches for anything to help him survive.
• It is heartbreaking to listen to the recording he found on the boat. This was a great way to convey the conditions in France since viewers knew nothing about events in this country.
• The landscape is fantastic to behold, takes ones breath away.
• The new walkers are badass! As if it wasn’t scary enough to avoid walkers, now they can burn you, and you must cauterize the wound.
• Laurent tells Daryl the exact thing that Judith did, that he deserves to be happy, melting hearts across the fandom. 
• It was shocking to learn that Isabelle and the nuns believe Laurent will be the new messiah.
• It was fantastic to see the nuns so prepared to defend themselves.
• At the end there are exciting developments regarding test subjects. Are these from the CRM?
• Norman Reedus proves to the world that he can carry a series. He has long been overshadowed by many in the main series, but now it is his time to shine!

The Bad: 

• How long has he been strapped to that lifeboat? Can’t wait to learn more.
• Daryl is so American as he raises his voice when speaking to the French woman.
• Why kill the nuns already? It would be so cool to see more killer nuns.
• Hopefully, this series doesn’t go the way of Fear the Walking Dead, killing off newly introduced characters each episode.
• Codron (Romain Levi) is bad news and will seek revenge for his dead brother.
• Why were they keeping the Pere Jean?
• Why did Laurent leave the room? He knows to stay hidden.
• Genet, the leader of The Cause, is a powerful woman Daryl will need to be wary of.

What’s next? 

• Daryl states that he went searching and found trouble. The series will likely reveal what has happened since we last saw Daryl leave the Commonwealth.
• The preview shows a lot more excitement is coming in episode 2.
• It seems there will be a flashback scene of Daryl in Maine.
• The next episode: Episode 102: “Alouette” (Lark), premieres on September 17 at 3 a.m. ET on AMC+ and 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s characters

Standout characters: 

Isabelle  (Clémence Poésy) has a quiet sweetness about her but seems hardened by past experiences.

Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) is adorable as he mimics Daryl’s actions. He is a brilliant young boy who was orphaned and then raised by the nuns. He will be an interesting character to watch as he heads off to fulfill his destiny.

Codron (Romain Levi) is a villain who will cause many issues for Daryl and does a fantastic job portraying a bad guy.

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