Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Who is Genet & what’s up with the test subjects?

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premiered episode 1 to positive reviews, with some stating it is the best Walking Dead content in years. The series follows Norman Reedus’ Daryl to France, where he washes on shore and immediately sets a plan into motion to return to the States. Several things make this task difficult, and a woman named Genet (Anne Charrier) isn’t pleased with his presence there.

Genet appears to be the leader of a political movement known as The Cause. She is a formidable woman who resembles the demeanor and militant bearing of Elizabeth Kublek (Julia Ormond) from The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Kublek was a lieutenant colonel of the Civic Republic Military (CRM).

The final scene of episode 1 of Daryl Dixon, “L’âme Perdue” (The Lost Soul), sheds some light on Daryl’s arrival in France. He was brought over on a French cargo ship, which Daryl managed to partially destroy during his escape. This was quite a blow to The Cause as it was stated it took them three years to get the boat seaworthy, and many of their test subjects were destroyed.

“In regards to the destruction on the boat, that is definitely Daryl’s handiwork,” series EP Greg Nicotero tells EW.  “And we will discover more at some point because that gives us clues as to how he gets to France. Because all he says in the first episode is it’s a ‘series of bad decisions.'”

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon test subjects

The ship’s doctor tells Genet, “Some of the test subjects may still be of use. Whoever did this made a real mess of things for us.” Whoever is Daryl, but what are the test subjects?

Could these be part of what was revealed during the coda scene during The Walking Dead: World Beyond series finale? This scene featured a blast from the past in Dr. Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich), who appeared in archived footage discussing the French scientist and possible walker “variant cohorts.” The scene also saw the quick reanimation of a woman who appeared to have super strength, speed, and possible memory retention.

Or, since the ship returned from the United States, could the subjects be part of the CRM’s studies? It was revealed in World Beyond that the CRM tested humans and the undead. The research facility was supposedly shut down, but the CRM’s reach is HUGE, and there could still be an underground facility hidden somewhere.

The series has also introduced Burners, walkers who ooze an acid substance and burn a person with a touch. What other variants could Daryl encounter in France?

Don’t miss new episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

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