The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 episodes ranked

The season 1 finale for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was a fantastic episode, containing many shocking moments while also featuring heartwarming moments as well.  The entire season of the spinoff was something much different than expected, and it has been met with rave reviews. While each episode had its merits, some were just better than others. Below are our rankings for the first season episodes of the Daryl Dixon series.

This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 6, “Coming Home.”

Daryl (Norman Reedus) found himself washed up on the shores of France after escaping a shipping vessel that some unsavory people forced onto him. While in France, he met with many new characters, including Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) and Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), who were members of The Union of Hope. This group believed Laurent to be the one who would lead humanity’s revival. Both of these characters became very important to Daryl.

The final episode saw Daryl fight against variant super walkers in a battle royale. He would then deliver Laurent to The Nest, as promised. He kept his deal, and the group kept theirs by helping him find a boat so he could return home. But Laurent had other plans and followed Daryl, which then required Daryl to choose between the boat and Laurent.

Ranking The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon episodes

This season didn’t have a bad episode in the bunch, each containing vital information to Daryl’s story. Here is how the six episodes of the first season ranked.

1-Episode 105: “Deux Amours” (Two Loves)

The fifth episode is one of the best stories in TWDU, revealing a lot of new information with lots of action. The parallel storing telling was brilliantly done; how Daryl arrived in France was finally explained, and viewers heard Carol’s (Melissa McBride) voice.

Episode 102: “Alouette” (Lark)

This episode reminded one of The Lost Boys of Neverland in the Peter Pan story. This group of children whose teacher was on death’s door took it upon themselves to figure out how to survive. Let by a plucky Lou (Kim Higelin), the group was a wonderfully entertaining bunch who enjoyed Mork & Mindy reruns.

Laurent’s parentage was also revealed in a flashback to the beginning of the outbreak in Paris. This would explain Isabelle’s affection for the boy because she is his aunt. A peak into Isabelle’s past reveals she was anything but Nun-like before the outbreak.

Episode 106: “Coming Home”

The first season’s final episode did a great job of furthering the story and setting things up for the second season. There was a lot of action with Daryl fighting the variants, and he and Laurent arrive at The Nest. The ending scene gives a quick peek into Carol’s search for Daryl after he doesn’t return home in a week as promised.

Episode 101: “L’âme Perdue” (The Lost Soul)

The first episode of the season follows Daryl after he washed ashore in France. He navigates the new terrain, searching for supplies to keep him alive. He encounters a variant burner walker unlike any seen before. In this episode, he also discovers the nuns from the Abbey of Saint Bernadette and has his first encounter with the Guerrier.

Episode 103: “Paris sera toujours Paris”  (Paris Will Always Be Paris)

Daryl and the group arrive first in Angers, where they meet a madman conductor who created an orchestra of walkers. On to Paris, they visit another community loyal to The Union of Hope. Daryl bonds with Laurent, Isabelle is confronted by a lot from her past, they travel through the Paris Catacombs, and the Guerriers catch up to them. This episode features a fantastic action sequence between Daryl and Codron (Romain Levi).

Episode 104: “La Dame de Fer” (The Lady of Iron)

It begins with Daryl having a dream of Laurent, who simply prays as a horde of walkers descend on him and then walk around him as if he isn’t there. This episode sees Daryl in acts of brutality but also features many tender moments. In the end, Daryl and Laurent head to The Nest by boat as Isabelle sacrifices herself to return to Quinn, who will secure safe passage out of Paris for the passengers on the boat.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 was an outstanding beginning to this series. It will be exciting to see what’s to come in the next season of the series.

Follow Undead Walking on Twitter and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on everything in The Walking Dead universe.