If you’ve been like me, you’ve been looking for any hint of a return for The Walking Dead franchise, since it’s been crickets since Dead City’s season 3 finale.
However, we recently got a clip from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4, and there is a lot to talk about. If you haven’t seen it, check it!
I’ve never run to the internet faster to see what fans think, or thought about it endlessly, than I have with this season 4 teaser. Thankfully, we have some takeaways about what this clip might mean for season 4.
- These zombies are faster than any variant ever
- At the very least, one came from France
- The zombies attack only if they see you directly within the mob
- They are still stuck in Spain
These zombies are faster than any variant ever
The biggest takeaway anyone who has watched this can see from the very beginning is this: these walkers are not walkers. These are full-fledged, run-at-the-camera, terrifying zombies, and they stop for no one.
We have seen a few variants in The Walking Dead. We even saw Daryl (Norman Reedus) take one on in the earlier seasons of this show, but never something like this — so violent and fast that it triggered a whole slew of them to come running down a mountain.
Truly, watching every single one of those zombies pile down the mountain felt like a scene ripped straight out of a horror film or some of the best zombie movies out there. It feels like we’re moving from slow walkers to the ones from World War Z.
But that also begs the question — where on earth did these variants come from? And how are there so many?
At the very least, one came from France
One thing we know for sure is that one variant came from France. After Daryl finally shot the zombie down (after several failed attempts, mind you), Carol (Melissa McBride) saw a cattle tag on the zombie’s ear. When Carol read out the destination, Daryl said it sounded “Frenchy.”
Which he's not inherently wrong about. It does sound that way. The first season of Daryl Dixon took place in France, where Daryl encountered a variant walker that acted very similarly to this one. So maybe this walker came from that area.
This walker was also labeled “Number 0047.” That means this walker was part of a huge pack and was the 47th head counted. Was that the pack we saw this zombie in? Or are there more?
The zombies attack only if they see you directly within the mob
Another important point is that these walkers don’t seem to notice anyone unless they run directly into them or see them head-on. This hasn’t always been the case with walkers in the series.
When Daryl and Carol make it back to everyone and hide behind the run-down car, the mob of walkers seems to pass them by. Like most of them, they don't spare them a glance. Often, we’ve seen that hiding behind a car isn’t the key solution in The Walking Dead, since walkers can see shadows, smell humans and animals, and all that. They can turn their heads and look around. It’s what has led to a lot of heartbreaking deaths.
But this time, most of them just ran on by. They only attacked when some tripped, fell, and came into direct contact with humans. So basically, if they don't see you, you’re pretty much okay.
I think these versions of walkers are kind of like a hive mind — they all move at the same time the moment the others do because it triggers something instinctual, and they run, and nothing can really stop them until it’s directly in their path. That could be a survival tactic for the group going forward if these walkers become a big threat.
They are still stuck in Spain
No one here is really surprised, but it is a shame they're still stuck in Spain after all this time. The biggest hint is obviously that walker with the French name tag, but they also straight-up say at some point that they’re struggling to find a new boat to cross the sea.
For those who don’t remember the season 3 finale of Daryl Dixon, their boat was essentially destroyed and blown up thanks to gunshots from Fede (Óscar Jaenada). However, we also saw that Codron (Romain Levi) saw the explosion. He’s also all the way from France, so he might have some connection to these variant walkers, too. Maybe he knows how to survive them after all this time out in the wilderness. That is, if they meet again.
You can stream all three seasons of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on AMC+ and Netflix. The final season comes out in February 2027.
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