Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier have been through some insanely testing moments over the past 15 years on our TV screens, but getting shipwrecked in Spain? That might be the most outlandish one yet. The season 3 premiere of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon saw the badass pair attempt to sail back to the US from London with the help of their new friend Julian Chamberlain (Stephen Merchant) but things didn't go their way. A storm sent the boat off-course and they crashed onto the shores of Spain. What's worse is that Julian didn't make it, Carol was severely injured, and their boat was ransacked by a new group of evildoers.
Daryl could only stand by and watch as he attempted to protected the wounded Carol, keeping them both of out sight. Although they found their way into the woods and Carol began to recover, a brief separation while Daryl went out to find some food had resulted in Carol disappearing from the shed they were hiding out in. And that brings us to the second episode of the season, as the old friends get accustomed to their new environment.
With that in mind, let's dive into episode 2 of the season, titled "La Ofrenda".
New surroundings for Daryl and Carol
We pick up where we left off in the previous episode as Daryl searches for Carol in the woods. Subtlety has gone out the window at this point as his main priority is finding his longtime friend. But it turns out that Carol isn't in any danger; she's simply watching two young travellers she stumbled across as they share a romantic moment at a nearby lake. When Daryl catches up to her, she continues to watch the couple, endeared by their love for each other and calling them "perfect".
Things take a turn when the couple, Justina and Roberto, are confronted by a group of men with guns. They are from El Alcazar and they are threatening. When things get intense, Daryl steps in to help and kills the gunmen. However, one escapes in a nearby vehicle. Justina and Roberto are grateful for their help as they are trying to escape their home so that they can be together (and getting caught would have gotten them in serious trouble), but Daryl won't let them leave. Although Carol is reluctant in all of this, Daryl forces them to take him to their home settlement so that Carol can get the help she needs to recover.
The four of them enter Solaz del Mar and are greeted by the man in charge Fede, Justina's uncle. There is a face-off between him and Daryl but it settles and everyone gets acquainted with one another. They explain what happened and, although, Fede is sympathetic to Daryl and Carol, he claims that he cannot help them. But Antonio, Roberto's father, speaks up, convincing him to help them and even allow them to stay for a few days. And with that, they will stay with Antonia for two days.
As Antonio gets bandages and disinfectant to treat Carol's wounds, Daryl and Roberto talk in the kitchen. It's heated, as Roberto blames him for preventing him and Justina from escaping from La Ofrenda, which risks keeping the couple apart forever. Daryl implies that there are other important things in life outside of love, but he ponders on the thought as Roberto storms off in anger.
Carol awakens the next morning feeling much better after a good night sleep. As she greets Daryl and Antonio outside of the farmhouse, Paz arrives on horseback to warn them that El Alacazar has arrived.
La Ofrenda heightens the tension as new arrivals make everyone uncomfortable
The regal entourage from El Alcazar is greeted by cheering in the streets and it's here that we learn about their relationship with Solaz del Mar. El Alcazar claim to be the last vestige of the Spanish Monarchy and they are led by a man named Guillermo Torres, who is seemingly set to be the next king. In exchange for their protection and gifts (including guns and medicine) to northern villages like Solaz del Mar, they take a young girl / woman so that she can be married off into what they claim is "a good life" in El Alcazar. The annual ceremony that they visit for is known as "La Ofrenda". This is what Roberto and Justina were running from.
As Torres is greeted by Fede, they are confronted by a man whose daughter had been taken in a previous iteration of La Ofrenda five years beforehand. He attempts to get violent but he's restrained by El Alcazar soldiers and taken away to be publicly tortured. After that, Torres' apparent wife, the next queen, steps out from the vehicle to greet the audience. Paz looks on in shock as the woman smiles at her - there is history there.
Roberto and Antonio argue about the upcoming La Ofrenda back at home while Daryl and Carol sit outside in the garden. Carol wants to help Justina and Roberto out of the situation they've found themselves in, but Daryl just wants to go home. He doesn't want to be roped into another problem that isn't theirs, reminding Carol about their Hot Dogs promise.
Meanwhile, preparation for La Ofrenda begins in the town square. Paz helps out with the decorating, as does Daryl, who questions the idea of the ceremony. Antonio agrees, calling it extortion, even though it's supposed to result in their protection. Inside, the young women of Solaz del Mar prepare for the ceremony with the help of their mothers, who dress and style them. Alba is particularly close to her mother and it's clear that she's afraid of being chosen. Justina tries to help her feel better, telling her that she's lucky she has a short name as sewing a longer name into a ribbon is time-consuming. El Alcazar's future queen enters and tells them not to worry about standing on ceremony. She's warm, kind; everything this ritual isn't. As she observes preparations from the balcony, she and Paz lock eyes and smile at each other.
Justina, Alba, and the rest of the young women of Solaz del Mar arrive, dressed in regal garments, as La Ofrenda begins: A pig race; each of them wearing one of the girls' ribbons. And the winner is... Alba, resulting in a mix of emotions. Although Justina is happy that she and Roberto can be together for another year, there is sadness for Alba and her mother, as they will now be separated.
The truth closes in on Daryl, Carol, Justina, and Roberto
The celebrations begin after La Ofrenda, as the citizens of Solaz del Mar gather for a feast in the town square. Fede sits at the top table with Justina and his mother, as well as Alba and her mother, Torres and his wife, and Daryl and Carol. However, what Daryl and Carol don't know is that the man who escaped from them earlier in the episode - the one who tried to ambush Justina and Roberto - has arrived in town. He's a part of El Alcazar's army of soldiers.
Daryl watches as the future queen approaches Paz. The two embrace and it's revealed that they were lovers until she was chosen to go to El Alcazar in a previous La Ofrenda ceremony. Paz tried to get to her years beforehand but wasn't able to.
As evening approaches and the ceremony is in full swing, Carol speaks up about the questionable nature of La Ofrenda to Fede, fearlessly calling it outdated in front of Guillermo Torres (like the badass that she is!). Fede politely reinforces the need for a ceremony like this to ensure the protection of Solaz del Mar but it is his mother, who Justina translates for, who more forcefully acknowledges the importance of the ceremony, telling Carol she should respect it (back off, lady!).
As Carol is chatting to those at the table around them, Daryl locks eyes with the man who tried to harm Justina and Roberto. To prevent a scene being made, he quickly excuses himself from the table and ventures into the quieter part of town as the soldier, along with two more men, follows him. Daryl evades the tail through dark alleyways before eventually attacking the men in a secluded part of town. Below them, hungry walkers (which the town placed there for protection) reach up.
As Fede tells Carol about the need for peace back in town, Daryl defeats the three men, tossing them into the walker pit below. Fede's haunting words about doing whatever it takes to protect his people are lined up with Daryl ensuring that the man who escaped earlier falls into the pit - making it clear that he will do the same. And with that, a new war may have just begun.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 is now airing weekly on AMC and streaming on AMC+.