Daryl and Carol are back... and better than ever! The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon returns for its third season as the fan favorite duo of the TWD Universe leave France behind. Now, they're making their way back to the US, but - as the trailers have confirmed - there will be stops in London and Spain along the way, where new and exciting high-stakes adventures await them. I'm happy to report that they find some of their best adventures yet.
Daryl Dixon season 3 is a marked improvement over the second season, which ripped away elements of the unique identity that the show established so well in its immersive first season, and it's back on track as a result of that. This is a season all about personal struggles; Carol now on the other side of one is looking at life in a more hopeful way while there is some turmoil brewing for Daryl, who just wants to leave this trip behind and go home. It creates a thrilling dynamic between the two and ensures that viewers get some gripping conflict. And when you have these two on-screen, you'll know that any of their scenes have the potential to be gripping.
Let's start with the season's greatest strength. Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus have shared some of the very best scenes in the entire TWD Universe and that remains the case in Daryl Dixon season 3. While Reedus was gripping as the lone wolf Daryl in the first season and the two were great in the second as we waited for them to reunite, there is just something about seeing them on-screen together that instantly elevates everything around them. They are so comfortable with each other, so believable that it's almost crazy to think this is the first time we're seeing them share the screen for a prolonged period of time since The Walking Dead ended. Trust me, it's worth the wait.
Melissa McBride is a force, bringing Carol to life with all of the grit and determination that we've come to expect from her. But there's a light in Carol's eyes this season, a more gentle nature to her, and it's so endearing. This is a character who has been through so much and she continues to prove herself to be one of the greatest examples of character development in television history - just as McBride continues to prove herself as one of the finest performers on any screen.
This lightness in Carol contrasts Daryl's determination to get home at all costs, and it allows the two veteran performers in McBride and Reedus to play off each other nicely - as does the introduction of new characters in Justina and Roberto, who are described as having a Romeo and Juliet kind of forbidden love story. Carol wants to help them while Daryl - once again - is eager to get home. And that leads us nicely to the show's new setting.
One of the biggest concerns I had about Daryl Dixon leaving France behind was that it might lose the visual appeal of the show. This is one of the most visually-stunning shows on any platform and the cinematography, particularly in the first season, was nothing short of incredible. Losing that might have robbed the series of its individuality. Thankfully, that's not the case at all, as its new locations pop just as well.
I never thought we would see what the UK looked like in the TWD Universe, but the show goes all out to prove me wrong. Seeing a dead, decayed post-apocalyptic London, empty and robbed of any life is quite the sight to behold - as is seeing Daryl and Carol stare up at the frozen-in-time Tower Bridge or pass a broken down telephone box smothered by vines. It actually makes me wish that there was a series in the franchise set here for a more full-time stint, because the sights are once again something to behold.
Of course, the bulk of the season is set in Spain and that's when it really comes to life. The beautiful Spanish architecture that serves as the backdrop for the fictional settlement of Solar del Mar brings every visual on the screen to life. And just as we saw in the first season with France, the cinematography captures the larger-than-life visuals so well. From the immersive shots of every alleyway to the wide overhead shots of the stunning hills outside of the settlement, it's all so vivid. And that's one of the things that Daryl Dixon does so very well.
The central storyline is also something that it pulls off very well. With no Sister Isabelle, Laurent, Ash or any of the characters who helped give Daryl Dixon its identity, this season essentially serves as a reboot. It's just Daryl and Carol in a brand new location and that's a really exciting concept. As experienced survivors, these are two of the very best characters that the TWD Universe has to offer, so seeing them both encounter these new environments together offers up plenty of thrills. It also makes it much easier to enjoy this season for what it is, as the previous one had to strip away much of what made the first season work. This is just a reset and a welcome one at that.
This season has been described as a Spaghetti Western and let me tell you that it lives up to that. You won't find a more badass sight than Daryl Dixon tearing through the Spanish desert on a motorcycle with a shotgun outstretched. Norman Reedus is such a badass in the role, so it all comes very naturally to him. And perhaps the best part about all of it is that this is only a fraction of the thrills you can expect this season.
Daryl Dixon season 3 is full of surprises, and it doesn't slow down along the way. One of the best episodes of the season ups the ante in the final act without warning and it makes for some utterly compelling television, reminiscent of The Walking Dead in its glory days. The stakes are high from the get-go and, through the introductions of new, unique personalities and threats, they somehow get higher.
I was hoping for Daryl Dixon season 3 to allow the show to reclaim that very unique, very compelling glory of its first season and I'm glad to report that it does that. This a return to form for the show, introducing higher stakes and storylines that feel new to this age-old universe. It's thrilling, action-packed and full of incredible performances. Reedus and McBride are electric together and the drama has never been better.
Bigger, badder, and better than ever, the show is badass in every way that matters and, quite frankly, back to where it needs to be. By far, one of the best seasons of The Walking Dead franchise ever.