Warning: spoilers ahead for Daryl Dixon season 2, episode 3.

Three simple words in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 have changed the titular character for however long he remains part of AMC’s post-apocalyptic universe. With half of the Eiffel Tower in the background and centuries of romance in the air, love has been brewing ever since Daryl Dixon stepped foot on French shores. Pairing Norman Reedus’ rugged protagonist with Clémence Poésy’s no-nonsense nun always looked like it would inevitably erupt into sparks of passion, but The Walking Dead has played the long game, with Daryl Dixon season 1 ending on a more ambiguous note.

Daryl and Isabelle’s story becomes considerably less ambiguous in season 2. As the Union prepares to find out if Laurent is immune to the zombie virus, Daryl and Isabelle plan their counterattack, taking the opportunity to admit their feelings and lock lips upon the backdrop of a stunning Mont-Saint-Michel. Nevertheless, what comes after is far more important for Daryl Dixon season 3 and beyond. Captured by the Union and occupying neighboring cells, Isabelle quietly whispers to Daryl, “I love you.”

Isabelle Admitting She “Loves” Daryl Makes Her More Than Just Another Love Interest

Things Are Getting Serious In Daryl Dixon Season 2

Isabelle is not Daryl Dixon’s first romance in The Walking Dead. Daryl began a short-lived affair with a survivor named Leah and flirted incessantly with Lauren Ridloff’s Connie during the main show’s latter seasons. It has also been suggested that Daryl’s friendships with Beth and Carol hid undertones of romance that went unfulfilled. Isabelle’s “I love you” in Daryl Dixon season 2, however, immediately cements her as the most serious love interest Daryl has had since The Walking Dead began.

Leah’s death had a minimal impact upon Daryl, not least because he was the one who shot her.

Carol and Beth were always just speculative Daryl love interests, Leah was barely more than a hook-up, and nothing materialized with Connie. What Daryl and Isabelle have found in France is actual love, and that totally changes the complexion of Daryl’s story. If Isabelle survives long enough to join the Commonwealth, Daryl will no longer be able to cut the same lone wolf figure he perfected across The Walking Dead. Daryl will be closer to Rick Grimes in terms of creating a family unit, sacrificing the freedom to spend months alone in the woods. That shift shakes the fundamentals of Daryl’s characterization to their core.

The strength of Daryl Dixon‘s French connection becomes no less significant if Isabelle ultimately dies before reaching the United States. Leah’s death had a minimal impact upon Daryl, not least because he was the one who shot her. As such, The Walking Dead has never properly shown Daryl dealing with a woman he loves dying, and losing Isabelle could trigger a transformative process for the long-haired protagonist.

Daryl mourning over Isabelle could look similar to what Rick went through after Lori died, or what Maggie experienced after Negan murdered Glenn. Neither character was quite the same again, and Daryl, having finally found love in Daryl Dixon season 2, may be about to wade through the same ocean of grief if Isabelle does not survive.

Why Daryl Doesn’t Say He Loves Isabelle Back

Daryl Has A Strong Excuse To Stay Quiet

When Isabelle tells Daryl she loves him, she utters the phrase under her breath and in French, meaning Daryl almost certainly doesn’t understand, and may not even register that his cellmate is speaking. The larger question is why Isabelle chooses to say “I love you” secretly, and in a way she knows Daryl cannot respond to.

By hiding the true depth of their affection, Isabelle believes she can spare Daryl some degree of pain.

Simple factors such as a fear of being rejected or wanting to wait for a more appropriate moment must be considered, but a stronger explanation is that Isabelle chooses not to burden Daryl with the knowledge of her real feelings. As Daryl describes the fireflies and the beautiful day-to-day normality of The Walking Dead‘s Commonwealth, he sounds convinced Isabelle will experience it for herself soon enough. Isabelle appears less certain, almost conceding that the Union has won and escape is impossible.

Isabelle perhaps feels that if something bad is about to happen, it would be unfair to speak her truth. Should the worst transpire, Daryl would feel even more heartache knowing Isabelle loved him. By hiding the true depth of their affection, however, Isabelle can spare Daryl some degree of pain as they both sit perched upon the Union’s chopping block. There is, tragically, one flaw in Isabelle’s thinking. If Daryl hears Isabelle mutter “I love you” in French but doesn’t understand it, he might eventually figure out the translation later, possibly after another character says the exact same thing.

Isabelle’s “I Love You” Makes It More Likely She Will Die In Daryl Dixon Season 2

Isabelle’s Future In The Walking Dead Looks Uncertain

Isabelle doubting whether a future with Daryl can happen may not be entirely unjustified. A doomed character making a last-minute confession of love is a classic story trope, and even more so in The Walking Dead‘s world, where character deaths come so easily. Isabelle’s sudden declaration may feel ominous for her character’s future but, in reality, the signs were there long in advance. Carol’s return in Daryl Dixon season 2 put Isabelle’s chief companion status in jeopardy from the start, and Clémence Poésy has not been listed among the initial cast for Daryl Dixon season 3.

While Isabelle’s story looked highly unlikely to ever stretch beyond Daryl Dixon season 2, therefore, it remained plausible that she might adopt a reduced role, or that she and Daryl would part ways temporarily before eventually reuniting. Alas, watching Isabelle tell Daryl “I love you” adds credibility to the altogether less happy theory that she will die before The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 ends.

Episode
Release Date

“La Gentillesse des Étrangers”
September 29

“Moulin Rouge”
October 6

“L’Invisible”
October 13

“La Paradis Pour Toi”
October 20

“Vouloir, C’est Pouvoir”
October 27

“Au Revoir les Enfants”
November 3