Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon next to Melissa McBride as Carol in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

Daryl and Carol emotionally went their separate ways during The Walking Dead‘s ending, but just two years later, the iconic duo reunited. Both characters have been a crucial part of the story since the very first season, as they were involved in every major arc throughout the main show and are two of the most frequently appearing survivors in the entire franchise. In addition, Daryl and Carol’s Walking Dead friendship was a pivotal factor in the series becoming so popular. Their history together provides some huge nostalgia, and they’ve both developed significantly since the start of the apocalypse.

As a result, they have each become fan favorites, making it all the more difficult to see them apart during The Walking Dead season 11’s ending. Although it was a relatively peaceful and wholesome conclusion to their journey in the main show, it was bittersweet seeing Daryl leave the Commonwealth on his own, but this wasn’t the case for long. Daryl’s spinoff saw the veteran survivor unintentionally arrive in France, and season 2 has focused on Carol heading to Europe to try and find him, where against all odds, the duo managed to reunite under chaotic circumstances.

How Daryl Got To France In The Walking Dead

Daryl Was Kidnapped By A Group Of Villains & Thrown On A Ship Heading To France

Norman Reedus stands bloody and battered, gazing around as if stunned at the rubble, in a scene from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1

Although Daryl left home to see what else was out there, his journey took an unexpected turn as he was abducted and forced onto a boat traveling to France. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon‘s timeline suggests he was only away from the Commonwealth for a few weeks before being kidnapped by the spinoff’s antagonists. After being captured, he was held inside a cell on a large boat with several other prisoners, who were being taken one by one and thrown into a pit of zombies. However, the protagonist’s survival instincts allowed him to escape captivity and free the other inmates.

During his escape attempt, Daryl had to fight off a variant zombie that had enhanced strength and speed, resulting in him jumping off the ship as an explosion went off. Afterward, he washed up on a shore in France and began his European journey. What originally started as a solo adventure to find other communities in America turned into a fight for his life, leading to an unexpected trip across the ocean. While the spinoff has been full of excitement, Daryl Dixon’s journey to France was completely unplanned, which has only made his attempt to return home even more dramatic.

How Carol Got To France In The Walking Dead

Carol Met A Pilot Named Ash & Convinced Him To Fly Her To France

Carol (Melissa McBride) and Ash (Manish Dayal) landing in Greenland in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Episode 2

Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) at the edge of a beach, observing a wrecked ship in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Episode 1

How Carol gets to France in Daryl Dixon season 2 couldn’t be any more different from the protagonist’s journey, as Carol’s method is a lot more voluntary. After finding out that Daryl was in a completely different country alongside feeling unsettled at the Commonwealth, she decided to go look for her long-term friend. She was able to spot a plane flying overhead and tracked down the location of its pilot, eventually drawing his attention. Despite the lack of trust, the stranger named Ash allowed Carol to stay the night in his compound, before the two got to know one another.

In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.

Although their time together was full of drama, Carol lied about her daughter Sophia’s death, claiming she was still alive in France, hence why she wanted to go there. Ash rejected her request at first, but eventually changed his mind and agreed to fly Carol to Europe. A zombie attack forced them to travel sooner than they expected, and with the plane needing refueling, the duo briefly stopped in Greenland. Their trip was far from smooth as they were ambushed by walkers, and they even had to kill two native survivors who threatened their lives.

Thankfully, they were able to survive the ordeal with the plane still intact, leading to Carol and Ash finally landing in France. Having to keep up her lie, Carol convinced Ash to stay with the plane as she headed through the country to find her daughter, despite the fact she was actually looking for Daryl. With the two separating, Carol was able to begin her pursuit of Daryl, despite having no real idea where he could be.

How Carol Finds Daryl In Daryl Dixon Season 2

Carol Tracks Daryl’s Location By Talking To A Prisoner In Pouvoir’s Base Of Operations

Marion Genet (Anne Charrier) and Carol (Melissa McBride) shaking hands in front of the Mona Lisa painting in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Episode 3

Despite Carol having no idea about Daryl’s whereabouts, she was able to find his location thanks to some bold and crafty survival skills. Upon reaching central France, Carol spotted some soldiers who seemed to have major authority in the country. Rather than risking a confrontation with them, she was able to sneakily cut open a bag of food in the back of their truck that left a trail right to the soldiers’ destination. After finding where they had stopped, Carol spotted a group of people being provided resources by the villainous group, Pouvoir, and joined them.

In exchange for their followers’ loyalty, Pouvoir made sure the people of France were well-equipped with everything they needed and proceeded to ask for some volunteers. Carol wound up unintentionally being one of them and was brought back to Pouvoir’s base, where she met their leader, Genet. She was able to recruit an English-speaking ally before finding a man named Codron, who had some history with Daryl. He was being held prisoner for betraying Pouvoir and reluctantly provided Daryl’s location; however, Carol’s other ally informed Genet of her plan to leave, resulting in her escape attempt being foiled.

New episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol air Sundays on AMC and AMC+.

Carol then continued her lies in Daryl Dixon season 2 as she told Genet that she actually traveled to France to kill Daryl, which interested the villain. As a result, Genet decided to give Carol that opportunity since she also knew where Daryl and L’Union’s location was. The duo proceeded to drive to the Nest with a bunch of Pouvoir soldiers and followers, where Genet planned on killing those at the settlement, leading to Carol finally finding Daryl’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, getting to him wouldn’t be so easy.

The Moment Daryl & Carol Reunite In The Walking Dead Explained

Daryl & Carol Reunited Through Chaotic & Tragic Circumstances

With the Nest in sight, Carol was ready to begin her final step to find Daryl, but Pouvoir began shooting their own people and injecting them with a virus that turned them into zombie variants. Carol was able to play dead and grab a car before driving into the base with Codron. After being freed him from his constraints, Codron decided to stay and fight while Carol went to look for Daryl. She then traveled through the Nest as chaos ensued, with L’Union soldiers fighting Pouvoir and their zombie variants.

During the battle, Carol was able to find a woman named Isabelle, who had just been stabbed by L’Union’s leader moments before. Isabelle had been Daryl’s love interest and main ally throughout the show and informed Carol of the protagonist’s location as he was currently being held prisoner by the show’s latest group of villains. Before Carol could get to him, Daryl was released and began fighting off multiple soldiers, eventually coming across Carol in a hallway filled with blood and bodies.

The two embraced and had an emotional moment together without exchanging a single word, as both of them seemed overwhelmed to see each other given everything they’d been through. The circumstances meant they couldn’t stick around for long and eventually returned to Isabelle, who had a final conversation with Daryl before succumbing to her injuries. With Daryl and Carol alone together, they fled the Nest and continued Daryl’s journey to find the rest of his French allies, allowing time for the duo to catch up after officially completing their Walking Dead reunion.