Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of CarolThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon entered The Walking Dead universe boasting a deliberate and earned way of storytelling that we had been sorely missing from the later seasons of the original show. Every narrative beat of the spin-off was purposeful and evoked trippy horror vibes, but there was one storyline that slowly lost momentum. Truthfully, you could almost forget it was even there by Season 1’s finale, but the most recent episode of Season 2 puts Laurent’s (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) salvation arc back into the limelight for scrutiny. We are finally given a clear answer to why Laurent is considered the apocalypse’s messiah. But this revelation also casts light on how vague and slightly dragged out the storyline was thus far, making us question if it is even worth pursuing.
Laurent’s Storyline in ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ Is Confusing
When Laurent was introduced as the child prodigy who will lead France to the other side of the apocalypse, the mystery around why he was so special was intriguing. The nuns of the Abbey of Saint Bernadette, including Sister Isabelle (Clémence Poésy), were very secretive about him, especially to newcomer Daryl (Norman Reedus). The first major revelation around Laurent was uncovered in Isabelle’s backstory flashback, where we discover that Laurent’s mother turned into a walker just before he was born. Fans of The Last of Us will recognize this parallel to the circumstances around Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) birth, so it wasn’t a huge leap to assume they would have the same consequence: immunity from the infection.
But this is where Daryl Dixon wavers in the progression of Laurent’s storyline, as he is paraded as more of a general symbol of hope for the L’Union and resistance, rather than someone who could be immune. The potential scientific implications of his birth are never directly addressed. Instead, he is treated as more of a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” with references to cultivating leadership qualities in him and toughening him up. He is more of a masthead against Genet (Anna Charrier) than anything else in the rest of Season 1.
While it was a strange way to handle the storyline, we accepted it, moved on, and looked forward to the next adventure. That is until Season 2, Episode 2 of Book of Carol, where Lasong (Joel de la Fuente) reveals that the elusive ceremony he talked about in the first episodeinvolves infecting Laurent to prove that he is the messiah. Alas, we finally see what everyone else sees in him — but why couldn’t the air be cleared earlier? With this revelation arises more confusing questions: why on earth does Laurent need to know philosophy? The Nest’s treatment of him and his training aligns more with him being a wise figurehead. Nothing they have done so far has indicated his potential immunity.
‘Daryl Dixon’ Season 2 Needs To Make a Decision About Laurent
The only time Laurent’s salvation arc in Daryl Dixon makes sense is relative to others. It catalyzes Daryl and Isabelle’s journey across France and their reluctance to leave the Nest, giving us compelling character and relationship growth in these new places. It creates a sense of urgency that envelops the atmosphere of the show, but only having a tonal impact isn’t sustainable. Much of Laurent’s storyline thus far is simply conjecture and “what ifs,” making the Nest seem more like a cult to believe so fervently in something so intangible, and that is willing to risk Laurent’s life to prove their theory. The ceremony itself is also pretty extreme: why not test his blood in lieu of inflicting a walker bite?
If Daryl Dixon really wants to stick by this narrative, something concrete needs to happen. Whether that be going through with the ceremony and finally putting the question around Laurent’s possible immunity to rest, or figuring it out in another (more reasonable, hopefully) way. On the other hand, they could just abandon the storyline altogether. If anything, it looks like it is heading towards the same The Last of Us conclusion of Joel (Pedro Pascal) running away with Ellie and saving her from the experiments. Similarly, Daryl and Isabelle could succeed in their rescue mission and whisk Laurent away, while also putting the savior arc behind them for good.
Though the mystery around Laurent worked beautifully in the beginning of the spin-off, we have reached the point where we need clarity in order to keep us invested. With Daryl’s growing loyalty to the characters of Laurent and Isabelle as well as his inevitable reunion with Carol (Melissa McBride), there really isn’t enough room in the series to dedicate to the salvation storyline. The stakes have already risen, and we are rooting for this found family, whether Laurent is the savior of the apocalypse or not.
