Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Daryl Dixon season 2, episode 1.

Originally, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was conceived as a spinoff that would center on both Daryl and Carol, but due to some scheduling conflicts, Melissa McBride was only available to appear very briefly in season 1. This reworking ultimately worked in the show’s favor, though, allowing the first season to focus solely on Daryl (Norman Reedus), using the stranger in a strange land trope to dig into his character. Now, season 2, aptly subtitled The Book of Carol, is able to give Carol its full attention.

This is especially true in season 2’s premiere, “La gentillesse des étrangers”, which translates to the kindness of strangers. It picks up with Carol right after season 1’s ending as she coolly interrogates the men at the auto shop and junkyard where Daryl was working previously, recovering his crossbow in the process. After learning Daryl has been sent to France, she spies a plane flying overhead in a ridiculously lucky turn of events, practically gifting her the means by which she’ll travel across the ocean and continue her search.

McBride is so good at playing the many facets of Carol, and this episode gives her a lot to work though.

While this is happening, Daryl continues to train Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) in how to protect himself from the dead. This does not sit well with Losang (Joel de la Fuente) and other members of Union de L’Espoir, as they clearly have something else in mind for the boy’s future.

Carol Takes Center Stage In A Strong Opening Episode

Melissa McBride Returns Without Missing A Beat

Melissa McBride’s full-time return as Carol is fantastic, reminding us why it’s so fun to watch her upend the expectations people have of this small, gray-haired woman. Carol waltzing in and intimidating a bunch of tough guys with only a few arrows, for instance, is hilarious. McBride is so good at playing the many facets of Carol, and this episode gives her a lot to work though.

There’s the quick-thinking that comes with learning Daryl’s whereabouts, as well as earning Ash’s (Manish Dayal) trust, the pilot who she serendipitously stumbles upon. There’s compassion shown when she realizes he has also lost a child and still mourns him daily. But then there’s a manipulative side to her, too, recognizing this man’s grief can be the key to getting what she wants.

She tells Ash about seeing her daughter for the last time when she left for France just prior to the outbreak, weaving in bits of the truth to make her lie more believable. She plays on his sympathies as a grieving parent, and ultimately convinces him to fly her across the ocean. It’s clever, but it also sets up a reveal of the truth that will obviously not go over well. Carol does feel bad about this, and McBride expertly plays the different emotions at work, but it’s an opportunity she cannot let pass by.

Sophia Is Gone But Never Forgotten

The Memory of Carol’s Daughter Weighs Heavily Across The Season 2 Premiere

This episode also reminds us of the deep pain Carol is always carrying, reflecting on her most traumatic memory – the death of her daughter, Sophia, all the way back in The Walking Dead season 2. It’s genuinely shocking when that harrowing reveal of the zombified Sophia walking out of Herschel’s barn is conjured up again, catching both us and Carol off guard. As a character with a long history to explore, it’s great to see this show is interested in unpacking such a seminal moment’s lingering effects.

There are two reasons Daryl Dixon is likely to dredge up this memory. The first is how the loss of a child creates a kinship between Carol and Ash, reminding us what they have in common even as Carol chooses not to be entirely honest. The second is that Sophia’s disappearance was what first brought Daryl and Carol together.

This gets triggered by another memory, Daryl giving Carol the Cherokee Rose, and it’s a reminder of just how far back their friendship goes. After Sophia’s death, Carol became a more guarded character, with Daryl being one of the few people she’d open up to. As such, she’s willing to use any means necessary to bring him home because, as she sees it, he’s the only family she has left.

Daryl & His Adventures In France Take A Backseat

And There’s Something Shady Going On With The Union

While the season 2 premiere spends most of its time with Carol, and rightly so, we do check in with Daryl and what’s happening across the pond. He’s continuing Laurent’s training, spending time with Isabelle (Clémence Poésy), and clearly getting on the nerves of Losang and the Union. Daryl was never a part of their plan, and his sticking around upended whatever they had in store.

Reedus does a great job at showing how Daryl is torn between these two obligations, and it’s hard to predict which he’ll ultimately choose.

Just what that is, exactly, remains a mystery. There’s talk of a ceremony needing to take place, and seeing as they believe Laurent to be their new messiah, it’s likely connected to that. But, just what could that entail? Originally, the Union seemed like a good group, and though they still don’t seem as terrifying as Madame Genet’s (Anne Charrier) Pouvoir, there’s something shady happening here.

Luckily, Laurent still has Daryl around to protect him, at least for now. The desire to go home remains for Daryl, but there’s also a sense of duty keeping him in France. Reedus does a great job of showing how Daryl is torn between these two obligations, and it’s hard to predict which he’ll ultimately choose. Then again, it may not be much of a choice if Carol shows up in France sooner than later.

Daryl Dixon Season 2 Has A Zombie Kill Of The Week

It’s been the case for some time that the walking dead aren’t as threatening as they once were. The survivors are now well-trained in dealing with the zombies, and even the new variants don’t cause too much trouble. Still, there are plenty of opportunities to kill the dead, and sometimes in spectacular fashion.

In this opening episode, there are only a few times the characters must fight off the dead, but the best comes during Carol and Ash’s hurried take-off. When the zombies arrive, they look genuinely spooky, cast in shadow as they shamble out of the woods. When they get too close to the plane, Carol shoves one into the whirling propeller, cutting it to pieces. Once a plane was involved, it’s clear the production couldn’t pass up the chance to throw a zombie into the propeller blades, and the kill doesn’t disappoint.

Daryl Dixon’s season 2 opening is a strong start to the new season. We’re reintroduced to Carol, with McBride easily returning to the role as if no time has passed. There’s an interesting rapport being built with Dayal’s Ash, and a promise the show will continue to explore the lingering trauma Carol has over her daughter’s death. As for Daryl, he has some challenges ahead of him, but it’s nothing the seasoned survivor hasn’t dealt with before. After all, compared with the Saviors or the Whispers, the Union and Pouvoir just aren’t all that scary.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book Of Carol airs weekly on Sunday nights on AMC and AMC+.