The Walking Dead, a show that keeps on giving even when you're convinced they've used up every possible plot twist in the Apocalypse Survivor's Handbook. Well, hold onto your tin-foil hats gentle readers, because episode 5 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon takes a U-turn that not even the savviest survivalist could foresee.
Now, you may remember way back in April 2022 (or 19 zombie years ago) when AMC broke the news that Melissa McBride, famed for her role as Carol Peletier in the original series, wouldn't be part of this spin-off because... well, they're filming miles away from home. Yet showrunner David Zabel, who we've found is quite the fan of playing with our emotions, found a clever workaround. In the recent episode, Daryl, portrayed by the indomitable Norman Reedus, communicates with Carol via radio. Surprise!
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zabel stated, "It's a mix of nostalgia and technology. We wanted to pay tribute to the legacy of the characters while giving them an innovative twist." It's ingenious really; using such a simple piece of tech to reconnect Daryl with his past and offering us an emotional piece of storytelling amid the usual gore and splatter.
This episode comes hot on the heels of The Walking Dead season 11, where we find our leather-clad hero washed up on a French beach post-apocalypse. He's promptly tasked by a mysteriously intuitive nun (is there any other kind?) to protect a young French boy, supposedly the empathetic messiah of a new era. Daryl takes on the mission, and thus begins a saga filled with fresh-faced zombies, dodgy nightclub owners, and power-crazed politicians.
But what really got fans' minds whirring was Carol's loaded hint during her radio chat with Daryl. She let slip that someone has "come back". Internet forums are buzzing with speculations that it could be Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes who was last seen being swirled away in season 9.
Zabel has us all biting our nails down to the quick as he assured us, "it's going to be nothing that the audience expects. It's going to be surprising."
As for whether we'll see more of Carol's character in the final episode, Zabel teased, "We love the character, and we want to keep her in the show." Which, I must say, seems like the kind of cryptic answer that is part teasing and part foreshadowing. We'll just have to watch and see, won't we?
So there you have it, folks, a wrap on episode 5 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Want to join the horde? Check out how to watch the franchise in order or explore our list of the most exciting new TV shows making their debut.
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