How Daryl Dixon’s Spinoff Connects To The Walking Dead’s Virus Origin

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon took the franchise to France for the first time and predominantly focused on the titular character trying to return home, but the spinoff also featured some subtle connections to The Walking Dead‘s zombie virus. Having been a key part of the hit franchise since 2010, Norman Reedus finally got his own spinoff show, as he reprised his role as Daryl Dixon. His solo outing proved to be a massive success as it showcased some refreshing locations and introduced plenty of new characters, resulting in Daryl Dixon being renewed for season 2.

Although the protagonist was able to shine on his own and bring plenty of drama to the new setting, Carol’s arrival in France during Daryl Dixon season 2 will shake up the show and add new dynamics to the spinoff going forward. Carol’s addition also means there is plenty to look forward to when the show returns, including exploring the zombie virus even further. The origins of the outbreak have been one of the franchise’s biggest mysteries, but Daryl Dixon season 1 already had some significant connections that help explain more about the beginning of the apocalypse.

The Walking Dead’s Virus Outbreak Started In France

World Beyond Confirmed Zombies First Started Appearing In France

Although Daryl Dixon takes place in France, it wasn’t the first Walking Dead show to mention the origins of the outbreak. The Walking Dead World Beyond revealed the zombie virus began in France in the final episode’s post-credit scene. During a cryptic confrontation, a French scientist was seemingly conducting research on a potential cure for the virus before being approached by a man with a gun. The encounter revealed a lot of information, including that multiple teams of doctors were not only responsible for causing the outbreak but also made things worse.

The woman explained that she hoped other scientists would return to work on a cure to help end the outbreak. In response, the man replied “End this? You started this.” confirming that the virus originally started in France. While the franchise hasn’t followed up on this interaction, the scene also revealed that many scientists fled after the outbreak happened and were either jailed or killed if caught. Dr. Jenner from The Walking Dead season 1 also appeared in a recorded video to talk about variants, which hinted at France being the source of this unique zombie type.

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Daryl Dixon Season 2 Sets Up How Daryl Returns Home To The United States

Though The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon started out in France, Daryl’s return to the U.S. seemed inevitable, and now, season 2 just confirmed it.

Given World Beyond won’t return for a third season, it’s unclear where the franchise will go with this lore, but this one conversation provided the series’ biggest update on the virus in a decade. Additionally, the confirmation that the outbreak originated in France also made the Daryl Dixon spinoff far more interesting, allowing the show to explore the virus further.

Daryl Dixon Season 1 Subtly References The Virus’ Origin

The Spinoff Show Has A Few Nods To How The Virus Began

Daryl Dixon‘s French location set it up perfectly to tie in the virus’ origins, and the spinoff capitalized by making a few subtle references. The most obvious one is the significant increase in variants, as Daryl encountered one during the very first episode. After entering a seemingly abandoned building, the protagonist was ambushed by acidic zombies and one even managed to grab him and burn his skin. Daryl Dixon even featured zombie variants attacking each other and showed that many of these were synthetic, proving that the French clearly have a way of modifying regular walkers.

The spinoff also included a flashback to Paris when the outbreak first started, highlighting the chaos that ensued in the city when no one knew what was happening. It’s also possible that the shooter from World Beyond‘s post-credit scene could be a member of Genet’s group, emphasizing why the antagonists are so ruthless, which gives more context to their overall goals. Given the story is more focused on Daryl and his new allies, there aren’t too many references to the beginning of the apocalypse, but the subtle nods indicate that the show does have some loose connections to the virus.

Daryl Dixon Season 2 Needs To Do More With France’s Importance To The Walking Dead

Daryl Dixon Can’t Afford To Waste The Importance Of Its French Location

While it was great to see a few references to the beginning of the outbreak, season 2 has to explore the topic in far more detail. With season 3 moving to Spain, Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol may be the last chance to properly explore the French location, and World Beyond proved there is a lot to unpack. So far, Daryl’s show hasn’t uncovered anything in regard to Violet or Primrose team, nor has it shown the protagonist learning anything significant about how everything started, which feels like a waste given how important France is to TWD universe.

The series doesn’t have to pivot away from its main focus, but Daryl should at least cross paths with a handful of characters who have some first-hand knowledge of what happened. Finding a cure seems unlikely this far into the franchise, but having Daryl and Carol learn about how everything started and relaying that information to the survivors in America could add extra depth to the overall story. Therefore, it’s vital Daryl Dixon season 2 leans into this underexplored aspect of the franchise and makes France feel like an even bigger deal in The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is a spin-off series of the core franchise that stars Norman Reedus reprising his role as the titular Daryl Dixon. Waking up on the shores of France with no clue how he got there, Daryl attempts to navigate the chaos of a European country ravaged by the zombie outbreak to find his way back to the United States.

Cast

Norman Reedus , Clemence Poesy , Adam Nagaitis , Eriq Ebouaney , Anne Charrier

Release Date

October 1, 2023

Seasons

2

Streaming Service(s)

AMC Plus

Showrunner

David Zabel