Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Well-written gory spinoff confronts zombies in France.
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Why Age 15+?
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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON follows one of the longest surviving cast members of The Walking Dead franchise as he tries to make his way home. Norman Reedus reprises his role as Daryl Dixon, who left the Commonwealth and has now has washed up on the coast of France with no idea how he got there. Confronted by zombies whose blood strangely burns like acid and suffering injuries while helping a pair of strangers when attacked by members of the faction known as the Guirriers, Daryl ends up in a convent that's part of the Union of Hope, and being taken care of by a nun named Isabelle (Clémence Poésy). There he meets Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), a boy that the Union of Hope believes to be the new Messiah, and therefore must be delivered safely to the North. But Daryl's arrival has disrupted the peace between the two factions, and sets off a chain of events that point to the creation of more dangerous enemies.
Is It Any Good?
This spinoff features all the post-apocalyptic drama one expects from The Walking Dead franchise. Daryl's arrival in France, where the zombies were originally created, reconnects us to the very beginning of the saga. So do some of the flashbacks and other details used to propel the narrative forward. Nonetheless, it also reveals how Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) has changed over the past 11 years. While still able to fight off the undead and survive in the wild, he's older, weaker, and in some ways kinder thanks to his reluctant willingness to help people he comes across. But The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon continues to build on the overall plot by introducing viewers to a potentially bigger threat to human life, or at least to what's left of it. The result is a spinoff that provides entertaining horror and suspense that is reminiscent of the original series. Those new to the franchise may need to turn to those first 11 seasons for context, but loyal fans of the franchise will revel in this installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of The Walking Dead franchise. To what does it owe its universal success? The writing? Characters? The horror?
Does the fact that The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was filmed entirely in Europe make the series feel different from other installments of the franchise? If so, how?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 10, 2023
- Cast : Norman Reedus , Clemence Poesy , Louis Puech Scigliuzzi
- Network : AMC
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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