1 of 5 | Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is currently in France. Photo courtesy of AMC.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5 (UPI) — Dead City effectively condenses The Walking Dead into a story centered around two protagonists. Premiering on Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC, Daryl Dixon lacks the freshness compared to the original Walking Dead series.
Daryl (Norman Reedus) finds himself in France, navigating through the zombie apocalypse. The overgrown French countryside and iconic landmarks offer a change of scenery, but the narrative remains familiar.
Daryl encounters both helpful individuals and untrustworthy characters who pose as much danger as the zombies.
One of Daryl’s new allies is Isabelle (Clémence Poésy), a nun residing in a postapocalyptic convent that adheres to survival protocols as strictly as their faith.
Conveniently, everyone in France seems to speak English, either because they learned it before the apocalypse or out of necessity.
If characters want to keep secrets from Daryl, they can simply speak in French without subtitles for viewers. However, private French discussions are subtitled to keep viewers informed of the characters’ positions.
Daryl, Isabelle, and a few other survivors embark on a journey towards what they hope is a safe haven and a way for Daryl to return to the United States. Despite being set in France, the journey mirrors that of the colonies portrayed in the American version of The Walking Dead.
The newly formed societies in France do not differ significantly from the American colonies depicted in The Walking Dead. While there may be macabre moments showing how survivors adapt or lose their sanity, these glimpses fail to sustain the overall story.
Daryl Dixon does deliver some intense encounters with new types of zombies, which is impressive considering the extensive history of The Walking Dead. However, after each encounter, the show returns to its slow-paced quest.
Episode 2 delves into Isabelle’s experience during the initial outbreak in France, showcasing clever depictions of Isabelle and others realizing the extent of the chaos, such as a zombie outbreak on a passing subway car.
This aspect of the story is particularly captivating as it represents a world in flux and adaptation. However, the majority of the present-day Daryl Dixon narrative follows a standard wandering format.
Since Daryl Dixon comprises only six episodes, it feels rushed as the writers must quickly move on from one colony to another. In contrast, the original series could stall by remaining in the same location for weeks. Therefore, this format may not necessarily improve the pacing.
The show initially presents Daryl’s arrival in France as a mystery, which disappoints fans eager to see how his story progresses from the end of The Walking Dead Season 11.
While it may eventually connect, Daryl Dixon begins as a standalone spinoff, disconnected from his previous adventures.
Walking Dead fans already know if they’re interested in Daryl Dixon. The character remains consistent with his previous 11 seasons, but experiences minimal growth even as the lead of his own spinoff.
Fred Topel, an entertainment writer based in Los Angeles who attended film school at Ithaca College, has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012, and a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Explore more of his work in Entertainment.
