The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon review, Episode 3, “Paris sera toujours Paris”

This week marks the halfway point of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon! Like Dead City, the spinoff has gone down brilliantly among fans, and this week, we enter post-apocalyptic Paris for the first time. Let’s get right into it!

Here’s your SPOILER warning! Beware…

Behold! A zombie orchestra… literally

This episode begins with one of the most bizarre things the entire Walking Dead franchise has ever seen. We know that Daryl (Norman Reedus) only has a fleeting interest in the mission he’s undertaking: to accompany Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to Paris. What he really wants it to get hold of a radio and get back home to the United States.

Isabelle takes Daryl to meet a man she barely knows but who has a working radio. In the city of Angers, just outside Paris, they meet the eccentric man; we don’t know his name, but Isabelle refers to him as “the contact.”

While he won’t let Daryl use his radio, he leads them to a theatre where he conducts an orchestra of walkers. Like, literally… all of the walkers are attached to instruments and growl along to the classical tune “Bolero” by Ravel. I feel like the writers had this idea early on and it was too good to leave out. It’s easily one of the most bizarre things The Walking Dead franchise has ever aired — I liked it a lot, although it doesn’t really have any bearing on the rest of the episode. Daryl and Isabelle establish that the detour was a waste of time and continue their journey to Paris. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Paris

The scenery around Paris is spectacular; it really shows the budget that’s gone into this series. Everything from crashed cars to ominous writing painted on walls tells a story.

Then there’s the Eiffel Tower, which has had the top taken off. Apparently a helicopter crashed into it in the beginning of the apocalypse and now it creaks ominously in the wind, which is a nice, eerie detail.

In Paris, they reach their destination at a community run by Fallou (Eriq Ebouaney). We also meet notable members of the community like Emile, Bastien and Nadine.

Laurent’s reputation precedes him. As soon as he enters the community he’s surrounded by people. This is the first time he’s been treated like this after growing up alone in an abbey. Given his reputation, he’s become a beacon of hope. Nothing proves this more than when he approaches a woman, Sonia, who has lost her family. This was a really poignant moment for Laurent; it shows the responsibility and power he holds.

Codron

Stricken with grief and a parched for revenge, Codron sets out to kill Daryl. Remember that Daryl killed his brother back in the premiere. He pays a visit to Genet (Anne Charrier), the leader of the biggest movement in France, and she hires him to kill Daryl.

Daryl and Isabelle: A great duo!

With Daryl having fulfilled his mission, he now sets his sights on trying to get home, and Isabelle is there to help him. They figure they’ll go to Paris’ biggest underground community to find someone who has the contacts to get him a ship back to the U.S., but first Isabelle visits her old apartment.

I’m really enjoying Isabelle’s story so far; her character is really fleshed out with a compelling backstory. Her connection with Daryl is very interesting. They’ve both been through a lot, clearly, and they are able to confide in each other. They also share a few funny bits thrown in for good measure.

In her apartment, Isabelle retrieves a stash of drugs to use as a bargaining chip for information on how to get Daryl home. She also finds a picture of her sister, Laurent’s mother, and gives it to Laurent. We learn of her past relationship with Quinn (Adam Nagaitis), which comes into play later in the episode.

As she and Daryl leave, they’re attacked by walkers; it’s those ‘burner’ walkers that leak burning acid and leave a nasty rash behind. These variants are a great addition to the show, but I’d like to learn more about them. How did they get like this?

The Paris catacombs are now a nightclub

It might be years into the zombie apocalypse, but the nightlife in Paris is as alive as ever, albeit deep underground in the dark and cavernous catacombs. France isn’t giving up its culture that easily!

When I say nightclub, I mean it. The place is called Demimonde. There’s live music and performances, partying, and alcohol galore. Paris is being resilient in style!

Daryl, Isabelle and Laurent enter the catacombs together. It’s cute to see Laurent carrying around the photograph of his mother, a fragment of the past that means so much to him. I’m not sure why they decided to take Laurent, but hey, they did.

They mingle around, trying to find people capable of helping Daryl get home. That’s when we meet Quinn, Isabelle’s old partner, who is revealed to be alive! As you can imagine, it’s all a little awkward. Quinn appears to be willing to help them and they quickly leave the nightclub. The episode seems to dance around details about Quinn’s past. I hope we get more information soon.

When they arrive back at Fallou’s camp, Codron finally finds Daryl and the episode reaches its climax. With these two being big, powerful guys, the fight is a joy to watch. It has a little of everything: close gunshots, jumping across rooftops, heavy punches, etc.

Daryl almost strangles Codron to death but lets go at the last second because he’s being shot at. The thunder sound effects during their fight feel a bit cheap. While making an escape, Daryl falls through the floor of the building, leaving us on a cliffhanger. I’m sure he’ll be fine — and I’m sure Codron will be fine too.

Verdict

This was another solid episode. There’s a lot to like; entering post-apocalyptic Paris for the first time was a joy. Also, I really liked the idea of an underground community in the catacombs. And of course that zombie orchestra was crazy and bizarre and glorious.

All three main characters — Daryl, Isabelle and Laurent — get given their dues. It never feels like anyone is being left out, except for maybe Sylvie, who I’l like to learn more about. With the cliffhanger, I can’t wait to see next week’s episode!

Episode Grade: C+

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