Justina's willingness to go in Alba's place is but the surface of one chaotic and multi-layered episode. In The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 4, hints are slowly being dropped as to why Fede and Antonio (Roberto's father) do not want Justina and Roberto together.
While Daryl slowly closes himself off to Carol, tired of the reminder of what he lost in season 2, Fede must protect his people from an unexpected attack by the Los Primitivos.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 4 recap
Roberto's devastation over Justina's willingness to go in Alba's place is turned towards Fede, who keeps a calm disposition even though he feels immense guilt. He had promised Justina's family that he would look after her, but has yet to reveal why he forbids her from being with Roberto.
Ready to leave, Daryl and Carol pack their belongings, trekking towards the shipyard where the lighthouse keeper, Valentina, is waiting with her men. Together, the group begins patching and preparing the boat while teaching Daryl and Carol how to sail (this baffled me because doesn't Carol already have some sailing experience? Didn't she leave and come back on a boat in season 10 of The Walking Dead?)
Valentina is saddened to know Roberto will not be going with Daryl and Carol back to America (he refuses to leave without Justina) and insists they take Cooper with them. Noticing Daryl's closed-off behavior, Carol attempts to uncover the underlying issue, explaining how beautiful and rare she finds Roberto and Justina's romance.
Daryl, on the other hand, believes their troubles do not concern them, making a specific reference to how well it worked out for him in France (insinuating his brief romance with Isabelle). Just when things appear to be going well, with Cooper detailing how excited he was to go to America, he's killed by the same group of tribal-looking people from the beginning of the season.
Daryl, Carol, and the group fend off the small group, but bigger trouble lies ahead when they hear a bell from Fede's community. An immense group of these tribal-looking people are invading, equipped with primitive weapons but working vehicles, wreaking havoc on the community.
Daryl and Carol manage to return to help in the fight, which takes countless lives, wounds Fede, and nearly kills Roberto if not for Paz's aid. The fighting appears to last for hours, as endless attackers keep coming (this season really put a lot of extras to work).
In the midst of the fighting, Roberto tells his father he is going to check on Alba and her mother, but he seemingly appears to be looking for a way to leave without notice. His decision changes when walkers on fire are catapulted beyond the walls.
By this point, Fede uses heavy artillery from the windows of the homes to finally win the fight, with one surviving tribal man taken prisoner. Although they have won, Roberto confronts Fede that the deal they had made for protection with El Alcazar is a joke.
Fede is quick to remind Roberto that it is with the weapons from the deal that saved everyone in the end ( in total transparency, Fede is right, Roberto is lashing out because of Justina. The agreement to still trade their women is wrong, but to say the deal is unfounded is nonsense. Those weapons indeed saved the day).
The surviving attacker answers very little but does provide their group name of Los Primitivos, who work for no one and could have as many as millions in their group. Fede finds that the appropriate response was to have him killed and eaten alive by his walker friends.
Fede's means of protecting his people, however, may come at the cost of Roberto. When a call comes through that another vehicle is approaching, Daryl and one of Fede's men prepare to take it out.
Daryl quickly recognizes Roberto driving it, calling off the man, but he takes aim and nearly kills Roberto. Daryl addresses this to Fede, who may have asked for Roberto to be killed.
Roberto takes off with the vehicle to rescue Justina, leaving Antonio, Carol, and, begrudgingly, Daryl to go help. Amidst the weird editing at the end of the episode, it seems Roberto does find Justina that evening camping with a group in the forest.
But when Daryl, Carol, and Antonio find the vehicle flipped over, Justina's gifted compass necklace and tracks behind, it's obvious Roberto's plan to save Justina failed.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 4 review
Getting the obvious out of the way now, Roberto is unfortunately becoming my least favorite of the new characters this season. I do believe Antonio was right in assessing that his son is too young and foolish.
I don't for one second question Roberto and Justina's romance. However, he is too immature.
With that out of the way, can I just say this episode was one of the best in TWDU! I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, watching in disbelief at how large this tribal community was!
I loved how Fede and his people were organized, but those doors need to be better barricaded. Imagine if a walker horde came at them all at once?
Although it seems Fede is fed up with both Antonio and Roberto, ready to kill them even, I'm not seeing it as an act of cruelty or villainy as we've seen with other TWDU characters. I do believe he finds that Roberto has been nothing but trouble for Justina from the beginning, and if he sets out to rescue her on his own, no plan, nothing, it will put Fede and that entire community at risk.
Again, Roberto is...not insufferable, but getting close. Now that we are several episodes into the new season, the one subtle thing that has made all the difference, in my opinion, is the overall aura of the show.
Season 3 is warm and inviting, pulling you in. Seasons 1 and 2 were very gray, dreary, depressing (season 2 more so).
I am unsure if this is intentional or not, as love is a strong theme of the season, but I love nothing more than watching a film or television show that I can get immersed in just from the colors alone. Aside from really, really weird editing choices, this episode was a big hit for me and continues the trend of creating a wonderful season!
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 5 airs on October 5 at 9PM on AMC and AMC+.