Daryl takes it upon himself to rescue Justina from El Alcazar, but a village of lepers in desperate need of water postpones his mission. Meanwhile, Carol and Antonio bring Roberto home, hoping to convince Fede that all is well.
But will someone else spill the beans? What of Justina's fate?
Let's discuss the events that unfold in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 5.
What happens in Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 5?
Roberto is left for dead, about to be dropped into a horde of hungry walkers by two of El Alcazar's men, when Daryl, Carol, and Antonio rescue him. Before Roberto passes out, he confesses to almost succeeding in rescuing Justina.
Now that Roberto has been found, Daryl wants to get back to the business of leaving, but Carol wants to save Justina. They learn that El Alcazar's men are on their way to Barcelona.
Daryl decides to take it upon himself to rescue Justina, leaving Antonio and Carol to bring Roberto home. Back in the community, Justina's grandmother tends to Roberto.
Carol and Antonio stick to the story that Roberto was attacked by another group, leaving out any mention of Justina and El Alcazar's men. When asked about Daryl's whereabouts, they lie again, stating he'll be working on the boat overnight.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the episode is Daryl's side quest. As he travels on a motorcycle through the desert, he encounters a man asking for water, with both eyes removed.
He provides a nefarious warning. The warning turns out to involve a slow-moving train, through the use of walkers, controlled by a man, his mistress, and their adoration for drugs.
When they see Daryl at a distance, he orders his men to take the motorcycle and Daryl for food for his kimono dragon. Daryl evades the bad guys but loses the motorcycle and his belongings in the process.
Hope is not lost as a group of people suffering from leprosy finds him. The small community lives alone in the remains of a village in the mountains, surviving on little food and water.
Daryl learns from the one woman who is not a leper that a group of men from a train stole their water. The lepers saved Daryl in the hopes that he could return their water.
In exchange for his efforts, they offered him their vehicle. After spending one night, realizing how much the people are suffering, including children and babies, Daryl decides to help, starting by teaching the people to fight back.
The plan unfolds as expected, with Daryl leading a group of the bad guys on motorcycles into the village, where they are all killed off. Then it's up to Daryl to take out the train.
He kills all the bad guys on board and returns the water to the village. Back at Fede's community, however, things aren't so easy.
Carol and Valentina reconnect, whilst Valentina visits Roberto. Later, while Carol tries to convince Antonio to go with them to America, Justina's grandmother finds the compass necklace in Roberto's hands.
She delivers it to her son, Fede, believing Roberto had gone after Justina. Although Fede dismisses her accusation, he asks one of his men to check and see if Daryl is with the boat.
Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 5 will be a hit or miss depending on the viewer
I'm conflicted about this episode as one could see it as filler, whereas another could view it as an exciting subplot to shake up the season. The episode was well written, combining themes from the likes of old Westerns and post-apocalyptic Mad Max films.
I will never complain about any opportunity where I get to watch Daryl doing what he does best: saving people (especially kids), killing bad guys, and doing all of it seemingly flawlessly. Watching Daryl become the hero once more is nothing new, but it's becoming fun to tally how many times he finds himself in these situations.
The side plot of his task to save a village of lepers from dying was creative, different, and added something new to the TWDU. My argument against the episode is one question: Was it really necessary?
I suppose it does its job with world-building, putting Spain in a broader post-apocalyptic spotlight. And it does add to the drama that is Roberto and Justina's forbidden romance.
Bottom line, if you are struggling with this season, this episode will be a nice change of pace. But if you are enjoying the season, this will feel like a detour no one asked for.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 6 airs on October 12 at 9/8c on AMC and AMC+.