Sumith Prasad
The fifth episode of AMC’s post-apocalyptic series ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ reveals how Daryl Dixon ends up in France from the United States. After leaving the Commonwealth in search of Rick Grimes, Daryl arrives in Maine, from where he calls his best friend Carol Peletier, who informs him that someone “came back.” Due to the low quality of the available radio signals, Daryl doesn’t hear Carol’s words, especially the name(s) properly. He repeatedly asks her who returned seemingly to the Commonwealth, only for him to lose the connection to know more about the mysterious person(s). If you are intrigued about the exchange, let us share our take on it! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Return of the Sheriff?
The mysterious person who returned can be Rick Grimes, the former leader of Alexandria Safe-Zone and the protagonist of ‘The Walking Dead,’ the original series. Rick disappears on a Civic Republic Military AKA CRM helicopter in the ninth season of the show, only for his family, friends, and allies to believe that he is dead. The series finale then reveals that Rick is really alive as he is seen in a destroyed city, with a CRM helicopter asking him to surrender. For Rick to show up in the Commonwealth, he must have fought the CRM officials who showed up to capture him. As far as Scott M. Gimple, one of the executive producers of both ‘Daryl Dixon’ and ‘The Walking Dead,’ it is indeed possible.
“Rick still has some fight left in him. Rick is not yet broken, Rick is defiant. And Michonne is defiant. These people draw strength from this continuum of love that they have created out of nothing, or even out of tragedy and loss,” Gimple told EW. “And so he [Rick] is totally screwed there — and I’m speaking like Ezekiel here — and yet he smiles, because he still has some fight in him, and he is not yet laying his head down,” he added. Gimple’s words indicate that Rick must have avoided getting captured and found his way back to his family members and friends.
Since Daryl leaves the Commonwealth to find Rick, Carol must have wanted him to stop searching for the “Sheriff” and return to them. If not Rick, the person can also be Michonne, Rick’s wife who leaves Carol and others to look for her husband. Since Michonne discovers that Rick is alive in the final episode of the original series, she must have returned to the latter’s children, Judith and Rick Grimes Jr., to inform them about the same. Since Carol utilizes the few minutes they have to speak through the radio to inform Daryl about the mysterious return, the person has to be extremely important, which leads us to the conclusion that it most likely is Rick or Michonne.
If that’s the case, Rick’s return will seemingly set up ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live,’ the upcoming ‘TWD’ spin-off series that revolves around Rick and Michonne.
Morgan’s Odyssey
If not Rick or Michonne, the person who returned can be Morgan, one of the principal characters in ‘Fear the Walking Dead.’ In the eighth season of ‘Fear,’ after his partner Grace’s death, Morgan sets out to find his long-lost friend Rick. He must have shown up in the Commonwealth to know about Rick’s existence. Carol must have thought that Daryl may be able to help Morgan with a lead about Rick since he has been searching for the latter. If that’s the case, Morgan can be an integral part of ‘The Ones Who Live,’ which aligns with Lennie James’ wish to appear in the same.
“I have an ambition, which is to be on every single Walking Dead spinoff that there is going to be. I’m going to be on the one with Negan and Maggie [The Walking Dead: Dead City]. I’m going to be on the one with Norman in France [The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon]. I’m going to be on Rick & Michonne. They’re going to remount [World Beyond], and I’m going to be on that one as well. And any ones that come in the future,” Lennie told ComicBook. Therefore, we cannot rule out Morgan’s significance in the narrative of ‘The Ones Who Live.’
Read More: When and Where Does The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Take Place?
