Daryl Dixon's Epic Spinoff: Unveiling the Perfect Placement in The Walking Dead Timeline

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon confirms its place in the franchise's timeline by revealing that it takes place after the main show's conclusion. The finale of The Walking Dead saw Daryl leaving the Commonwealth and embarking on a solo mission to explore beyond North America's eastern states. In the spinoff series, Daryl is shown washed ashore in France, indicating a substantial passage of time since the main show ended. Episode 1 of Daryl Dixon provides a clear time frame for the events happening in Europe.

Daryl Dixon's Spinoff Takes Place 12 Years Into The Apocalypse

In Daryl Dixon episode 1, when Isabelle tends to Daryl, she explains that they are a small community of nuns, which has diminished over the course of 12 years. This line provides insight into how much time has passed since The Walking Dead ended. If the killer nuns have been isolated for 12 years, it can be inferred that Daryl traveled alone for approximately one year before finding himself on a French beach. The timeline of Daryl Dixon is set after the main show, as well as The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Fear The Walking Dead season 8, part 1.

The one-year time jump in Daryl Dixon is a logical choice for this spinoff. It is long enough to differentiate it from The Walking Dead, yet short enough to avoid significant changes in Norman Reedus' appearance. By minimizing the time gap, the possibility of cameo appearances from main The Walking Dead characters, especially younger heroes like Judith Grimes, can be more easily accommodated.

Daryl Dixon's Spinoff Happens Way Before Walking Dead: Dead City

The time difference between Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City, which occurs 12 years after the zombie outbreak, is fascinating. The lack of a specific timeframe in Maggie and Negan's TV show creates uncertainty, but Negan mentioned that his war with Rick happened "12, 15 years ago." Furthermore, Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie, mentioned in interviews that The Walking Dead: Dead City would take place five or six years after the main show's ending.

This has potential drawbacks for AMC's Daryl spinoff. If anything significant occurred in Alexandria or the Commonwealth during Daryl Dixon's timeline, Maggie would have likely mentioned it in The Walking Dead: Dead City. However, the French setting of Daryl Dixon sets it apart from the broader zombie apocalypse franchise. If Daryl were to die in a foreign land, for instance, Maggie and the others may never discover the truth, leading to unexpected twists even though Daryl Dixon is technically a prequel to The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Daryl Dixon continues Sunday on AMC.

Sources: Ouch