The Shocking Truth Behind Daryl Dixon's Shocking Departure in The Walking Dead's Final Season

Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon episode 1

Summary

Daryl's exit at the conclusion of The Walking Dead was rendered meaningless by The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon's initial episode, as his goals ultimately proved to be futile.

The problem of unresolved storylines from the main series' conclusion also plagued The Walking Dead: Dead City, showcasing a lack of adequate foresight.

The lack of commitment to completing tasks and resolving loose ends indicates a more significant issue with the overall direction of the Walking Dead franchise.

Daryl's exit in the conclusion of The Walking Dead was rendered meaningless due to his subsequent appearance in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon's inaugural episode. As the series concluded after 11 seasons, the majority of its characters settled down and established new lives within the thriving communities. However, Daryl made the decision to depart and venture into unknown territories, setting himself apart from his companions.

Daryl's Walking Dead Spinoff Makes His Main Show Ending Even More Confusing

Following the series finale of The Walking Dead and the premiere of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl's journey has taken him to an unexpected location. Surprisingly, Norman Reedus' character has found himself in France. While trying to make his way back home, Daryl encounters a pair of nuns who are attempting to guide a mysterious young boy to a supposedly safe community. With Daryl's spinoff already confirmed for a second season, it seems likely that his adventure in France will not be a brief one. Regardless, the franchise's decision regarding Daryl is remarkable, particularly when considering the outcome of his storyline in the main show.

Daryl departed from The Walking Dead with two distinct objectives. Firstly, he made a promise to Judith that he would track down and bring Rick back home if he was still out there. In addition, Maggie entrusted him with the responsibility of uncovering more information about the external conditions surrounding their communities. However, in the inaugural episode of Daryl Dixon, it became evident that all of his endeavors were fruitless. Even Daryl himself acknowledged this at the outset of the episode. He confessed that he left his homeland "seeking something," but instead encountered nothing but "trouble."

Ultimately, The Walking Dead set up Daryl with a promise of a long and fruitful journey, only for him to return empty-handed, leaving viewers questioning the purpose of his entire objective. It almost felt like a mere setup for his solo spinoff, with the plan to find Rick and gather information appearing inconsequential in the grand scheme of Daryl Dixon's plot.

Dead City Caused The Same Problem For Maggie & Negan

It is important to note that this issue is not unique to Daryl's show. The Walking Dead: Dead City also faced a similar problem. Like Daryl Dixon's show, it too deviates from plotlines established by the main show's ending. As mentioned earlier, Maggie expressed a desire to explore the wider world, but this revelation had no impact on Dead City's narrative, which focuses on her son Herschel being kidnapped. The final episodes of the show introduced a wife and unborn child for Negan, but both were already absent from the storyline when Dead City started. Consequently, the introduction of Annie felt like an unnecessary development as it only served to separate Negan from his family.

The issue also extended to the show's central dynamic. Instead of advancing their story, The Walking Dead regressed by once again making Maggie's hatred towards Negan a major plot point. Although she did claim in the final episode that she could never forgive him, she expressed a willingness to tolerate his presence. However, as early as the Dead City series premiere, the possibility of Maggie seeking revenge on Negan was still on the table. They seemed to have reached an understanding by the end of season 1, but it was admittedly not much different from the one they had in The Walking Dead's last episode.

AMC's Walking Dead Universe Has A Growing Franchise Problem

The events in The Walking Dead: Dead City and the progression of Daryl's spinoff highlight a larger issue within the franchise's overall direction. The failure to fully address established storylines points to a lack of thorough planning when it comes to the future of the characters. This connects with the numerous unanswered questions that still linger in The Walking Dead, such as the whereabouts of Heath, the existence and origin of zombie variants, as well as the current situation of Rick Grimes.

Several storylines have gone on for much longer than necessary, including the unresolved case of Heath's disappearance in The Walking Dead season 7. The failure to wrap up these loose ends can largely be attributed to a focus on starting new stories rather than concluding old ones. To address this issue, the franchise could revisit these unfinished narratives, using The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which takes place in France, a significant location within its universe, as a way to do so. Catch new episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on Sundays on AMC.