The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 6 recap “Coming Home”

In the final episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 titled “Coming Home”, Daryl faces new walker variants head-on and must decide whether to stay in France or return home. What decision will Daryl make?

Let’s find out!

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 6 recap – The escape

Genet and her people have no idea whom they are dealing with as Daryl is able to take out the super powered walker within minutes, much to her and the audience’s dismay. No matter, Genet has more where that came from.

As the dead walker is dragged from the arena, Quinn is brought in. He and Daryl are chained together and automatically assume they are supposed to fight each other.

Instead, they are surrounded by several walkers, each injected with the same serum. The first walker hemorrhages, and the second actually attacks another walker.

However, the last two become quite a struggle for Daryl and Quinn, especially considering one has metal surrounding the head. In the end, by working together they do win, this time to loud applause from the audience but anger from Genet.

As she is about to order the two to be killed, Fallou kills a soldier and together he, Sylvie and Emile can begin their plan. In the process, Isabelle and Laurent are taken and locked in a cell, meanwhile Daryl and Quinn try to escape.

Unfortunately for Quinn, he was just barely bitten and will eventually turn. Although Daryl doesn’t care for the man, he does understand that he seems to have changed and still cares for Isabelle.

Deciding to go out fighting, Daryl cuts Quinn’s hand off so they can separate. As a group of soldiers descend up them, Quinn distracts them so that Daryl can move ahead.

After using her past questionable life skills, Isabelle is able to swipe the key to the cell so she and Laurent can escape. As they do, they happen to run into Daryl on the other side of a bronze gate.

Much like Daryl’s dream from episodes prior, Laurent and Isabelle are soon confronted by walkers. Walker Quinn lunges for Isabelle, leaving Daryl no means to save her.

In a panic, fearing for her life, Daryl orders Laurent to save her. Scared and worried what God will think, he hesitates but eventually kills Quinn.

Reunited, they along with Fallou, Sylvie and Emile escape, surprisingly unscathed. But that doesn’t stop Genet.

She orders Codron to go with some of her men to find Daryl so that he can get his revenge.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 6 recap – Mont Saint-Michel

Although heartbroken by the decision, Sylvie stays with Isabelle, Daryl and Laurent as they continue onward to the Nest. It’s become apparent that she and Emile are in love with each other.

As they continue on their journey, via truck, Sylvie asks Daryl who is driving, if he was ever in love to which he doesn’t respond. The car breaks down, leaving time for Daryl to tell Isabelle about how his grandfather died on Normandy Beach on what is considered D-Day in World War II, leaving his pregnant wife (grandma) back home.

To Daryl its stupid to die for a cause when his family would suffer from the loss of their loved one. Both his grandfather and wife were robbed of the life they could have spent together.

Isabelle sees it as the exact opposite. When Daryl moves under the car to continue working, Isabelle confesses that she had Laurent draw the picture of Daryl washed on shore when he first arrived. She hoped that would convince him to stay.

Daryl admits he already knew he was going to help, with or without the drawing. In a surprise twist, when Daryl removes himself from under the car, he finds Codron and the soldiers there.

For the first time probably since Judith almost died on The Walking Dead, Daryl feels helpless, powerless and terrified of what will happen to someone else. When one of the soldiers orders that all of them were to die, including Laurent, Codron hesitates.

Daryl begs that Codron only kill him but in a surprising and out of the blue twist, Codron kills all the soldiers and allows them to go. Yes, you read that correctly.

Codron, the man who has wanted revenge against Daryl ever since the first episode, decides to let him live…for now. He takes the pocket watch which has the image of the Nest engraved on the inside and recognizes it.

He tells them the Nest is Mont Saint-Michel and they aren’t far away. Sure enough the group makes it to the Nest, which is full of people of all ages, who welcome them with warmth and excitement.

It doesn’t take long for the group to get adjusted to life there, especially Daryl who also seems to be maybe taking a liking to Isabelle. Whether you agree or not, those very long, obvious, silent stares spoke volumes.

Isabelle notices it herself but neither speak on it. It isn’t until Daryl is told of the boat waiting for him to go home that he decides, as he’s done countless times on The Walking Dead, to bury his emotions and feelings and leave.

It’s a Daryl thing. He does have a home to get back to, however it seems the Nest was becoming a home for him as well.

He has an awkward farewell with Isabelle and leaves without saying anything to Laurent. On his journey to the boat, Daryl is looking torn and downright depressed but continues onward.

His journey to the shore reaches a breaking point when he finds the cemetery of all the men who lost their lives at Normandy Beach on D-Day. He finds his grandfather’s name and weeps.

This explains the beginning of the episode where a soldier, clearly in WWII uniform is unconscious on the ground as men are desperately calling out his last name. In the distance the boat, Daryl’s ride home, is approaching just as walkers emerge from the area.

Daryl fights his way towards the shore when he hears Laurent calling for him. Daryl remains frozen on the spot: does he stay or go?

As for Codron, well, he tells Genet a story about how the men died that she does not buy. Not even the slightest…

She orders that he tells her where the Nest is. Will he give up that information?

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 6 recap – Carol’s return

The season 1 finale ends with a motorcycle and car chase. When the man riding the motorcycle confronts the car chasing him, the driver is revealed to be Carol, who is looking for Daryl.

The motorcycle rider rather steal her supplies, not noticing Carol is hiding a weapon in her sleeve; a past tactic she used on The Walking Dead. When he awakens, she has him tied in the car trunk.

He tells her that he got the motorcycle, which was Daryl’s, from a group of men not far away. Carol uses that information as her starting point.

She leaves him in the trunk and uses Daryl’s motorcycle to continue into what looks like Maine.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, episode 6 review

Thrilling, emotional, questionable, terrifying, beautiful…how else can I really describe the final episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1? The entire season told an epic tale of a hero in a foreign land, entrusted with a mission he did not ask for, but nonetheless is the only one capable of completing such a task.

What ensues is an inner battle of wanting to go home but finding a new home in the process, while meeting wonderful new people and facing new and dangerous foes. Considering the show has already been renewed and filming has been underway for some time, we know Daryl won’t be leaving.

Even if filming wasn’t continuing immediately in France, Daryl would have gone home and come right back. He has found himself in France, amongst the people but mostly with Laurent and Isabelle.

He’s happy but still has loved ones back home that also need him. Let’s face it, from the beginning of TWD, everyone has needed Daryl.

Even with Carol’s return, how will Daryl choose where to go by the end of next season? Carol has an idea of how to find Daryl, but at the same time, how long will it take her to reach France?

If Daryl returns to Mont Saint-Michel, what future will be waiting for him? Will his relationships with Laurent and Isabelle grow, stay the same, or will Genet find them first?

Mont Saint-Michel is a beautiful place, but could it really hold its own against a large army, equipped with soldiers and weaponized walkers? All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this spinoff as I truly did not know what to expect.

I should have realized that successful TWD spinoffs are tangible. You just need the right formula, maximum effort and creative minds behind it.

What did you think of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1? Share your answers in the comments below!

You can watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 on AMC.