This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon being covered here wouldn’t exist.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon sees our favorite long-haired baddie somehow ending up in Paris. Starring Norman Reedus, it takes Daryl far from home as the result of a “bunch of bad decisions” and straight to more walkers, nuns, and some kid named Laurent that Daryl bonds with. Knowing Daryl as we do, it’s no surprise. He might seem gruff but he’s got a soft spot for making sure kids are protected in a way he never was when he was a kid.
Despite our excitement, we can’t help but feel that his ending up in Paris is ridiculous. Depending on the kind of boat that you have, it takes about 21 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean. So it’s convenient that he starts the spin-off with no idea how he got on another continent. And if you’re like me, who can’t wait to be told how he got there, and have come up with your own theories as to how this all went down.
Here are 5 theories as to how Daryl Dixon ended up in Paris, from the most likely to the unhinged!
1. Most Likely: Kidnapped by Some Bad Guys
Daryl Dixon has certainly gotten into plenty of trouble in years on our screens. From cannibal kidnappings to zombie hordes, he’s seen it all. Now it’s time to upgrade things and take it a little further. And what’s more extreme than getting kidnapped by some baddies who probably want to take down the Commonwealth and you end up in Paris?
2. Most Convenient: Fell Asleep on Boat While Hiding
If there’s anything that Daryl Dixon loves, it’s having purpose. And what if he was on a secret mission to gather information or check out some local bad guys on the East Coast? And what if while exploring the boat that these bad guys are loading up, he ends up hiding to save his life. With no way out, he stays in his hiding spot, and clunks out. Once he wakes up he realizes there is no land as far as the eye can see and he’s fucked. What follows is him trying to survive by sneaking around. Eventually he will get caught, a fight ensues, and that’s how he ends up on a lifeboat and onshore.
3. Most Likely Pre-Apocalypse: Partying Got Out of Hand
Knowing the kind of person that Daryl was pre-apocalypse, he could’ve ended up in Paris because of a night (or week) of partying. A nice boat on international water, beer and illicit substances, and you’ve got a recipe for washing up on a shore without memory as to what happened. After all, what do you think movies like The Hangover are based on? Crazy events. And ending up in Paris would definitely be one of them.
4. Most Unhinged: Aliens, Duh.
In a world where the government basically confirmed aliens, I’ve got to believe that even this is a possibility for The Walking Dead. After all, there are zombies walking about and making trouble for the survivors of the apocalypse. What if aliens have been watching, the lives of humans basically becoming their favorite show? But things have gotten a little boring as humans survive and thrive the zombie scourge. So they pick up some of their favorites, drop them off in different places, and watch the madness ensue. Totally could happen :p
5. Most Likely to Happen to My Dumbass: It’s All a Dream
A prevailing theory of this universe is that Rick Grimes has been in a coma this entire time and all the events of the TWD Universe are all a dream. And even though creator Robert Kirkman has confirmed that Rick isn’t in a coma, he’s not the creator of this spin-off. Maybe it IS all a dream. Personally, I dream vividly as hell. Maybe Daryl does too. And when he wakes up with a killer hangover he’ll have a good story to tell his friends about this wild adventure in Paris and how he tried to save some kid named Laurent.
Watch the official trailer below:
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres September 10 on AMC and AMC+.
