Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. If you've yet to watch the show and don't want to know how it ends, turn back now!
C'est fini! The first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has come to an end and with it, the titular survivor's time in France – or so it appears anyway.
After hot-footing it all the way from Marseille to Mont Saint Michel, facing off against burner zombies, a dastardly nightclub owner, and a nefarious nationalist along the way, Daryl (Norman Reedus) reflects on his grandfather's time in Normandy during World War II. Later, he spots a boat out at sea, and smirk on his face proposes he's plotting the long journey back to the United States with his new buddy Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) and, presumably, Isabelle (Clémence Poésy), too. Makes sense, eh, given that the finale is titled 'Coming Home'? But there's even more evidence to suggest where Daryl is headed, and that's the show's post-credits scene...
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon post-credits scene: Carol's return, explained
In it, Melissa McBride makes a surprise return as Daryl's bestie Carol Peletier, though it's evident she's still on American soil, thanks to the sign for Freeport, Maine. The sequence – which doesn't technically come after any credits, but it's so disconnected we're describing it as such – sees her relentlessly pursue a man on a motorcycle. Despite the guy's best efforts to evade her, her speedy Mustang eventually intercepts him – though not before he gets a shot at the vehicle and sends it to a screeching halt on the road.
"I don't want any trouble, I'm looking for a friend of mine," Carol says as she creeps out of the car. Name's Daryl Dixon."
"Never heard of no Dixon," the man growls back, to which Carol replies: "That's his bike you're riding."
"Found it," he snaps, before Carol adds: "You sure about that? I've come a long way trying to track him down." The man then orders Carol to step back so he can check whether she's got any supplies worth stealing. As he peers in, she whacks him over the head with a wrench, and stuffs his unconscious self in the trunk. Threatening him with his own gun, she asks him where he got the bike.
"I swear to God, I traded some shit for it. Some dudes, camp back down the road a few miles. Go right when you see an old gas station."
"If you're lying I won't be back," Carol states, slamming the trunk door and hopping on Daryl's chopper as the man shouts in protestation. Well, looks like a reunion is on the cards...
Just this week, AMC confirmed that Melissa McBride has signed on as a series regular going into The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2. The actor was originally linked to season 1 when it was first announced way back in September 2020, but she dropped out eventually due to it filming overseas. If she's back, we can only assume it's because the outing no longer shoots in Paris as before.
Episode 5 revealed Daryl was in Maine before he was ferried onto the France-bound Pouvoir du Vivant ship by a mean group of herders; men who were later revealed to be working with Genet (Anne Charrier), gathering walkers for her so that she and The Doctor could continue their research into the Wildfire Virus... and other off-book experiments.
Now, while villain Quinn (Adam Nagaitis), Laurent's father and Isabelle's former lover succumbs to a walker bite, big bad Genet is still very much alive by the end of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1's last episode, which confirms there's more to come from her and her guerriers. It also means that Pouvoir du Vivant is likely to continue running trips between the US and France, offering up a way for Genet to continue being part of the story if it relocates.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is now streaming on AMC+. For more, check out our handy guide on how to watch The Walking Dead franchise in order, or have a look at our list of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.
