The Strolling Lifeless Daryl Dixon – Costa Da Morte – Evaluate: “No way to Live”

Style fatigue meets scenic intrigue in a derivative that’s equal components déjà vu and European postcard.

The Strolling Lifeless franchise has at all times thrived on its style’s gravitational pull—zombies, survival, ethical ambiguity—however Daryl Dixon Season 3 reveals clear indicators of damage. For longtime viewers, the collection now capabilities much less as a story engine and extra as a nostalgia machine. Watching Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) trudge by way of post-apocalyptic Europe evokes recollections not of contemporary storytelling, however of earlier, extra emotionally resonant arcs. One scene, particularly, remembers Season 5’s “Consumed,” when the duo wandered Atlanta trying to find Beth. That episode had weight. This one? Largely echoes.

“Cost Da Morte” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier. Picture Credit score: Manuel Fernandez-Valdes/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Similar highway, identical battles, identical weariness.

The emotional core of this spinoff—Daryl and Carol’s enduring bond—is each its power and its limitation. Their dynamic is acquainted, however more and more static. As Daryl himself laments whereas approaching London, “Now all we do is run and fight. It ain’t no way to live.” It ain’t a lot of a technique to run a present both. The promise of character development feels skinny, particularly with the untimely dying of Isabell, the one new character who provided Daryl an opportunity to confront his emotional armor. If love is the theme this season, it’s laborious to see the place it should bloom. Carol and Daryl’s relationship stays platonic, and with Isabell gone, Daryl’s arc appears clipped earlier than it may really unfurl.

“Cost Da Morte” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON. Squid. Picture Credit score: Manuel Fernandez-Valdes/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

A recurring sin: losing good characters.

The franchise’s behavior of introducing compelling aspect characters within the spinoffs solely to dispatch them instantly continues right here. Julian Chamberlain (Stephen Service provider) had the makings of a memorable addition—quirky, weak, and narratively wealthy. However earlier than we may even settle into his rhythm, he’s gone. Squidified. It’s a irritating sample that undermines the emotional stakes and squanders expertise.

Value Da Morte” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured, Stephen Service provider as Julian Chamberlain. Picture Credit score: Manuel Fernandez-Valdes/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Surroundings as salvation.

The place the writing falters, the visuals soar. The drone photographs of the Seven Sisters cliffs are breathtaking, and the Spanish and English locales lend the collection a cinematic texture that the unique by no means fairly achieved. These overseas backdrops are the present’s most compelling asset, providing a way of scale and thriller that the plot typically fails to match.

Masked males, missed alternatives, and lingering questions.

The cliffhanger involving masked raiders and shipwrecked boats injects a welcome jolt of intrigue. Nonetheless, the scene’s logic is questionable—how did the person on horseback miss Carol and Daryl crouched at his ft? His masks should not have eye holes. And who have been the lads Daryl noticed whereas rabbit looking? Are they the identical masked figures from the seashore? And the place is Carol, precisely? These open threads are simply sufficient to maintain viewers tuning in, even when the emotional payoff stays elusive.>>[3]

“Cost Da Morte” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier. Picture Credit score: Manuel Fernandez-Valdes/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Strolling Lifeless: Daryl Dixon continues to coast on the goodwill of its legacy characters and the attract of its worldwide settings. However with out deeper character evolution or narrative innovation, it dangers changing into a superbly shot echo of its former self. Nonetheless, for these invested within the lengthy arc of Daryl and Carol’s journey, the present presents simply sufficient thriller to warrant one other week’s watch.  

General Ranking: 6/10

Lynette Jones