In the fifth episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3, the highly anticipated team-up between Daryl and Carol hits a roadblock as the two are separated once again. While Carol stays behind in Solaz, Daryl embarks on a solo mission through the desert, where he stumbles upon a community in need and takes on a dangerous gang to help them.
A Rescue and a Separation
The episode picks up immediately after the events of the previous week, with Daryl, Carol, and Antonio successfully finding Roberto after he was captured by men from El Alcazar and dangled over a horde of walkers. After a swift rescue, the group learns from Roberto that Justina never volunteered for the ofrenda but was forced into it by Fede after she discovered he was cheating on the ritual. With Roberto injured and needing medical care, the group faces a decision.
Daryl insists on going after Justina alone, telling Carol, “I’m faster on my own.” He also argues that the people in Solaz need her help. Despite Carol’s history of independence, she surprisingly agrees to the plan. This separation has left some fans disappointed, as many were looking forward to seeing the duo share more screen time this season. One reviewer noted the split feels like a “squandered opportunity to have a Daryl and Carol show where Daryl and Carol are always apart.”
A Dangerous Journey Through the Wasteland
Alone on his motorcycle, Daryl’s journey takes him through a harsh desert landscape. He soon encounters a disturbing sight: an old, blind man begging for water. After Daryl gives him his water bottle, the man ominously tells him, “You’re next,” pointing to vultures circling overhead.
Daryl then witnesses a bizarre post-apocalyptic scene: a train is being pulled along the tracks not by an engine, but by a group of walkers chained together. The train is controlled by a man named Chofo, who spots Daryl’s motorcycle and immediately wants it for himself. He sends his henchmen, known as the Buzzards, to chase Daryl down. In a chaotic joust-like battle on dirt bikes, Daryl is knocked off his motorcycle and left stranded in the desert without his ride or his water.
An Unlikely Alliance with a Leper Colony
Exhausted and dehydrated, Daryl is found by a group of villagers who are afflicted with leprosy, their bodies showing significant deformities. Their leader, Mateo, leads Daryl to their settlement. A woman named Amaia, the only one without the disease, is initially distrustful of the outsider.
Mateo explains that their community’s water was stolen by Chofo and his gang, leaving them to die of thirst. He proposes a deal: if Daryl can retrieve their water from the train, the villagers will give him a truck to continue his journey. Despite having only four bullets left, Daryl agrees to help. He and the villagers craft makeshift weapons and work together to defeat a group of the Buzzards, allowing Daryl to stock up on ammunition for his mission.
Daryl Takes Back the Water
With the villagers’ support, Daryl sets out to ambush the train. Using his cunning and combat skills, he frees the walkers that are pulling the train, causing them to attack Chofo’s guards. Daryl then boards the train and fights his way through the chaos. In a final confrontation, he finds Chofo in a bathtub and strangles him. He successfully secures the large tank of water and returns it to the grateful villagers. Before he leaves to continue his search for Justina, a young girl named Rosa gives him her thermos as a thank-you.
Trouble Brewing Back in Solaz
While Daryl is in the desert, trouble is building back in Solaz. Carol lied to Fede about Roberto’s rescue, claiming he was attacked by bandits and that Daryl was working on their boat. However, Fede’s mother, Doña Marga, notices that Roberto has the compass necklace he had previously given to Justina. This discovery makes Fede suspicious, and he sends a man to check on Daryl’s boat to see if Carol is telling the truth. At the same time, Carol has invited Antonio to return to America with her and Daryl, but he has not yet given her an answer.
“You prefer the local wine,” Valentina tells Carol, pointing out the apparent romantic connection between Carol and Antonio.
A Story of Two Halves
This episode has been described by some critics as feeling like “filler” or a “video game side quest.” The main storyline involving Daryl’s rescue of the leper colony’s water, while exciting, is wrapped up within the episode and does not directly advance the central plot of finding Justina or dealing with the threat from El Alcazar. The quick resolution of the previous episode’s cliffhanger and the repeated separation of Daryl and Carol have left some viewers wanting a more focused narrative as the season heads into its final two episodes.
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