"Deux Amours" is the fifth episode of the first season of AMC's The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. It is the fifth episode of the series overall. It premiered on October 8, 2023. It was written by David Zabel & Jason Richman and directed by Daniel Percival.
Plot[]
Daryl faces old demons, recalling the circumstances that landed him in France; Isabelle's sacrifice forces her to consider drastic measures; Genet commences a celebration for the people of Paris.
Synopsis[]
Azlan's boat sails along a river and Laurent sits in the bow, enjoying the fresh air and praying. Watching Laurent, Daryl asks Azlan what the Nest is like, and Azlan calls it a special place and a home for the soul. Daryl is worried about Laurent's safety, noting that the nuns had raised the boy a little soft, but Azlan reassures him that Laurent "will be well looked after. Nurtured and groomed... to be the leader he's destined to be." Watching Laurent try to catch flies with his bare hands, Daryl isn't reassured by this. Azlan asks if Daryl is a Christian, but Daryl quips that he was kicked out of Sunday school. Azlan compares Daryl to how, in the Bible, Abraham became a pilgrim, but Daryl guesses that Abraham didn't end up in France which Azlan acknowledges. Azlan is curious as to how Daryl ended up in France, so far from home and Daryl watches Laurent thoughtfully.
In a flashback, Daryl pushes his motorcycle along a road when Jones drives up, offering help. Daryl rejects his offer, telling Jones that he's heading home, but Jones notes that Daryl's bike is out of fuel. Daryl asks if Jones has any to spare and Jones states that it depends and asks if Daryl is any good with his knives.
Jones drives Daryl to an auto repair shop where Daryl sees Dr. LaFleur communicating with someone on the radio in French and joins a group of men that are gathering. Juno asks T.J. about a picture of his girlfriend, before taking it from the young man and making a crass joke about her. Jones goes over the rules which includes no fighting, stealing, or sexual deviancy, and no children, elderly or anyone shorter than five foot four inches will be accepted. Dr. LaFleur refuses to explain why he needs the walkers and Jones states that all they to know is that they will receive one pint of ethanol per head. Juno is angry as they were offered a quart for each walker, but Dr. LaFleur promises a quart for each fresh walker that they bring in which satisfies Juno. As everyone collects their supplies, T.J. tries to find anyone willing to team up with him, but no one's interested.
In the present, Azlan tells Daryl that he's sure however Daryl got to France, it was hard, but Azlan fears that Daryl's journey home may be even harder. Daryl asks how much further to the Nest, and Azlan reveals that it's about 200 kilometers or about 124 miles away, pleasing Daryl.
In a flashback, Daryl attracts walkers to him in the woods and shoots through one and into another with an arrow from his crossbow that has a cable attached to it. Daryl ties to the two to a tree and drives a stake that he had been sharpening through the sides of one's mouth.
At the auto repair shop, Juno, Drew and Grady lead a line of five chained-up walkers into shipping containers. Juno reports on their progress to Dr. LaFleur, including that one of the walkers can't have been more than a few months turned. Much to the amazement of the gathered hunters, Daryl arrives leading a long line of captured walkers, each with a stake through their mouths so that they can't bite anyone. An impressed Jones gives Daryl a gas can to collect his payment with and Daryl promises that he'll do even better the next day. Having been unsuccessful in his own hunt, T.J. tries to get some advice from Daryl as Bert and a woman fills up the can for him, but Daryl tells T.J. to go home to his girlfriend. However, T.J. tells him that he can't really go back empty handed and asks to partner with Daryl who is uninterested.
In the present, Laurent fishes off of the back of Azlan's boat as Daryl and Azlan tie it to a tree on shore. After retrieving some old cans from a nearby structure to act as a warning system against walkers, Azlan checks an old pocket watch and explains that it's almost time for prayer for him. Laurent brings Daryl a fish that he caught, and Daryl offers to show the boy how to gut the fish. Laurent refuses as he had made a promise to God not to eat animals, but Azlan backs Daryl up that it's alright. Daryl tells Laurent that he needs to learn how to take care of himself and Laurent admits that he misses Isabelle and asks about Daryl's friends that he misses. Daryl lists Judith, R.J., Connie, Ezekiel and Carol, but brushes off further conversation and kills the fish. Laurent tells Daryl to not worry as they will all be together again.
Isabelle wakes up in a lavish mansion and finds Marie setting out food. Marie tells Isabelle that she was having bad dreams, and they gave Isabelle something to soothe her and Quinn will be by soon. Isabelle prays for the others to be guided safely before Quinn joins her, bringing the food and showing Isabelle the clothes that he had brought her. Quinn has a warehouse full of things that she can take her pick from, but Isabelle refuses as it's not for her. Isabelle confronts Quinn about drugging her, but claims that he had wanted Isabelle to rest while he took care of things so that Quinn could prove to Isabelle that he was going to keep his promise which Quinn did: he was just with a couple of Power of the Living people who assured Quinn that Laurent had made it out of Paris. Laurent is headed north now with Daryl, which is what Isabelle had wanted, so Quinn wonders how long it's going to take for Isabelle to see him differently and want him again. Quinn asks if everything happening for a reason isn't what God is about, and guesses that there's hope for him yet when Isabelle states that God loves the sinner. However, Isabelle locked that part of herself away a long time ago and she needs to pray on it and Quinn leaves her alone.
Daryl attempts to teach Laurent how to put a fish on a sharpened stick, but the boy is more interested in watching Azlan pray, noting that he has read the Quaran and finds it interesting that there are many different names, but only one God. Daryl admits that he doesn't pray to anyone and instead believes in pulling your own weight. Laurent refuses to try what Daryl showed him, but Daryl tells the boy that sometimes you don't have a choice but to do things that you don't want to do, and he finally agrees.
Isabelle frantically searches through her room for a weapon before breaking a piece of metal off of her mirror and sharpening it, asking God to forgive her for what she's about to do.
At night, Laurent prays, asking for God to look over Daryl's friends because Daryl doesn't know how to pray and asking for God to let him be strong like Daryl is strong. Azlan explains that his pocket watch saved his life and Daryl asks about Le Havre, but Azlan reveals that Genet controls the port in Le Havre. However, Azlan promises Daryl that the Union of Hope's leader Losang will help him to secure a boat home. Azlan is interested in Daryl, calling him a lone wolf who only wants to get back to his pack. Daryl explains that he had made a promise, but Azlan tells him that sometimes even a man's promise can get overwhelmed by a connection to other people or a larger cause. Daryl notes that when a man dies in someone else's war, it's his kids that suffer and it gets passed down to their kids and eventually, no one even remembers what the underlying cause that everyone was fighting for was. Daryl admits that causes were never really his thing. "When I first got to the Nest, I had just lost my wife and son. All I wanted to do was die. Losang asked me to fix this watch, told me how important it was. I worked on it, day and night, for months. And when I finally got it running, he told me it didn't matter anymore. Because I had found a reason to live," Azlan explains. Thinking on Azlan's words, Daryl watches Laurent as he finishes up his prayers.
In a flashback, Daryl fuels up his bike as T.J. approaches Juno and his friends, attempting more desperately to get the men to allow him to work with them. After making fun of T.J., Juno asks him to chop some more firewood and to keep the fire going for the rest of the night while they rest, and Juno will consider letting him come along. T.J. struggles to do it properly, so a sympathetic Daryl shows him what to do. T.J. explains that he's from just outside of Freeport, Maine which is just a couple of miles up the road, but his girlfriend's father practically keeps her prisoner. T.J. had promised to take her far away, so he can't go back without any fuel. T.J. has heard that it's better in California or at least better than this, but Daryl warns him not to believe everything that he hears. Seeing a man heading over to the radio, Daryl goes inside to talk to him, leaving the young man to continue chopping firewood.
In the present, Quinn and Marie bring Isabelle a cart full of food while Anna arrives at the mansion. Anna is upset to learn that Quinn is busy for the evening. Over dinner, Quinn acknowledges that he's made mistakes, but Quinn insists that everything is different now and he can be a better man for Isabelle. Pretending that she's about to have sex with Quinn, Isabelle prepares to kill him, before Quinn quotes scripture how Abraham sacrificed his only son, but Isaac was saved, and Abraham was redeemed in the end. Quinn claims that he believes in redemption, and he knows that Isabelle believes in it too. Stunned, Isabelle breaks the kiss and relents in trying to kill Quinn, claiming that she's not ready as it's been a long time, and Quinn promises to be patient for her. It's just the two of them now, and they have all of the time in the world. When Quinn leaves the room, he finds a furious Anna who breaks a wine glass and storms out without a word.
Daryl lays awake at night and has a flashback to when he tried to use Jones' radio to contact Carol at the Commonwealth. The radio operator hopes that Carol is found quickly as the connection usually only lasts for a few minutes and they've been at this for awhile. Just as Daryl is about to give up, Carol finally comes on the line, surprised to hear from her friend. Daryl reassures Carol that he's okay, and explains that since he has access to a radio, he thought that he'd try to reach out to her. Daryl tells Carol that he's in Maine by the coast and he asks if everything is good back home. Carol tells him that everything is pretty quiet which takes some getting used to, but Daryl expresses concern about if Carol is really alright. Carol promises her friend that he never has to worry about her, and asks how it is out there. Daryl promises to tell Carol when he sees her, revealing that he's just gathering some fuel and he will be home in about a week. As the transmission breaks up, Carol tells Daryl that someone came back, but Daryl is unable to hear the name of the person who came back over the static and he loses contact with Carol.
In the present, Daryl hears clattering and walker growls before a walker approaches the shelter where Daryl and Laurent are sleeping. Daryl stabs the walker in the head, and he orders Laurent, who was awakened by the commotion, to stay there. Outside, Daryl finds the body of another walker and a burner as well as Azlan up against a telephone pole. Daryl reassures the other man that he took care of the walker who got away from him and Azlan explains that he had slipped fighting the walkers off. Examining Azlan, who is paralyzed, Daryl finds a spike impaling him in the upper back, mortally wounding the other man. Azlan ruefully notes that after years of training, he's done in by a telephone pole which Daryl sadly notes is a tough break. With a laugh, Azlan tells Daryl that at least they know that God has a sense of humor since Azlan's father had worked for the phone company his whole life. Azlan tells Daryl to get Laurent to the Nest and hands Daryl his pocket watch which has a picture of Mont-Saint-Michel on the inside cover. Azlan instructs Daryl to follow the river to Mont-Saint-Michel which is the Nest and to beware of telephone poles. Azlan reassures Daryl that he's at peace since he knows that the boy is in good hands with Daryl and he's facing east. Azlan gives Daryl his own knife to put Azlan down with before he can reanimate and, with a final prayer, Azlan dies.
The next morning, Daryl finishes burying his friend and Laurent lays some rosary beads on his grave. However, when they go to leave, Azlan's boat is gone, and the rope has been cut. Daryl realizes that Laurent is responsible, tossing the boy's knife into the river and furiously yelling at Laurent, calling him worthless and telling the boy that he should've left Laurent right where he found him. Daryl demands to know why he did this, and Laurent tearfully explains that he's lost everyone that he cares about and when they get to the Nest, he'll lose Daryl too and Laurent doesn't want to be alone. Becoming emotional too, Daryl apologizes for his actions and hugs Laurent before the two resume their journey on foot.
Sitting in front of a mirror, Isabelle almost cuts herself in an act of self-harm, but she is interrupted by the arrival of Marie with breakfast. Isabelle refuses, but Marie tells her that the eggs are fresh and that they were specially delivered by a friend. Specifying that it's not her friend, Marie reveals a message for Isabelle hidden under the plate and leaves her alone to read it.
As they continue on their journey, Daryl tries to reassure Laurent that there's probably going to be a bunch of good people at the Nest, pointing out that Azlan was from the Nest, and he was nice. While Daryl told Isabelle that he'd drop Laurent off at the Nest and she come looking for her nephew there, Laurent wants to go with Daryl instead. Laurent insists that he can help Daryl and promises to listen to him and to only have to be shown things once, but Daryl tells him that it's not about that. The two are forced to hide as Guerriers approach, but Laurent accidentally drops some of his stuff out of his bag on the road.
In a flashback, Daryl packs up as Juno returns with more walkers, including a zombified T.J. Daryl confronts Juno who claims that they had just found T.J. like that, but Daryl notes the rope burns around T.J.'s neck and realizes that Juno had murdered him. A remorseless Juno tells Daryl that "a quart's a quart, you prick. You know, you snooze, you lose," having murdered T.J. for the promised quart of ethanol that he would get for bringing in a fresh walker. Daryl furiously attacks Juno and has to be restrained and the two men are led away for breaking the rules against fighting.
In the present, Daryl instructs Laurent to follow the river until he finds the place on the watch and gives the boy his knife for protection, promising that he'll be right behind him. Daryl orders the reluctant Laurent to go as the Guerriers find the boy's belongings and spread out to search for him. Daryl tries to sneak up on one with his morning star, but the man hears him coming and captures Daryl. The men report to Capo that there's no sign of the boy who questions Daryl through one of his men who speaks English where Laurent is. Capo threatens to remove Daryl's eyes if he doesn't talk, but Daryl defiantly refuses to tell him anything. As the Guerrier prepares to cut out Daryl's left eye, Laurent gives himself up in order to save his friend.
Quinn presents Isabelle with an expensive necklace, and she wonders if he stole it. Quinn notes Isabelle's own past as an accomplished thief and reveals that he'd gotten it for her 12 years ago, although Quinn didn't think that it would take so long for him to give it to her. Quinn has to go out for awhile, but he will be back, having been invited by Genet to a gathering at Maison Mère. Genet is calling it De Gaulle Day and she needs people like Quinn who can get their hands on things. Isabelle claims that she's been thinking about what he said about going back to the way that things used to be, but you can't move forward if you're looking back. Putting on the necklace, Isabelle tells a pleased Quinn "let's start over."
Isabelle and Quinn arrive at Maison Mère where numerous people are gathering for Genet's celebration. In the crowd, Isabelle notices Emile, Sylvie and Fallou who discreetly nod at her as Isabelle passes by her friends. Guerriers lead Quinn and Isabelle to Genet as a man is dragged into a cell and beaten to death by two other Guerriers. Quinn introduces Isabelle to Genet who explains that the man was one of her Guerriers charged with securing the city, but he accepted a bribe to let out people that the Power of the Living had wanted to keep in. Genet leads them to a cell area where Anna and Stéphane are waiting and Daryl is locked up, revealing that Anna had betrayed them to Genet. Quinn warns Anna that she's got no idea what she's done, but Anna just kisses him on the cheek and leaves without a word. Genet locks Quinn in with Daryl and leads Isabelle away as Daryl apologizes to her.
In Genet's office, Laurent greets his aunt and Genet explains that they've been getting to know each other and she sees why people fall for a special child, born from a walker, life from death, comparing it to Mother Mary and a Phoenix from the ashes. Genet wants for Laurent to make an appearance before her people, stating that he only has to smile. Some people think that the Union of Hope is against her, but they must show them the truth, that they are all one French people which Genet has been trying to make clear to Laurent. Isabelle tries to convince her nephew to do what Genet wants, but Laurent refuses as he knows that it's a lie. Genet tells Laurent that he's making her angry which isn't a good idea, but Laurent states that Genet isn't angry, instead, her heart is broken. Upset, Genet tells Laurent that he'll do as she asks as there's no other choice before she storms out of the room.
In their cell, Quinn tells Daryl that he held up his end of things and if Daryl had done his part, none of this would be happening. Furious, Quinn warns Daryl that he'd best sleep with one eye open.
In a flashback, at night Daryl and Juno are led onto the Power of the Living ship where Daryl notices some of the crew securing a rowboat and a lab in a shipping container with a walker head in a tank and a walker chained to the wall as well as cages full of walkers with two on the upper level and the two on the lower level marked with signs reading Fast and Feed respectively. The crew lock Daryl and Juno in a shipping container that has several other prisoners with one crewmember removing Daryl's wing vest from him. Juno protests that they should fight this as he believes that they will die otherwise, but Daryl allows himself to be locked up. Juno angrily demands answers from the crew about where they're going, but they just ignore him. Later, as the ship crosses the Atlantic Ocean, three crewmembers violently beat one of the prisoners before removing him and tossing the man into the walker cage marked Feed to be devoured, much to the shock and horror of Daryl and Juno.
In the present, Guerriers take Daryl from his cell while Genet leads Laurent and Isabelle into the gallery of a fighting pit, telling the boy that there will be a few words and a show, but it won't last long and then Laurent will come out and meet everyone. Genet makes a speech before the gathered crowd who sing an anthem during part of it: "Welcome brave friends. Brave, because you have ventured out. From Saint Denis to the Rive Gauche, Montmartre to la Chapelle. Today we celebrate our rebirth and the rise of the 6th Republic. Today, and ever after we will be free, and strong, and unafraid! We have all felt lost at times, far from the life we knew. Deprived of the people we loved. In a hopeless world, it would have been so easy to give up. But we did not give up. In the name of all those we loved. In the name of all those we lost. As we must continue to do... Not for ourselves. But for the future. Years from now, you will tell your grandchildren that you were here. Now. The day we ushered in a new France! A France free of the tyranny of the elite, that welcomes in all friends. With hope for a future... Because, yes, the world is simple now, there are friends. And there are enemies. The enemies want to go back to the way things were, when the few controlled the many. They took everything, bringing pain and suffering down on those who could least bear it, profiting all the while. Finally, out of greed and hubris, they unleashed this plague on the world. They made up pay for being poor, vulnerable, meek. But remember what the Bible says about the meek. We're not meek anymore! The world is ours, now. So today, we will make our enemies pay! We have all felt the anguish. We have all suffered loss. Loss blinds us! Loss gives us power! They gave us this disease! But I want you to see today the power our future holds. Because their disease can also be our cure. Power to the living!"
In a flashback, Daryl and Juno are now alone in the container, the other prisoners having been fed to the walkers. Daryl coughs up blood as Juno frantically bangs on the container door, yelling at the crew that Daryl is puking blood, and he will turn if he dies in there. After viciously kicking Daryl, three crewmembers drag him out and to the walker cage. Having faked his injury, Daryl suddenly fights back, throwing one man to the walkers, shooting another with his own rifle and strangling the last one with the rifle strap so hard that his neck eventually snaps. Recovering his wing vest, Daryl unleashes the caged walkers on the upper level who fall upon the four crewmembers chasing Daryl, devouring one as the others open fire, while Daryl releases Juno who is amazed that Daryl's plan had worked.
As the crew fights off the walkers, Daryl and Juno make their way to the rowboat which they begin preparing for their escape. The three surviving crewmembers get swarmed and eaten by walkers with one falling into the lab as a walker grabs him. causing a fire. Juno struggles to understand the instructions for the controls, but the chained-up walker breaks free, knocks aside other walkers and charges up the stairs, violently ripping apart and devouring Juno who hits a button as he falls, releasing the rowboat into the water below. The walker turns on Daryl, revealing that it has black eyes like the walker that Dr. LaFleur had been experimenting upon. Grabbing a Fire Extinguisher, Daryl bashes the walker hard in the head, but it gets back up rather than staying down. As the walker charges him and the lab explodes, Daryl jumps overboard.
In the present, Daryl is led into the fighting pit during Genet's speech and untied. Seeing Daryl, Isabelle and Laurent exchange concerned looks. As the crowd chants Pouvoir at the end of Genet's speech, a man tosses an axe at Daryl's feet and a walker is led into the pit. A Guerrier shoots the walker in the neck with a dart which causes the walker to mutate, developing black eyes and the veins of a burner. The crowd cheers, a horrified Isabelle tells Laurent not to look and Stéphane yells at Daryl that he dies today for his brother. Daryl raises his axe as the walker breaks free of its restraints and charges at him.
Other Cast[]
Special Guest Star[]
- Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier (Voice Only)
Co-Stars[]
- Tristan Zanchi as Emile Thibault
- Hassam Ghancy as Azlan
- Caroline Gay as Marie
- Maxime Lefrançois as Capo
- Gilbert Glenn Brown as Jones
- Tercelin Kirtley as Drew
- John Ales as Juno
- Craig Gellis as Grady
- Martin Martinez as T.J.
- Avant Strangel as Radio Operator
- Ryan Chidester as Bert
Uncredited[]
- Ekaterina Rusnak as Guerrier
- Bryan Vigier as Guerrier
- Julien Duverger as Guerrier
- Cédric Stunt as Guerrier
- Benoit Lavelatte as Guerrier
- Stephen Tueur as Guerrier
- Marie-Myriam Lagny as Guerrier
- Johan Prud'homme as Guerrier
- Tony Augé as Guerrier
- Gaëtan Caillot as Guerrier
- Vibol-Joseph Sok as Guerrier
- Jeremy Merires as Guerrier
- Pascal Klein as Guerrier
- Unknown as Guerrier
- Unknown as Guerrier
- Gabriel Djibril as Captured Survivor
- Chouder Abdel-Hakim as Captured Survivor
- Nawel as Captured Survivor
- Ayden Casse as Walker Hunter
- Babeth DC as Walker Hunter
- Richard Zannini as Walker
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Deaths[]
- Azlan's Wife (Confirmed Fate)
- Azlan's Son (Confirmed Fate)
- Azlan's Father (Confirmed Fate)
- Azlan
- Guerrier 5 (Off-Screen)
- T.J. (Alive, Off-Screen, Flashback)
- Bert (Flashback)
- Guerrier 6 (Flashback)
- Juno (Flashback)
- 4 unnamed Power of the Living prisoners (Flashback, Off-Screen)
- 6 unnamed Power of the Living Ship crewmembers (Flashback)
- 1 fish
Trivia[]
- First appearance of Jones. (Flashback)
- First appearance of Drew. (Flashback)
- First appearance of Grady. (Flashback)
- Only appearance of Marie.
- Only appearance of T.J. (Flashback)
- Only appearance of Juno. (Flashback)
- Only appearance of Bert. (Flashback)
- Last appearance of Azlan.
- The title of the episode, "Deux Amours", is French and means "Two Loves".
- "J'ai deux amours" is also a song by Joséphine Baker from 1930.
- At least five Guerriers who had speaking lines were left uncredited in the episode.
- Craig Gellis also portrayed the Tough Grizzled Savior in "Mercy" of The Walking Dead.
- In the flashbacks, Daryl is shown carrying his original knives and crossbow as well as using the motorcycle that he took from the Commonwealth in "Rest in Peace".
- Daryl mentions Judith, R.J., Connie, Ezekiel, and Carol when asked who his friends in America are by Laurent.
- Although not addressed in the episode itself, the flashbacks almost certainly occurred over the course of several days to a few weeks given how long it takes to cross the ocean between United States of America and France.
- In a flashback, Carol tells Daryl that someone had returned. Although the broadcast dropped, it sounded like she was saying that it was Rick.
- As seen in "The Last Time" of The Ones Who Live, Rick did in fact come back, meaning that Carol could've very well been trying to tell Daryl that Rick had returned.
Episode Highlights[]
TBA
| Season 1 | "L'âme Perdue" • "Alouette" • "Paris Sera Toujours Paris" • "La Dame de Fer" • "Deux Amours" • "Coming Home" |
|---|---|
| Season 2 | |
| Season 3 | |
| Episode Guide: TV Series • Fear • World Beyond • Tales • Dead City • The Ones Who Live • Webisodes | |