Daryl Dixon: The Book Of Carol Episode 2 Review: ‘Moulin Rouge’
October 7, 2024At the start of ‘Moulin Rouge’ there is a major disconnect between the future that Laurent feels obligated to fulfill and the future he truly wants. Which feels like a complete shift from season one of the series. The Nest was always supposed to be this euphoric place where all dreams come true, but that dream is slowly turning into a nightmare. Laurent has some healthy doubts, but has he ever really believed or is that only the dream Isabelle thrust upon him?
“I know it’s not my destiny to be an ordinary child, I wish it was.”
Laurent has hopes to be the person that France needs him to be. It’s his destiny, but it’s not his hope. In the eyes of Losang and Jacinta, Daryl is not the best influence. He’s allowing him to believe in these dreams of a different life when he was born for much, much more.
In a sense, I do feel sorry for Laurent. He’s wearing a heavy crown, and he’s not near enough prepared to hold it.
My biggest pet peeves so far:
- How everyone at the Abbey was so adamant about the great Messiah prophecy. Now, with the flip of a dime, Isabelle is ready to not only not be a nun anymore but have doubts about the divinity she’s lived her life by. It almost seems like because she got what she wanted out of Daryl, she no longer needs to be a leader of the Union. As long as Daryl is at her side for protection, and to protect Laurent.
- Isabelle at the end of last season said she would not break her vows. Now flash forward to this season after just a few weeks and now is apparently a former nun who still believes in the Union of Hope. Her belief in Laurent’s abilities have not wavered despite her doubts.
- I can’t even fault Isabelle for wanting added protection in this treacherous world, but she does act like it’s everyone else’s job to fulfill a task that she cannot.
- Laurent deliberates between a normal life and basically a supernatural one. Which is only human, but it makes the journey from season one to now seem like a waste.
- We’ve known for a while now season three is moving to Spain and the France story had to come to an end, but the writing could have been abundantly better. There’s so much back and forth between a handful of characters that it feels like they are throwing everything out there and seeing what lands. Leaving it up to the audience to dictate everything when good writing could have just made the show 10 times better.
- Carol is such an intricate part of this show, but there’s too much being said off-screen. It’s clear to Laurent that she is a massive part of Daryl’s life, but it’s not truly shown how much Daryl cares. I’m guessing we just write that off as more psychic ability from the child.
- From Carol’s standpoint, it’s evident that she will move heaven and earth to find Daryl. She’s going to lie, cheat, beg, borrow, and steal to get what she needs. And before you start to judge Carol, think of what you would do to save the one person you love more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, for this show, it’s made to look like Carol cares much more for Daryl than he does for her.
- The largest issue is inconsistency. It’s exhilarating when a character has so many layers, but I believe they are giving Daryl so many layers that it’s now covered up what we love most about Daryl, loyalty. While these french characters are quite unique, they don’t have the impact on the fan base that can justify Daryl choosing them over his real family. Currently, the only ones staying in character are Carol Ash.
Nonetheless, it’s time for Laurent to take his rightful place. The members of the Nest are growing impatient. It’s time to show the proof that he is the “chosen one.” Jacinta talks about pushing the ceremony up to strengthen the belief in their people. In other words, intentionally having Laurent get bit so they can all be a witness to see their little messiah’s immunity.
Up here, you don’t have to be afraid of anything
Back in the air where things make sense, Ash and Carol soon land in beautiful Greenland and what looks like paradise soon takes a turn for the worse. Ash quickly starts to work on a fuel leak while Carol is taking care of walkers. It doesn’t take long for Carol to get ahead of herself and soon needs an assist from Ash, who in turn gets an assist from off in the distance. The next line showed the major difference between the two characters. Optimism vs. pessimism. “People,” Ash says excited. “People.” Carol says sarcastically like great what are we in for now?
Side note, Greenland had some pretty sick walkers who came out of the ground in between the mountains and vistas to give Carol a call too close for my comfort. Greg Nicotero has done a really fantastic job this season, giving us some original walkers we haven’t seen before. Which is hard this far into the apocalypse.
I can’t say enough about the chemistry between Carol and Ash. They are simply refreshing to watch on screen. I don’t think they could be much different but they make such a swift and effortless team. Anytime they are side by side you will be intrigued want to see more. That is a testament between the superb acting of Manish Dayal and Melissa McBride.
Melissa McBride steals every scene she’s in this season. Seldom can you find another actor who can remain at her level, but Manish Dayal is so good as her counterpart, and that can’t be said enough.
Unfortunately, that’s where the fun stops for Carol and Ash. They are brought into the home of Eun and Hanna, two climate researchers who were working on their PhDs when the world turned to hell. But for those two, shall we say eccentric people, they saw it as the world healing itself from all the atrocities.
Carol puts on her old sweet show with Hannah while Ash gathered supplies with Eun to go fix the leak. Then we learn their real plan. Carol is a woman of no use to them, so she will be murdered. Ash will only be saved as a sperm donor to help repopulate the world. It’s one of the weirdest twists I think I’ve seen in such a short amount of time. But I don’t particularly love the writing of wanting to rape such a kind and gentle character.
While Ash his held against his will and hooked to his plane, Eun makes her way back to the house and said she did her part. What part? It was my biggest question. I hope she only meant tying him up because it’s unclear how far that crazy woman took things.
Fortunately, for Carol, she is a master manipulator and was on the cusp of convincing Hanna she could have a future in France with them if she lays down the weapon. Eventually, she shoots her friend in the head, allowing Carol to kill two birds with one stone.
Hanna doesn’t make it out unscathed, though. After the trauma that Ash just endured he shot thing 2 with a flare gun to the neck. Not to be gory, but the coolest death of the season so far.
Afterward they get out of crazy town are back up in the air. They also share another nice moment of bonding. That was Ash’s very first human kill and Carol admits that she has killed many and remembers every last one. It’s a pain that doesn’t go away. It’s charming to have these little moments, and it’s something I haven’t even seen her to say to Daryl.
Meanwhile, back in the land of non-believers Isabelle is still baffled by the future she has held on to for so long and the future that might be best for Laurent. Daryl, the other confused one, offers for her and Laurent to come back to America with him. Presently, Isabelle has worked so hard to get Laurent to this place that she’s not ready to give up on that dream yet.
There is still some annoyance on Isabelle’s side that Daryl still wants to return to America and won’t even try to make a home at the Nest. She continues to press Daryl that he is the one made the choice to leave there in the first place and wound up on the other side of the world. Regardless, she talks about it like Daryl had a choice and wasn’t taken to France against his will. Possibly, the writers have already forgotten that part.
I wish I could say there is more originality apart from walkers this season. I wish I could. But here we are again with Laurent missing. If there’s one thing Daryl and Isabelle will do, it’s lose that kid again. They are under the assumption that the Cause has taken the future of France yet again, but this time the threat is a little closer to home. Yes, the Nest is not at all what it seems and Jacinta takes it upon herself to demolish the biggest threat against the prophecy, Daryl Dixon.
Things we have learned:
- Laurent will be tested to see if he is the true gift the people of France have been praying for. I will say it is a little funny how Sylvie and Isabelle lived their lives around this belief, but when things started to get real they both instantly had zero hope that Laurent would not survive the ceremony. Their common sense clicked in really fast.
- Daryl can still semi-track footprints and Isabelle kills people much better than walkers, which was helpful. I mean it was a point-blank range, but you’ve got to give credit where credit is due.
- We have a new name for walkers from our good folks in Greenland, Tupilaq.
The Queen has arrived. The new fan-favorite duo lands on a raceway and Carol has to put her mind in high gear. There’s no way she can explain Ash and Daryl to each other, in her mind anyway, so she has to continue the charade about Sophia. You can tell she doesn’t want to, and it hurts her to lie to him, but she has to do this on our own. Not so much because of the lie, but because she feels responsible if anything were to happen to him.
Ash does keep insisting that he’s responsible for himself, and he wants to help her. Carol only reassures him she’s been on her own in a worse situations, she’ll be fine. Despite his convictions, he listens and agrees to guard the plane and get it ready for her return. Carol does say if she’s not back in two weeks to leave without her, but he refuses to do so, and she makes a promise she’ll be back. It’s nice to see one promise that can actually be fulfilled.
One of the funniest things about this entire episode was Carol and Ash speak more French to each other in a few minutes in France than we’ve seen from Daryl in almost the entire series.
And now the real journey begins
Off Carol goes, traveling the ruins of the sublime post-apocalyptic France. It’s quite a majestic seeing our Queen cross the historical landmarks of Paris.
One of the many things I love about Carol is her quick-witted intellect. She’s smart enough to know to hide in plain sight while stabbing a bag of corn on the back of an armored truck to follow its trail. There’s something badass about the way Carol eats her stolen apple while carrying her gun in the streets, ready for anything that might come her way.
From that moment on, she rolls up a large group of people who are desperate for food. Genet’s right-hand woman, Sabine is there to take volunteers. They will be offered the finest things if they come. Food, wine, beds, all the pleasantries in support for the return of order.
Carol tries to go her own way before she’s met with trouble, and it takes minimal effort to take the man down who grabbed her. Strangely, they like her guts and grit and put her into the back of a truck which most likely is headed to Genet’s compound.
Just when you least expect it..
Now that Laurent has been taken (again)Isabelle now decides to say yes to Daryl’s offer about going to America. Finally coming to terms with the fact that she cannot keep Laurent safe on her own. Perhaps a nice change of scenery could do her good, like it did for Daryl. As they wait on the tide to go down to return to the Nest, the two of them share a mutual kiss.
A strange inexperienced kiss if we are being honest. There was a lot going on, heightened emotion, adrenaline, and care that has grown between the two of them. I believe the writers were going for a big shock and awe moment, but with not enough build up it felt flat.
Daryl and Isabelle have had countless of mixed reviews from fans, to put it mildly, I think this is something David Zabel really wanted to sell. I just don’t know if the audience is buying.
There was some apprehension from Isabelle’s side, which is odd because she has on several occasions tried to control Daryl to get her way. But I digress, it was all for the betterment of Laurent. For Daryl, I think the two of them are a package deal, but now that Carol has set foot in France there’s very little chance that can be lasting.
By the end of the episode, Carol has met a man who’s just been separated from his husband. Neither have any idea where they are headed as Genet is cruelly torturing Codon. Stay tuned next week on AMC and AMC+ to see the showdown between Carol and Genet. It’s certain to be a battle of strength and canny intellect.
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About the author: Shay has been writing as a journalist professionally for years. Her most common topics to cover are dreams and horror but she looks forward to getting her feet wet with new and exciting genres and projects. @SaltLifeShay