Daryl Dixon returned to screens in the new season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and reactions from critics on Rotten Tomatoes have been negatively more positive this time around. Confused? In an odd twist, the second season of the show, which now has an even longer title thanks to its “The Book of Carol” prefix, has vastly improved on the 70% Tomatometer score that Season 1 achieved, yet most reviews agree that the new season’s opener has not been as strong as its predecessor.

The Walking Dead spin-off series debuted its second season on Sunday night, bravely going up against Max’s new episode of The Penguin. While the new DC series has been gaining almost perfect reviews, Daryl Dixon had something to prove with its first new episode – which it did by delivering an 89% Tomatometer score, a massive leap compared to Season 1. However, things are not quite that simple – like they ever are.

Season 1 of Daryl Dixon aired in 2023, and its “on the day” critical reviews were not all that positive, with the series gaining an aggregate of 61%. This improved over the course of the season, but not by much. In comparison, based on its first 9 reviews, Season 2 only has one rotten review, yet most agree that the first episode is not as good as what came before it. This includes Sarah Moran of Screen Rant, who notes that “Daryl Dixon season 2, The Book of Carol, doesn’t reach the heights of its first…” Meanwhile, Collider’s Shawn Van Horn adds that the show “like many episodes of The Walking Dead universe in the past few years, has its usual flaws…”

In all cases though, these and other reviews have one thing unanimously positive to say about the show’s returning main cast member after her absence from Season 1.

Daryl and Carol are Back Together Again…but is That a Good Thing?

The Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon was always meant to feature both Norman Reedus’ bike-riding survivor and his companion, Melissa McBride’s Carol. However, due to circumstances around filming, McBride was unable to commit to filming in Europe and was forced to pull out of the production. Although it was clear that she would return if the opportunity arose, there were no guarantees that Daryl Dixon would get a second season.

Despite that, the show was renewed before an episode had even aired, along with the Negan/Maggie spin-off Dead City. With Season 2 a go, McBride’s return was almost immediately announced by Carol’s name being added to the season title. This return is one thing that has been unanimously praised by all the positive reviews of the show.

“Together or apart, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are a tour de force in the exhilarating new season,” says ComicBook’s Cameron Bonomolo. One comment that probably sums it up perfectly comes from Radio Times’ David Opie, who adds, “It’s undeniably thrilling to see Daryl and Carol back together again, to see this spin-off become the show it was always supposed to be.”

While there have only been seven audience reviews so far, they are in complete disagreement with all of these statements. Five of the reviews rate the season opener with two stars or less, and several make a point that Carol should have been left out of the series entirely, as her return “really spoils what was established, and it’s a repetitive arc again.” Whether the season can turn this around as it progresses is yet to be seen, but with Season 3 already filming, it doesn’t seem like any of these reviews are going to matter one way or the other.

The Book of Carol – The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
airs new episodes each Sunday on AMC and AMC+.