Daryl Dixon visits grave of grandfather who died during Normandy landings in World War II during season finale of France-based spin-off series on AMC

Daryl Dixon found the grave of his grandfather who died during the Normandy landings on Sunday’s season finale of The Walking Dead eponymous spin-off series. 

The season finale titled Coming Home showed Daryl [Norman Reedus] completing his task of delivering messianic Laurent [Louis Puech Scigliuzzi] to The Nest for safe keeping in exchange for passage back to the United States.

Daryl along the way survived a gladiator-style battle against enhanced zombies and Laurent stepped up and killed his zombified father Quinn, played by British actor Adam Nagaitis, in order to save his aunt Isabelle Carriere, portrayed by French actress Clémence Poésy.

While repairing their vehicle en route to The Nest, warrior nun Isabelle shared with Daryl that her father tried to teach her how to change a tire and gave up after two hours.

‘Mine used to have us take apart engines. If we couldn’t put ’em back together, we got no dinner,’ said Georgia native Daryl referencing his abusive, alcoholic father Will.

‘That sounds hard,’ Isabelle said.

‘Yeah, it was …when he was around, which was hardly ever. He grew up without a father, guess history repeats itself if you’re not careful,’ said.

‘What do you mean history repeats itself?,’ Isabelle asked.

‘My grandfather died here,’ Daryl said.

‘In the war?,’ Isabelle said. ‘You never said.’

‘There’s not much to say. He enlisted, left his pregnant wife back home, my grandma, never came back,’ Daryl said.

‘He gave his life for France,’ Isabelle said.

‘Yeah, while his family fell apart back home. Hardly seems worth it,’ Daryl said.

‘Fighting for what you believe?,’ Isabelle said.

‘Wasn’t much of a fight. He never made it off the beach,’ Daryl said.

‘I’m sorry,’ Isabelle said.

‘Don’t be,’ Daryl told her. 

Daryl left without saying goodbye to Laurent after telling Isabelle that he had his own home to get back to after keeping up his end of their agreement.

He left The Nest and walked up the north coast to a vessel that would take him to England where he could find a boat to take him to Newfoundland,

Along the way, Daryl came across a tattered US flag waving atop a pole and upon approach walked up to a graveyard filled with white crosses.

He read a name of a soldier who died in June 1944 and then began moving around reading other grave markers.

Daryl after searching came across a white cross and cleared brush revealing the epitaph ‘William T. Dixon’ of Georgia who died in June 1944.

He stared at the tombstone for a moment and sniffled, before turning away and noticing a boat in the water nearby.

Daryl turned his back on his grandfather’s gravesite and walked toward the boat, but stopped and looked back for a moment before resuming his journey.

He yelled and waived his arms toward the vessel and it responded with a blinking beacon.

A group of walkers the emerged from bunkers and the brush and attacked Daryl who fought them off with hand-held weapons.

Daryl walked on the sand toward the boat, but stopped in his tracks upon hearing Laurent yell his name.

He looked out at the boat and then back over his shoulder at Laurent as zombies approached the boy.

The U2 song Seconds from the Irish band’s 1983 album War played in the background as Daryl was shown on the beach.

The show then cut to a bearded man riding a motorcycle on a country road with a muscle car pursuing it.

The motorcyclist after pulling ahead and stopping fired a shotgun blast into the engine stopping the car and told the driver to get out.

Carol Peletier [Melissa McBride] the emerged with her hands up and said she didn’t want any trouble.

She said she was looking for a friend named Daryl Dixon and the mane said he never heard of him.

‘That’s his bike you’re riding,’ Carol said.

The man claimed he found it and kept his gun trained on Carol as he demanded that she open the trunk of her car.

Carol pulled a weapon from up her sleeve and struck the man before tying him up and throwing him in the trunk of her car.

She pulled his gun on the man and demanded to know where got the motorcycle.

He claimed that he traded for it with some people nearby and gave Carol directions.

‘If you’re lying, I won’t be back,’ Carol promised as she slammed the lid of the trunk down locking him in.

Carol then rode off on Daryl’s motorcycle past a welcome sign for Freeport, Maine, with its population changed to ‘DEAD’.

Daryl first appeared on season one of The Walking Dead in 2010 as a recurring character but was upgraded to a series regular for season two.

A spin-off series focusing on Daryl and Carol’s character was originally planned, but she will be featured on season two titled The Walking Dead: The Book of Carol.

Production has started on season two and it is expected to be released in 2024.