“All the World’s a Stage (and Everyone’s Wearing a Mask)”
The finale opens with Codron’s (Romain Levi) return—an important character who symbolically ties together all seasons of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Yet he’s reduced to a mute cameo, as silent as a ghost. Why bring Codron back if he’s just set dressing?
“Solaz del Mar” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: GretaFernández as Elena, Gonzalo Bouza as Guillermo.
Photo Credit: Jorge Alvarino/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved
The episode continues with Daryl and Paz infiltrating El Alcázar under the guise of masked laborers—an unsubtle metaphor for faceless servitude. The Spanish King and his court watch marionette walkers dance, a grotesque spectacle that turns predictably fatal. Daryl cuts the marionette’s strings, unleashing chaos. It’s theatrical, yes—but the pacing undercuts the horror.
Justina’s Means Just. Fair.
In a franchise famous for thinning the herd, Justina, Paz, and Elena survive when statistically, at least one of them shouldn’t have. But this isn’t about realism—it’s about narrative intent. And in Justina’s case, survival feels less like plot armor and more like vindication. She wasn’t waiting for rescue—she was ready to fight, even if the timing was wrong.
From the moment she hides a knife in her sleeve, Justina signals she’s not here to be anyone’s pawn. Her failed attempt to stab her would-be husband wasn’t strategic—it was impulsive, even foolish. But it wasn’t weakness. It was proof that Justina refused to be passive.
“Solaz del Mar” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: IrinaBjörklund as Valentina, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon. Photo Credit: Carla Oset/AMC @2025 AMC Inc.
All Rights ReservedLater, when it counted, she didn’t just save herself—she helped Daryl save the other women in captivity. When they return to Solaz del Mar, Daryl orders her to stay with a wounded Valentina. She ignores him. Unarmed and acting on impulse, Justina strides into the crossfire between Daryl and Fede, her voice cutting through the chaos as she shouts truth to the town square.
“Fede lied to you!”
Her uncle stops shooting—not because he’s outmatched, but because he’s outclassed. Justina’s courage shames him into silence.
She announces that El Alcázar has been razed:
“I’ve seen it!”
“I’ve seen it!”
And when the town demands Fede’s blood, it’s Justina who draws the moral line: “If we kill him, we are no better than he is.”
“Solaz del Mar” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: Óscar Jaenadaas Fede. Photo Credit: Carla Oset/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights ReservedIt’s a moment of clarity no man in the story manages—not Roberto, who’s brave but reactive, nor Fede, who’s all bluster and manipulation.
Justina disarms the narrative, choosing vindication over vengeance. And let’s be clear: the narrative she disarms is the macho, bullet-riddled blueprint this franchise has leaned on for years. She doesn’t need a gun or a grimace to lead. She needs conviction—and that’s what makes her powerful.
“Solaz del Mar” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: Young Daryl inFlashback. Photo Credit: Jorge
Alvarino/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights Reserved
“Why Did I Leave in the First Place?”
Daryl’s existential monologue on the beach is the episode’s emotional aperture—opening up his grief, guilt, and longing. He confesses to Carol that running has become reflex, a “bad habit” he’s afraid he can’t break.
“I’m scared that when I get home, I’ll hear that voice again… telling me to go.”
Carol offers emotional refuge—a hopeful response meant to anchor Daryl:
“Maybe you won’t. Maybe it’s safe to go home and stay.”
She’s not trying to steer Daryl toward virtue—she’s trying to steady him, to offer the hope that he can finally stop drifting. Despite the tenderness between these two old friends, the moment leans on contrived emotional shorthand rather than delivering catharsis. It fails to illuminate the scattered flashbacks, which never coalesce into a coherent arc.
Flight, Fire, and Plot Armor
Fede’s escape from lock-up and vengeance arc plays like a last-minute sprint. His mother’s guilt is weaponized, the boat catches fire (because of course it does), and Codron sees the flames—an unsubtle beacon for Season 4.
“Solaz del Mar” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: YassmineOthman as Marga. Photo Credit: Carla Oset/AMC @2025 AMC Inc. All Rights
ReservedThe fight choreography is fine, but the emotional stakes are dulled by the plot armor wrapped around every major character. El Alcázar, once framed as a fortress of power, collapses in minutes. Fede is brought to heel by Daryl’s ragtag band of refugees from Solaz del Mar. It’s not a climax. It’s narrative housekeeping with pyrotechnics. And frankly, it’s ridiculous.
“Hurt” in Spanish: A Score Worth Saving
The music, finally, hits a nerve. The Spanish rendition of “Hurt” is a rare moment of poignancy, echoing the emotional dissonance of characters who survive but don’t heal. It’s the kind of sonic storytelling the flagship shows once mastered—reminiscent of Ben Howard’s haunting track “Oats in the Water,” featured in Season 4, Episode 5 of The Walking Dead, titled Interment.
“Solaz del Mar” – THE WALKING DEAD DARYL DIXON, Pictured: MelissaMcBride as Carol Peletier, Eduardo Noriega as Antonio. Photo Credit: Carla Oset/AMC
@2025 AMC Inc. All Rights ReservedEverything, Everywhere, All at Once (Again)
Like The Ones Who Live, this finale suffers from narrative compression. Too many threads tied too quickly. The cliffhanger—Codron watching the flames—would’ve landed harder if it had been a face-to-face reunion with Daryl. Instead, we get resolution without resonance.
Final Thoughts
Did the finale work, or just cash in on franchise loyalty? Did the show actually build momentum for Season 4, or just light the boat on fire and hope for the best?
Overall Rating: 6/10
Lynette Jones
