The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 1 ending explained: What happened to Carol?

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 1, titled "Costa da Morte," premiered on September 7, 2025. Following the events of the season 2 finale, Daryl and Carol were last seen setting out under the English Channel on a journey from France to America via England. The episode kicks off with the two arriving in London in far worse shape than they expected.

Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 1. Reader discretion is advised.

The duo soon discovers that the Scottish couple likely lied to them, as walkers have completely overrun London. To make matters worse, there seems to be no one else alive besides them. This leaves the two devoid of options, forcing them to plan a dangerous rush through the horde, when suddenly, a light flashes through the window of the house they are squatting in.

Daryl and Carol soon realize they need to escape and, somehow, with a new friend named Julian, sail out onto the open seas, hoping to reach America. Instead, they are shipwrecked on the coast of Spain after a storm destroys their boat and leaves Julian dead.

Not only that, but Carol is badly injured, leaving Daryl to go out scouting for food and information. However, when he returns, he discovers that Carol has completely vanished from their shelter, leaving him panic-stricken.

---

Not even England survived the outbreak in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 1

A still from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 (Image via AMC+)

After listening to a Scottish couple in the season 2 finale, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 1 kicked off with Daryl and Carol crossing under the English Channel and arriving in London. However, what they expected was a serene city, a place in a world overrun by walkers that had somehow managed to keep the threat at bay and thrive at the same time.

That’s what the couple had told them, but instead, as they entered London, the two friends found something very different. They discovered a city completely overrun with walkers, with an abject lack of human presence, as they holed up inside one of the many abandoned apartments scattered across the capital.

Soon, they meet Julian, who confirms their worst fears: that England, and London in particular, had been hit hard and didn’t survive well. All routes into and out of the city had been closed, but that turned out to be the worst decision. Instead, Julian’s stories revealed a tale of despair, as things were initially manageable thanks to checkpoints, curfews, and measures designed to prevent outsiders from entering the island.

However, eventually, the country fell just like everywhere else, as the very route meant to stop people ended up trapping everyone inside with walkers. Not only that, Julian even hypothesized that he might be the last human being left in London, a startling revelation for Daryl and Carol, who had come searching for hope in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 1.

---

Costa de la Muerte hides dangerous secrets that will play a role in season 3

A still from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 (Image via AMC+)

After being shipwrecked on what seems like a deserted island in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 episode 1, life seemed to reset for Carol and Daryl, especially after London failed as a potential beacon of hope. However, with Julian dead and turned into a walker, and Carol injured, delirious, and feverish, their deserted island felt less like a step closer to home and more like a step closer to the end.

Things went from bad to worse when strange men wearing animal skulls as masks passed by their hiding spot, ransacking the ship for everything. The ominous signs continued into the next day as Carol and Daryl trudged through the jungle, discovering several sets of walkers suspended in nets hanging from the trees.

The two eventually found shelter, where Daryl treated Carol’s wound, and they bonded over their experiences thus far. However, the next morning, when Daryl returned from a hunting trip, he spotted a military jeep driving past and was forced to hide.

The jeep carried at least five healthy, armed men as they traveled along the island, completely unaware that Daryl was watching them. He eventually managed to return to their shelter, only to discover that Carol had vanished without a trace, setting the stage for a dangerous time on the island.

---

Interested viewers can watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 on AMC.