Daryl Dixon Season 3 Episode 6 “Contrabando” Recap & Ending Explained

Episode 6, “Contrabando”, pushes both Daryl and Carol into hard choices. It’s about what they’re willing to lose to save someone else!

Daryl in Barcelona

Daryl heads to Barcelona to rescue Justina from El Alcazar. On the way, he meets Paz, who knows the city’s streets and dangers better than anyone. She leads him to a hidden refugee group, mostly women who escaped ritual abuse. They fight walkers together, surviving on grit more than luck.

Paz learns her old friend Nerea died years ago and admits she’s still searching for her first love, Elena, one of the first victims of “La Ofrenda”. When Daryl says he’s “tired of loss”, you feel it, he’s fighting because he can’t stand losing one more person.

The Convoy Attack

Daryl, Paz, and a local named Laia plan to ambush Guillermo’s convoy. Killing him could end the sacrifices and free Justina. The convoy rolls through Ciutat Vella’s narrow streets packed with walkers, it’s pure chaos.

Then everything falls apart. Paz spots Elena inside the convoy. When Laia aims for Guillermo, Paz stops her to protect Elena. That one choice ruins the mission. Laia gets shot, Justina stays locked up, and the horde closes in. Daryl fires at the lock, but it won’t break. Surrounded, he has to let go of Justina’s hand as the truck drives off.

In that scene there was no music, no speech, just loss! a classic Walking Dead!

Carol in Solaz

While Daryl fights in Barcelona, Carol faces her own battle in Solaz. She discovers that Fede is poisoning Roberto, Antonio’s son. I think his motive was to hurt Antonio out of revenge, either because he’s always hated him for Maria’s death, or because Roberto might ruin Fede’s alliance with El Alcázar.

Carol sneaks into Fede’s office for medicine. When Antonio’s mother, Dona Marga, catches her at gunpoint, Carol pleads with her — mixing Spanish and English — and proves Fede’s guilt. Marga helps her, and the medicine saves Roberto.

Antonio then confesses everything. His obsession with filming a documentary got Maria killed in an explosion, and Fede’s been blackmailing him ever since. Roberto overhears, and suddenly the lie holding the town together breaks.

Antonio’s Final Act

Antonio hides Roberto in Carol’s truck, asking her to get him out. Before she leaves, he and Carol share a quiet kiss, not romance, just understanding.

When Fede orders Carol’s truck stopped, Antonio steps forward and exposes all of Fede’s lies. His sacrifice gives Carol and Roberto the time to escape.

The Setup for the Finale

Carol and Roberto drive toward the boat, waiting for Daryl. Daryl and Paz, bruised and tired, head deeper into Ciutat Vella after Justina.

“Contrabando” is an episode about love, loss, and the price of doing what’s right, even when it breaks you.