The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 Episode 7 “Solaz del Mar” Recap & Review

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 is widely regarded as solid, with many viewers even calling it better than Season 2. Episode 7, "Solaz del Mar", proves why. Stéphane Codron returns, spotting the Rubik’s Cube that connects him to Daryl. It’s convenient for the story, but it immediately raises tension. Antonio is captured by Fede’s men and hung in a torture device. Carol hides in a truck to rescue him, disguised in a hilariously absurd way as “French mustard”!

These moments show the season’s willingness to balance danger and creativity, a point that fans of the season have praised.

Infiltrating El Alcazar

I liked how Daryl and Paz snuck into El Alcazar as masked workers for a fancy ball. The Spanish setting was much more beautiful and diverse than France, and the action sequences were awesome. Inside, Justina tries to get Elena to escape, but I felt for Elena because her young son keeps her tied to the palace. The puppet show with walker marionettes was grotesque and fascinating, showing the elite’s twisted cruelty. I also thought the villains were underdeveloped, but the scene still felt effectively creepy.

Chaos, Fire, and Rescue

The "matching ceremony" turns deadly. I liked how Justina cleverly manipulated her would-be captor while Daryl set the walker marionettes loose. The palace erupts in chaos, with the King and Queen of Spain killed and Daryl setting the building on fire. It felt a bit too convenient—there probably should have been more guards—but it made the scene thrilling and adrenaline-filled. Elena killing her husband Guillermo to save Paz was brutal, yet necessary. Watching Daryl and Justina ride off while Paz took the freed women and child to Barcelona felt satisfying and well-earned.

Confrontation in Solaz Del Mar

The lighthouse and town face more danger. Daryl hopes for a future for Roberto and Justina, even as he doubts his own. Ambushes, betrayals, and public executions test everyone’s limits. Some critics said the villains felt weak, yet the tension works because the episode never stops moving. Justina exposes Fede’s betrayal, and the townspeople imprison him, though she pleads for mercy. The reunion of Roberto and Justina is satisfying.

A Controversial Cliffhanger

The finale ends with Daryl and Carol trapped on a boat that explodes after Fede’s attack. Fans were divided: some called it a lazy writing, criticizing Fede’s teleport-like timing and the forced setup for another season. Others still praised Season 3 as solid, noting that despite pacing issues and contrived moments, the story and action deliver. Personally, I think the boat explosion is dramatic but clearly engineered to extend the narrative. The episode closes with Codron witnessing the flames as a Spanish cover of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” plays, a haunting end that leaves the future uncertain.

I give this season 7.8/10