By: Kelly Kearney
This week’s episode finds Daryl and Carol drawn deeper into the escalating drama at Solaz del Mar, detouring their journey home and putting them at odds over how to move forward. It seems Carol has grown attached to Justina, Roberto, and his father Antonio, and true to form, those feelings are stirring up trouble in the Spanish town. While she refused to smile and play nice with Fede and Guillermo’s plans to exploit women in the name of tradition, Dary remained focused on his original plan: avoiding local drama and making it back home. Unfortunately, when Roberto’s worst fear comes true, their plans are upended, forcing Daryl and Carol onto a dangerous path.
Should We Stay, or Should We Go?
The fallout begins after Carol (Melissa McBride) challenges the morality of La Ofrenda. Guillermo (Gonzolo Bouza), the self-proclaimed ruler of Spain, bristled at her “modern American opinions,” during dinner the night before. The following day he turns his anger on Fede (Oscar Jaenada), where tensions rise even further when Guillermo learns that three of his men have gone missing. He accuses Fede of betrayal and threatens to cut all ties with Solaz del Mar unless the men are found. What Guillermo doesn’t know is that Daryl (Norman Reedus) already killed them and tossed their bodies into a walker pit.
As the search for the men begins, Daryl has a quiet conversation with Carol about their next move. He notices her growing warmth toward Antonio (Eduardo Noriega), and for the first time the two best friends disagree about going home. Carol wants to delay their departure and help Fede and the townspeople push back against El Alcázar’s La Ofrenda. Daryl, however, is weary of being dragged into other people’s battles—especially after everything he endured in France. He’s ready to put this European vacation behind him and make it back to Ohio, where he quietly hopes Laurent is waiting.
Reluctantly, Carol concedes, so Daryl and Roberto (Hugo Arbues) set out for the wrecked boat that first carried them to Spain, hoping it can be salvaged for the journey across the ocean. In the meantime, he tells Carol—whose shoulder seems to be healing—to climb up on Antonio’s roof and swipe a solar panel for the trip home. His mind is on hot dogs, and he urges her to focus on that instead of the drama surrounding La Ofrenda. Still, he can’t completely ignore the young lovers and their desperate hope of escaping the offering. Daryl might act like he doesn’t care what happens to Justina (Candela Saitta) and the other girls, but in private, away from prying eyes, he wrestles with what he knows is right.
On the way to the boat, Roberto challenges those feelings when he mentions a friend who might be able to help repair their ride home. As they pass El Alcázar guards searching for the missing men, Daryl plays dumb, suggesting the three probably got drunk and passed out somewhere. He knows if the guards uncover the truth, he and Carol will be dragged into another deadly confrontation.
Meanwhile, Carol spends the day with Antonio, who is still impressed by the way she stood up to powerful men like Fede and Guillermo. He admits he isn’t as brave as she is; unlike Carol, the villagers don’t enjoy the small privileges of being a mouthy outsider just passing through.
When Roberto and Daryl reach a lighthouse, they meet his contact: a ship captain who shares the young man’s hatred of El Alcázar. The captain—an attractive, gray-haired woman named Valentina (Irina Bjorklund)—greets them with a fishing spear in hand, testing whether Daryl is friend or foe. Through her telescope, she had seen the Americans wash ashore and jokes about their poor sailing skills, adding that Americans were always rude back in her line of work. Daryl isn’t sure how to take her unapologetic boldness, though by now he’s probably used to strong personalities, considering who his best friend is. A former cruise ship captain, Valentina is as outspoken as she is resourceful. She mentions her many connections—several of them romantic—that could help secure passage, for the right price. Short on gunpowder, she strikes a deal: if Daryl finds some, she’ll lend her aid. Before heading out, she kisses two of her lovers goodbye, then escorts Daryl and Roberto to her truck to inspect the battered ship.
Lights, Camera, Romance!
As the day passes at Solaz del Mar, Carol and Antonio’s bond deepens, with hints of mutual attraction as he changes her bandages. While he plays doctor and reminisces about his past in Barcelona, Carol—calling back to the original series—mentions that her friend’s brother had been living in the city at the start of the Fall. She means Rick Grimes, but never says his name, just makes the connection that opens the door to more conversation. She cautiously asks if Antonio was injured in the accident he mentioned that killed his wife and sent him and Roberto back to Solaz del Mar but Antonio shuts her down. He believes they already know each other well enough, and besides, she’ll be leaving soon.
Meanwhile, Daryl, Roberto, and the most sarcastic captain left in Spain, Valentina, inspect the ship only to discover the rudder is broken beyond repair. It can be fixed with a replacement from a similar vessel, but Roberto refuses to help unless his demands are met. His defiance catches Daryl off guard—he hadn’t realized the boy even had demands, and he has no intention of being pushed into a corner. Roberto, however, refuses to allow Justina to be forced into La Ofrenda, which immediately piques Valentina’s interest.
For his help, Roberto insists that Daryl and Carol allow him and Justina to escape Spain on the boat bound for America. Daryl shrugs it off, content to search for the rudder on his own, but Valentina steps in to say her piece. If he wants her ethanol and her truck to look for the part, he must agree to take the young lovers with them.
He has no choice but to agree, and while on their journey to find the rudder, Roberto and Daryl talk about the United States. New Jersey comes up, as does a musician Roberto knows of named, “the Boss.” As they drive past a statue draped with offerings, Roberto explains it’s a symbol of protection: locals leave tokens and prayers at its base to keep their loved ones safe. The ritual reminds Daryl of his own need to escape as a child, fleeing the pain of his abusive father. He understands Roberto’s desperation to run, even if he’s reluctant to get entangled in other people’s dramas. For Daryl, the sole focus remains Carol—and getting home.
Back at the town, Elena (Greta Fernandez) and Paz (Alexandra Masangkay) share a bittersweet goodbye in bed, knowing Guillermo could find them at any time. Paz lingers over the healed scars on Elena’s shoulder, but the young Queen tries to dismiss them, saying she fell from a horse. Paz knows better—they were inflicted by her violent husband and pleads with her to stay. Elena reminds her why she can’t and the women don’t dwell on it. They only have three days left together, so they choose to focus on love rather than the pain waiting to tear them apart.
Over at a graveyard of shipwrecked boats, Daryl and Roberto finally find a vessel with the part they need. As they are pulling of the rudder, walkers emerge from both the water and the ship itself. In the chaos, Roberto proves his bravery by diving into the water to retrieve the dropped rudder despite Daryl’s protests. Without it, no one is leaving Spain—so to him, the risk is worth it. Together, they fight off the dead and secure the part, keeping their escape plan alive. Afterward, Daryl pauses to honor Laurent, leaving the boy’s Rubik’s Cube at the foot of a seaside statue.
Cut to Antonio’s where Carol is stealing food and supplies. She notices him sneaking into the barn where the sounds of a wailing woman echo beyond the barn’s doors. Sword in hand, she follows, but Instead of a walker or a victim, she finds Antonio drinking wine and watching an old black-and-white film. Using the solar panel Carol plans on stealing, he’s built a makeshift theater and scavenged reels over the years with a young Roberto. Carol questions why he’d risk their lives for movies, and Antonio counters with irony: wouldn’t she have risked herself to save the Mona Lisa? (A sharp nod to Carol’s encounter with the painting in France.) For him, history only survives if it’s recorded and film preserves the world they’ve lost. He owes it to Roberto and the younger generation to remember where they came from.
Speaking of the younger generation, Justina spends the day sewing with her grandmother (Yassmine Othman), her thoughts consumed by the next Ofrenda. When she pricks her finger, she sneaks into her uncle’s office for a bandage and a piece of hidden chocolate. Inside his armoire, she stumbles on a devastating secret: five ribbons with her name on them, proof he has been shielding her from the selection by sacrificing others in her place. Horrified, she seeks out Roberto but instead finds Carol. Tearfully, she confides the truth—she cannot stand by while others, like Alba (Hada Nieto), are forced to take her place. Carol offers her trademark pragmatic advice, but it’s clear Justina has already made up her mind.
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A Sacrifice That Changes Everything
Over dinner, Antonio makes it clear he knows what Carol has been up to. She stole food from his storeroom, and he noticed her eyeing the solar panel. Calmly, he tells her he’ll help her get what she needs if she asks for it. Carol is caught and has no choice but to apologize for the deceit. He has shown her nothing but kindness, but when it comes to survival, her loyalty has room for only one person—Daryl. Antonio admits he looked the other way because she saved Roberto’s life, and when the conversation turns to Justina, Antonio speaks of her the way he does of Roberto. She is a good, kind kid, and he knows she must carry unbearable guilt, having been spared while others were chosen in her place. Though he would never tell Roberto, Antonio fears that guilt will drive her to volunteer the next time Guillermo demands a bride.
This puts Carol into panic-mode, recalling her earlier talk with Justina. She rushes to the girl’s grandmother to find her—but Justina is gone. Just as Antonio feared, she has offered her own name in place of Alba’s. Guillermo and his queen—whose heart secretly belongs to Paz—prepare to leave the village with Justina in tow. The missing soldiers are no longer a concern, as the ruler has secured what he came for: another young woman, sacrificing her future for the entertainment of a tyrant.
Now Daryl and Carol will be faced with a painful choice: do they walk away and continue their journey home, leaving Roberto and Antonio devastated, or do they risk everything once again to save Justina and do what is right.