introduces a new young character, Laurent, who seems to be the focus of Daryl's mission in France. It turns out that , which raises a few questions about Laurent's purpose and how he plays a crucial role in the new series. A possible explanation for this companionship could be that Laurent is actually immune, playing into the "revival of humanity" words uttered in the trailer. With immunity being possible, Daryl has no choice but to protect Laurent to ensure he doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
In the trailer, Daryl can be seen traveling across France with Laurent, hinting at a strenuous journey full of variant walkers and new human threats. It's not clear where or who Daryl has to deliver Laurent to, but if he's willing to risk his life for a kid he's just met, then it must be for a serious reason like immunity. Similar to HBO's , where a hardened survivor must protect an immune teenage girl, Daryl may form a father-like relationship with Laurent because his priority is to bring the kid to safety. While the story of a grizzled survivor having to undertake a precarious and perilous journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape wich a child in tow is quite a well-worn trope,
has the chance to do something interesting with it.
confirmed that scientists made the virus in France and had already researched a cure. As audiences witnessed in the post-credits scene, a former researcher returned to the biomedical facility where the virus was born. After being shot by an unknown man, the researcher reanimated within mere seconds and attained an increased running speed and insane strength, which goes against the slow walkers in
. With this new possible variant, it's likely that Laurent was exposed to that type of virus and somehow survived.Judging by the trailer, Laurent and the convent haven't left France since the outbreak. If Laurent was bitten by a variant at an even earlier age, his young immune system may have adapted to the virus, creating his immunity. The sets up the next 10 years in universe, meaning it wouldn't exist if it didn't hold some significance for future spinoffs.
including Alicia and her mother Madison. In season 7, Alicia suffered from a walker bite on her arm and quickly cut it off in hopes of avoiding the virus, but she still experienced a crippling fever that convinced audiences her character was a goner. However, by some miracle in universe, Alicia broke her fever and survived. Gaining the curiosity of medical researcher June, she studied Alicia and hinted that she and her family could hold some rare immunity to the virus.
With this revelation in , Daryl Dixon's new spinoff could introduce the idea of a cure through a simple blood sample or laboratory test.
Certain families may have natural immunity to the virus without even realizing it, so there could be other survivors in the apocalypse who hold the key to humanity's survival. Laurent, being a kid with a younger, stronger immune system, might just be the beginning of a potential cure in . Having more children who are immune would make sense, meaning Laurent has the chance to protect his community and family from getting infected.
Laurent being immune in could change universe completely. From creating a cure that works to surviving the new variants in France, having a character with immunity can provide some hope in a dark world. If Laurent turns out to be immune and has a chance to make a cure with his blood, may have future communities that are safer and well-versed in administering a cure. Daryl Dixon can also relay the surprising news back to Commonwealth, giving other beloved characters hope for their future in a world dominated by the dead.
Although Laurent being immune is possible, that doesn't mean it will happen in
. What happens in the trailer is still up for debate, and Laurent could just be a character Daryl has to protect until he gets back to exploring the world outside of Commonwealth. , and it's clear that Maggie wants Daryl to understand why the dead are suddenly changing. Laurent being immune can be vital information for Daryl and his scouting mission. Immunity might be a big step in , but it's about time audiences witnessed a new emergence of virus-resistant characters like Laurent.
