The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon may not quite deliver an adrenaline shot to the heart of the stagnated Walking Dead franchise, but the new six-episode series is absolutely the television equivalent of a café au lait and a tarte tatin.

It’s comforting and familiar, with a European twist that brings an aura of classiness along with its light buzz. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is easily the best version of Walking Dead storytelling since the early seasons of the mothership. And, because it can easily be jumped into with little or no background knowledge, it offers the rare opportunity for the brand to welcome new or long-lapsed viewers.

As somebody who has found previous Walking Dead spinoffs to be repetitive and dull and who never was really the biggest fan of Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon character, I’m as shocked as anybody by this one: The Walking Dead:...