Carol & Daryl’s Walking Dead Romance Looks Inevitable After Latest Hint
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 4, “La Justicia Fronteriza”.
Romance has been a constant part of The Walking Dead universe, with the franchise giving us iconic couples such as Glenn and Maggie alongside Rick and Michonne, but Daryl Dixon just dropped the biggest hint yet that Daryl and Carol’s relationship could turn romantic. The duo have been close friends ever since the main show’s second season, when Sophia went missing.
Despite being a bit of a lone wolf, Daryl selflessly searched far and wide for Carol’s lost daughter, eventually comforting her after learning her child had passed away. Since then, Daryl and Carol’s Walking Dead friendship has become a staple of the show, with the two developing great chemistry and constantly looking out for one another over the years.
However, while Carol and Daryl’s love in The Walking Dead has always been purely platonic, Daryl Dixon season 3 just teased the idea of them getting together. Given the circumstances, the playful scene could be little more than a moment of humor, but considering the series has hinted at them becoming an item in the past, a romance feels likelier than ever.
Daryl Dixon Season 3 Drops A Big Hint About Daryl & Carol Getting Together
Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) standing in a forest in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Fans have grown to adore Carol and Daryl’s inseparable connection, making the idea of them becoming something more extremely risky. However, it seems to be the direction the franchise is heading in if Daryl Dixon season 3 is anything to go by. While fixing up their boat, the duo was accompanied by Valentina and her group.
Given Valentina’s sailing experience, she offered plenty of assistance when it came to getting the ship fixed up, but it isn’t her only area of expertise. She also seems quite knowledgeable when it comes to romance and instantly assumed Daryl and Carol were a couple, seeming genuinely surprised to learn they’d never hooked up based on their chemistry.
Daryl’s “Nope” acts as a more humorous response to the awkward situation, but the fact that the spinoff has once again had strangers assume the pair were together doesn’t feel like a coincidence. Daryl and Isabelle’s Walking Dead romance in Daryl Dixon season 2 suggested the survival expert is more open with his feelings these days.
Likewise, the show has teased a relationship between Carol and Antonio in season 3, but it feels unlikely to last since the protagonists are destined for America. Therefore, this seemingly innocent scene could be planting the seeds for a romance that has been a possibility for many years, and it’s not the first time the series has toyed with this idea.
Daryl Dixon Season 2 Already Laid The Groundwork For Romance
Carol (Melissa McBride) shocked to see Daryl again in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Episode 4Image via amc+
If the recent scene with Valentina was a one-off, it would be easy to simplify the interaction as nothing more than a lighthearted joke, but given that Daryl Dixonseason 2 already set up a romance between Carol and Daryl, I’m not convinced. Shortly after their reunion, the two fled from the Nest and came across an elderly couple who offered them shelter.
Although their stay ultimately ended in tragedy, things were fairly wholesome when they first arrived at the couple’s home, and just like Valentina, the French survivors believed the protagonists were an item. Mixed with their warm embrace during their reunion and their old married couple behavior, it certainly felt like Daryl and Carol’s time in France was setting up something deeper.
Now, these themes seem to be resurfacing in their Spanish adventure, suggesting The Walking Dead isn’t about to let this possible love story fade away. Only time will tell if the spinoff continues leaning into this or not, but like many people in the community, I’m firmly against the duo getting together for a variety of reasons.
Daryl & Carol Really Shouldn’t Be A Romantic Couple
Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) happy that Laurent managed to escape in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Ep 6Image via amc+
The idea of romantic connections in The Walking Dead is great, since it shows there is still humanity in such a bleak world. That said, Carol and Daryl shouldn’t become a couple. Having been friends for over a decade in The Walking Dead timeline, the pair have always managed to maintain a special relationship without it ever getting messy.
They have frequently opened up to one another in a way they can’t with anyone else, while also understanding each other’s decisions, even if they don’t always agree. Throwing an unnecessary love story into their dynamic wouldn’t improve their bond in any substantial way and only leaves more room for things to go wrong.
Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are the only two actors to have Walking Dead appearances every year from 2010-2025.
Additionally, Daryl’s recent storyline with Isabelle means he doesn’t need to rush back into anything, and if he were to get together with an established survivor, Connie feels like a much more suitable fit. Carol’s history with Ezekiel also feels unfinished, and they were a strong pairing, meaning both Daryl and Carol have more natural potential partners already set up.
It isn’t even one of those instances where fans are desperate to see them together, as the general consensus is that their friendship is one of The Walking Dead‘s best and doesn’t need to change, proving there is no need to complicate an already great relationship by pursuing a love story that no one really asked for.
Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lennie James
The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as “walkers.” The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.
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