Daryl Dixon’s Walking Dead Flashback Redefines His Relationship With Merle
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 6, “Contrabando”.
Daryl and Merle’s relationship in The Walking Dead was complicated to say the least, but a new scene completely redefined the brothers’ dynamic. Despite both characters being original to the TV series, they suffered entirely different fates as Daryl remains a key survivor, whereas Merle met his demise towards the end of season 3.
Norman Reedus’ impressive Walking Dead acting record has seen him play Daryl Dixon every single year since the televised universe began, proving his value to the franchise. He has even become the most important person in AMC’s adaptation outside of Rick Grimes, resulting in him getting his own spinoff show, which continued to develop his backstory.
As a result, viewers finally gained more insight into his childhood with his brother, and the results were surprising. Following Merle’s haunting Walking Dead death, the franchise brought him back through a flashback sequence in Daryl Dixon season 3, which proved the divisive figure always had a good side deep down, at least when it came to his family.
Daryl Dixon Season 3’s Latest Flashback Proves Merle Tried To Protect Daryl
Merle (Michael Rooker) talking to Daryl (Norman Reedus) on The Walking Dead.
Considering Daryl and Merle fought side-by-side in season 3 while attempting to escape Woodbury, it was already implied they had each other’s back, but Daryl Dixon proves their bond goes much deeper. Throughout season 3 of the spinoff, Daryl has been having brief flashbacks, with episode 6 finally providing a more detailed payoff.
The franchise previously suggested that their upbringing was abusive, and it turns out Merle helped protect his younger brother from their father’s violence, according to these flashbacks. Alongside telling Daryl to run, Merle calmly states, “Don’t you worry about me, I can take it, alright?“
Given how confrontational and unapologetic he was when the series first started, many will understandably be surprised by Merle’s childhood heroics. Seeing The Walking Dead display young versions of Daryl and Merle was already unexpected, but watching the latter step up as a big brother changes their entire relationship.
It explains why Daryl was so eager to find his sibling in season 1, despite everyone thinking negatively of Merle, as although they didn’t always get along, they could at least rely on each other when it mattered. Thankfully, this new scene helps reveal just how much love there was between them, adding even more emotion to Merle’s death.
Merle’s Backstory Proves Why He’s One Of The Walking Dead’s Most Compelling Characters
Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon with wounds on his face and pointing his modified hand towards the camera in The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 15 “This Sorrowful Life”
Whether you liked Merle or not, it’s hard to argue against him being one of The Walking Dead‘s most compelling characters. From starting as a seemingly irredeemable villain who showed signs of racism and self-entitlement, Merle managed to transform his reputation and salvage his humanity in a believable fashion.
He didn’t just change overnight, but thanks to a fantastic performance from Michael Rooker and some incredible writing, Daryl’s brother won over many viewers without completely abandoning his original personality. The addition of his backstory as Daryl’s protector further emphasizes that he does have a heart deep down, despite his childhood being filled with torment and trauma.
Michael Rooker first appeared as Merle in The Walking Dead season 1, episode 2, “Guts”.
By no means does it justify any of his actions, but his abusive household does make his behavior more understandable. Ultimately, he didn’t quite receive The Walking Dead ending many hoped for, but Merle will at least be remembered as a complex yet fascinating character who helped his brother become the survival expert we’ve all grown to love.
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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