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ALL RIGHT TIME TO EXPRESS MY UNPOPULAR OPINION.

As you may or may not know, I’m a huge fan of The Walking Dead. I love the gratuitous zombie slaying, I love the drama, I love the moral and ethical questions the show raises. Yes, they do a lot of things wrong and there are several sub-par episodes, but overall, I’m a huge fan.

In addition to being a huge fan of the show, I was also a huge fan of Carol Peletier, played by the lovely Melissa McBride. Was. I’ll get to that later. I rooted for her to finally be rid of her nasty husband, I cheered when she and Daryl became closer as friends (and maybe more?), I cried when she discovered that Sophia had been dead, in the barn, for most of season 2. Carol was always so caring, so gentle, yet so strong and such a fighter. I loved how the show proved that you could be kind and affectionate and sweet and in need of saving sometimes but still be such a badass. I think my favorite scene of her was when she practiced a C-section on a zombie. It was obviously disgusting and scary, but she handled it like a pro, because she knew it was the only way to help Lori. No one asked her to do it, but she knew it had to be done, so she buckled down and slit open the zombie’s stomach like it was nothing. I also loved her relationship with Daryl, especially how they took things so slowly and didn’t rush into romance like Glenn and Maggie. What struck me most about them was Carol’s ability to see the good in Daryl, and her insistence in reminding him that, time after time. In fact, Carol was probably the one person in the whole group who was able to truly at least try to see the good in everyone, even prison inmates. Still, once Season 3 rolled around, she had no problem standing up to anyone, be it abrasive Merle or leader Rick. Carol was awesome.

There’s that “was” again.

Because this season, we have seen a new side of Carol. This Carol is still caring and loving and protective, but she has closed herself off. She has taken “protecting” to a whole new level, a level that raises serious moral questions. Carol, in her constant quest to take care of others, has resorted to killing off ones she feels are threats to the group, even if they are in separate cells, removed from everyone else, even if they are sick and it is not their fault, even if they have loved ones who never got to even say goodbye.

You could argue that she made the hard choice, that she stuck her neck out and was doing what she thought was right. Even after 4x03, when it was revealed that it was she who had murdered Carol and David, I was ready to forgive Carol, knowing that she had made the hard choice, that it was what she thought was right. But then 4x04, aptly named “Indifference,” happened. And suddenly, I felt a bit sick.

Carol had no guilt for what she did. None at all. She didn’t care that she had taken two lives. It didn’t weigh on her one bit. In the flashback, we saw how casually Carol smoothed back Karen’s hair, then dug a knife right into her neck. When she tried to discuss the killings with Rick, she was so blunt and nonchalant about it, you might think she was talking about grocery shopping. “I killed two people,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Aren’t you going to say something about it?” And that bothered me. A lot.

But what bothered me most was the way Carol dealt with the two kids she and Rick picked up on their run. We saw the capable and caring side of Carol when she popped the boy’s shoulder back in, but that was quickly replaced by the cold, calculating side. Rick, seeing that the boy obviously had a bad shoulder and the girl had a bum leg, figured it best if the pair stayed back for an hour or so while he and Carol carried on. Instead, Carol insisted that the two come along to help. She’s not stupid. She knew they would not stand a chance out there. But she sent them out anyway. “You have to be strong,” she told Lizzy earlier. The two hippies? They weren’t strong. They were wounded, and hungry, and broken. They were weak. Rick saw this, but he also saw their resourcefulness (raiding the greenhouse), their work ethic, and their ability to work as team, not to mention how sweet and grateful they were. He saw them as valuable human beings. Carol saw them as weak, as burdens. And when they discovered the bloody carcass of the girl, Carol barely glanced at it and began to move on with the apple-picking like it was nothing, and I began to wonder if Carol planned for this all along. And when the boy did not return from his little venture, Carol just shrugged and got up to leave, lamenting the loss of the watch she had given him hours earlier.

At this point, I was horrified. Carol did not care that the two teenagers had died. In fact, it seemed like that was exactly what she wanted. Rick understood this, and he saw Carol for what she was: volatile. Unpredictable. Dangerous. She constantly had to take matters into her own hands and make drastic, and often needless, decisions. He did not trust her with his children, which probably freaked him out because she had spent a lot of time taking care of Judith last season. He was probably imagining Carol doing what she had done to Karen to his baby daughter. And that probably really scared him.

And at first, I thought that Carol’s antics were really out of character. I mean, the woman I knew would never think to murder another human being. What the hell was this? But as watched the episode again, references kept being made to her abusive husband and Sophia. And I realized something: Carol never thought of herself as strong, not until this season. We as the viewers recognized her strength, but she didn’t, not until she was wielding knives and encouraging young girls to kill their own fathers. She thought that she was weak because she lived under the thumb of a horrible man. She thought that she was weak because she couldn’t protect her daughter. She didn’t feel strong when she was kind to others. She felt strong when she killed the ones she thought were a threat, when she taught children how to fight. Her murders weren’t just about “protecting the group,” but about power. She only truly felt powerful when she was on the offensive, when she was the one attacking. And this is probably because she lived in a situation with her husband where she was constantly on the defensive, then transitioned into a world where she has to always defend herself from the dead that walk the streets. I do not think it was a coincidence that she gave Rick her old watch from her abusive husband, telling him she finally felt strong, after directly killing two innocent people and sending two more to their imminent dooms. She had done it. She had proved she was strong, at the cost of other people’s lives. Rick knew that she now understood how far her strength went, and knew that she would be able to do what it took to survive. He also knew that he could not keep her secret from the rest of the group, and he knew that there was a high chance she would kill again. So he sent her on her way. And even though Carol initially defended herself, she soon changed her mind and went willingly. Carol didn’t want to defend herself anymore. She was done with that. She was ready to take, now, instead of giving.

That is why I think Rick made the right decision. I think that Carol had to go, for her own good and the good of the group. Rick is a leader at heart, and at the end of the day, he has to do what’s best for the group. Carol believed she did what she did for the sake of the group, too. But it was rash, it was violent, it was fruitless. The virus still spread. She could no longer be trusted to take care of anyone anymore. She was a liability. She was a killer. In both situations (Karen/David, and the two teenage hippies), she acted without consulting anyone else, and she acted at the expense of other people, the people she perceived as weak and disposable and possible threats. Rick, in the interest of preserving the hard-won safety and stability of the group, which includes his two children, had to send her away.

Many people are hoping that Daryl will go after Carol, due to their bond. I do not think this will happen. I think once Daryl knows what she did, he will not be able to love her the way he might have. There are a lot of things that Daryl doesn’t like about himself, but he has never killed another person. I do not think this is something he will be able to forgive.

And I guess this has been a long time coming, too. Wasn’t it Carol who suggested that Andrea have sex with the Governor, then kill him in his sleep? In a deleted scene from last season, she threatened Merle to his face. Carol has always wanted this, wanted to be on the offensive, to be in control of her destiny.

Hehe you asked for it. I’m gonna drop bullshit from the first half of s3 here:

- They really chose a 12 yo boy over grown women to raid the house wtf

- Carl’s crush on Beth is fucking adorable

- “While the others wash their panties let’s go hunt” Daryl darling you need to scrub your ass too

- Rick might have been a bit of a control freak in this era but at least he’s putting himself on the line over the others

- Carol almost shooting Rick bit being totally unbothered by it is hilarious

- Noticed that Daryl always keeps his distance but is always following Carol

- BACK RUB SCENE. Daryl providing physical contact and low-key also surprising himself with it is so adorable. The flirting, the innuendos *chef kiss*

- Daryl and Carol have a healthier relationship than Rick and Lori at this point. And they DEFFO sleep next to each other around the fire every night they were in the road

- The prisoners were wasted tbf. I wish they kept Oscar around as part of the main group for a few seasons. He could’ve shown the audience that not all people in prison are evil.

- Daryls obsession with not sleeping in a cage is deffo routed in trauma. He probs got locked in places as a kid

- Beths unflinching optimism / naive outlook is so pure and I love her. Damn 14 year old me for hating her

- “Not for one second do I think you have malice in your heart” YES LORI IF THAT DOESNT SUM UP RICK GRIMES IDDK WHAT DOES

- Twd really said “wow maybe we need more POC in our cast” and while they had the right sentiment they probably shouldn’t have made them all prisoners either :///

- Also Daryl taking the lead with the prisoners and being the main one to talk to them / reason with them despite Rick being a police officer is great. Give me a fic where Daryl is a youth worker

- Beth putting Carl in his place when he goes off at Lori is strong woman supporting strong woman energy

- Loris death scene makes me sob. Maggie is a real trooper in this scene too.

- Omg Daryl when he finds Carols bloody scarf and think she’s dead after they see T dogs body. He’s heartbroken that he thinks he’s lost one of his only genuine friends.

- Rick finding out Lori is dead is heartbreaking but I’ve seen too many memes of that scene to not laugh.

- Rick goes insane and Daryl immediately steps up. “Nope we’re not losing another one. Not her.” Organising a run. Pulling Beth aside to tell her to watch over Carl. We really see his leadership jump out real early.

- If Maggie wasn’t in a relationship with Glenn from the get go people would’ve shipped her with both Rick and Daryl

- Daryl seeing the “sofie” hand hurts. He really thought he was going to be the one to bring Sophia back. He believed she was alive

- DARYL WITH BABY JUDITh calling her ass kicker and sweetheart… bro my heart can’t take it. Also interesting when Carl suggests names he chooses Sofia and Carol first and the camera is focused on Daryls face.

- Daryl visiting carols grave at sunset and gently placing a Cherokee rose down and tenderly touching the cross is enough to make a grown man cry. He is deffo confused with what his feelings are and why he’s so upset that she’s gone here

- Daryl telling Carl how he was allowed to play out with other neighbourhood kids when Merle was gone and they chased a fire engine on their bikes and it ended up going to his house and his mom was dead / burnt down. Heart breaking. Trauma bonding over dead moms

- Give Daryl a child 2020 (jokes in s10 HES a chaotic sigle dad of 3)

- Daryl finding Carol knife HURTS. His voice is so wobbly and he’s so angry and he keeps the knife and he sits stabbing at the floor working himslef up to put her down. THEN HE FINDS HER ALIVE AND HOLDS HER CHIN AND CARRIED HER BACK HES A HERO

- Michonne and Rick locking eyes murderouly through the fences like damn what a way to kick start a romance

- Carl was the first to help Michonne my heart. And the way Rick hauls her over his shoulder with ease BRO… then he pours water over her boobs? Not sure why but hey I don’t question true love

- Daryl is so dramatic “hey Rick, come in here” “everything alright??” “You’re gonna want to see this” *leads everyone to carol*. He couldn’t just tell them he found her alive. I love his dramatic ass

- RICK AND CAROLS FRIENDSHIP IS everything. Also I’ll forever be salty about how we never got more of carols reaction to loris death

- Daryl calling Carol a POOR THING when he explains to everyone. Sir you are tender

- Michonne calling Maggie “the pretty girl” then one breath later calls the govener “pretty boy” is massive bi wife energy

- Rick and Daryl threatening Michonne like they won’t be tripping over themselves to lay down their life for her come season 9

- I fucking hate Merle so much. But he can’t comprehend that the group will be there to save them. He just doesn’t understand how to care for other people

- Daryl and Oscar could’ve been great friends

- Rick leaving 12 year old Carl in charge of the prison A* parenting

- Milton is the token chaotic gay scientist of twd change my mind

- The governor can rot in hell for what he did to Maggie I hate him

- Daryl sees a dead dog and makes a lassie joke? I’m sorry but this man is so funny

- Maggie said “men always have been and always will be trash”

- Axel being sleazy around Beth after Beth tells him she’s 17 and Carol immediately swooping in to protect her is PEAK MOMMA BEAR ENERGY.

- Okay but their heist to get glenn and Maggie back was elite

- The conflict on Daryls face when he realises Merle is around and his deperate voice when he’s asking Rick if he can go find him hurts my HEART

- RICK TELLING DARYL “I need you. Are you with me?” And Daryls soft “yeah” voice THAT IS THE MOMENT DARYL REALISED HE WAS APPRECIATED.

- OSCAR DESERVED BETTER. RIP KING

- Carl and beths friendship is underrated.

- Gov really thinks penny is still in there huh

- Everyone referring to Carl as “the man” is hilarious but also so concerning

Or what if Lydia already knows!?

Lydia descends the staircase, surprised to find Daryl waiting for her at the bottom.

Daryl: She okay?

Lydia: You could ask her yourself.

Daryl stares past her longingly, but doesn’t make a move.

Lydia: Look, she’s not going to come to you first. She’s afraid to.

Daryl: She said that?

Lydia: She thinks you want nothing to do with her anymore.

Daryl: That ain’t true.

Lydia: Then tell her what is. Why do you keep trying to hide it?

Daryl looks at her blankly.

Lydia: You know what I’m talking about. I see it on your face. You love her, right?

A beat. Then…

Daryl: How’d you know?

Lydia: Because I’ve seen that look before. On Henry. And I’d do anything to see it again.

Another one of those ten minute little fics of mine.  Unproofed and a little rough around the edges, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.  Some adult language.  Nothing else real objectionable.  I hope.

Post Season 10, when shit is finally starting to settle and Carol and Daryl are making a home with the Grimes babies, Lydia, and Dog after the Whisperer War.

“This is your fault by the way,” Daryl grumbles. 

  Carol merely lifts an eyebrow at him, smiles at the sour face he’s trying so very hard (and failing) to pull.  “How you figure that?  It’s not like I twisted your arm.” 

  “Sure you didn’t.” 

  “Your idea to play with them.  Said they were missing their mom and besides.  Board games are boring.  You said that.” 

  Her smile morphs into a sly smirk as she flexes her fingers on the big red dot it’s braced on and she huffs out a laugh that flutters against his lips.  “So?”    

  Quite unmistakably, Daryl shudders and his shoulder starts to tremble from the awkward position his left hand is currently in—somewhere behind him and close enough to her right hand that their pinkie fingers keep brushing.  That little spark of constant contact has his skin buzzing and this throat growing progressively drier.  “Figured you were talkin’ ‘bout Monopoly.  Not fuckin’ Twister.” 

  “Twister usually is boring.  What can I say?” 

  “Enjoying this way too damn much,” Daryl grunts, feeling his foot start to slip from where it’s at, the green dot right next to hers.  He still can’t figure out what the hell he was thinking, agreeing to this bullshit.  Board games ain’t never been his style.  Then again, neither has playing surrogate daddy, but here they are, spending their rare day off playing Twister of all fuckin’ things while rain pelts lightly against the living room window and Rick’s little shit offspring giggle at their predicament.  And what a fine predicament it is.  From his prime vantage point, all he can see is fair skin and freckles.  He doesn’t want to risk getting caught sneaking looks down the gaping collar of that shirt of hers so he fixates on her collarbones and holy fuckin’ hell.  Maybe he’s enjoying this a little bit too much too.  He tears his gaze away only to find blue eyes dancing at him and stammers, “Sorry.  You say somethin’?”          

  Carol grins down at him and shrugs and the unconscious gesture almost makes her lose her balance and the game.  Though really.  At this point, she figures she’s already won.  “I said, so what if I am?  That a crime, Mr. Crossbow?  I always did prefer being on top.” 

  Daryl groans.  “Stahp.  Ain’t gonna last much longer if you talkin’ and teasin’ like that.” 

  “No talking or teasing.  Got it.”

  “Don’t mean it like that,” he says without thinking.  Soon as the words leave his mouth that damn eyebrow arches again and those dancing blue eyes take on a twinkle so wicked the Sahara that is his throat goes impossibly drier so that all that emerges when he tries to backtrack is something that he doesn’t recognize as human.  Across the room, Dog actually whimpers in response and Judith’s and RJ’s giggles temporarily fade. 

  “So,” Carol murmurs.  “Some teasing’s okay?” 

  Goddammit.  His arms tremble a little harder and he almost comes out of his skin when he feels her knee brush against his thigh when she subtly shifts her weight.  She’s so fuckin’ competitive though—not willing to give an inch.  So his torment, as it is, continues.  Next time, if there every is a next time, he’s gonna be on top.  Even if he has to cheat.  Ain’t like Junior over there knows how to read enough to tell the difference.  Speaking of, “Whose turn?  Whose…sonuvabitch.  How long they been gone?” 

  “A minute.  Maybe two.  You used to be so ob…Daryl!  What are you…”

  His aching muscles sigh right along with him when he’s finally, blessedly flat on his back and she’s braced over him.  Her nose crinkled up with indignation is about the cutest damn thing he’s ever seen and those tiny silver curls, loose from their frayed braid and kissing the curve of her neck the prettiest.  Well, ‘xcept for her eyes, staring down at him in amused, affectionate wonder.  She curls her palm around his cheek, and he kisses the thumb that traces the curve of his mouth without conscious thought. 

  “Daryl?” 

  It’s been months since he finally said those words.  Since he spelled it out for her, told her exactly why it never was like that, why it never could have been, and still.  Something’s been holdin’ them back.  He’s been waiting for her to meet him halfway.  “Pretty romantic.”

  Her smile smooths into something sad for the briefest of seconds and her eyes glisten bright.  Tears spike her lashes as they flutter against her cheeks and her other hand joins its twin and cradles his face.  The soft smile she gifts him with grows in brilliance until it eclipses the sun starting to peek through the clouds outside.  “I thought you’d never ask.” 

  “Pfft.  Mean all I had to do was…” 

  “Daryl.” 

  “C’mere.”  Barely thirty seconds into the best kiss of his life, the front door bursts open, and he’s growling against Carol’s grinning lips. 

  “Hey guys,” Lydia exclaims.  “There’s this huge rainbow outside and…oh.  Um, are you two screwing around?  Oh, God.  Yeah.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  I’ll just…forget I was even here.” 

  Just as quickly as she’d arrived, Daryl’s very own adopted offspring makes herself scarce and Carol’s laughing outright.  “Like father, like daughter.  Observant.”    

Season 2

Daryl stepped up in the group and helped Carol by looking for Sophia

Daryl found a Cherokee Rose, thought to himself, Carol might like this and it might help her, and gave it to her and with it, the lovely message that came with it

Risked his life finding a lead on Sophia, with Carol kissing him and telling him he did more for Sophia that day than her father did his whole life. Oh… and she KISSES HIM.

If Sophia was found alive, you bet your ass Daryl would have been a surrogate father to Sophia and helped protect and teach her how to survive.

Daryl and Carol had a fight but Daryl brought Carol to a field of Cherokee Roses to apologize.

Daryl was there for Carol and held her tight and close when Sophia came out of that barn and Rick had to shoot her.

After Sophia’s death, Daryl went to Carol in the RV and sat in silence, knowing she needed someone but would let her talk if she wanted too.

During the meeting about Randall, Daryl came inside the house and was staring at Carol.

DELETED SCENE: After Daryl tortured Randall, Carol came to Daryl to remind him that he’s not like that, that he’s a good person just as much as Rick.

When the entire group left Carol behind, Daryl stuck around the farm and rescued Carol from the herd.

When Rick chose for the group to stay in the camp, Carol thought Daryl should be leading and asked what he thought about all of it.

Season 3

Rick Grimes, the King of Ships, sent Carol and Daryl together in one of the watchtowers to fight the herd.

That SCENE where Carol brought Daryl dinner in the bus and talked about how romantic it was, with Carol wanting to “screw around” and checked out Daryl’s ass.

When the gang found T-Dog’s body and Carol’s scarf next to it, he grasped it and thought the WORST.

DELETED SCENE: WHERE THE HELL IS THAT SCENE OF DARYL TALKING TO MAGGIE ABOUT CAROL AND WHAT SHE MEANT TO HIM.

After that whole day, Daryl put a CHEROKEE ROSE on her grave and held her cross. 

When Daryl killed that walker, he found Carol’s knife in its throat, knew it was hers, and was TEARING UP and FEARING THE WORST.

Daryl sitting in front of that jail cell with Carol’s knife, banging it against the wall, and ready to face Carol’s reanimated body only to find her alive. He CARESSES her face and does a damn gallivant knight-in-shining-armor walk, carrying his damsel back to C-block.

Telling Rick, super excited, that their Carol is back.

When Daryl wants to leave the group with Merle, Rick and Glenn’s first response is “What about Carol? What do we tell her?” And surprise-surprise, Carol is distraught when she learns from Rick that Daryl left.

And when Daryl returns, Carol comes to his cell and tells him she’s glad he’s back.

DELETED SCENE: Carol goes to Merle, and while understanding he’s Daryl’s brother and means a lot to him, Carol warns Merle not to turn Daryl into something he’s not, or to hurt Daryl and the group, or else she will kill him. And Daryl WATCHES. P.S. Merle can’t help but appreciate being threatened by Carol.

After Merle’s death, Carol tells Daryl it’s going to be okay and she holds Daryl’s hand.

Season 4

Daryl and Carol outside the courtyard at breakfast, when Daryl’s adoring fan comes, Carol says, “Just so you remember, I loved you first.”

Carol and Daryl make rounds outside together, and initiating, “Sorry, Pookie.”

P.S. - Definition of Pookie: A term used for someone you go with or are married to.

Daryl and Carol going to each other asking if they were okay after the infection in the prison hit.

Daryl throwing a tantrum when he finds Rick banished her, and defends her honor, “That ain’t her.”

The fire that Daryl starts is a central image to Carol during the episode, “The Grove.”

Season 5

Carol goes Rambo when she discovers Daryl and gang are going to be butchered by Terminus.

Carol notices Daryl’s crossbow in the storeroom of Terminus right away and takes it.

THAT. DAMN. REUNITED. SCENE. WITH. CAROL. AND. DARYL. He hugs her, picks her up, twirls her, cries, puts his head on her.

Carol and Daryl guard the camp at night, and Daryl knows something happened with Carol and the girls, and tells her he is there for her.

When Daryl *tries to be a gentlemen about carrying the water and ends up dropping it. He’s flustered and Carol is like, this man…

Daryl catches her trying to leave with the car and doesn’t want her to go.

The WHOLE DAMN EPISODE of CONSUMED

P.S. It was originally called HEART DRIFT so jot that down

When Beth dies and Daryl kills Dawn, Daryl breaks. And who is the first to hold and comfort him? CAROL PELETIER.

When Daryl is mourning Beth, who goes into the woods with him, comforts him, and KISSES him on the forehead? CAROL PELETIER.

When Carol goes all Suzy-Homemaker, who is slacked-jaw staring at laughing? DARYL “YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS” DIXON

Who threatens Daryl with a shower in his sleep? CAROL “TAKE A SHOWER” PELETIER.

Season 6

When Daryl is out with Dwight, what flower does Daryl see in a mossy-walker? A flower that is not native to Virginia? A CHEROKEE ROSE.

“That was kind of a nice little Easter egg for me and Carol.” “Even the walker that I shot trying to get the crossbow out of that bag has a Cherokee Rose sticking on its back; it’s a little Easter egg. Every single little thing comes back. I wouldn’t be surprised if Scott knew that walker was going to have a Cherokee Rose way back when. He’s kind of a mad genius like that.” “Every little thing in this show plays later. There’s never wasted screen time on this show.” - Norman Reedus

When Jesus gives his compliments to the chef for the cookie, Daryl goes MAD DEFENSIVE.

When Daryl and gang find Carol and Maggie, Glenn goes to Maggie, his wife, and Daryl GOES TO CAROL. Hugs her, asks Carol if she is okay, and hugs her again when she says no.

When Carol and Daryl are burying Denise’s body together, she stares at him and realizes she loves him, but she is not able to protect him.

Season 7

When Daryl is reflecting on his life and his happiest moments, over HALF are with Carol.

The WHOLE DAMN EPISODE OF NEW BEST FRIENDS

Season 8

Carol sees a Cherokee Rose drawn next to her on the overpass.

95% of the promotional material, and the very first promo, for Season 8 is of Carol and Daryl, with official TWD accounds referring to them as a power couple.

Woodbury and The Prison were at war. The governor had taken Andrea hostage and was keeping her locked up somewhere, So Rick gave a speech to his group “The Governor wants us gone. DEAD. For what we did to Woodbury…we’re going to war”. Rick has Glenn, Michonne, and Daryl step up to inform everyone of what’s going to go down. 

Woodbury

Philip walks into a room and walks to the window behind him Andrea is tied up sitting on the floor 

“Any moment now, Your Highness

Believe me, I know, I’ve sunk pretty low

But whatever I’ve done, you deserved

(Philip!)

(Quiet!)

I’m the bad guy, that’s fine

It’s no fault of mine and some justice, at last, will be served

(Please, listen)” 

Andrea leans forward to try and get him to listen but he doesn’t want to, he looks at his reflection in the window, sees his missing eye, and thinks back to when Michonne killed walker Penny and took out his eye with glass.

“Now it’s time to step up or it’s time to back down

And there’s only one answer for me 

He walks over to Andrea, pulls out his Gun, and caresses her face with the barrel, smirking while doing so

And I’ll stand up and fight ‘cause I know that I’m right

And I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready

Ready as I’ll ever be”

The Prison

After throwing some ideas on how to defend their home Michonne steps up in front of everyone

“Now it’s time to rise up or it’s time to stand down

And the answer is easy to see

And I swear by the sword if you’re in, get on board 

She raises her sword in the air 

Are you ready?

I’m ready

 Rick chimes in looking at her with determination

We’re ready 

Glenn and Daryl join in

we’re ready

Everyone in the prison responds 

Ready as I’ll ever be”

Merle who is still on the fence about fighting Woodbury head to head knowing they got more firepower looks to Carol, the one person besides Daryl that could put him in his place, 

“Are you quite sure we can do this?

Merle questions her doubt heavy in his eyes 

Together we will guarantee”

She responds to him with hope filling her eyes

“I’ll make them hear me!

Philip says dragging Andrea out of the room ready to get revenge on Rick and his group 

 now it’s time to redeem or it’s time to resolve

Rick’s group was putting their things in the cars,

Prove they can trust me

Michonne cleans her sword ready to fight to prove that she holds no loyalty to the governor even if he did give her and Andrea shelter  

 and the outcome will hardly come free

The group is putting on the riot gear, ready to defend their home and hopefully save a friend

I’ll save my home and family

Carol looks out to the courtyard thinking about the group, the people she’s grown to call family, and little Judith who was just born. 

Now the line’s in the sand and our moment’s at hand

And I’m ready 

says Daryl loading his crossbow and getting on his bike 

I’m ready

Michonne sheaths her sword looking determined

I’m ready

Carol and Merle lock eyes and load their weapons, Merle putting the blade on his metal hand, Carol cocking her assault rifle  

Ready as I’ll ever be

I kept thinking about this, as I am forever obsessed with the inner workings of fictional people.

I think everyone (here) agrees that Wendy is not a big sister or mother to Peter. Peter is very aware that she is a girl.

As is Tinkerbell who is mad with jealousy.

So we all remember Daryl trying to hide his scars and his half naked self from Carol when he was lying in bed.

Then comes the big question:

What is the scope of Daryl's sexual experiences? In fanon we have virgin Daryl, some drunken hookups Daryl and demisexual Daryl. All of these have a lot of merit, and some of them can co-exist. Some people think him an asexual, but I think that is misreading him, as he is extremely private and shy, and like Peter he hasn't been ready.

In show canon we can only guess, but I think it's safe to say that any sexual experiences (before Leah) had been few. Not only is he shy and has low self worth, he has a back full of scars he doesn't (can't) explain to just anybody.

So, he has spent years watching and interacting with Carol, a girl.

Probably took him some time to even start to fathom his own (sexual) feelings and interest. When she makes an offer, wrapped up in half joking, he can't take it because he's not ready, but also he isn't sure if she truly means it. And if she actually does it's even worse.

They have a good, very flirty rapport from there on. You can certainly flirt without meaning it to go any further, but you don't flirt with family members. Think about that for a second.

Fast forward quite a bit, and Carol tells Daryl that Ezekiel has proposed. She is waiting Daryl to give her a reason not to. It's looking like he'll never be ready, and Carol (probably) thinks he doesn't feel like that about her. Carol, too, has her own issues with low self worth. Daryl doesn't stop her, and she goes with Ezekiel, to be a Queen, if even for a little village playing make believe. Daryl is just Daryl, how could he compete with a king?

When things with Carol and Ezekiel start to fall down, Ezekiel already knows.

He tells Daryl to leave so he and Carol can try to mend their marriage. When Carol asks how Ezekiel found her in the woods, he replies "This is Daryl's place, isn't it." If Ezekiel thought Daryl was a brother or, God forbid, a son to Carol, this would not have been necessary, or even crossed Ezekiel's mind.

(People who claim Carylers are seeing things always ignore in show evidence like this. It is written there.)

I'm not going into detail about Leah here, just to say that from a plot point of view she is an important waypoint to Daryl, even more so if we believe he was a virgin. The relative ease of Leah is that she is not a part of his community and no one knew or was watching him fumble.

So, we are coming to a situation where Carol has had a relationship with Ezekiel and while it didn't work, she had an experience of a man who isn't abusive like Ed. Daryl had a relationship with Leah, but it didn't work out.

Both are getting ready for the real thing. (If only they would talk!)

Also...remember Daryl sitting on the porch?

This time Daryl has grown up and he's ready.

Because Daryl Dixon has shown every*damn*body who his number one priority is this season.

He’s dropped wholeass conversations and pretended like people in front of him were all but invisible to meet Carol Peletier halfway on a dock when her ship come in and sweep her up in his arms and off her feet in the most exuberant and happily relieved hugs ever and essentially ignored the rest of the people loitering around because his vision narrowed strictly to her.

Right before that, he blew off discussions and scouting trips to investigate whether the latest big bad threatening the communities’ safety had returned in favor of waiting for her ship to come in and he continued to blow the whole situation off to get Carol alone for some quality just Carol and Daryl time.

Knowing the Whisperers were still out there, he still daydreamed of escaping to somewhere new and leaving everybody behind—everybody except Carol because she’s the only person he can envision actually escaping for and with.

The man made her a friendship bracelet and flirted and blushed in her presence like an awkward dork with a crush.

He expressly told Carol he needed her to stay.

He bodily restrained her from taking a second shot at Alpha when the bald baddie taunted her and he looked past any misgivings he might have had to tell her he believed her about the Whisperers nobody else had seen but Carol.

Before that, he came running when Carol screamed his name in that old school and fat chance convincing me he didn’t help carry her injured ass all the way to the same infirmary that he waited outside of like a worried husband.

He’s made her dinner trays with flowers, looking out for her physical well-being when she’s been lost in her ongoing grief and he felt powerless to help with it.  

His thoughts, this season, have rarely strayed from her and his eyes have been open and watching out for her because he wants to be her safety net while she’s been struggling so very much with Henry’s loss and her consuming need for vengeance. I mean, granted. Daryl Dixon is no fuss, no muss pretty much 24/7, but have y’all ever seen a man get his ass ready that quick to follow a woman without some kind of promised benefit to him? Yeah. Naw.

He did his version of getting the Dixon flirt on again when they were tossing acorns at a can—because they be cutely competitive af.

Daryl Dixon when teased by Carol Peletier about whether his budding friendship with a sweet and seemingly perfect fellow community member could be more?  Deadass told her with utmost seriousness and sincerity that it wasn’t like that—not at all.

And then proceeded to pocket the double capper acorn Carol gave him as a good luck charm right over his heart and later gaze at it longingly in the privacy of his own room.

Because it’s been 10 years, canon is coming and I want to take a minute to remember everything our OTP has been through.

"It’s a cherokee rose" -2x04

"I believe this one bloomed for your little girl" -2x04

"You did more for my little girl today than her dad ever did in his whole life." -2x05

"You’re every bit as good as them. Every bit" -2x05

"I can’t lose you too" -2x07

"Pretty romantic. Screw around?" -3x01

"Stay safe. // Nine lives, remember?" -3x07

"What do you want us to tell Carol? // She’ll understand" -3x09

"Daryl has his code. This world needs men like that" -3x09

"Until you found me" -3x11

"Just so you know, I liked you first" -4x01

"Sorry, pookie" -4x01

"That ain’t her" -4x08

*runs to Carol and hugs her for 30 seconds straight* -5x01

"Let’s start over" -5x02

"Want me to carry one of those?" -5x02

"You don’t know me. // Yep, you keep tellin’ yourself that" -5x06

"We ain’t ashes" -5x06

"I know you. You have to let yourself feel it." -5x10

"I’m gonna hose you down in your sleep! // You look ridiculous!" -5x12

"You okay? Hey, you good? Come here!" -6x13

"She gets hurt, she dies, she catches a fever, she’s taken out by a walker, she gets hit by a lightning... Anything, anything happens to her, I’ll kill you." -7x10

"Why did you go?" -7x10

"I couldn’t lose you" -7x10

"If anybody deserves to be happy, it’s you. I don’t like not seeing you, though" -9x01

"Need a ride, stranger?" -9x06

"You know, my mom, she says you’re her best friend. The one who’s always had her back, no matter what. She misses you. She worries about you. You can see that, right?" -9x07

"Just look at me, just look at me" -9x15

"What do you see when you look at me? // I see you" -9x16

"Did you miss me?" -10x01

"Best friend? What are you, ten? Should we have matching bracelets now?" -10x01

*proceeds to make her a bracelet that she’ll wear for the rest of her life, apparently*

"Just run away together?" -10x01

"I need you to stay" -10x01

*literally dreams about Daryl being her husband* -10x03

"Pink suits you" -10x03

"It’s a double capped. They’re good luck" -10x06

"I’m the one you tell. Me!" -10x08

"We have a future" -10x08

"We fight for our future" -10x09

"If I went through all the shit that you went through, I’d probably feel the same way. Unless you tried to stop me" -10x09

"Follow my light" -10x09

Judith ‘I’m not scared’ Grimes offering to help Uncle Daryl & Aunt Carol 

So with the little clip we were given of next week’s episode, Stradivarius, it has caused ideas to start sprouting in my head. This little scene came to me.

Henry is clearly shocked to learn that mommy has been hanging out with swamp man without his knowledge so I figured who’s to say that he didn’t think more was going on?

There is no actual Caryl in this scene. They are only mentioned. This is a conversation between Henry and Ezekiel. Henry is confronting dad about the strange sleepover with the woodsman.

“Dad?” Henry started slowly. The king looked up and grinned jovially.

“Henry! What is it, my boy?” Ezekiel asked in his usual flair. Henry didn’t answer at first. This was far more difficult than he had imagined.

“I need to talk to you about something,” he said with a turn down of his lips. Immediately Ezekiel sobered and a concerned frown took over his face. He approached Henry and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“What is troubling you, my son?” Ezekiel coaxed with a gentle voice. Henry swallowed and glanced at the ground. He needed the excuse to look away from his father.

“You know that friend of mom’s, the one with the crossbow?” Henry prompted carefully. Ezekiel’s frown deepened.

“Daryl. I believe he perished some years ago. It’s very odd for you to mention him now. Tell me what brought this on?”

Henry bit his lip at this new information.

“He’s not dead,” he revealed. The king leaned back in surprise at the comment.

“How do you know this?” Ezekiel asked seriously.

“I saw him. Mom and I stayed with him in his camp,” Henry confessed. The King’s gaze became more distant with every word Henry spoke. It broke, after a moment though, the bright smile returning to the boy’s father’s face.

“Your mother must have been relieved to find her friend alive after all these years.” Henry hesitated before he dropped the real bombshell. He wondered whether he should have confronted his mom first. There was no turning back now though.

“That’s what I needed to tell you. Mom knew. She knew he’s been alive this whole time. She’s been visiting him, probably all these years too.”

An awkward silence ensued and Henry avoided looking at his father. Maybe he was reading more into this than there was. He couldn’t shake the feeling he had though. The entire time he had been at Daryl’s camp it had felt as though he was intruding on a private situation.

“I think she’s sleeping with him,” Henry finally blurted out his secret fear. He watched his father’s eyes widen in alarm.

“That is a very serious accusation, Henry! Did you see anything to support this?” Henry saw the desperation in his father’s gaze.

“No but it’s just a feeling I got. The way they acted around each other. It was so intimate. It felt like I shouldn’t be there. He didn’t want me there, I could tell. He probably wanted to be alone with her.” Henry continued to confess his suspicion.

The king stepped away from Henry and crossed his arms. His eyes had become glazed and he looked deep in thought.

“Thank you, Henry. You’ve given me much to ponder,”

Ezekiel began to walk away.

“I’m sorry,” Henry said, apologising for the distress he had caused his father. Ezekiel did not respond at first but it came after a beat of silence.

“Cast it from your mind, my son. This is between the Queen and I. You needn’t trouble yourself.” With that said The king ascended the stairs away from his son in search of his beloved queen.

In TWD, female characters are unlikely to survive if their connections to blood relatives or romantic units are severed. Even partial destabilization of the family unit is enough to set the trend in motion - if just one blood relative dies on-screen then the odds of a female character dying increases. It’s a subtle but consistent trend. 

Take a look at the list below…

So, I said yesterday I would put up a longer post on the episode, and I can finally get on my laptop to do so…

I watched the entire episode, even though parts were boring, especially parts with walkers. I’m not a walker enthusiast to say the least. But this is mostly my thoughts about the scenes with Carol & Lydia, and Carol x Daryl.

Like, the episode opens with Dog whining and doing the little potty dance beside Lydia’s bed and he keeps snuffling the hand she’s got hanging off the mattress, her pillow covering her head (because Daryl and Carol kept her up all hours of the night–Carol’s room right above hers–trying to be quiet and failing because the damn springs of Carol’s bed kept groaning or maybe it was Ca…lalalalalalalalala), but she’s not having it.  She’s in an understandably grumpy mood herself so she whines and flops over in the bed, mumbling an apology that Dog doesn’t properly appreciate.  For reasons.  So of course he whines again and Lydia didn’t get that Dirt Daughter distinction simply by existing.  She earned it by being a fellow beautifully broken mess, the sweet one in her natural born family, and she whines right back at Dog but she throws the pillow off of her head and the covers back and pads after him in her sock feet as he scurries out the door.  

Only after she’s downstairs, after she’s let Dog out to do his business, does Lydia realize it’s raining.  

It’s soft and gentle and lazy, just like the gray day that’s barely gotten started outside.  It looks like not a soul is stirring.  It’s peaceful and for once, nobody has watch or lessons or anything of the sort.  Somebody’s on watch at the gate(s) sure, but it’s been quiet since the last of the Whisperers were defeated.  Vigilance is still practiced but it’s a relaxed sort of vigilance so curling up with a book doesn’t seem quite so frivolous.  So she lets Dog back in and does just that, picking up the book RJ had begged for Daryl to read to him just last night.  And the night before that and the night before that.  She doesn’t think anybody will mind her skipping ahead a few pages.  Besides.  Nobody else should be up for hours, considering the activities enjoyed in the middle of the night. 

Well, a few pages turns into at least a chapter or two, and she still has her nose buried in the book when she hears the stairs creak.  Dog’s ears perk up but he doesn’t even move from where he’s blanketing her feet.  He just stretches and settles back down with a canine version of a sigh, and that’s when Daryl stops trying to sneak back downstairs to the room he hasn’t slept in for a good few months and grunts an acknowledgment of sorts.  

Awkwardly combing his fingers through the scruff on his chin, he nods at the book in Lydia’s hands–Tom Sawyer.  “S’pretty good book.”  

Lydia shrugs.  “I like it alright.”  Daryl can’t seem to meet her eyes, which she’d notice if she could actually manage to meet his, but she doesn’t.  She does, however, dog ear the page she’s on and sits up to make room for him on the sofa.  Dog protests at the action but lazily rolls over to present his belly for affection when Daryl joins them.  

“Up awful early.”  

“Couldn’t sleep.”  

“About that…”  Daryl can’t muster any more words.  He’s too busy chewing his thumbnail, his cheeks aflame.  

Lydia’s not much better and RJ stumbling down the stairs, fists rubbing sleepily at his eyes, is a welcome distraction for them both.  

“Uncle Daryl.  I’m hungry.”  

Daryl huffs in mock surprise and an honest to goodness grin softens his stoic features.  “Your little ass is always hungry.  How ‘bout you?” he finally looks Lydia in the eye.  “You hungry?”  

Lydia’s stomach growls in answer for her and a shy smile twitches at the corners of her mouth.  “I could eat.”  

Before long, Daryl’s cooking up the last of the fresh eggs and Lydia’s slicing up a tomato.  RJ’s pouting at the drooping sprig of flowers he’d gifted Carol with earlier in the week before the sun packed up and went on a bit of a vacation.  Judith’s joined them and she’s setting the table, humming a few nonsense notes beneath her breath.  They all stop what they’re doing when they hear a familiar voice.  

“What’s this?”  

“We’re making you breakfast, Aunt Carol,” Judith pipes up.  

RJ trudges across the room, still a little sleepy, and glues himself to Carol’s side.  “Your old flower’s sad and I wanted to get you a new happy one.  But Uncle Daryl says I can’t because it’s raining.”  

“I see that.”   

The rain is no longer a slow pitter-patter.  It’s steady, falling in silver sheets outside the windows, and unprompted, Lydia finds and lights a few candles while Daryl dishes up the food for Judith to carry to the table.  RJ breaks away from Carol’s side to help his sister and Carol briefly catches Daryl’s eyes across the room and smiles.  

“Ain’t much of a cook,” he eventually says.  “Best dig in while it’s hot.”  

After, they feed Dog what little bit is left over, leave the dishes to soak, and retreat to the living room with their bellies full.