Th3_Mandalorian

merle actually wanted to be a good brother. he did. as much as it seemed like his only care in the world was how much of an asshole he could be, he really did care about daryl.

daryl and him were gonna rob the first camp together, so they could be on their own. together.

only reason merle stayed in woodbury was because he didn't have a reason to leave. daryl is the reason he was searching for. he didn't know if he was dead or alive. he couldn't know.

the minute he knew daryl was alive, they fought them woodbury walkers and left, then left on their own. when daryl wanted to go back, he followed. he wasn't gonna lose his little brother again.

when he saw those scars on daryl's back in season 3, i know the scene was set where we were to be mad at merle and side with daryl. but i saw merle's face, and that ain't just something merle can fake.

and those hallucinations that daryl was having. i know merle seemed mean but if my little sister was screaming those things at me, i'd survive just in spite so i could whoop her ass. <3

and merle, he knew how much this group meant to daryl. so he helped fight against woodbury. which ultimately lead to his death, but his last act on earth was for his brother. merle dixon cares about his little brother.

i know he's seen being a bitch to daryl, but come on. an older sibling's job is to be an asshole. i call my sister a bitch everyday, i tell her to die like once a week, but we love each other so much and i would do anything for her.

Michael Rooker in Rosewood (1997)

Daryl: Yes he does.

Michonne: Yes he does.

THEY. LEFT. MERLE. TO. DIE!

First of all, yes. Merle was high on some shit, he was being irrational, and yes he was putting the others in danger. I get that. He was being a stupid motherfucker and they had to restrain him because he was being psychotic and doing crazy shit. No doubt about that.

But they left him, guys. They left Merle handcuffed - HANDCUFFED WITHOUT A WEAPON AND HIGH OFF HIS ASS WITH JUST A FLIMSY DOOR TO BLOCKADE THE WALKERS - and abandoned on a roof with no water or shade to protect him from the sun. So he ended up stuck on a roof, handcuffed, high as fuck, and suffering from a heatstroke to boot.

Wanna know the kicker? He BEGGED them. Merle’s last words in the world are “I ain’t gonna beg” to the Governor. But he BEGGED T-Dog and Morales to help him, to get him out of there, to not leave him. His exact words are “Morales! You can’t leave me like this, man! Hey, T-Dog. No, man. You can’t leave me, man. You can’t leave me here… Not like this. You can’t, man. It’s not human. Come on, don’t do this.”

what i see primarly in merle (and what draws me to many characters) is that he is incredibly smart.

and i see someone who was abused so badly he ran away so he would not murder his abuser. a person who tried to get his life on track, but couldn't live in a world where he continued to be emotionally and verbally abused (b/c that's what the military does)

and when he comes home, he runs away with his little brother, who is certainly soft, and merle thinks the best way to protect his brother is to make his brother tougher. and he does this (still abuse btw) by belittling and tearing down his bro (also what military does), so that daryl will be stronger! he wants daryl to fight back. merle likes it when daryl stands up to him.

anyway, then merle, who's tried doing what he sees as the right thing, fails utterly and then becomes an addict.

which tbf is what happens to a lot of addicts. they are self-medicating underlying issues (in merle's case cPTSD).

and while merle does things that are wrong, I understand them.

The way Merle raised Daryl is exactly the way my brothers and i talked to each other when we were teens. And also the way my extended family treated us as kids.

Merle: *telling some shitty joke*