What if Carol doesn’t survive the Daryl Dixon spinoff?

You should hold off the preemptive ‘Caryl’ cookouts and firework celebrations at the beach… Because Carol’s return to the Daryl Dixon spinoff could be a way of writing her off for good. ‘Closure’. Like Carl and many others.

Before you immediatley dismiss the idea as pure nihilism, just remember… Where there’s doubt, there is no doubt. It wouldn’t be the first time you were disappointed and should it happen, won’t be the last.

Whatever contract negotiations were keeping Melissa McBride away from the Daryl Dixon spinoff have clearly been resolved. But it doesn’t mean Carol will be in for the long haul. It could be an Andrew Lincoln-style 1 season deal with the future up in the air.

Maybe the Daryl Dixon spinoff show-runners and writing team finally had enough of being asked about Carol… And they reached some kind of temporary agreement to have her return to silence any negative publicity online. Would it shock you? Probably not.

Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC

Carol’s name hasn’t been added back to the title of the series. The idea that she’ll be back full time for multiple seasons until Caryl comes to fruition is no less ‘a reach’ than a Carl-like end.

Caryl is akin to dangling candy at the end of a fishing rod while ‘shippers chase it on a never ending treadmill. The real money is in making Caryl fans believe it will happen if they watch long enough. After it happens, the natural writing progression is tragedy unless you’re ending a series in the TWD universe.

Really, the best time for Caryl to happen was to end the mainline Walking Dead series. Even if Caryl did happen on the Daryl Dixon spinoff, it will inevitably be short lived. Because there is nowhere for the relationship to go but down after you write it, at least if you’re going for drama.

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 18 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC

Again before dismissing all this as heresy to the Church of Caryl… Recall Maggie and Glenn, Abraham and Rosita, Lydia and Henry, Negan and Lucille, Rick and Lorie, Shane and Lorie, Carol and Ezekiel, Magna and Yumiko, even Rick and Michonne are unofficially ‘split’ due to tragedy. Daryl and Leah… Could go on and on.

How many relationships fully survive intact longterm into sunset, honey, and flowers on The Walking Dead franchise? Very few.

Not to rain on anyone’s parade but be cautiously optimistic as a Carol Peletier fan. Any episode might now be her last without her name attached to the title.

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 18 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC

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Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Jace Downs/AMC

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Fan of Rick Grimes’ zombie apocalypse odyssey? Be sure to visit The Walking Dead section for the latest spinoff news, reviews, and exclusive interviews with the TWD cast.