Carol (Melissa McBride) is one of the longest-serving and most beloved characters on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Perhaps it’s because of her relationship with Daryl (Norman Reedus), or because she’s a strong, emotionally rich character, but fans can’t get enough of her.
Or at least, some fans can’t. Speaking to TV Line, current showrunner Angela Kang remembered a time when the fanbase felt very differently about the character:
"When I joined the staff, one of the first things we started talking about was building Daryl’s friendship with Carol. Just for some fan history, one of the characters that we were getting the most requests to kill, like on social media and just out in the world, was Carol."
That sounds ridiculous now. Carol had a great run on season 10 that put her at the center of some of the best scenes the show has had in a long while. And much of the love has to do with decisions Kang made. In hindsight, developing Daryl and Carol’s relationship was genius. Many fans ship the pair, with “Caryl” reliably trending on social media whenever a new episode airs. The characters are even getting their own spin-off show after the upcoming season 11.
Kang saw the potential in taking her story in that direction when others were hesitant. “There was even pressure like, ‘Are you sure you want to put Daryl with Carol? That seems like a boring pair,’” she remembered. “And we were like, ‘We really think we can get something out of this that’s interesting and surprising.’ So sometimes, we take these creative risks, especially with Daryl.”
Carol and Daryl’s relationship is in trouble after the latest episode
In the latest episode, “Find Me,” the show twisted their relationship up. While looking for Rick’s body after he disappears, Daryl finds Leah (Lyn Collins), a mysterious woman who lives in a small cabin in the woods. He falls for her. After spending months getting to know her, she makes him choose between his family and her. Before he can decide, she vanishes.
When Carol tries to comfort him and deliver the “it’s not your fault” speech, he gets angry and reveals his feelings about the mistakes she’s made in the past. This includes her mistake that led to Connie’s “death” in the season 10 midseason premiere. Ouch.
“We did know that it was going to be controversial,” Kang said of Daryl’s first-ever love story. “I never troll the fans. We just thought there were aspects of this story that were worth telling. It’s something that hopefully will go to other places that people will find satisfying.”
There are already plenty of theories regarding Leah’s return. Some fans think she could be a member of the Reapers, the enigmatic group that attacked Maggie’s camp in episode “Home Sweet Home.” That would definitely present Daryl with yet more difficult decisions to make.
Alternatively, Daryl could reunite with Leah in the upcoming Commonwealth storyline. I think there’s potential for the writers to swap Michonne’s comic book storyline with Daryl. In the comics, Michonne finds her daughter Elodie in the Commonwealth. Maybe in the TV show, Daryl will find Leah.
The Walking Dead season 10 returns Sundays on AMC. Continuing the anthology-style episodes, the next will follow Aaron and Gabriel.
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