Entertainment
Shipping Daryl & Carol On The Walking Dead Is Hard
12 Reasons It Excites & Confounds Us
It's been a long, tough road for the folks on The Walking Dead and the road to Season 5 feels even longer. Plus, if you're anything like me, part of you wishes that just a few more folks could find some moments of Glenn and Maggie-level happiness. Even if it's only for a moment. And this brings us to The Walking Dead's hottest un-couple: Daryl & Carol.
Now, on some level, you know you want these two to share a stolen kiss or even a sexually charged hug (come on, give us something), but so far it just hasn't happened. First, Daryl was too emotionally damaged to go there. Then Carol killed someone she probably shouldn't have. Then all that weird, emotional stuff with Beth started happening and we started re-'shipping Carol and Daryl, if only to get that teenage girl away from this much older crossbow-wielding man. And now that Carol is on her way to Terminus, that dream is getting closer once more.
Add that to the recent Season 5 spoiler that Carol and Daryl actors Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus were seen filming a scene together and we've got a raging case of the 'ships. But throughout all that, there's a tinge of awkwardness. Should I be 'shipping these two? As badly as I want something to happen between the two of them, doesn't it feel a little like 30 Rock's Kathy Geiss begging Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy to kiss?
These two formed a strong bond of friendship, do we really need that to turn into something romantic? Can't it just be the amazing, seemingly impossible friendship that it once was?
No. Yes. Maybe? I DON'T KNOW. Here's why it's hard being a Caryl 'shipper:
1. If You Find Daryl Hot, You Probably Want Him To Make Out With Someone
That's just how we're wired in this age of television.
2. And That's Because You Want To Imagine Him Kissing You
And it's so much easier when you've got the source material before your eyes.
3. So you look around The Walking Dead landscape for a candidate...
This may take a minute considering that a bunch of ladies have died, one's all about Glenn and the other is Michonne who doesn't need some romantic storyline messing with her survival mission. Nope, no one here.
4. And Beth is so out of the question — don't you even dare, TWD.
Seriously. Kill that could-be storyline with fire.
5. So we come back, once again, to Daryl's BFF Carol.
Of course!
6. But something isn't quite right.
Daryl has a dark past and he's only just recently been able to build interpersonal relationships again. Carol has some other issues...
7. You remember that Carol kind of killed Tyreese's lady friend.
And Rick was not cool with that. (To be fair, neither were the rest of us.)
8. So now that Carol is on her way back into the picture, you're kind of wary of her.
Our trust once lost, is gone for, well, until you rescue everyone from a dire situation in which their backs are up against the wall.
9. And then you have another epiphany.
And it's a good one.
10. What if Daryl is the person who brings Carol back into our good graces?
If anyone can do it, it's Daryl.
11. And if that happened, they'd just have to kiss.
It's just like, the laws of television.
12. Yep. This 'shipper train's still got fuel folks.
Even if it kind of feels like we're pushing two unwilling dolls (one of whom has the smolder thing down pat) together.
