With all the different communities ready to rise up against Negan on The Walking Dead, our usual band of heroes is spread out and making roots in a way that, for a change, doesn't stress me out. Sunday's episode is likely to feature a major reunion that could help to turn the tide... and might cause some jealousy. Now that Daryl is seeking asylum with Ezekiel, will Carol join the Kingdom on The Walking Dead?
Sunday's episode is titled "New Best Friends," which makes me smile — so watch it be something that Negan says menacingly or something. We can never have nice things on The Walking Dead. As for Carol and Daryl, the last time that the two survivors saw each other, they were feeling mutual regret. Carol regretted killing Saviors. Daryl regretted letting Saviors live. Before leaving, she left a note for the group that said “I love you all here, I do, and I’d have to kill for you. And I can’t. I won’t."
This season, Carol has been living alone on the outskirts of the Kingdom, not really part of them. She's separated from the ones she loves, and doesn't have to kill for anyone. Morgan and Ezekial bring her produce. It's the break that Carol needed from the darkness that she's found inside herself in this apocalypse. Daryl, meanwhile, has been kidnapped by the Saviors, tortured with indie pop, and probably has Glenn's death weighing on his shoulders.
I have a feeling that Daryl's arrival will at least get Carol to visit the center of the Kingdom. Whether or not she will be inspired to fight, and get the rest of Ezekial's army on the side of our heroes, is another question. Daryl has been tasked with rallying the Kingdom. All of his recruiting skills are going to be put to the test. Daryl may use arrows, but he's not Katniss Everdeen. Plus, I'm not sure that Carol is ready to go to battle yet. She may need more time, even though the fight against Negan may have that "war to end all wars" appeal to it.
On a lighter note, it will be interesting to see how Daryl acts when he sees Carol with the rather flirty King Ezekiel. It could be the start of a good old fashioned 'shipping war, or it could settle things once and for all. Whether the sparks that fly are romantic, revolutionary, or both, it will be good to see these two fan favorite characters share scenes again, and honestly just to see Carol in general this season on The Walking Dead.
