Was Daryl right to lie to Carol about Negan and The Saviors on The Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead finally gave fans the Daryl & Carol reunion they’ve been waiting for. But he lied to her about Glenn and Abe’s deaths. Did he do the right thing?

Finally, Daryl and Carol found each other on The Walking Dead’s latest episode “New Best Friends”. When King Ezekiel offered Daryl sanctuary at The Kingdom all Daryl and Carol fans hoped he would find her. Even though Morgan told him that Carol had left The Kingdom they still hoped the two would be reunited.

Both of them needed that reunion. And it was just as emotional as fans thought it would be. Carol has been struggling ever since season 6. The events in the slaughterhouse in “Same Boat” really rocked her. She was upset enough that she left Alexandria because she couldn’t handle what killing people was doing to her emotionally.

Carol has no idea what happened with Negan and The Saviors. She doesn’t know that Glenn and Abe are dead. And emotionally she couldn’t handle it if she knew. Carol tells Daryl that she left because she could and would kill to protect the survivors, but that if she kept killing she would lose her humanity.

So when she asked, in tears, if everyone at Alexandria was okay, Daryl lied to her. He told her that the survivors made a deal with The Saviors like King Ezekiel did. And that everyone was fine. Her relief was palpable. Daryl loves her so he lied to her to spare her. But for fans, knowing the truth made the moment even more heartbreaking.

Was Lying The Right Thing To Do?

Was Daryl right to lie to Carol? There’s no black and white answer to that. Back in The Walking Dead season 2 when Sophia was missing Andrea said that they would tell Carol the truth if Sophia was found but had turned. The group has never shied away from the truth or sugarcoated the brutal reality of the world they live in. Honesty is part of the bond that they all share.

But love is also part of that bond. Especially between Daryl and Carol. They have always shared a special relationship rooted in shared experiences and respect. And it’s natural to want to spare the people you love when the truth is going to hurt them terribly.

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In this case Daryl lying to Carol was a selfless act. Sharing the grief of Abe and Glenn’s deaths and his captivity would have made him feel better. But it would hurt her deeply. So he did the right thing by keeping that to himself and lying to her.

Carol On The Edge

Daryl also lied to Carol because she told him that if she kept killing she would lose the little bit of herself she had left. He knows that if she finds out what happened to Glenn and Abe she would burn The Sanctuary and everyone in it to the ground if necessary to get justice. And she’d never recover from it. She would become a killer without any humanity.

But he won’t be able to keep that secret forever. Carol is hiding out in isolation right now licking her emotional wounds. At some point she’s going to either go back to Alexandria or find out from Morgan or King Ezekiel what happened to Glenn and Abe.

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Once that happens nothing will be able to protect The Saviors from her. And after that she may never be able to come back emotionally and be the Carol that fans have loved all these years. Carol’s on the edge emotionally right now. Hopefully Daryl’s lie can keep her surviving on The Walking Dead for at least a little while longer.