Daryl and Carol in The Walking Dead 9B: Expect the unexpected
The period of time during The Walking Dead hiatus is an opportunity to speculate about the rest of the season. But nothing is set in stone these days.
As the countdown to the second half of The Walking Dead season 9 continues to wind down as the February 10 mid-season premiere date nears, the speculation mill starts to churn out ideas as to what will happen. If the past few seasons have taught us anything, it’s that nothing is set in stone, and since we’re in the habit of breaking canon it must be said that Carol and Daryl are the wildcards.
The Walking Dead stunned fans by killing off Carl Grimes in season 7. Carl was supposed to be the future, and his death signaled a shift in the story away from the comic book source material and into uncharted waters.
Rick Grimes’ death was another major blow to canon. Rick’s departure from the story allows new characters to rise up and take his place. It could be one person, or a group of people, who take on the role as leader to the survivors.
When it comes to the story, then, anything can happen moving forward. There’s a lot of buzz about what’s “supposed” to happen or what “will” happen based on what happens in the comics, but that’s all out the window now. The talk of pikes, for example, (I won’t go into detail on this one, but comic book readers will know the reference) is probably still relevant, but don’t expect to see certain characters meet their demise just because it happens in the comics.
That’s what makes Daryl and Carol so special. Both Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride have signed multi-year contracts with AMC so they’re not going anywhere. They’re the last remaining original characters, which also cements their safety. And since their characters don’t appear in the comics, their very presence can change the course of events moving forward in a way we haven’t seen yet.
It looks like Carol and Daryl won’t be getting together in 9B, but that doesn’t mean that this dynamic duo won’t be fighting side by side against the Whisperers. Together they could change the trajectory of the show moving into season 10 in yet another departure from canon.
Next. Now you, too, can have hair like Norman Reedus. dark
While The Walking Dead still relies upon comic book canon, it should be used as a guide more than a roadmap for what’s to come in 9B, and with Daryl and Carol leading the way there’s no telling what might happen.