The Walking Dead: Is more heartache on the way for Carol?

With Ezekiel’s health in limbo heading into the second half of season 10, it looks like Carol will be in for even more heartache on The Walking Dead.

One of these days, Carol is going to catch a break on The Walking Dead. Of all of the characters, she has been subjected to a lot of loss and heartbreak over the years. After “Squeeze” she is still coping with the desire for revenge and a fresh helping of guilt from the explosion. Unfortunately, Carol could be in for another loss in 10B.

In the first half of season 10, Ezekiel, formerly the King of the Kingdom and now a resident of “Kingtop”, revealed to Siddiq that he has a tumor in his neck and a family history of thyroid cancer. While the mass could be benign, could be a goiter or could be cancerous, the fact remains that there are no more doctors around to help care for the sick, and without radiation and modern medical procedures, the King’s days could be numbered.

There’s no evidence to suggest that Carol is about to go running into Ezekiel’s arms after the events in the cave. Right now, it doesn’t look like she will be able to turn to Daryl while he’s working on a way to rescue Magna and Connie. With Michonne sailing away with Virgil and so many things happening all around the communities, if Carol needs someone in her corner after all of this then Ezekiel could be the one she turns to.

After all, they were married for years.

Since Henry’s death, though, the former royal couple’s relationship has been strained (to say the least) and both Carol and Ezekiel have been preoccupied with their own brand of grief and their own coping mechanisms. That means that Carol probably doesn’t know about Ezekiel’s illness (though there’s an outside chance that she could know, or at least know about his family history), and when she finds out that she could lose him, too, it might put her over yet another edge.

Carol may or may not be destined to be with Daryl in the end, but my personal opinion is that Carol had/has genuine feelings for Ezekiel. I liked them as a couple, even a temporary one, and I think that he was able to give her something that she didn’t think she could possibly have in the middle of a zombie apocalypse: A family. They raised Henry together for over six years. They ruled the Kingdom together.

They’re not together right now, and that’s fine. They may never reunite as anything other than friends. Extreme loss will tear a married couple apart like a hot knife through butter. Even with everything else they have seen in the apocalypse, seeing their son’s head on a pike is enough to send anyone over the edge permanently.

While grief can divide a couple, it can also bring people together again. That’s why in everyday life we yearn for the people who were around us in the good times when we go through challenging situations. Carol might not want to be married anymore, but that doesn’t mean that she will turn her back on Ezekiel. She is not that kind of person.

On the other hand, we know that Ezekiel wanted to reconcile with Carol. He was there on the dock to greet her when she got off the boat. He hasn’t given up on her. Neither one of them knew how to deal with their grief but maybe now they can finally heal together.

However, with his condition he might try to protect her by pushing her away so that she doesn’t get hurt again. And we all know how pushing away people we care about backfires one hundred percent of the time.

Maybe, just maybe, Carol and Ezekiel need each other now more than ever. Whether they come back together as a couple or if they remain good friends, they might have the ability to help each other get through this grief and anger.

The first step, though, is for Carol to learn Ezekiel is sick.

For argument’s sake, let’s assume Carol doesn’t know that Ezekiel is sick. When she finds out, she will be upset. There’s no way that she won’t be. She will want him to find a way to fight it. She will likely try to be there for him, and this could be a major boon for her as she refocuses her energy on helping him rather than trying to kill Alpha. (After all, she would be honoring Henry by choosing to help Ezekiel ,so much more than by killing Alpha)

Depending on how fast Ezekiel’s disease is advancing, he may be fine for a long time or he could only have a short period of time left. Either way, Carol will face another heartbreaking loss. Knowing that he’s sick will be hard for her, and knowing that his days could be numbered will be another cross to bear.

The Walking Dead writers are putting Carol through her paces and it has given Melissa McBride an amazing opportunity to display her immeasurable talent. (She needs a damn Emmy already!)

Sadly, we’re toeing the line of putting one character through hell over and over again, and Carol has been through enough. She needs to be able to achieve happiness, whether it’s with Daryl, Ezekiel or on her own as the badass that she is, with a network of loving friends around her offering their support.

What do you think, TWD Family? Could Carol and Ezekiel help each other through their grief, and could focusing on Ezekiel’s health be what Carol needs right now? Let us know in the comments!