What could the Walking Dead Carol and Daryl spin-off be called?

What name might AMC come up with for The Walking Dead Carol and Daryl spin-off?

When AMC released the news last week that The Walking Dead is ending after season 11, and will be followed by both Tales of The Walking Dead and a Carol and Daryl spin-off, one piece of information was missing: The name.

The title for the Carol and Daryl show is so far either top-secret or doesn’t exist yet. So we thought it might be fun to imagine what the show might be called and possibly give AMC some ideas.

The two spin-offs that exist so far have different title styles with Fear the Walking Dead incorporating “The Walking Dead” into its title, whilst TWD: World Beyond uses at as the prefix, much like the CSI or SVU franchises.

Who knows which of those styles the Carol and Daryl spin off will use, or indeed if they might use another one altogether, but for our purposes, let’s assume the new show will use the TWD: XYZ format.

The most obvious choices for the title are phrases already associated with Carol and Daryl in the main show.

TWD: Cherokee Rose or TWD: Nine Lives

These work as they remind viewers of Carol and Daryl’s long history, and the connection they have had since the days of Hershel’s farm and the prison.

Cherokee Rose works also due to the story connected to the flower, that Daryl told Carol back in season 2.

When thousands of Cherokee people were forced out of Georgia, the anguish of the mothers over the thought that their children would not survive, led to the journey to be known as “the trail of tears”. The Cherokee Rose was said to bloom where their tears had landed, and give the mothers strength and hope.

Daryl told Carol this story to give her strength during Sophia’s disappearance, and though Sophia died, Carol has survived and bloomed.

The metaphor would fit with Carol and Daryl travelling the country trying to give hope and help to those they meet, using the suffering they have each gone through to give strength to others.

Nine Lives too connects to the many trials Carol and Daryl have gone through on the show.

Back in season 3, Daryl found Carol in the tombs of the prison and returned her safely to the bosom of her family. Almost immediately he left with Rick for Woodbury to rescue Maggie and Glenn from the Governor’s clutches.

As he left, Daryl told Carol to “stay safe”, to which she replied “Nine lives, remember?”. Clearly it referenced an off-screen joke that Carol (at least) had nine lives, and had merely used one of the up in her near death.

Of course, since then both Carol and Daryl had had numerous near death moments and may have used up some of those nine lives, but using it as a title would be a neat reminder of what they have survived, together and separately.

Moving on, if we assume that the season 10 talk of heading to New Mexico is a foundation for the spin-off, that gives us another angle for titles.

TWD: New Mexico and TWD: New Horizons

These titles point to the new land Carol and Daryl have talked about – a new home, a new start and a new outlook.

Who knows why Daryl picked New Mexico when he and Carol were first talking about heading out to explore the world and find who is left, but it seems like the location has stuck in their minds now.

New Mexico in itself is a good way to represent the idea of forging ahead and exploring new worlds, as it represents for many the place they came to settle after crossing the border for a new life in the US.

New horizons also captures this idea, and that what Carol and Daryl are looking for is a new life, with a new future away from the one they can see in Alexandria.

Alternatively, as I mentioned in my previous article, it’s possible the Carol and Daryl spin off will focus on their life on the road, rather than the destination.

TWD: Lost Highway and TWD: Detour

These kind of titles would focus on the journey Carol and Daryl are taking, and the journey they have already taken thus far.

They evoke the idea that although there is a destination in mind, it is the things discovered along the way that are most interesting.

Obviously this reflects both the journey they will be on in the show, but also journey they have had to get there.

It would be a great call back to how they first met, on the highway out of Atlanta, and how far the journey has taken them from where they expected to go.

They are also the names of noir films which are big influences on the genre, and would be a good nod to the type of feel the show might have.

Other random ideas include TWD: Tandem (as they are riding the bike in tandem, and also the way they work together in tandem to take out threats, TWD: Vagabond (a person who moves from place to place,and is frankly just a cool word) but my personal favorite is TWD: The Living.

“The Living” would work on several levels, both in connecting with TWD itself, and the content of the new show.

As we know, Rick famously gives a speech in which he declares “we are the walking dead”, a speech which he negates in the final edition of the comics.

The title of “The Living” would show that Daryl and Carol have made a conscious decision not to be “the walking dead” as Rick dubbed them. They would, as their conversion in “Lines We Cross” indicated, be focusing on living instead of just surviving.

It would also reflect the purpose of their journey west, to find the living that are left, and find people like them who just want to live a happy, fulfilling life.

Even if these guesses are way off the mark, whatever the title ends up being we know it’s going to be meaningful and punchy, and give us an idea of the themes and mood of the spin-off. And we can’t wait to hear it.

Do you have suggestions for the title?