The Walking Dead: Where does Daryl stand at the end of season 10?

Where does a season of many battles on The Walking Dead leave Daryl Dixon

At the end of The Walking Dead season 10, it’s arguable that of all characters in play, it’s Daryl who has the most balls in the air, and most to try and square away going forward.

When Daryl discovered Carol had released Negan in order to kill Alpha – and that Negan had completed that task – by rights Daryl’s problems should have been solved.

Yet, when we saw him sit in a field with Negan all night waiting for Carol to maybe or maybe not return, it seemed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Alpha was only one of the burdens on his plate, and at the end of season 10, with Beta and the Whisperers dead, his plate isn’t much emptier.

Daryl has seen many changes over the seasons. Events and people have pulled him this way and that, over and over again. Like flotsam and jetsam on the current he’s been pulled around – from the prison by Merle, to the sanctuary by Negan, on a tide of grief out into the woods when Rick died – and in the midst of all that he floated between Alexandria, Hilltop and the Kingdom.

He has always adapted with the times, and been driven by two opposing forces – his need to be alone and his need to be where he is needed. The same two forces that divide his closest friend, Carol. And in season 10 those forces tugged and pulled and rubbed like a rope burn.

Carol was all at sea and when she returned she showed she was desperate to leave again, and though Daryl was tempted with the idea of running away together, ultimately he asks her to stay. They need her, he needs her, and everyone needs them both.

Dante’s work as a Whisperer spy in Alexandria begins to unravel their peace, whilst Carol’s attempts to end Alpha cause their own ripples of chaos. And all the time Daryl is trying to hold it all together, for himself and for everyone else.

He is constantly hot on Carol’s heels, keeping her close for fear she might bolt (or worse), whilst still being a friend to Connie when Kelly goes missing, a shoulder for Lydia when she’s attacked, and the uncle Judith and RJ need him to be.

We truly saw this season just how many people look to Daryl, and for the first time see him take on the mantle of leadership.

It’s not something that sits easily on Daryl’s shoulders and that becomes ever clearer as tough decisions are made and loyalties divided. His friendship with Carol is pushed to the very edges when Connie and Magna are trapped in the cave, and at the same time he is trusting and working with Negan. The world has turned upside down for Daryl Dixon.

By the closing titles of “A Certain Doom” it’s fair to say that only two of the issues that have troubled him through the season are resolved – the Whisperers are no more, and his relationship with Carol is back on track.

Yet the issues that these two story-lines created are still rippling on, with repercussions Daryl will no doubt have to deal with in the bonus episodes and season 11.

Carol’s reckless drive has come to an end, and she seems 100% back in the fold, and determined for them to work together for the people they love. Seeing this, Daryl showed her he forgave any mistakes she may have made, and reassured her that he was still who he always was to her.

Although it’s likely their relationship may take some building to get back to where it was, it is obviously a comfort for Daryl to have Carol back with her focus on them, instead of chasing ghosts and grief.

With Alpha, Beta and the Whisperers defeated that should mean that their home is safe again, and they can return to Alexandria as a united family. However it’s not the home it once was. With the destruction of Hilltop, there will be new people to settle, losses to mourn and all of that done without the leadership of Michonne.

Michonne’s departure passes a lot of things onto Daryl’s lap, both in terms of leadership and parenting. He is the closest to Judith and RJ, and now they find themselves parent-less, that will be a pressing matter for family-loving Daryl.

Speaking of family, in theory one of the best things to happen for Daryl in the finale was the return of Maggie. Although we didn’t see their reunion (so far), it would no doubt be a very happy one for Daryl to have his dear friend back fighting the good fight with him.

However, it is not all sunshine and roses, because in the time Maggie has been away Negan has slowly been working towards redemption. His bond with Judith, and now Lydia, has been the foundation of his repeated, extreme attempts to prove his loyalty and reformation.

Not only did he kill Alpha as he promised Carol, but he returned to Alexandria when the job was done, and played an active part in ending Beta. He seems to have proved himself enough to Daryl, but how is that going to fly with Maggie?

Daryl is piggy in the middle in this sticky situation, and faces his loyalties truly being tested when the show returns.

So while there’s responsibility, and pressures, and leadership woes aplenty waiting for Daryl when the show returns, there’s also lots for him as a character to look forward to – a new hope, renewed bonds with his loved ones, and hopefully finding out Connie is alive.