Throughout The Walking Dead universe, we have meet multiple complex characters who are doing what they can to survive physically and mentally. Living in a world as brutal as The Walking Dead forces characters to persist among all kinds of horrors. However, the biggest horror these characters all seem to face is how to move on from their past.
The past has come back to haunt many significant Walking Dead characters. Carol Peletier has struggled for years to get over the death of her daughter, Sophia. Throughout the show, she continues to fight her past as she witnesses various children get taken from the world while in her care. Maggie Rhee is another character who struggles with her past as she's forced into proximity with the man who killed her husband, Glenn.
The past is no small feat, and we see many characters struggle to overcome theirs. We see them open up their minds and hearts, relaying these struggles to others. However, there is one character who has the hardest time opening up to others, and that character is Daryl Dixon.
Throughout the years, we see Daryl closing himself off from others. He's the tough guy who keeps his thoughts all bottled up inside. And don't get me wrong; we've seen Daryl get emotional time and time again, yet we barely ever hear him talk about what's on his heart. He tries to move on by acting tough and by continuing to push forward physically. However, he's always struggling mentally to move on from his past.
Looking back on past death's that have impacted Daryl, we can see a pattern in how he deals with these losses. He's often seen isolating himself from others and going out by himself because that's what he knows how to do best. He's always been alone. Even though he grew up with his brother, Merle, he was still alone. His brother abandoned him, leaving Daryl with their abusive father when he needed him the most. When the group lost Rick Grimes, Daryl isolated himself in the woods, searching for his body, after he supposedly died, for six whole years.
One thing is for certain, and that is that Daryl needs to open up to someone in order to let go of the past. A person that has always been there for him during the apocalypse is his best friend, Carol. Daryl and Carol have a ride-or-die friendship that has lasted forever. They would do anything for each other, so it makes sense for Daryl open up his mind and heart to her.
In season 3 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, he has to move on from the death of Isabelle, his short-lived romance from season 2. Daryl barely gets any time to mourn her after her death in season 2 episode 4 and is always on the move with Carol as they make their way back toward America in season 3. With all that being said, this season's big theme seems to be moving on from the past.
During the end of season 3 episode 1, titled "Costa da Morte," Carol and Daryl talk about what he witnessed while hallucinating in the tunnel on their way to London. Carol tells Daryl that he lied to her about what he had seen, and he says that he never lies to her. She continues to tell him that he hides what's in his mind and heart.
Daryl admits that Carol is right and opens up about what happened to him while he was in the tunnel, "I was ready to give up. I thought it was all over. Then she was there." Daryl was referring to the woman he loved, Isabelle.
Daryl ends the conversation on a hopeful note, "I found a fight in me I didn't know I had...Let's keep doing that. Let's keep never giving up."
Daryl finally starts to open up his mind and heart to Carol, and I have reason to believe that he will continue to do so as the season progresses. In a season 3 teaser, we hear Carol talk about moving on from the past, "First, you survive what happened to you. Then, you start living again."
We also hear Daryl talk about Isabelle, "A friend of mine she used to say 'bet on hope.'"
With the build up of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, fans can hope to see more of Daryl's heart and mind on display. Daryl has been closing himself off for far too long, and it's finally time for him to let go of the past and let someone in. Fans are bound to witness Carol and Daryl open up with others and each other as they prepare to go up against whatever is in store for them next.