There is no denying that the Walking Dead franchise has produced a multitude of stars over the years. That sentence can be applied to both the characters we met and the actors who have played them. Whether you're a fan of Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes in the TWD Universe or still keeping up with Jon Bernthal's career years after his star-making performance as Shane Walsh on the series, this saga has made audiences all over the world fall in love with the people involved.
That makes it particularly hard when it comes to bidding them farewell. We've all experienced this with the series finale of The Walking Dead when it came to saying goodbye to all of our favorite characters. Well, that is until six of them returned in the three major TWDU spinoffs that launched after that. Unfortunately, it might be time to say goodbye to one - or maybe even two - of those characters all over again.
Why the Daryl Dixon season 4 finale might be the end for Carol
It's quite possible that the upcoming series finale of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon could be the last time we see both Daryl and Carol Peletier. The double act have been thrilling us since their debuts in the first season of The Walking Dead back in 2010 but their spinoff is indeed set to conclude this year. And yet, it's unlikely that we've seen the last of Norman Reedus' crossbow-wielding warrior. It's not quite clear if we can hold out the same hope for Carol.
Star Melissa McBride announced recently that she is planning on taking a break, which is well-earned after portraying Carol for 15 years. Speaking to People at AMC’s Global Media Upfront, the star said:
"I’m gonna be working on me a little bit... I’m gonna be doing a little personal time. And then we’ll just see what happens."
Fans were extremely receptive to McBride's comments because she has simply given so much of herself to the role of Carol over the years. The character wasn't initially expected to become the legendary action hero that she has but both the star's performance and the strong writing and character development allowed her to flourish, as Carol has become one of the only TWD characters to outlast the original series itself.
That said, there is also concern about whether it could be the end of the character's time in the TWD Universe. After all, the Daryl Dixon season 4 finale will also be the final episode of the spinoff. What does that mean for Daryl and Carol's time on our screens? Have we truly seen the last of them?
This is an interesting one to answer. The TWD Universe has essentially become AMC's Marvel Cinematic Universe as the cable network still has plans to continue the franchise on well beyond that original series. Although Daryl Dixon is ending, Dead City continues on, with potential plans for more spinoffs in the not-too-distant future as well. And let's not forget that the AMC and TWD bosses all implied that, even though this is the right time to end the Daryl Dixon show, it doesn't mean we have seen the last of these characters.
What would this mean for the rumored TWD reunion crossover?
For years, there have been rumors of a planned spinoff / crossover / reunion series that would bring the cast and crew of the three recent spinoffs (Daryl Dixon, Dead City, and The Ones Who Live) back together again, essentially functioning as a Walking Dead season 12. The end of Daryl Dixon brings that one step closer to happening, which is why fans are concerned that McBride's potential career break could signal the end for Carol.
if AMC were to announce the long-rumored crosover at San Diego Comic-Con, would Carol be left out of it? As Daryl Dixon is coming to a close, there is an opportunity to give the character a perfect send-off, bringing her arc to a close once and for all. And while she certainly deserves a happy ending, it wouldn't feel right carrying on the TWD Universe story without her either.
At the time that the series finale of The Walking Dead aired, it was unclear as to whether we would ever see Carol again. Although the Daryl / Carol spinoff was initially announced ahead of the show's conclusion, McBride wasn't able to take part in the first season, eventually rejoining it from the season 1 finale onwards. That finale had Carol remain behind in Alexandria after bidding Daryl farewell as he ventured off on his travels. The pair reunited in the third episode of Daryl Dixon season 2.
Could the Daryl Dixon finale go differently? Yes. Daryl and Carol are on their way back to the US together, so it will undoubtedly end with them accomplishing that goal together (and perhaps even reuniting with another TWD icon) and serve as a fitting grand finale for the pair for now. If the franchise ever does decide to revisit their stories at some point, it can pick up at a different point in time depending on the stars' availabilities.
Realistically, this probably isn't the end for Daryl and Carol because the creative team behind the whole franchise will want to send the original class of The Walking Dead off together (while simultaneously trying to figure out if there is a future for the franchise after that). So, yes, scope does remain for that long-awaited spinoff series. However, McBride's well-deserved break does suggest that it will be sometime before AMC plans on setting those rumored plans in motion.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 airs and streams on AMC and AMC+ this fall.
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