Ever since The Walking Dead bowed out in 2022, there have been a number of moments that fans have been waiting to see in the TWD spinoffs that extended the legendary story. From long-time returns to heavily-anticipated reunions, the six-eight episode shows held the potential to bring to life moments that were simply not possible on the original series. And so far, we've seen quite a lot of them.
Dead City reunited old foes Maggie Rhee and Negan in a brand new setting as the formed an uneasy alliance on the streets of New York City. Daryl Dixon carried on the titular character's arc as he ventured to new horizons in search of Rick Grimes and Michonne (and eventually reunited with best friend Carol Peletier, who went looking for him). And Rick and Michonne finally reunited with each and their family in the years-in-the-making miniseries The Ones Who Live.
However, there is one particular moment that fans have been hoping to see happen for a very long time, and that is Rick's long-awaited reunion with Daryl and the rest of the survivors in Alexandria, the Commonwealth and the other communities that the TWD legacy characters have lived in. There is an obvious place where at least one of those major reunions should happen, but recent comments from Daryl Dixon star Norman Reedus suggest that it won't. And that's a darn shame.
Daryl Dixon season 4 may not feature Rick and Daryl's reunion and fans aren't happy
Norman Reedus spoke to IGN about the upcoming fourth and final season of Daryl Dixon, offering up his thoughts on the long-awaited reunion between Daryl and Rick. As it stands, Andrew Lincoln's Rick isn't currently a part of the spinoff's cast but fans are still hoping for the two friends to be reunited before the show concludes next year. Reedus knows this, telling the outlet that they are all "very aware" of the fans' desire to see the two reunite in the show's finale, but he also wasn't sure if going the predictable route would be the right way to end Daryl Dixon.
"I think sometimes it’s better to do the opposite of what people expect so they’re surprised. If we just read what fans wanted all the time and gave them what they wanted, then you would know the outcome of everything."
That's an extremely valid point, and some of the best finales are indeed the surprising ones. But there is one particular concern to Daryl Dixon doing anything other than what the fans hope here. For starters, the end of this spinoff's story will likely result in Daryl and Carol making their way back home after their European adventure - that much we know is likely at this point And yet, the show probably won't alter that... even if it's somewhat predictable. There is an endgame in mind here and that's what the show is working towards. And if they do indeed make it back to the US, shouldn't that endgame include Rick?
The biggest danger in robbing fans of a Rick and Daryl reunion in the series finale of Daryl Dixon is that it would likely have to take place off-screen if it doesn't happen on the show. After all, Rick and Michonne's most recent appearance in the TWD Universe (which took place in the series finale of The Ones Who Live) saw them find their way back to Alexandria and meet up with daughter Judith and son RJ. So, by the time that Daryl and Carol return, Rick and Michonne would have been there for some time, meaning that his return would be common knowledge. So would the finale just have to avoid that altogether?
Furthermore, any future spinoff involving any of these characters would likely feature some kind of time-jump to facilitate its own premise, therefore robbing fans of the chance to see any kind of reunion on-screen. And considering that many series finales have alienated the fans by doing something outside-the-box, the risk here might not be worth the reward - especially if it involves skipping a reunion that audiences have been waiting for since 2018.
Daryl left Alexandria to find Rick so they must reunite there to bring Daryl Dixon full-circle
And while there are hopes for a larger-scale reunion between the characters involved in all the spinoffs, featuring Rick in the series finale of Daryl Dixon would actually make a lot of sense to the show's overall storyline. While the character has not featured in the show itself, it was Daryl's decision to go out searching for him and Michonne that eventually led him to France. Moreover, when Daryl talked with Carol over the radio early on in season 1, there was a moment that implied someone "came back". The show copped out of that reveal in season 2, but it was clear that the possibility of Rick being back had an impact on him. And when that has been his driving force, how could any kind of finale hope to completely ignore that?
The fans aren't thrilled about the possibility of missing out on seeing the pair together again. One fan even commented on the video interview, aptly saying "I can’t see the finale being anything but Daryl’s reunion with Rick." Another points out that Daryl's four-season journey started with his plan to search for Rick, adding that "it would've all been for nothing" if the creative team doesn't remember that fundamental fact. And, you know what, they have a point.
Rick has been away from the group since his apparent demise in The Walking Dead's ninth season back in 2018. Since then, Daryl, Carol, and everyone else who witnessed that moment thought he was dead They have carried on their lives since then as the years have gone by (and even more years have gone by in the TWD Universe than you think due to some major time-jumps); Daryl became a leader for the group, stepping up for Rick's family when they needed him. To rob fans of the completion of that storyline would be a big mistake.
Taking all of that into account, it feels like Daryl and Carol returning home to the US, only to be greeted by Rick and Michonne would be the perfect culmination of their arcs. It doesn't have to be a long scene, but it would be imperative to all of the characters' arcs, completing one of the longest-running storylines in the TWD Universe and having Rick's closest friends find out that he is still alive and well after all those years of thinking he was dead. To have that happen off-screen would be a major disservice to the beautiful storytelling that got the characters to this point and the fans who have been there every step of the way.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 premieres on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, September 7. Season 4 is expected in 2026.