AMC's Walking Dead spinoff, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, is quickly burning through its third season. The fourth episode of the seven-part season, “La Justicia Fronteriza," introduced a new threat, saw emotions run high, and Daryl still just wants to go home. The episode revealed a fascinating fact about the relationship status of the two main characters, which has always been a hot topic of conversation.
Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) were initially introduced in the same episode of the first season of the main series. Both characters suffered greatly at the hands of a loved one before and right after the outbreak. This unfortunate, yet common bond drew them together, creating an enduring friendship that has only grown stronger as the years have passed.
A large group of TWD fans quickly decided to "ship" Daryl and Carol, aka Caryl, hoping for a romantic relationship to blossom. While it was never directly addressed in The Walking Dead, most viewers saw the duo as really close friends. Both characters have had other romantic relationships, and this never appeared to weaken their bond.
Carol and Daryl have never been intimate
In the fourth episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Valentina (Irina Björklund), a new character introduced this season, believed Carol and Daryl to be a couple. She stated something about Carol's boyfriend not being good at taking advice, and Carol immediately tripped over her words trying to correct the woman's mistake, saying, “No, it’s… he’s… we’re not…”
The unbelieving Valentina responds, "Really?"
Carol confirms, "Really."
Valentina then asks "You've never..."
Carol, "Never"
Then Daryl leans in to add emphasis to his "Nope!" before walking away.
It was a fun exchange that was not only humorous, but also finally clarified the true status of their relationship. Reedus told EW, “That character of Valentina, she's very sexually free. She assumes everybody's hooking up!”
Now the Caryl shippers will likely disregard this, as they have never, nor will they ever, give up hope of these two becoming one. And there is nothing wrong with that, as they are very compatible, and who doesn't love seeing these two on screen together?
It was an unexpected addition to the Daryl Dixon series, as many of these burning questions TWD fans are dying to know but never get answered. It was a lighthearted way to handle the situation, and it was likely a fun scene to film. McBride added fuel to the shippers' fire, telling EW, “It was light, it was fun, it was unexpected. And still, if I may say, there's something still a little ambiguous about it."
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon airs new episodes on AMC and AMC+ on Sundays. The season 3 finale airs on October 19 and the series has been renewed for a fourth and final season.