After the latest shocking death in The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon now have the same tragic thing in common — and it could bring them even closer together. The second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, dubbed The Book of Carol, saw Carol heading out to France to find Daryl. In season 2, episode 4, “Le Paradis Pour Toi,” Daryl and Carol were finally reunited after all this time — but the reunion came at a heartbreaking cost with yet another character death.

After Isabelle refused to tell Losang where Laurent was, he stabbed her. When Carol saved Isabelle from the attack, Isabelle — still bleeding out — took Carol to Daryl. It was heartwarming to see this iconic duo back together, but the joy of the reunion was short-lived. Moments later, Isabelle succumbed to her stab wound and died in Daryl’s arms. With her final breath, she made Daryl promise to look after Laurent. This creates a tragic similarity between Daryl and his old pal Rick; they’ve both experienced the same unspeakable pain.

After Isabelle’s Death, Both Rick Grimes & Daryl Dixon Have Lost Women They Love

Daryl Lost Isabelle; Rick Lost Lori

Daryl has never been big on expressing his emotions. When he does come close to getting vulnerable, he usually lashes out, like when he yelled at Laurent or when he passive-aggressively taught Beth how to use his crossbow. But after Isabelle dies, Laurent reveals that Daryl loved her. This makes Isabelle’s death even sadder. Daryl didn’t just lose a close friend; he lost the woman he loved. It creates a major parallel between Daryl and Rick, who similarly lost the love of his life.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has been renewed for a third season, which will be set in Spain.

In The Walking Dead season 3, episode 4, “Killer Within,” Rick’s wife Lori died while giving birth to their daughter, Judith. Rick was devastated by the loss and spent the next few episodes slowly losing his mind. He hallucinated Lori everywhere he looked and he had to step down from leading the group for a while. He’s lived through the unspeakable grief that Daryl is only just getting into. This creates a sad similarity between the two characters that could make them even closer friends.

Isabelle’s Death Could Bring Rick & Daryl Closer (When The Walking Dead Eventually Reunites Them)

They’ve Both Been Through The Same Devastating Loss

Since Rick has returned to Alexandria and Carol has gone to Europe to bring Daryl home, it seems inevitable that Rick and Daryl will eventually reunite in one of The Walking Dead’s spinoffs. When that finally happens, their shared loss could bring them closer together. Rick eventually came out the other side of his grief and managed to find love and happiness again. With that poignant hindsight, he could help Daryl navigate his pain and see the light at the end of the tunnel.