Now that Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) are teaming up for their own “Walking Dead” spinoff series it’s time to reflect on the years of friendship between the two. Daryl and Carol, best friends forever who sometimes have to betray their friendship and do horrific things in fields of flowers.
Spoilers ahead: Season 10 of “The Walking Dead” finds the dynamic duo navigating rough terrain, as Daryl attempts to comfort Carol through the mournful loss of her son Henry. Multiple episodes capture her resulting fear of having painful dreams, which she avoids by constantly popping caffeine pills. But more than that, Carol desires revenge against Alpha, the woman who killed her child.
Daryl, who struggled with his own need for revenge in seasons 7 and 8, now finds himself guiding his friend on her path to healing from the many wrongs done to her by enemies, hough there’s only so much he can do to placate the grieving Carol. The two friends’ complex dynamics since early in the series add realistic nuance to the characters, as they sift through a world overrun with suffering; it’s a friendship that shines in the roughest of moments.
Who knows where showrunner Angela Kang will take these two on their journey through the world of the undead, but if it’s anything like what we’ve already seen, we’re excited.
Here are the top 10 all time best moments between Daryl and Carol throughout the past twenty years of “Walking Dead” television.
10 Cherokee Rose (Season 2, Episode 4)
The Cherokee Rose moment. Daryl comforts Carol over her missing daughter by telling her the story of the Cherokee Rose, said to represent strength and hope. The story comes from the separation of Native American mothers and children on the Trail of Tears, with the flower blooming from the tears shed by mothers in search of their child. The scene is the pair’s first real connection, but who knew this act of kindness would lead to a spinoff?
9 Lines We Cross (Season 10, Episode 1)
Best friends. After some more time apart, Daryl and Carol go hunting in the woods together, where Daryl calls her his best friend. They joke about making friendship bracelets and running off to New Mexico together. Little did we know…
8 Seed (Season 3 Episode 1)
“Wanna screw around?” Carol flusters Daryl by overtly asking him if he wants to get busy after the group takes the prison yard. It follows a short moment where Daryl helps fix Carol’s shoulder after a rifle’s kickback makes it sore, and the comedic moment shows how their relationship was not about romance, but friendship.
7. 30 Days Without an Accident (Season 4, Episode 1)
“Sorry, Pookie.” Carol continues to play up the romance fans imagined existed between the characters with the line “Sorry, Pookie,” which Daryl acknowledges by giving her a playful nudge. The joke comes as the two discuss strategies for keeping the prison fence up and the hordes of zombies out — not exactly the most romantic of settings.
6 Hounded (Season 3, Episode 6)
Back from the dead. Carol was presumed dead when the group tried to take the prison, and a shot in the prior episode shows Daryl placing a Cherokee rose on a makeshift grave, despite not having found her body. He continues looking for her remains though, and near the end of episode 6, he eventually finds her near death in a cell and carries her back to the group.
5 Consumed (Season 5, Episode 6)
Carol and Daryl got their own episode, in which they try to find Beth in the ruins of Atlanta. The plot features many conversations and flashbacks that explore Carol and Daryl’s past, including their experiences surviving abuse and losing loved ones. One standout moment sees Carol confessing that the struggles have consumed her, as Daryl responds, “we ain’t ashes.”
4 New Best Friends (Season 7, Episode 10)
Dinner for two. After Carol decided to live on her own after committing so many violent acts, Daryl manages to track her down in a house outside of the Kingdom. The two share a nice dinner, with Daryl deciding he can’t tell her of Glenn and Abraham’s deaths, lest she come out of her self-imposed exile to fight the Saviors.
3 What Comes After (Season 9, Episode 15)
“Look at me.” After Alpha and the Whisperers kill several of our heroes — including Carol’s adoptive son Henry — by removing their heads and placing them on sticks across a hill, Daryl pulls Carol close and tells her to look at him, rather than see her child dead.
2 No Sanctuary (Season 5, Episode 1)
Sanctuary in an embrace. Carol helps save the group from Terminus and their potential fate of being cannibalized. She then meets up with the group as they make it to safety, and Daryl runs to her to share a very tearful and hug-filled reunion.
1 A New Beginning (Season 9, Episode 1)
Discussing marriage. Carol consults with Daryl after Ezekiel proposes to her. Daryl says he is a good guy and gives his blessing, showing just how far the friendship has come. Carol even makes a comment saying, “I’m glad I have Pookie’s approval,” in reference to a joke shared in the earlier stages of their friendship.
