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Team work! Melissa McBride as Carol and Norman Reedus as Daryl Behind The Scenes THE WALKING DEAD 11.21 Outpost 22

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DARYL DIXON and CAROL PELETIER THE WALKING DEAD 11.21 ▶ Outpost 22

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DARYL DIXON and CAROL PELETIER THE WALKING DEAD 11.21 ▶ Outpost 22

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11x20 Thoughts…

This one is easily the best episode of the entire season for me, and I’m not just saying that because the bar has been set lower than low. As expected, Daryl’s and Carol’s arc is pretty action heavy and while I’m still frustrated by the lack of anything overtly emotional, there is a noticeable and beautiful journey playing out for them, so let’s focus on that for right now. I’ll save most of my cynicism for the end.

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#the 🥵 badass duo

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Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride last day on set of THE WALKING DEAD [ 📷: sustainablechris]

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i want new caryl scenes for ppl more talented than i to gif so i can sit and stare at them and feel heart palpitations and a genuine rush of endorphins at the sight of two completely fictional characters being so deeply in love

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Listen.  I'm never going to get over the way Carol's voice broke when she pleaded with Daryl not to hate her.

Like, Melissa McBride broke my heart into a million little pieces and I gave thanks for being alive to witness the marvel of her talent and her character.  Forever fave.

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am i absolutely completely 1000000% frustrated with the pacing in 11a? YES. the continuous dragging of the reapers storyline? YES. the lack of Carol screentime? YES. the almost non-existent Carol/Daryl interactions (exception of the premiere)? YES. do i like that Carol and Daryl are spending time apart? NO. do i like that Daryl is stuck with leafy tea for most of the season? NO.

NOW has that changed even one little bit how i feel about Carol, Daryl and their canon potential? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY NOT! 

everybody say it with me: fandom gawds, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Carol and Daryl simply haven’t had time to sit down, talk and make up. they have been busy doing stuff and thangs cause their community is hurting and starving. they are on their separate paths and missions. it’s not like Daryl decided to ghost Carol, you know. they don’t have phones, he can’t slip into her dms and he is pretty much doing everything in his power to keep his family/community safe!!

cause if he doesn’t act like a good reaper, his cover is blown and he dies, or if he escapes there’s always the possibility they will track him down to ASZ and fuck it up. it’s not like ASZ is in any condition to fight any threat that knocked on their door. so he is stuck with leafy tea and her brand of brothers. of course, Daryl being Daryl, and with his history with her while he was isolated from his family and even Carol in the woods, of course he is gonna try to test her, try to get her to come to his side and help him help his family. the most important thing for Daryl is to protect them at all costs. ask Frost? so he ain’t trying to rekindle a flame with leafy tea, and he ain’t being “nice” to her cause he likes her duck face sooo much. he is playing a part. he is lying to her face with his whole chest and he ain’t fucking feeling bad about it…

meanwhile, Carol barely had any screentime, but that woman has done more in her limited time than anyone else - she’s feeding people, protecting people, finding people, all in a couple of days’ worth! imagine that. yeah, all her scenes seem somehow cut short or rushed. cause this show/writers still haven’t learned no one cares about the new characters coming into the very last season of the show, just so they can die a very unhappy death. 11a has been absolute pointless filler of Pope’s bullshit and leafy tea’s struggles. NO ONE CARES.

so i know this is painfully boring, but in their timeline, they have been separated for like 3 to 5 days. it’s not the end of the world. and i do hate what Angela Kang is doing with this storyline and how dragged out this shit is, but don’t slander the woman who gave you more in your face shippy moments than you’ve had in years before she took over. we accept what we can not change: it’s already written and the caryl spinoff is already planned, whatever will be, will be. we change the things we can: the current negativity taking over the fandom is unbearable even to the most optimistic shipper.  we can choose to ship and to hold caryl for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, beyond even death; or we can find something else for the sake of our own mental health. i’ve done that before for s7/8 and it was the best decision i ever made.

we don’t have much longer to wait… the show is ending in one year!! and then we will have all the caryl we can take. a little patience, my lovelies! we can do this. but it’s so much more fun to do this together!

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I’m the first to admit I cover my ears and change the channel to a new dimension when it comes to L¥Col giving interviews about TWD, and even more so when it comes to her self-serving views surrounding Daryl. BUT!!! (There’s always a but though I promise I’m not turning in my Caryl card). She might have finally given the fandom something useful.

In her interview post Rendition 11x04 with Kristen Acuna, Collins was asked about being a wrench thrown in the mix of those who ship Carol and Daryl and she basically confirms L€ah and Daryl were never meant to be anything and aren’t going anywhere. I nixed out all the other ramblings because I wanted to keep my sanity and below are her own, exact words.

"It was really like being thrown into the fire. I was like, 'It's OK. I can handle this.' And then there was a hot minute where I was like, 'Ooh, maybe I can't handle this.' I knew where the character was going and I wanted to be commenting, 'Y'all have no idea. It's not what you think. This doesn't go where you think it goes.' So it's just been a game of how can I keep my mouth shut?"

It’s not what we think….this doesn’t go where we think it goes…. My fellow Carylers, can we please stop worrying about this non issue now? L€ah is not who Daryl wants which is blatantly obvious ahead of what we’ve seen in s11; Carol has and will always be his focus. Caryl is coming, I have no doubts.

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PSA, if it turns out that Carol is never involved in this Reaper’s storyline I will flip a table. 

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Hi again! Do you remember me still? I left a couple of reviews before for Diverged and Find Me. Thank you for all that you do on here. I read your review, and wanted to show my support again. My only disclaimer is that I cannot catch everything but these are my thoughts. Here you go.

1. First up, the laughable theory that Leah would be coming back with Daryl's child has been permanently debunked. It seems like no one can pass gas in peace without the Pope sanctioning it, so pushing out a whole baby is out of the question. :P

1b. On a serious note, however. It seems that Leah prefers and values a family that wars together, a family she can "create" over a family she is related to by blood. This is like Carol and Daryl. But darkly inverted.

2. It was not lost on me that Leah and Daryl's first meeting and reunion was mediated by Dog. But you know what I caught, as well? This is interesting. You do not see Leah interacting verbally with Dog at all. There's nothing. And Dog is very obedient, with no character at all. I have a hunch that this is set up that way on purpose. Because when Carol is introduced to Leah (and trust me, I feel she will be) we are going to see a very animated Dog. That bonding with Carol in Diverged was not there just for filler or giggles. Pay attention to all of the scenes. With Dog. Daryl, most importantly. With what outsiders in Leah's group are making of Daryl and Leah's relationship and sex life. It is setting the stage for Carol to appear.

2b. On a lighter note, Dog is totally a ladies dog. Because if Leah was named Leon instead and was a man, Dog would still be with Daryl. I am sticking with that theory. And I'm not sorry. :P

3. Carol's absence. Seriously. Think about it. In Find Me, there were constant comparisons in the scenes between Leah and Carol. But there is none in this episode. That is not lazy writing. The reason Carol is contextually absent in this episode, is because there is nothing in Daryl's mind about Carol to relate Leah to. Not only is she not the Leah we saw in Find Me, but she is NOTHING like Carol in Daryl's mind. He knows Carol is loyal, fierce, and a warrior. She would do anything for her family. But she is not cultish and ruthless, unlike Leah, who is.

4. Did we notice that Daryl and Leah got a chance to speak a few times this episode, a couple times they spoke about them, their relationship? I. LOVE. THIS! Why, oh why, you may ask? Because, it is the exact opposite problem Carol and Daryl are having right now! They aren't taking about THEM. EACH OTHER. Their RELATIONSHIP. The fact that they show Daryl and Leah speaking openly about it, with her group making jerkface comments about it, juxtapose to Daryl and Carol always speaking privately about their relationship and everyone just knowing and honoring the bond Caryl share afar off, shows that strength of the Caryl relationship and its superiority over the Daryl/Leah one. Again, the fact that they can speak openly shows communication was never their issue. And that their relationship was not really special. But something about the Caryl dynamic seems very sacred and a space just for the two of them. And to put it more simply, communication is an issue for Daryl with Carol unlike with Leah because his feelings for Carol run far deeper.

5. Pope mockingly talks about Leah having a "fishing expedition" with Daryl. Interesting word choice, methinks. Because 'expedition' conjures up images of exploration, don't you think? Which is in the future for Caryl via the spinoff. But when Pope uses it in reference to Daryl and Leah, I understand that the technical definition of expedition is exploration for the purposes of war or research. Which means...that sort of confines Leah to this category where Pope is basically telling her that her feelings for Daryl are really serving their family. It isn't of her own doing. Hmm. But Carol chooses to love Daryl and her feelings for him are as boundless and borderless as whatever exploration they undertake.

6. Pope seems to think because he is "chosen" that also makes him a prophet, apparently. That comment about Daryl's true motives wanting to be intimate with Leah shows he knows no more than the rest of his people and he clearly doesn't know Daryl. Because, sure, that's what he would be thinking about, knowing that Maggie and her people are in danger, he is trying to get some. 🙄 but if they misread Daryl's feelings, that works for me. I think Daryl would want to be misinterpreted in these circumstances if it camouflages him a bit.

6b. Do not want him having to have a trial of being intimate with Leah to prove anything, though. Unlikely. But because Pope is willing to set other people on fire, I cannot honestly say it would beneath him since...well, that is my next point.

7. *Sigh* I will start this off by saying, the next statements I write are for educational purposes only. I am not making any claims to spark a debate on religion and its factions. These are just my findings and how I believe they shade in Pope's character more. (1) First, the dark lighting, the candle lit rooms that do not look romantic or homey in the slightest, the jargon their group uses, Pope speaking in riddles like he's received some divine enlightenment that makes him judge Jury and executioner, and their rituals come across as positively cultish. Cult movements characteristically strip its members of their individuality and brainwash them into believing that they are special for all the wrong reasons. This repeated indoctrination allows them to commit merciless and ruthless crimes. Their understanding of love and devotion is warped. It is strange to me that God, Jesus and other figures from the Bible are at the focal point, since the early movements of Christianity were movements of brotherly love, servitude in love, self-sacrifice and a nonviolent approach to the problems of a corrupt society. But here, Pope thinks that he is ordained to put someone else's life on the line (Leah) or take another's life (Ossie/Aussie his name was?) To judge if another is worthy or chosen/validated? This is abusive. And I can see him abusing his authority in making Leah throw herself at Daryl or testing Daryl with it (particularly when Carol comes into play) regardless of it being likely or not. Their view on sex seems to be a war tactic, as well.

8. It is interesting that Pope loves the "forging/trial by fire". It has a Biblical feel to it, and I can see the parallel in the prophetic ending of the world by fire, and those making it through the fire are the chosen ones, which Pope seems to echo. If that is the case...Carol and Daryl coming through this and venturing out on their own into the world (totally new and unseen to them) makes them a post apocalyptic Adam & Eve, doesn't it?

9. Sadly, cults and gangs have one thing in common: you can't ever really freely leave. Getting killed typically is the only way out. Which to me...foreshadows Leah's demise. I could be wrong. But that is what I am picking up. When Pope says that you "never leave your brother in a fire" that seems to be indicative of something pertaining to someone in that group. Daryl and Leah can't ever really be brother and sister since it is established their relationship was categorized as romantic at one point, and Leah reiterated that in the episode. However, she is a sister to the rest of them there (and a 'beloved' daughter of Pope. That will be tested. And I think she will fail. And then will be scorned when she learns that Daryl did indeed lie to her -and by omission- since I am willing to bet she does not know about Carol. At. All. Leah is going to crash and burn after that.

10. Bonus notes: the abuse Daryl is put through in this episode makes me miserable. I am sick of him being handled roughly, and put in a cage. Carol would never subject her family and loved ones to that, not even putting on an act.

11. I love how when Daryl and Leah meet again, there is literally no hug. I mean, it reminded me of the No Sanctuary/Terminus Reunion. In the woods. Daryl escapes the people out to get him. Leah appears out of nowhere. Just like Carol, Daryl thought he would never see Leah again. Emotions are heightened. Aaaaaannnndddd....no hug. LOL! That is a big clue right there.

12. When Leah says "you're filthy" to Daryl...like, yeah. That's his M.O. Duh. That is not new. Now if she looked at him and said "you're clean" THEN I'd be concerned.

13. Daryl sounding like his earlier season self in this episode gave me feels! 😍

14. Leah saying that they "wouldn't have worked out, not in this world." It is not because of the lives they lead, really. It is because Carol happens to BE in this world.

15. This interpretation of fire in this episode is perfect for Carol's kind of fire and what that represents in her life. She is the Phoenix of TWD.

16. BONUS: Also, the way the Pope talks about trial by fire is so different than the way the original team family experienced it. They relied on each other. Rick never sacrificed his people as the leader. He sought a cooperative effort from his family and prioritized their strengths and they fought through the world together. Daryl knows where he belongs.

17. Lastly, when Leah said that "her family found her. They never stopped looking for her." Ouch! But on a positive note, I hear Carol's lovely voice telling Daryl "until you found me." Daryl never found Leah because he was never meant to. He found Carol because she was his to find and they belong together.

Hope my review was okay!

I do remember, and thanks for taking the time to submit your own review. Some interesting observations here, particularly about all the religious ties. Don't be a stranger!

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have daryl call carol "sweetheart" 2k19

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I seriously can’t get over how close they always sit to one another. What a beautiful ship… I’m cryin

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Possible spoiler warning for 11x3 //

Is Carol going to think Daryl is dead when Maggie, Negan, and possibly Gabe all return? Like Daryl is missing, presumed dead by these people. How are we not talking about this. Are we finally going to get an angsty scene where we get to see Carols reaction to her being told Daryl has gone missing and probably hurt, if not dead? I’m equally terrified and excited for this.

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Carol Peletier’s Origin Story + Daryl Dixon Mentions 2/2

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i wanted to rant about something i was just thinking about after reading Melissas thoughts about carol pretty much repressing her feelings for him and refusing herself to rly have him in the “waking world”

the practically canon idea that she’s been repressing feelings is interesting, it definitely makes me think that she won’t be making the first move here if she’s convinced herself so powerfully that she can’t have him. “what do you wanttt what do you wantt” mind-alpha tells her, and she can’t even admit it to herself. we rly did get a lot of insight into carols brain this season !!

but with all that said, i think a lot of carylers have theorized that daryl would always be the one to make the first move and now it’s in PLAIN sight to me after this interview. idk if he’s been “repressing” per say bc i feel he’s worn his heart on his sleeve a LOT lately, but maybe it’s becoming disheartening to him that she doesn’t see what he’s rly thinking. i think of the acorn scene there- he feels he’s been so obvious, saying “it’s not like that, not at all” so matter of factly but she’s there asking “why not?” and he’s speechless. i imagine his brain is like “don’t you know why?” in that scene and it’s crazy to watch, imagine him getting the courage to actually spill that out😩

and with daryl all disheartened, frustrated further bc of carols actions, her ignoring him and his pursuit of showing her he cares, he’s got a lot on his mind. he hasn’t found the courage yet to let it all out and be honest, and obviously the easy thing is to avoid her and give up. i can see him taking that route in the beginning of this season, idk if he decides to get back w leah but it’s a short lived possibility, but even if he’s trying to “save her”, it’s another way to avoid the scary situation w carol. i think if they do get together, leah is going to start realizing that he’s not all in. his heart is somewhere else, and it’s a cz situation all over again. it might be me being hopeful, but i could maybe see leah pushing him to rly pursue what he wants? whether she sees him as a good man who deserves what he truly wants, or whether it’s unintentional and some sort of dangerous situation w her makes him realize he’s been foolish, if that makes sense. but either way, i think he’s going to come to the conclusion that HE has been the one running from her, and i think time away from carol is going to make her start wondering if she should be more forward too. but in the end, daryl will ultimately be the one to take that step, and i think carol will be in the right space at that point to really internalize his words.

anyways this interview is living absolutely rent free in my head and i keep rereading it, getting more and more excited for this season. i hope others are feeling the same way, im holding out hope that angela knows our babies🥺❤️

#caryl #daryl x carol #caryl positivity #carol x daryl