Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 5, “Limbo”.

With The Walking Dead‘s TV universe starting around 15 years ago, it is no surprise the franchise has repeated some stories over the years, and Daryl Dixon season 3 appears to be rehashing a Carol and Daryl plot from the main series. Despite feeling like complete opposites when the outbreak started, Daryl and Carol became extremely close friends in The Walking Dead.

Both of them evolved massively in their own ways, with Daryl learning to put more trust in people and open up emotionally, while Carol adapted to the new world by becoming much more cunning and ruthless. The duo undoubtedly still has their flaws, but they usually bring the best out of each other, hence their bond being so strong.

Daryl Dixon season 3 even teased a romance between the two main characters, but their connection has always felt purely platonic. That said, it is clear their relationship has been slightly different since arriving in Spain, and for fans who have been watching since The Walking Dead season 2, it may feel rather familiar.

Daryl & Carol’s Current Relationship Feels Strangely Similar To Their Walking Dead Season 2 Dynamic

While Carol and Daryl’s friendship properly started in season 2, their dynamic was somewhat tense, just like it is once again in Daryl Dixon season 3. Back in the main show’s second season, Daryl showed his softer and more selfless side by looking for Sophia and comforting Carol after losing her daughter.

However, things weren’t always perfect between the pair. Daryl used to be standoffish due to his lone wolf nature, alongside the fact that he believed his brother was dead. This resulted in him lashing out at Carol unfairly at times and being dismissive towards her, something the spinoff show appears to be repeating in season 3.

After Isabelle’s Walking Dead death in Daryl Dixon season 2, the titular character has been silently mourning, which explains his behavior in the current installment. He feels much snappier and has a shorter fuse, while also seeming less empathetic towards those in need compared to how he was in France.

As a result, Carol has come across as the more innocent and open-minded one, whereas Daryl is much more stubborn, proving just how similar their current dynamic feels to their Walking Dead season 2 story.

Daryl Recognizing Carol’s Deceitful Nature Is A Little Hypocritical

There is no question that, despite their rising tension this season, the protagonists are still close friends. However, Daryl acknowledging Carol’s deceitful nature feels hypocritical given how often it comes in handy. After finding Roberto, the leading duo and Antonio decided it was best to keep what happened a secret to avoid escalating any conflict.

Here, Daryl tells Carol, “All we need is a good liar, and we’ve got one of those.” Although the line is delivered in a somewhat playful way, there is also a blunt nature to the comment, making it come across as a slight dig at Carol’s character.

Considering how often Carol lied in Daryl Dixon season 2, Daryl’s comment isn’t exactly inaccurate, as the veteran survivor is more than willing to deceive people to get what she wants. That said, Daryl has benefited from Carol’s dishonesty numerous times, including in Spain, meaning he shouldn’t really judge her for it.

The duo clearly knows each other well enough to identify their flaws, but given Daryl has always accepted Carol for who she is, it feels hypocritical to call her out while he fails to open up about his emotions. Whether their animosity continues in Daryl Dixon season 3 remains unclear, but regardless, they’ll likely resolve their issues in the end anyway.

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  The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
  

  
  

  7/10

  Release Date

  2023 – 2026-00-00

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    Norman Reedus

    Daryl Dixon

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    Clemence Poesy

    Isabelle Carriere

  
  

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  Created by

  Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard

  First TV Show

  The Walking Dead

  Latest TV Show

  The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

  Upcoming TV Shows

  More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe

  First Episode Air Date

  
  October 31, 2010
  

  Cast

  Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lennie James

  The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as “walkers.” The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.