Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol episode 1.
The Walking Deadsuffered plenty of character departures during its 11-season run, but one major death from season 2 is finally being remembered over a decade later inDaryl Dixon. With the spinoff’s second season officially underway,Daryl Dixoncontinued the protagonist’s journey in France, with Melissa McBride’s Carol permanently joining the show. After featuring briefly in episode 5 during a radio call,Carol also appeared inDaryl Dixonseason 1’s finale, setting up her involvement in the next installment. Now, she looks like she will have a pivotal role in the overall plot, as she heads to France.
WithCarol and Daryl’s reunion looking inevitable in season 2, the story seems like it will center around their eventual meeting alongside their journey back to the US. This gives the show plenty of time to reflect on its protagonists' backstories, as shown in “La gentillesse des étrangers”. The episode focused predominantly on Carol and her new ally Ash, and while the audience already knows about her history inThe Walking Dead,season 2’s premiere offered the perfect opportunity to explore one major death from the main showthat Carol has failed to address for years.
Althoughit has been nearly 13 years sinceThe Walking Deadrevealed Sophia’s shocking death, the franchise finally appears to be exploring her demise properly inDaryl Dixon. After Sophia ran off at the beginning of the main show’s second season, it seemed like she’d show up safe and sound eventually. However, the midseason finale surprised everyone as Sophia emerged from the barn as a zombie, which proved to be one ofThe Walking Dead’s most haunting deaths. While Carol was naturally devastated about losing her daughter, it looks like she will properly mourn this loss inDaryl Dixon.
The original series did give Carol moments to reflect on losing her daughter shortly after it happened, but given she was mostly a supporting character in the early seasons, it was brushed over relatively quickly. Thankfully, her major role in Daryl’s spinoff looks to be giving her time to remember her daughter and grieve properly.Daryl Dixonseason 2’s premiere referenced Sophia on several occasions, and with Ash losing his son in a similar way to how Carol lost Sophia, it looks like the forgotten character may be a big part of the overall story.
Daryl Dixon Season 2 Update Is A Huge Relief After 14 Years Of Walking Dead Rumors
One controversial Walking Dead rumor that has lasted 14 years has thankfully been put to bed thanks to a major TWD: Daryl Dixon season 2 update.
Sophia’s death was not only a huge shock, but it helpeddefine Carol and Daryl’sWalking Deadfriendshipas it brought the two closer together, making this spinoff the perfect place for Carol to open up about the incident. Considering Sophia exiting the barn is one of the franchise’s most iconic scenes, I’m glad to see it acknowledged once again, and Carol finally reflecting on this moment years later seems fitting, since she’s clearly been repressing this memory for a while.
Carol Has Been Avoiding Sophia’s Death For A Long Time
Carol addressing Sophia’s death is long overdue, as she’s been avoiding it for a long time. Naturally, it’s the sort of incident that is incredibly difficult to talk about, especially given how much Carol has changed. She has become a lot stronger and is a much better survivor, but this may only add to her guilt about letting Sophia wander off. Therefore, trying to avoid discussions about her daughter and keeping the memory buried probably felt like the easiest way forward, but Ash makes this unavoidable. Given how similar his son’s death sounds to Sophia’s, Carol is forced to remember.
Assuming Ash eventually finds out the truth, it may lead to a heartbreaking scene where Carol lets all her emotions finally spill out.
Although she is lying to Ash about what really happened by claiming Sophia is still alive, this only confirms that it’s a topic that won’t go away. Assuming Ash eventually finds out the truth, it may lead to a heartbreaking scene where Carol lets all her emotions finally spill out, giving her the chance to overcome her trauma all these years later. She may have done a great job of moving on from the incident since season 2, butDaryl Dixonis proving Carol can’t avoid this conversation forever, making her involvement in the spinoff even more interesting.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.
