The Walking Dead Season 10, Episode 18 recap: Find Me

Like the previous episode, The Walking Dead Episode 18 “Find Me” begins with a narration, this time by Daryl. He quickly recaps the previous episode before audiences watch him and Dog about to leave in search of materials to help rebuild Alexandria’s walls.

Carol finds him and wants to help. Even though Daryl wants to go alone she ignores his request and hops onto the back of his motorcycle.

Their travels take them to a river where Carol is able to spearfish before Dog takes off running. He leads them to an abandoned cabin that Carol suggests they shelter in for the night even though Daryl is uncomfortable with the idea.

As he wanders the cabin and stares at the makeshift burial site from a window Dog finds food under the floorboards. Amongst the food, Carol finds the note that Daryl left for someone. She puts the pieces together and realizes this was the cabin a woman named Leah resided in.

Daryl hadn’t told Carol the full story of what happened and now she is going to find out.

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 18 – Daryl’s Search

The episode flashbacks to Daryl’s endless search for Rick, starting five years ago. Using a map Daryl’s persistence and refusal to return to Alexandria concerns Carol.

She is worried that his obsession with finding Rick isn’t helping however Daryl refuses to accept it as such. After Daryl lives through a vicious storm perhaps as violent as his frustration at not being able to find a trace of Rick, he encounters Dog for the first time.

It is when Dog returns a second time that Daryl follows him to the cabin. Daryl enters the cabin, kills a walker, and comes face to face with a woman holding a shotgun.

Not messing around she ties Daryl to a chair and demands to know who he is and why he was there. Daryl reveals his name and tells her how the dog led him there.

She lets him go refusing to tell him her name.

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 18 – Leah

Over the course of time, Daryl would find ways to meet with Leah again. Once to return Dog back to her, another when Leah rescued him from walkers and another when Daryl made the kind gesture of giving her a fish that she threw back at him.

Each time they meet they both struggle the hide the obvious smiles upon seeing the other. Leah even reveals her name and is the one who named the canine Dog.

It’s very obvious that Leah is living alone and like Daryl may have trust issues when meeting new people. She eventually warms up to him and invites him to her cabin.

That evening she shares her painful past of coming from practically no family and finding one through a group she joined. When a woman she considered her sister died giving birth, Leah raised the baby as her own son and tragically lost him when he got bit.

It had been just her and dog since. Daryl shared that he was looking for his brother and wouldn’t stop until he found him.

From there Daryl and Leah became close and a relationship formed. The image of Daryl gently taking her hand and leading her away as the scene fades was a nice poetic touch.

But their relationship comes to a halt when Daryl wants to search for Rick again. Obviously, heartbroken Leah gives him an ultimatum that he either chooses her, his family, or searching for Rick.

Daryl leaves and encounters Carol again. She is still worried about his mission to find Rick and asks him to find his peace.

Daryl realizes shortly after that he wants to be with Leah, returns to her cabin to find Dog but not Leah. He leaves her a note explaining that he chooses to be with her and leaves it with some food under the floorboard.

Since then Dog remained at Daryl’s side and together hope to find Leah.

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 18 – Is the friendship over?

After hearing the full story Carol tries to console Daryl thinking it’s possible Leah could have been taken. Daryl refuses to believe it and blames himself.

This is something Daryl has done in the past that often results in him staying away from his family. Their conversation becomes heated when Carol mentions Connie and Daryl still blames her for Connie’s disappearance.

He uses her own advice from years ago against her practically bringing her to tears. Daryl is frustrated with their constant cycle and though he probably said words he didn’t mean it looks like their friendship might be over, for now.

Final Thoughts – The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 18 will most likely divide fans

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 18 provided viewers with what Daryl was up to during his absence after Rick’s disappearance including how Dog came into his possession. It should come as no surprise to anyone that he would stop at nothing to find Rick.

Rick after all came to be a man that he saw and loved as his own brother. However, even Daryl didn’t expect to find a reason to let go of his mission for a chance at happiness.

The fact that Leah’s character was developed in just one episode is nothing short of an amazing feat. Leah was like Daryl in so many ways by coming from a broken home to finding a new family and managing to survive on her own.

Her ultimatum may have come off as harsh but from her perspective, Daryl was the best thing that happened to her in a very long time, and losing him was something she didn’t want to happen.

Even though Daryl and Carol’s friendship may seemingly appear to be over their upcoming spinoff may suggest otherwise. Maybe they will search for Leah together?

Maybe they will search for something else? Regardless this episode was pivotal in showing Daryl’s journey to coming to terms with Rick’s possible death, gaining a canine companion, and perhaps finding love in the apocalypse.

What did you think of The Walking Dead Episode 18? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Walking Dead Episode 19 will air on March 14, 2021.