The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: Two characters TWD fans have been asking about revealed in Episode 5

It seems like yesterday when The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon debuted and just like that, we are one episode away from the finale, and there is so much to unpack. Season 1 episode 5 “Deux Amours”, is undoubtedly my favorite episode of the series.

And now that the fans have watched either on AMC or AMC Plus, you may now see why. Not just one but two of the names fans have been screeching about since their departure, “Where is Rick?”…”Where is Carol?”, could finally be answered.

The Walking Dead would not be the same without either of them and the fact that they were both brought to light in the same scene had me leaping for joy! Rick Grimes is unquestionably the face of the franchise and the most legendary character of the zombie apocalypse.

His disappearance has left a void in the hearts of fans and every member of the team family. First and foremost, Michonne.

We last left Michonne on her journey to find Rick and bring him home. RJ has yet to meet his father and Judith is more like Rick than we could have ever imagined.

Hopefully, we will get to see their reunion very soon when The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live airs early in 2024. On to Carol Peletier.

It was a heartbreaking moment to learn that Carol would not be joining Daryl in their highly anticipated spinoff. Nobody was more heartbroken than the fans.

We all knew The Walking Dead couldn’t last forever but if there was one thing we knew for sure, it’s that it would end with Carol and Daryl riding off into the sunset…destination unknown but sure to be a wildly fanatical ride.

Sadly, Melissa McBride wasn’t able to film in France in time, due to logistical and I imagine, personal circumstances. The move to Paris is a big jump across the pond.

We don’t yet know what’s in store for the Queen but hearing her voice on the radio sent a chill down my spine. There was nothing more nostalgic than hearing her familiar voice at the other end of the line.

Now let’s unpack what Carol means to Daryl’s story.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: What was the promise that Daryl continues to talk about throughout the series?

In “Deux Amours” the audience witnesses Daryl’s flashback and we finally see how he came to France. The archer found himself in coastal Maine gathering walkers for a group at a gas station in exchange for fuel.

Daryl has no idea who these people are or what they want with all these walkers. His mission is to work enough to get some fuel and head back home.

It is unclear what exactly Daryl went out there looking for. Rick and Michonne perhaps?

At the end of season 11, Maggie did mention to Daryl about going out on missions, saying there was a lot out there to find out about. Or was it something else?

What we do find out is very interesting and connects a lot of dots for the entire season of TWD: Daryl Dixon. From the series opener, Judith’s voice is the first thing we hear.

“You deserve a happy ending too.” During Daryl’s dream state, we see the vision of Carol right before he gets on his bike to go off on his journey of impending doom.

Later on in the first episode, we see Laurent the empath, somehow tell Daryl he deserves a happy ending as well. And towards the end, he tells Isabelle this is not his fight.

He made a promise that he has every intention of keeping. France be damned.

In Maine, he finally gets to a radio, but he struggles to get through to anyone back home. And just as he’s about to give up, Carol comes through on the channel and Daryl nearly takes flight as he lunges himself back to the radio, almost clearing the table it was on.

I never thought I would get this excited about a radio call, given all the tediously strange ones we saw Eugene have. But this one was the chef’s kiss.

There is a reason I told the fans previously to hone in on this conversation, because every detail is of utter importance. The promise is finally revealed, and that promise is to none other than Carol, as many of us might have imagined.

That is his soulmate after all.

“Daryl, are you okay?” she finally asks. “Yeah, well, I have a radio here I thought what the hell? How are you doing?”

“Where’s there?” Carol asks. “I’m in Maine…by the Coast… Everything good there?”

“Yeah, you know, it’s pretty quiet here.” “Quiet’s good…you okay?”

And this is the moment where things took a turn for the worse in the conversation.

“Yeah, just takes some getting used to, that’s all.”

What takes getting used to I wonder? Life without Daryl was my first conclusion.

At this point, Daryl takes a long pause. He knows that something is amiss with her and asks once again…

“Are you sure you’re, okay?” Carol responds in a very emotionally distant way.

“You never have to worry about me, Daryl… How is it out there?”

She may not be as okay with Daryl leaving as she let on, but there is sadness in her voice and a tone of blocking all emotion about it.

“I’ll tell you all about it when I see you. I’m just gathering up some fuel. I’ll be there in about a week.” He tells her. “I promise.”

Even with Carol’s detached tone, there is a softness in Daryl’s voice when he speaks to her. And that tone is only ever reserved for her throughout the series.

“Copy that,” she responds with a little more happiness in her voice this time.

How does Rick play into the conversation?

What happened next was a moment that I knew would have all fans of The Walking Dead universe on the edge of their seats.

“Hey, Daryl?” Carol says before he gets off. “Yeah?” He asks in response.

“Rick…and…came back.” WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!

There was too much static in between the words to hear it clearly and I have replayed this a thousand times since screeners came to my inbox months ago. Did Carol say Rick and Michonne came back?

Rick and Michonne didn’t come back? Rick’s here but Michonne didn’t come back?

Rick was found but only Michonne came back. It’s the million-dollar question.

Or was the end of her sentence also cut out? They could have come back and left with the kids had they not wanted to stay and live in the Commonwealth.

It could be too much of a shock, considering all the trauma Rick has been through. Maybe they want a quieter life where they can all reconnect as a family.

“Who came back?” Daryl asks almost excitedly but the radio cuts out. I imagine this was done for excitement to gear the fans up for the Rick and Michonne show.

Static was purposely used to not only confuse us but also get us talking. Carol spoiling too much on the radio would in turn spoil too much for TWD: The Ones Who Live, but still damn them for teasing the one thing we all want to know!

Perhaps Rick and Michonne are already living out their happily ever after with the kids as we speak.

What does all this mean for Carol and Daryl?

We still do not yet know what the future holds for Daryl and Carol. What if Daryl embarks on his new life in France and decides to stay?

It’s hard to imagine given the many times he has told everyone there this is not his fight, and he doesn’t believe in their cause, even if he might respect it. The promise is spoken of in abundance and even met with annoyance by Isabelle more often than not.

Will Carol and Daryl meet again in the future and how may that look? Towards the end of the episode, we see Laurent wanting to go with Daryl, willing to give up his life at the Nest.

Daryl repeatedly tells him he can’t. Now whether that is because he has a higher purpose or Daryl has bigger things in store for his future that cannot involve children, remains to be seen.

Laurent also asks about Daryl’s people back home. He finds it unfair he knows so much about him, but Daryl doesn’t give any information in return.

We do know that he’s a very guarded man who protects the ones he loves. Even if he does care about Laurent.

He finally reveals there is Judith and RJ, kids like himself. Connie and Ezekiel are lumped together as his friends as well, and a lady named Carol.

The last is important because she seems to be separated from others. In this scene, it is vital to pay attention to the directing.

The camera hones in on Daryl as he speaks about Carol. Not only does his voice become much softer when speaking her name but there’s a hint of sadness to his voice.

The camera shows his face as he speaks her name and that is done with purpose and intent. Later on in the evening, Laurent goes to prayer and prays for the people that Daryl holds nearest to his heart.

Carol is the first name he asks God to look over. His empathic skills are still holding strong as if he knows she is the most sacred person in Daryl’s life.

And he would be right.

In the back of his mind, he knows his friends at the Commonwealth are well off and it shouldn’t be long now before Rick and Michonne are back for RJ and Judith. So what else could be urging him to get back home so badly?

You can see his dire urgency to get back home. Daryl has been ready to leave at every turn, despite the guilt the French try to plague on our hero.

The promise is the part of Daryl Dixon’s story that exudes the most significance. It further shows you his integrity and the man of honor that has developed before our eyes through the last decade.

Keeping his promise to Carol is his chief concern. Given she is the most sacred person to him, it makes the most sense she is the one person in his life he can’t let down.

And if Daryl has any say in the matter, he won’t.

Tune in next Sunday, October 15 for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 finale on AMC to see if Daryl’s promise is hindered again or if he will get one step closer to his home.