dandelioncherokee

[dandelioncherokee]

#they are definitely not NOT gazing at each other

CAROL & DARYL THE WALKING DEAD 11.24 ▶ Rest in Peace

#the walking dead #caryl

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Filming that scene by the lake with Norman was the most difficult scene on this show that I’ve ever had to get myself through. It was an absolute mixed bag of Carol and Melissa. I knew going in that it was going to be difficult… those words on the page, the first of our last two scenes together, the impending finality was feeling very real.

Once I sat on that bench, once Norman sat next to me, that was it for me… I knew I couldn’t get out of my own way. To battle it would’ve been a mistake. Come what may, it had to be honest. It was Carol with Daryl, and it was me with Norman, and I will miss them both. It’s a beautiful scene about friendship and trust. I loved it.

We did several takes of the scene where we last see Daryl & Carol together, when they tell one another “I love you.” One of the things I love about working together with Norman is that we don’t rehearse, which was the case with this scene. Each take was a little different. These are the last words we hear them say to each other. In this final scene, I was struck by Daryl’s deliberateness to tell Carol that he loves her, the stillness he held as he said it, and then her reaction to seemingly try to intercept the weight of it, tossing it back to him lightly, playfully, for the road ahead. It’s a good way to remember them, taking care of one another.

- MELISSA MCBRIDE on Norman/Melissa & Daryl/Carol last scenes

#caryl #carol peletier #daryl dixon #twd #mmb quote

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We deserved better, they deserved better. They were supposed to leave together, riding off into the sunset. But they truly love each other, they are soulmates. And maybe that's enough, for now. I really hope they'll get their happy ending.

I will always love them.

They'll always be my safe place, my home.

#caryl #carol peletier #daryl dixon #melissa mcbride #twd

[dandelioncherokee]

Some rambling thoughts on the ending, after very little sleep!

This isn’t a positivity post, although I will say that it was peak TWD to have Daryl blurt out his first “I love you” to his ‘soulmate’ only to have Carol sort of giggle before saying it back, like “duh! I love you too, you’re MY BEST FRIEND” (kinda tired of hearing the constant BFF mantra at this point tbh) Anyway, I felt he may have been genuinely letting her know what was in his heart. But it didn’t matter as she was steeling herself to say goodbye and wasn’t really hearing him. (Also, the bench scene gave me 9.01 vibes.) Except this time, Daryl was able to express himself, so progress?! 🙃😢

Anyway. I guess most of it came down to the DD spinoff. It was basically what happens when you write yourselves into a pickle, and have to ignore a whole 12 year arc, to ensure Monsieur Dixon makes it to France, alone. I can’t bring myself to think about this new CW role for Carol. (Although they had hinted at it, I’m still really uncomfortable with the idea of it).

Anyway, back to my point about lack of canon. Landing in France, Daryl must be alone and unattached, otherwise, they won’t be able to tease new relationships, consider giving Daryl a gf, or make him conflicted about returning home. Otherwise that Daryl would be a cheat and he would not cheat on Carol. So, leaving Carol simply loving him like a bestie, enables the Daryl ships to set sail once again. As reinventing himself seems to be the whole premise, they need freedom to explore that, I guess.

Although Daryl stans might love this idea, from the pov of AMC there’s still perhaps a lack of investment in this new story, that’s probably where Carylers come in. I’m guessing some will watch because they love Daryl/TWDU, others might watch for Enragement. That rage engagement TWD likes to drag along with it, when people watch to see if everything goes up in flames or if they were right all along about something. Most will not watch at all.

Having said that I feel that perhaps they are banking on enough of us still watching to see if he chooses this new life or if he comes to his senses and chooses Carol. (Or what’s left of Team Family). I dunno. There are a lot of hedged bets here and not much that is actually very appealing. But I just think that if Mel is considering returning as Carol, via Daryl’s spinoff, it isn’t something they would spoil this early on. Otherwise, anything they set up in France, becomes rather pointless pretty early on. Oui? No?

Mel seemed to be finished with the franchise, but on the other hand she has said Carol has story left. Norman says a lot of stuff about Caryl coming back around. Kang has also chimed in. I’m not sure I see Carol with a whole new spinoff, but who knows. Some would certainly welcome that. Either way, they want viewers. Yeah, sometimes it feels like they hate us, but how much of that is because they know Caryl gets them attention - the old rage engagement works when we’re waiting aeons for Caryl to interact. Meanwhile tptb get to tell somebody else’s story. That breaks my heart. Caryl were the story. Or should have been.

Anyway, the carrot is looking pretty tiny and a bit moth-eaten now. Probably time to bin it, AMC.

#caryl #is that it? #i guess it is #they love eachother and we knew it

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I don’t stress a single episode of TWD or Twitter comment and here’s why.

I already KNOW Carol and Daryl are in love.

I will not be gaslit lol.

They could be three hundred thousand miles away with their tongues down someone else’s throat and you would not be able to tell me they’re in love with someone else.

You will never be able to tell me I made shit up. Miss me with the bullshit. If they “end up” with anyone else Ima think the writers are crazy before I EVER think I was trippin. I’m not blind.

Bitch I got EVIDENCE. Seasons worth of evidence.

#caryl #twd #daryl x carol #carol peletier #daryl dixon #caryl positivity

[dandelioncherokee]

How is this going to be in any way a satisfying conclusion for Daryl’s character arc?

He started the series as a mistrustful, ultra competent loner, and will be leaving the series as.. a competent loner who has been shown through his experiences being tortured by multiple people and separately betrayed by his lover that trusting people is dangerous and ultimately not worth his time.

What are we supposed to take away from TWD? After 12 years what was the point of all this?

#twd #caryl #the walking dead

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"Find me" rewatch

So I rewatched "Find me" yesterday and something stuck out to me....

Carol is obviously shocked when she finds Daryl's note,NOT because she realizes Leah lived in that special cabin,but because she realizes the nature of Daryl's relationship to her. Meaning she knew about Leah but not about the intimate relationship they had. So Daryl kept that a secret and he seems very awkward if not ashamed when Carol puts two and two together.

He even tries to divert Carol's attention " Already told you everything" ,but Carol is not having it.

You have to be aware that the tone of their conversation up to this point is very soft and respectful and the voices are low.

As we all know this changes after Carol REALLY knows everything.

I asked myself the question how much Carol knew before this conversation and looking closely it seems that Daryl only told her that he was captured by a stranger woman and that he somehow ended up with her dog. Look at the sadness in Carol's face and she still manages to give him a way out"Whatever you wanna tell me". When he continues to tell his story,he starts right where he was captured.

SO CAROL KNEW close to NOTHING BEFORE. Not one thing about the 10 months he stayed with Leah,not how they got to know each other, and certainly not the romance part.

WHY?

Caryl on ❤️

#caryl #twd #caryl positivity #caryl on #caryl is endgame #carol peletier #daryl dixon #daryl x carol #norman reedus #melissamcbride

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HEY CARYL NATION 🤍

I made another compilation video of Caryl’s best scenes. This time, it features the best of Carol teasing Daryl cuz I know we all love that. Enjoy!

#caryl #caryl on #twd

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Norman watching this 😍 … and Jeffery, such a Caryl fan ❤️

IG welcometonissa

#Norman #Melissa #Daryl #Carol #Caryl #love #endgame #theirfaces #whenjdmclaps #perfect

#caryl #twd

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DARYL DIXON in The Walking Dead 11.16 ▶ Acts of God

#twd #daryl dixon

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Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead 11.10 ▶ New Haunts

#twd #caryl #daryl dixon

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Now that I have completely cooled down from the unorthodoxy that was episode ten, I wanted to delve more deeply into my theory on Daryl and Connie. Because I care. I also have the conundrum of being quite sleepy while writing this. Sorry in advance for my incoherent thoughts.

First off, Daryl and Carol look like husband and wife here. That whole interaction, even though we are still experiencing that seeming "indifference" emanating from Daryl towards Carol, that was how they generally looked standing next to each other. Like a married couple.

Without dragging this out to the ending doom, here is the theory:

Daryl is looking at Connie, because he is contemplating working with Connie regarding Pamela Milton and the entire "resist the Commonwealth" movement/agenda, whatever you call that.

Hence his studying of her.

Daryl is not just going through daily life at the Commonwealth without his reservations, although it would be helpful as fudge (yes, fudge) if they showed it. But suffice it to say "there's always something we gotta do to make it work" underlines Daryl's suspiciousness and alertness enough.

Connie is the most suitable helper for that endeavor. And the only one of their group who can get the closest. Why else give us the knowledge of Connie being so skillful that she got one of Milton's predecessors removed? It is supposed to be the thread that is weaving into Daryl's thought process.

And throughout the episode? Daryl is now fully involved with the Sebastian-Pamela and Commonwealth problem. The brief meeting in the main hall that Pamela had with Connie and her sister showed the conflict between Connie and Pamela perfectly, as well. Connie is off about it. Daryl is off about it, too. Perfect setup to work together. All they need to do now is to be seen speaking with each other at great length. Especially if this irregular pacing is what we're going with.

Notice how Carol thinks Pamela was/is "classy"? This bit of dialogue was effective in getting us to think Carol is not going to be working directly/closely with Daryl and doesn't really seem to "suspect" or think much is "wrong".

Same with "you should ask her to dance." Carol's mind is not on conflict. It is on peace. "Fixing". Cooperation, collaboration. Not on fighting. So we are looking at this from Carol's perspective, rather than Daryl's. But if you reprocess that scene with Carol's words in mind, you would see that she is functioning as a sort of ruse to throw us off.

Because Carol is actually voicing her thoughts. Daryl isn't.

It is interesting that Daryl "puts on" a smile for Connie and readily makes eye contact. Not just out of necessity. You're supposed to notice how he specifically doesn't make eye contact with Carol all that much. From the time she walked over to him, to the time he said he had to get ready for work, it almost appears as though he is doing it on purpose. By the way, when Connie walks away, look at Daryl's face in the camera. He. is. not. smiling. at. Connie.

Furthermore, Daryl's questions to Connie are about "work", "interviewing Pamela". Not about anything pertaining to her. Kelly boasted her sister (because that is what younger, adoring siblings do). Not Connie, herself. Kelly is also being used to divert our attention from Daryl's true "fixation" on Connie. It is being made to look like he was impressed with her, and that was why he was watching her walk away. I do not believe that to be the case.

Remember Carol's impressed with Connie, but we isolated it from the subtext before Connie and Kelly showed up. That was when Carol commented on Pamela, Daryl said "I never knew anything about her" and was shown to be scratching his chin at the festivities, uninterested. So WHY would Daryl then become impressed about something specifically Connie did in that field, when he just said he didn't know Pamela from Eve, essentially?

Carol is the one that does something truly impressive at being able to find a way outside the walls and bring the #2 man Lance Hornsby exactly what he needs at the right time, thereby solving a dilemma that can very well secure Ezekiel's future.

Connie is standing opposite Carol. We are supposed to make the comparison.

Daryl is standing next to Carol. We are supposed to see the foreshadowing of his choice.

Speaking of "choice" Daryl was the one the camera focused on when Mercer walked by with Princess as his date. Again, if we are summoning old similes, Princess is dressed like a princess, which should remind us of "queen" Carol; Daryl is supposed to be the "future soldier" of the Commonwealth. So, it mirrors Mercer's image. We are supposed to be led to gather Daryl is thinking of Connie and "this is what Carol was talkin' about, askin' her to the dance." But no. It is Daryl as Mercer, Carol as Princess.

It makes sense Lance and Carol would join up, since they seem to be the ones not getting much love but they are the trump cards of their own groups/communities at the same time. I feel that.

Two partnerships potentially formed: Carol and Lance. Daryl and Connie.

But if I have to take Carol basically implying about herself all season that she isn't "classy" or "impressive" or of "high caliber" I'm gonna--

And if Daryl doesn't compliment her in any of those areas just once before the show ends, I'm really gonna--

So that is my theory. I could be right, partially right, not right at all. But that is what I am going with. I do not know why I am bothering to post, since unfortunately it does not possess rejuvenating properties to restore anyone's wounded psyche on Caryl. But I have a thing about not drinking half-empty glasses. I much prefer my extrapolations to be half-full.

#caryl #caryl is endgame #caryl positivity

[dandelioncherokee]

If I absolutely had to pick, this whole look Daryl is giving Carol is so entrancing...

It is important to note that this is Daryl's face right after he says "not at all". He may be doing that on purpose or he may be inadvertently showing us his feelings mapped out on his features.

But the point is, even without him saying "not at all" Daryl's actual face is not lying. Not at all.

So of course my mind won't ever leave me be, and I got this theory going in my head, again. It's basically that Daryl was being completely transparent with her in this moment; a rarity. But Carol messed it up. He thought he had done good by dismissing that he and Connie are not a thing and that he isn't interested in her like that. And now he was giving her this face that was definitely sending out a signal. Because that is Carol and Daryl's traditional communication style. And if you notice, they only really have something resembling a conversation when there is a problem (with one another or the community). Other than that, they tend to communicate nonverbally.

Carol messed up by saying "Why not?" Because only then does Daryl break the connection. It was like she shot him down just by saying that. Because Daryl doesn't just take Carol's words at face value. He includes himself in whatever she is saying and comes up with "she's pushing me away." Which he was right, but not because she doesn't want him.

See, she shouldn't have said anything. He was inviting her to receive the signal he was sending out and Carol dodged it like the dodgeball champion she is. Then when Daryl looks away, there is hurt, frustration, a desire to communicate, but he keeps it buried. They both don't know how to tell each other what is really inside.

Plus Daryl's lips part ever so slightly, a mirroring sign of genuine interest. He was so much more open then. If Carol just stayed on that emotional note and said something more complimenting to Daryl like "good-looking man like you would have no problem getting Connie. You should give her a chance" or "give it a try", it would have given Daryl a chance again to reply to her that he only sees Connie as a friend, while responding to the compliment. But Carol isn't direct, so it only highlights that she's putting herself down, which Daryl senses like the Pookie he is.

It also comes across as Daryl doesn't get a "choice" in who he wants to be with, since "do choices really matter" and "there aren't that many people to find out there, these days".

Yes, my theory. I do not know what to call it. Maybe: Daryl tries flirting with his eyes and lips but Carol is too busy flirting with her own self-hatred to see it.

Shout-out to the lovely @dixonscarol for this GIF.

#caryl #caryl is endgame #twd caryl

[dandelioncherokee]

As usual, I have my thoughts.

Daryl and Carol are infamous for skirting about the big topic of their unsaid, unspoken feelings for each other. This scene is no different. They withhold themselves from the other because they are both afraid of losing each other and what they have with them. No, that is not me expressing my opinion. That is me stating a fact.

I rewatched that fight scene (which is always difficult to see your two favorite people in TWD world fight) but I picked up something. And that is Daryl is doing it again: he gets close to the issue but stops short.

When he says "and that's all that matters, you being right, huh?" Look at his face. Like, look at it. He is clearly upset about something that has nothing to do with anyone else but them.

In his eyes, Daryl doesn't seem to matter to Carol. Not a lot, anyway. Not him, nor the bond they have. All that matters is her being right.

Which, side note: this is another example of Caryl "talking but not communicating" with each other. Daryl assumes that just because Carol says "I'm not sorry for going after the horde and I'm not sorry for making Alpha pay for killing Henry, because I was right," he is interpreting that to mean that Carol's ONLY concern is to be right. As if she is choosing to be right over choosing Daryl; over choosing them.

And that is extremely upsetting to Daryl. So he has this cognitive dissonance moment that spans for the rest of their fight.

I'll try to break it down quickly:

1. Carol tries to reassure/comfort/be a friend to Daryl by saying losing Leah, Rick and Connie were not his fault, nor his mistake.

2. Instead of using that as a moment to calmly articulate his disapproval of Carol's choices, he uses it as an opportunity to fault her on top of everything else she has endured.

3. Carol apologizes for Connie; she didn't mean for that to happen, but clearly states that her actions would have remained the same. Because her reasons were right. Notice: Carol did NOT blame Daryl for sending them after her in the first place.

4. Daryl then says what I pasted in the GIF above. This is the moment of cognitive dissonance, because he is surmising that Carol only cares about something as insignificant as being right. That he and their relationship don't matter.

5. Carol pauses, then says that Daryl isn't really saying what he wants to say, so why doesn't he just say it?

6. Aaaannnd....he DOESN'T! He has another cognitive dissonance moment by shifting the focus BACK to Carol in saying that she shouldn't have come. This is the third time at this point in their argument that Daryl has done this.

7. When Carol says she wanted to help, Daryl says "no, you wanted to run." Carol responds with "what?" And it is completely sincere, her confusion. Daryl is not calling her a liar, but he is saying that he believes she's being dishonest. About what?

8. Daryl says "Alexandria, what the skins did? You couldn't deal with the guilt. So you made it my problem." Whoa! Major foreshadowing, since Daryl is basically accusing Carol of just using him. He is saying that this is the crux of their relationship: when things get "too hard" or "too much" for Carol, she uses Daryl to take the blame. OUCH! And the foreshadowing comes into play next season when LEAH actually lies and blames Daryl for killing Pope because she couldn't deal with the guilt of killing him, nor could she deal with Daryl not choosing her. She used Daryl. Not Carol.

9. Carol hits dead on by saying "your only problem is thinking you have to say everybody. I don't need a savior, Daryl. And I don't need a martyr. I just need a friend." This points out that Daryl is actually unsure of where his own boundaries are for himself in relation to others. She is making very clear what she needs. She is not looking for someone to save her from the guilt (savior). She is not looking for someone to take the fall for her mishaps (martyr). She is in need of a friend. She is not saying that Daryl isn't being a friend to her. Rather, that Daryl is burdening himself with so much, when he doesn't have to. And when things don't work out, he blows up or loses his temper.

And then, of course, we know how the rest of it goes. But the positive note from this fight is that Daryl does not walk away from Carol like he did with Leah. He gives Carol a choice, stay or run. The truly loving thing about it all, is that Daryl would rather watch Carol run away from him, than to walk away from her.

Credit for GIF goes to @sinnersandsapphics-edits

#caryl #caryl is endgame #twd caryl

[dandelioncherokee]

Am I the only one that is almost encouraged by these spoilers? Even though we may not like the sound of it, doesn’t sound like anything happens. The clock is ticking, especially for Daryl/C*nnie. Carol brings up dancing, why doesn’t he dance with her or attempt to ask? Figure we would be hearing about it if they breathed the same air in any other scene of the episode.

I think both pairings are being played up to make us believe that something is going to happen, but then something else will happen instead. That's all I'll say for now.

The dancing comment caught my attention and maybe I'm reading too much fanfiction (I am), but I wonder if it could be foreshadowing something along the lines of what I described above. Like down the line, Daryl having the opportunity to dance with Connie, but he asks Carol instead.

#caryl #twd #caryl is endgame

[dandelioncherokee]

His face when he looks at her … 😍😍😍

#Norman #TWD #Daryllove #Carol #Caryl #hearteyes #hisface #love #forever #always #endgame

#caryl

[dandelioncherokee]

11A Reimagined

I know, I know. The story isn’t over yet. There is still a lot that’s going to carry over into 11B, and I am happy to see it all unfold the way AK intends, don’t get me wrong. I definitely don’t assume to know more than she does. Think of this as a proposal for a fanfiction I’ll never write. A major “what if.” So, with that said, what if…

1. Maggie had no connection to the Reapers. With food sources dwindling in Alexandria, TF could have easily just decided to venture into new territory and stumble upon the Reapers amidst their search. There’d still be a fight on the road, only one more evenly matched to serve as the catalyst for Pope’s wrath. Everyone would still get separated. Daryl would still get captured by Leah. Maybe that sounds too convenient, but IMO, Maggie’s personal investment in the Reapers never amounted to anything anyway (at least not up to this point). The real story was between her and Negan, and it would’ve felt SO much more natural if neither character had any reason to go on the mission. If they could just remain in Alexandria instead, we could see Maggie trying to navigate being a leader again to a community she left behind years ago while at the same time struggling to co-exist with Negan, who would be struggling to claim his “rightful” place in Alexandria with her around. We could see him interacting with Hershel, which could maybe, just maybe, trigger some semblance of regret for leaving the poor kid fatherless (I said maybe). Maggie, who had a much stronger connection to Hilltop, could be the one to revisit its ruins instead of Carol. Which brings me to my next “what if…” 

2.Carol and Daryl led the food mission. Father Gabriel, Magna, Kelly, and Lydia would go with them (to be explained below). Caryl’s conversation in Find Me about Carol sticking around to deal with her issues would probably need to be re-shaded slightly, or it could happen on this trip. Either way, this alt storyline helps to directly and thoroughly address the new tension between Carol and Daryl instead of, you know, setting it aside for 8 episodes straight? Imagine them bickering in the subway tunnels while those around them take notice. They’d ultimately be struggling to get on the same page again, Carol fearing Daryl will never trust her again and Daryl worrying she’s only going to put herself in more danger or try to run away. Only after running into the Reapers and getting separated, the threat of losing each other looming very large, would they finally gain some perspective.  

3. Pope marked Carol as the enemy, and became obsessed with hunting her down after the surviving Reapers described her to him. Not to say Maggie isn’t important to Daryl, but it could be argued that the stakes for him would be significantly higher if Carol was the one he had to go to great lengths to protect. 

4. Father Gabriel was tortured. Imagine he was the one who got captured instead of Frost who, sorry to be presumptuous, no one had a strong emotional attachment to, not even Daryl. He wouldn’t have to die necessarily, but it would just give Father G the opportunity to engage in a heavy theological debate with Pope which I think a lot of us really craved. Meanwhile, what if…

5. Carol, Magna, Kelly, and Lydia found each other in the woods again after being individually hunted, preserving the awesome girl power we saw in 11x03. Magna would definitely be the one to insist they cut their losses and head back to Alexandria, but Carol would refuse to leave Daryl behind. Just because he said he wouldn’t go after her anymore if she disappeared doesn’t mean she won’t go after him. Then along the way, what if…

6. Carol and co bumped into Connie and Virgil because why the fuck not? Connie and Kelly would get their beautiful reunion. Carol would get some peace of mind. The group would have two more people to help them fight the Reapers, whose whereabouts they’d learn someway, somehow. Maybe Dog escapes the Meridian and guides them. Maybe Carol comes across Daryl’s crossbow and has to rely on the tracking skills she supposedly picked up from him over the years. Maybe we see a variation of the scene in 11x06 where they all hide under the floorboards while the Reapers search the house. Daryl could discover his friends’ hiding spot and help them get out of there. Maybe somewhere in that coded conversation with Leah and Carver, Daryl is able to relay to Carol not to worry about him and to save herself. But who does he think he’s kidding?

7. Carol eventually got captured too. Cue the discovery of the knife. Cue Daryl’s cover being blown in a clever, thrilling way. Cue Leah’s white hot anger. Cue Pope: “Told you he couldn’t be trusted.” Pope, Leah, and lets throw in Carver for the fun of it would then proceed to torture the fuck out of our two idiots in love. It would be extremely emotional for Daryl and Carol. 

8. Lydia taught the others to lead a herd onto the Meridian, giving my third favorite character the agency she deserves. That’s way more believable than Negan teaching everyone if you ask me. Anyway, similar chaos would ensue. Leah would still kill Pope for sending her brothers out there as bait, and she’d become the leader of the Reapers. The group would save Daryl and Carol and okay fine Father G too, but they’d get trapped inside the gate. Cue dumb cliffhanger where Leah’s about to blow them all the fuck up, her eyes boring into Carol’s. To be continued.  

Obviously, I did not take the time to flesh out the details or work out any potential kinks. This idea has just been bothering me for a while and I needed to get it out of my system. Thanks for listening. 

#caryl #twd