#TWD spotlights

[youmakethelight]

I've decided that any time I see a rick and daryl reunion comment from now on, instead of ignoring it like I usually do, I'm going to reply to it with a rick and carol reunion comment.

[denouementrpg]

FEATURED DYNAMIC SPOTLIGHT: ATOM & CLEMENTINE!

Ah, young love. For January's Tartarus Team-Up Spotlight - which highlights dynamics involved in the Tartarus kidnapping & fighting ring plot - our members have voted Atom and Clementine worthy of the title! And not without good reason: this slow progression of young love has been in turns tender and tragic. And watching Atom's brainwashing and reprogramming - and Clementine willing to risk it all to save and free him - has left its impact on all of us. Here's hoping for happier times in their future!

FROM ASTRO BOY & THE WALKING DEAD. PLAYED BY SHADY & CERES.

[dixons-sunshine]

I Never Lived For The Applause | Daryl Dixon x Former!Celebrity!Fem!Reader

Summary: Before the world quite literally ended, you were a famously known singer. However, your celebrity status didn't do you much good in the apocalypse, despite most people in your group giving you privileges that you didn't want. Thankfully, a certain redneck archer treated you like a normal person, unwillingly becoming the guy who caught your attention.

Genre: Angst, fluff.

Era: The quarry; the farm; the prison.

Warnings: Swearing, usual TWD warnings, suggestive themes.

Word count: 3.9k.

A/n: Okay but the former!celebrity!reader x Daryl was such a unique idea that an anon requested! I never would've thought about that on my own. I thought that this idea would be great combined with a few other requests, and this was born. There's a few time jumps and this is honestly not the best. I scrapped over 1500 words and this is all over the place, and it was supposed to be smut, and I don't really like this, but I hope you like it nonetheless.

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

Before the apocalypse came to be, you were a famous singer and songwriter. You had multiple hit singles that made the charts and your concerts always sold out. It seemed like wherever you would turn, there would be someone there who would want an autograph or a picture. It seemed like you could never escape the spotlight.

Not even now, when the dead started rising and the world came to an end.

“Amy, I told you, I'm fine. I don't want your food. You need it more than I do.”

Amy shook her head defiantly, practically shoving the paper plate into your hands. “I insist. You're my idol, and I'll be damned if I let my idol go hungry when I have food I can give her.”

You sighed and reluctantly accepted the plate. “This is unnecessary. I already had my share, sweetheart. You don't have to give me yours when you also have to eat.”

“I'm fine. Rather me than you.”

Before you could protest, Andrea called Amy's name. Amy gave you an apologetic smile and bid you farewell, walking over to her sister and leaving you alone with your thoughts. You sighed and turned around, heading over to the tent you shared with your daughter. You opened the flap and stepped inside, seeing your twelve year old daughter, Nicolette, busy sketching in her sketchbook.

She looked up when she heard you step inside, sending you a smile. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hey, Nic,” you greeted her, sitting down on your cot opposite hers. “Why aren't you outside with the other kids?”

Nicolette shook her head, closing her sketchbook and sitting up in her cot. “Most of them treat me funny. They keep asking me if I can sing or if I can write songs, and if I got free stuff because you were famous. Only Carl and Sophia treat me like I'm a normal kid, but they're with their mom's right now.”

You sighed, guilt gnawing at you from the inside. Never once did you regret having your daughter, but sometimes you regretted having to raise her while you were in the spotlight. The paparazzi were relentless, and your daughter more often than not had to pay the price for that. It was unfair, and you wished that you could've just faded from the spotlight to raise your daughter in peace.

“I'm sorry, baby. If I knew back then what my fame could do to you, I never would have signed on with that record label. I wish I could take it back.”

Nicolette shook her head. She got up from her cot and sat down next to you, leaning her head on your shoulder. You wrapped your arms around her, placing a tender kiss on her head.

“It's not your fault, Mom. I don't blame you. You shouldn't, either.”

You shook your head. “That's easier said than done,” you replied, before adopting a more lighthearted tone. “But let's not talk about that. I've got some more food for you if you're hungry.”

Nicolette smiled at you and nodded eagerly. “I'm starving. Thanks, Mom.”

You smiled at her. However, before you could respond, a ruckus could be heard outside your tent. Both yours and your daughter's heads snapped in the direction of the two voices, instantly going quiet to hear what was happening.

“M'tellin ya, man. S'a fuckin' waste of time. We should jus' cut our losses here and scram. Take a few guns and food fer the road.”

“Merle, fer the last fuckin' time, we can't leave righ' now. It's too dangerous. We should wait 'til the heat dies down 'fore we go.”

“Wha' m'hearin' s'tha' yer a pussy. Wha's the matter, Darylina? Scared the geeks will get ya? 'Cause yer too incompetent to handle 'em?”

“Fuck off, Merle! It ain't like tha'. I jus' dun' wanna risk our lives if we dun' need to.”

“Whatever, man. M'goin' back to the tent.”

The man who's name you had learnt to be Merle left, his retreating footsteps growing fainter until you couldn't hear them anymore. However, you could clearly see the silhouette of the other man still outside your tent. You could hear him quietly muttering to himself.

Turning to Nicolette, you gently placed the plate with the food—cooked squirrel with some beans—onto her lap and stood up. You turned to her and leaned down to place a sweet kiss to her forehead.

“Eat up and get ready for bed. I'll be right back and then we'll continue reading that book.”

Nicolette nodded, and with that, you exited your tent. The man stood with his back to you, but a simple slight twitch of his head in your direction showed that he had heard you. His body stiffened visibly, and you frowned at that.

“Hey. You're Daryl, right?” you asked him, prompting the man to turn around.

However, he didn't meet your gaze, finding great interest in the ground below. He simply grunted his acknowledgement, a slight upwards nudge of his nose confirming your question.

“I'm Y/n. It's nice to officially meet you,” you introduced yourself, extending your hand to his for a handshake. Daryl made no move to shake it, however, making you awkwardly retract your hand. ���I, uh, just wanted to say that you were right.”

“Wha'?” Daryl asked in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing. He hadn't meant for the question to slip from his lips, trying to just remain quiet until you got the message that he was in no mood to socialise, but he failed.

“That argument you had with your brother. You were right. It's way too dangerous to wander off on your own right now. Personally I feel like you shouldn't be wanting to go at all because it's safer with a group, but that's not my call to make. Just thought I'd let you know that your instincts are right. Don't listen to your brother.”

Daryl was confused by your niceness. He was even more confused by the fact that you agreed with him. He was so used to women taking Merle's side instead of his all the time, so this was something entirely new for him.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” he replied awkwardly, nervously chewing on his lower lip.

You smiled at him before nodding. “Okay, well, just wanted to tell you that. Oh, and to ask you not to argue in front of my tent again. I have a twelve year old in there who doesn't need to hear all of that.”

Daryl ducked his head, an embarrassed blush flushing over his face. “Sorry.”

“I guess I can let it slide this time,” you said with a smile. “And thanks for the squirrel. Thanks to you, my daughter doesn't have to go to bed hungry tonight. Never thought we'd have to resort to eating squirrel, but it's not that bad. It's actually kinda delicious. It's way better than—” Realising that you were busy rambling, you shook your head and gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Just, thank you.”

Daryl didn't know why, but he felt an unexplainable pull to you. Maybe it was the way you showed him kindness without even knowing him, or maybe it was the fact that you were the only one who seemed to actually appreciate the food he brought back from his hunts, even if it was squirrels. Despite their hunger, everyone else mostly refused to eat anything he brought back if it wasn't deer. Yet there you were, thanking him for bringing back something as mediocre as squirrel.

And it certainly didn't help that he found you absolutely radiant.

“S'nothin',” he finally responded. “M'jus' glad yer lil' girl can eat tonigh'.”

“You're the one who brought back the squirrels?”

At the sound of a small voice, both you and Daryl turned around to face your daughter. Nicolette walked up to your side and beamed brightly up at Daryl, catching him off guard. The other kids in the camp were terrified of him and wouldn't even glance in his direction, yet this kid was not only looking at him, but willingly talking to him.

“Yes, he is,” you confirmed, smiling fondly down at your daughter.

Nicolette looked up at Daryl, realisation dawning on her. “You're the man with the crossbow! And the vest with the angel wings! You're so cool, sir. Do you think I could maybe shoot your crossbow one time? It's okay if you say no, but can I maybe see how you shoot it so that when I get my own crossbow one day, I know how to use it? Or—”

Daryl's lips subconsciously twitched up into a smile. Her rambling was so similar to yours. Like mother, like daughter, he thought to himself as he looked between the two of you. There were over a dozen similarities between you and Nicolette. She looked just like you.

You placed a hand on Nicolette's shoulder, halting her rambling. You turned to Daryl, giving him a smile. “We should probably get ready for bed. Goodnight, Daryl.”

“Night, Daryl!” Nicolette greeted him enthusiastically, following you into the tent.

“Night,” he whispered.

“Oh, and by the way, don't be a stranger. I'd love to see more of you.”

Daryl blushed and ducked his head. He hummed, not trusting his voice at that moment in time.

You smiled and finally entered the tent, zipping the tent closed behind you. He stood there for a couple of moments before turning and walking back to his own shared tent with Merle.

Daryl couldn't explain it, but for some reason, in that short conversation, he felt drawn to you. It was unnerving, but felt nice at the same time. And your daughter was downright an angel, your exact copy.

“Wha' were ya doin', sniffin' 'round tha' popstar?” Merle asked when Daryl entered the tent, catching him off guard. Daryl had assumed that Merle would've been passed out by now, high off of whatever drug he was using that night.

“Popstar? Wha' the hell are ya talkin' 'bout?” Daryl questioned, plopping himself down on his cot.

“Tha' woman ya were talkin' to, she was a singer 'fore all this. Real famous, too. Used to see her on TV and in magazine's all the time.”

Daryl's mind swarmed with questions. You were a famous singer? How the hell did you end up there, with a bunch of nobodies? And why had you thanked him for bringing back something as simple as a squirrel? If you were famous, you had probably eaten banquets of the richest, most delicious food out there, yet you enjoyed squirrel? And to top it off, why would you willingly want to hang out with him of all people?

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

“Daryl, oh my god.”

At the sound of your panicked voice, Daryl slowly sat upright in the bed in the guest bedroom. He looked up and locked eyes with you, seeing the worry written all over your face. You hurriedly sat down on the edge of the bed next to him and gingerly reached out to touch the bandage around his side, careful not to add too much pressure and hurt him.

“M'fine, sunshine. Dun' have to worry 'bout me,” he replied, waving off your concern and gently grabbing your hand to push it away from the bandage.

You scoffed in disbelief and shook your head. “You're my friend, Daryl. Of course I'm going to worry about you. I care about you, and you expect me to not worry?” you asked, bringing your hand up to gently caress his cheek.

Friend. That word reminded Daryl of how you viewed him. It had been two months since your first interaction at the quarry and his affection and attraction to you had only grown stronger. However, it seemed to him like his feelings weren't reciprocated, so he settled on being your friend.

Little did he know that you felt the exact same way. You just didn't know it yet.

“Heard ya punched Andrea fer shootin' me. Any truth to those rumours?” Daryl asked, diverting the attention away from his now pounding heart as your fingers gently pushed his hair back.

You smiled sheepishly. “My hand slipped?” you tried, shrugging your shoulders.

Daryl smirked slightly and shook his head. “Sure. Whatever ya say, sunshine.”

You let out a sigh, reluctantly drawing your hand back from his hair. “She had it coming. We told her not to shoot and she didn't listen, trying to boost her own ego instead. She almost killed you, Daryl. That's not something she should be allowed to get away with, but Rick and Shane aren't gonna do anything, so I took matters into my own hands.”

Daryl smiled softly. “Not bad fer a popstar.”

You giggled. “Hey, I got into a couple of fights before my career took off. I know my stuff. I know how to shoot a gun, too, but that's a discussion for another day.”

Daryl chuckled and nodded. He shifted back against the headboard and gazed at you, simply admiring your beauty for a moment. It amazed him that a beautiful, kind, caring, smart woman like you would ever wanna be associated with the likes of him. You were perfect and he was, well, him. It didn't make sense, but he dared not to question it.

“Can I ask ya somethin' personal?” he blurted out before he could think about it.

You nodded at him. “Sure.”

“When ya talk 'bout yer career, it sounds like ya hated it. Why'd ya become a singer if ya hated it so much?”

You remained silent for a minute. Daryl feared that he had asked the wrong thing and was about to apologise, but you spoke up.

“I was nineteen when I signed with my first record label. I didn't want to be in the spotlight because singing was more of a hobby to me, but my parents forced me to. Growing up, there wasn't ever really any money around and my parents made it out like it was my fault. They made me feel like I owed them for everything they did for me, and they forced me to sign with that record label. My parents were my managers and all the money I earned for the songs I wrote and sang basically went to them. That went on for a couple of years until I met Nic's father. He was a bass player in a band I was collaborating with. I fell in love way too quickly, jumped into bed with him when he made an advancement and ended up pregnant. The guy didn't want kids and bolted, leaving me a single mom. My parents hated that and basically disowned me.”

“M'sorry to hear tha',” Daryl replied sympathetically. He didn't really know how to respond; he never knew that about you. You chose to keep your life before you had Nicolette private, and he respected that. He had his own demons he preferred to keep quiet.

“It's okay,” you reassured him, shaking your head. “He was an asshole. And I was better off without my parents. I managed to sign with a decent enough record label and the rest was history. I got a ton of backlash from haters for being a single mom. There were even rumours that I had cheated and that's why the guy left me, but that wasn't true. But none of that matters anymore. My reputation doesn't matter anymore. All that matters now is keeping my daughter safe and keeping the people I care about alive. People like you.”

“Ya shouldn't care 'bout me. S'a bad idea.”

“Well, bad idea or not, I care about you. And so does Nic.”

As if being summoned, Nicolette knocked on the door and hesitantly stepped inside. Daryl adjusted the covers over his body and sent her a tight-lipped smile. Nicolette gave him a small smile back but he could clearly tell it was strained. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying.

“Are you okay?” Nicolette asked, crossing her arms over her chest as if to make herself appear smaller.

“M'fine, kiddo. Dun' worry 'bout me,” he reassured her. “Hershel fixed me righ' up. I'll be outta here in no time.”

Nicolette looked to you for confirmation, and you nodded. “He's right. He'll be fine. Some antibiotics and he'll be up and at it in three days. You'll see.”

“Okay,” she nodded, her eyes flickering between you and Daryl. “I'm glad you're not dead, Daryl.”

Daryl chuckled at the girls forwardness. “M'glad m'not dead, too.”

You smiled at the small interaction between Daryl and Nicolette, your heart swelling with fondness. You stood up from the bed and motioned for Nicolette to follow you.

“C'mon, baby. Let's leave Daryl to get some rest, okay?”

“Actually, I was wondering if I could maybe stay?” she asked timidly, nervously fiddling with her hands. “It's just... I wanna stay.”

You looked at Daryl, and he shrugged nonchalantly. Despite his nonchalance, Daryl's heart swelled with fondness. This little girl, who owed him nothing, wanted to stay with him. He couldn't believe it.

“Okay, you can stay for a while. I'll be back later, okay?” you relented.

She nodded and sat down on the chair. You gave Daryl's hand one last squeeze before heading out, sparing one last look at the two. Nicolette was starting to retell some of the events of what her and Carl had gotten up to that day, and Daryl hummed in acknowledgement before looking up and locking eyes with you.

With one last parting smile, you headed out and made your way back to the tents. On your way there, a startling realisation hit you like a ton of bricks, one that would change the way you saw Daryl forever. Despite the fact that he could be snappy at times, and that he was known for being grumpy, he treated you with respect. He didn't care about who you were before the end of the world. He didn't care about your mistakes, about if you were famous or not. That didn't matter to him. He only saw you, the person behind the old tabloids, and he had become close with your daughter. He even took the time out of his day to teach her how to use his crossbow, even if she was a slow learner. And in that moment, you realised something:

You had feelings for him.

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

“Y'know, m'glad Nic didn't have to meet her father. She's better off.”

You turned your head to Daryl, a look of confusion spreading across your features. “I agree with you, but why do you say that? You didn't know the man.”

Daryl shrugged, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke away from you. “Ya said back at Hershel's tha' he never wanted kids. If he had stuck 'round, god knows wha' he would've done to her.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, turning your attention back to the darkness ahead of you. “She is better off.”

The night was relatively quiet, save for the distant sound of walkers groaning outside the prison's fences.  Daryl was on watch that night in the guard tower, and you had taken the initiative to join the archer that night. Everyone else had retreated into the prison for the night, leaving only you and Daryl awake.

“So are we gon' tell Nic 'bout us or not?” Daryl broke the silence, taking the last drag from his cigarette before putting it out next to him. “S'been over a month now. She deserves to know.”

Unbidden, flashes of that night a month ago arose in your mind. The feeling of his lips on yours, his hands exploring your body and the way he felt pressed against you. The feeling of your bodies becoming one was one that you wouldn't forget anytime soon, but the one memory you'd hold with you forever was the confession from the man next to you. After the heated, pleasurable moment you'd spent together, feelings were revealed, and you and the archer had unofficially started your relationship. You had both agreed to keep it a secret, but Nicolette was starting to get suspicious about the two of you.

“I'm okay with telling her tomorrow. She deserves to finally have confirmation on her suspicions,” you told him, leaning your head against his shoulder. “She already sees you as her dad, anyways.”

Daryl couldn't argue with that. Flashes of his own arose in his mind. A couple of days ago, he had returned from a run, battered and bruised. He could barely walk and both you and Nicolette were distraught. However, after he was patched up and resting in his cell and you were up in the guard tower for your shift, Nicolette had come to him in tears. He had hugged her tightly to his chest, acutely aware that she was transported back to that day on the farm when he had been shot. That night was the night Nicolette had confirmed that she saw Daryl as a father figure.

“Please don't leave. My mom needs you. I need you. We both need you in our lives. Please, Daryl.”

In that moment, even though she didn't know yet that you and Daryl were together, he knew that he wouldn't be able to live without either of you. You both were his entire world. Nicolette was his little girl. You were his partner, and there was no way he was letting either of you go.

“Dun' worry, Nic. I ain't goin' nowhere. I promise ya tha'.”

Shaken from his thoughts by your lips on his exposed shoulder, he turned his head to you, coming face to face with a mischievous smirk. He instantly knew what that smirk meant, and he helped you climb onto his lap.

“But,” you began, pulling his attention back to your previous discussion. “Let's worry about that tomorrow. Tonight, it's just me and you.”

Daryl smirked and attached his lips to yours. You may have been a popstar before the apocalypse, a celebrity living in a mansion, but in that moment, you were simply you. The woman Daryl cared for deeply, the woman Daryl was never gonna let go of.

Because in that moment, you were nothing but his.

[retiredkat]

DEN OF GEEK article

The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon Season 3 Needs to Decide on Daryl and Carol’s Relationship

Will they or won't they? Daryl Dixon season 3 really needs to make a decision about Caryl once and for all...

By Jeanette WhiteNovember 6, 2024

This Walking Dead article has spoilers for Daryl Dixon.

The desire to see a romantic relationship between Carol and Daryl isn’t anything new, but it has ramped up. Across The Walking Dead and Daryl Dixon spinoff, fans have witnessed friendship bracelets, “I love yous,” and plenty of face-caressing reunions between the two. Carol crossed an ocean to find Daryl in France, and he assured her that he never stopped trying to get home to her. Cute, right? Well, that all depends on who you’re talking to. According to David Zabel, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol showrunner, there’s nothing romantic about it.

When asked about the nature of Carol and Daryl’s relationship in an interview with Collider, Zabel said, “I don’t think it’s romantic,” seemingly attributing the duo’s chemistry to whatever magic exists between Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus behind the camera. This, of course, isn’t the first time Zabel’s spoken against romance. When talking to SFX magazine, he said turning Daryl and Carol into a couple would be a “mistake.”

For “Caryl” shippers, it’s disheartening news. More importantly, it makes The Book of Carol’s romance hints feel a bit like gaslighting. For the series to succeed, it needs to decide what’s going on between Carol and Daryl because, right now, it’s sending mixed messages.

Daryl Dixon’s First Season Made Season 2 Messy

AMC originally conceived Daryl Dixon as a Daryl and Carol spinoff before overseas shooting made Melissa McBride’s inclusion “logistically untenable” for her. While a new direction was necessary, season 1 goes a step further by ignoring Daryl’s past almost entirely. Unlike The Ones Who Live, which delves into Rick and Michonne’s feelings about being separated from each other and their family, Daryl Dixon’s first season establishes Daryl’s bond with Laurent and Isabelle in France. Daryl doesn’t do much lamenting about the gang back home. In fact, he barely mentions them. When Laurent asks about the people Daryl left behind, he responds, “There’s Judith. There’s RJ. There’s a lady named Carol.” We all know Daryl’s tight-lipped, but “a lady named Carol” feels like a pretty big brush-off for someone he said “I love you” to just two months prior.

Watching Daryl choose between the people he just met in France and returning to his found family in the US is painful. The Daryl we know wouldn’t hesitate to return home. Yet, the big choice season 1 desperately pushes for doesn’t matter anyway. Once Daryl and Carol reunite, The Book of Carol kills off Isabelle, making Daryl’s “choice” a whole lot easier. Maybe the series didn’t want to steer into soap opera territory, but it sends a bizarre message nonetheless: Why can’t two women occupy space in Daryl’s life at the same time? The write-off feels like an all too convenient way of pushing Carol and Daryl back into the spotlight, but then, what was the point of season 1? Watching Daryl play reluctant guardian once again didn’t do much in terms of character development. Judith and RJ still exist, after all.

The Book of Carol Sends Mixed Messages

The Book of Carol includes plenty of Caryl moments that aren’t just fantasies of hopeful shippers. The fact that Daryl never returns Isabelle’s “I love you” after telling Carol that he loved her in TWD’s finale practically begs audiences to question his feelings for Carol. Strangers compare them to an “old married couple” and hint at the spark between them. When you toss in the playful banter, the hugging, and all those looks, you get something that feels a lot like romantic foreshadowing. If Zabel is so against romance, why bother including these moments at all? Yes, straight men and women friendships lack representation in entertainment, but the solution to that isn’t depicting a relationship wobbling on the edge of romance. That’s not authentic, either. In fact, it’s harmful.

The best will they/won’t they relationships work because, at some point, the “will they” becomes “they want to, they just haven’t.” This is where Carol and Daryl drip with slow burn potential. Taking the romance route suggests feeling realizations are underway. However, following Zabel’s path of friendship, ironically, makes things a lot more complicated if the spinoff keeps dolling out interactions like this.

Right now, season 3 plans for Carol and Daryl aren’t clear. Perhaps Zabel thinks people will keep tuning in if their relationship stays the same, but there’s too much history between them for that. Romance or not, Daryl Dixon would be wise to choose a side because playing is alienating shippers and non-shippers alike.

[terriblegam2r]

What is happening to Carmy and Sydney's relationship in this third season couldn't help but give me deja vu of what happened to Rick and Michonne's relationship in season 5 and 6 of The Walking Dead before they became canon. And it gives me a little bit of hope for Sydcarmy, and I'll explain why:

For anyone who hasn't seen TWD (and to try to make it tldr as possible) - starting in the back half of season 5, Rick and Michonne (and co.) get to this sheltered community and Rick suddenly starts to get attracted to this random woman who lives in said community (which was clearly OOC for him to do at the time). While his infatuation for this woman grew, his very close bond with Michonne (that was well established and cultivated up until this point) suddenly took a backseat in the show. They started to share way less scenes together and their relationship became a little strained (but in Richonne's case it was mostly about them not getting enough screen time together before canon). It was clear that the majority of the audience wasn't going to be invested in Rick's newfound infatuation so in order to sell it the writers strategically separated Rick and Michonne during this period, because the writers knew that Richonne was the most popular relationship among fans and had the most chemistry on the show so they couldn't show Rick and Michonne share screen time otherwise it would clearly steal the spotlight from Rick's development with this new character. So the writers chose to downplay and ignore the characters and actor's insane chemistry to entertain Rick's infatuation and make it more believable instead and to the show's ultimate detriment. Rick and this woman do eventually kiss (in a dank, dark garage at night (which kinda reminds me how a lot of Carmy and Claire's scenes are shot, but I digress)), but literally the very next day he's looking Michonne up and down (mostly to Andrew Lincoln's credit lol) and telling her that if the community gets overrun by zombies then they should ditch the community and save themselves and their main group (he didn't include said woman in the discussion either).

I know that what is happening with Sydcarmy on The Bear right now is not really encouraging for the future, there is still hope that the writers could be going the typical Hollywood route of "the main character gets into their first relationship that is ultimately doomed to fail only for the main character to then realize what he/she wanted and needed was right in front of them this whole time" Trope like how they did on TWD. I've seen it done before and I've been in these same trenches with you (and it was a really dark, sad time for Richonners as well). Of course it doesn't mean that what I've experienced in other shows will automatically be applied to this show, however there is still a chance that it could go down that same route in the end. The series is not over yet.

Even though the signs are small, they are there. Don't let anyone gaslight you into thinking otherwise.

[juno-box]

<3 my unpop twdg opinions

As I write my fanfiction, I tend to wonder. Here’s some opinions I leave you to ponder (aka don’t jump me in the streets of Gotham)

1. Instead of the 400 cast we got (Wyatt, Shel, Russell, etc.) we should’ve gotten the Cabin group instead.

A common consensus within the fandom is that the 400 days group was wasted, saved for mere background cameos that remind you that “Hey! Remember these guys from the DLC! They’re here! And… they’re set dressing with a few determinant dialogue lines, sorry.”

Another common thing I hear people say is that the 400 Days group should’ve been the Cabin crew we got in Season 2. Which, I’ll admit would’ve actually made sense. You gave us a lot of compelling mofos in 400 Days (Wyatt & Eddie, Russell & Nate are my favorites) but did really nothing at all with them other than have Becca not like Sarah.

But I never really hear people say that the Cabin crew should’ve been the 400 group we got in the DLC. Which I’ll probably be the 2nd or 3rd person to say it then: we should’ve got them in 400 Days instead.

2. Kenny should not have appeared in Season 2, there I said it.

From the minute Kenny reappeared, he stole the spotlight from the whole cast. Which is a bad thing.

It felt like the “What would appeal to Kenny” game from there on out. Characters became essentially irrelevant. Like Nick, prime example. There is NO difference if you save him in Episode or not—he is a warm body from Episode 3 to 4. And he’s doomed with the infamous off-camera death.

Luke is pretty much AWOL ½ of Episode 3. And when he comes back, he’s… not the same, in my honest opinion. It’s not so much as things are changing and change him in return so much as he doesn’t “act right”.

They disrespected the hell out of poor Sarah. Her second death is forgotten in picoseconds once AJ is born. And knowing that internally the team hated her puts how badly she’s treated in-canon into so much perspective.

But enough about how everyone’s development and attention got soaked up by Kenneth. Let’s talk about how in the same episode he’s reintroduced they nuke his character development from Season 1. I mean they NUKE (pun intended) it all the way back to S1E2 Kenny. He’s selfish, more hostile. Remember how in S1E5 when Kenny goes down to try and rescue Ben? Now jumped to S2E2 and how he remembers it. If you saved Ben in S1E4 then you know exactly what line I’m talking about. That should’ve set off alarm bells to any TWDG analyzer.

Kenny goes on throughout the second season repeating the exact same character arc beats he did the previous season, only worse. He loses a shelter, then a lover, he falls back into a depression, he’s back to being hostile to his group, and only at the end of the season does he do something truly selfless for the final benefit of the protagonist (not referring to him saving Clementine from a beating, I meant the final sacrifice).

What was point of reviving Kenny if you were just going to retell the same story he went through last season? And just factory reset his progress before you did? Now, don’t get me wrong—maybe Kenny could have worked in this season. But focusing so much around him was such a stuuuupid decision because he stole so much cruciality from the new cast and made so many of them irrelevant by accident. I really feel like if the focus was on these new people, in this new group, fleshed out and honed this season would’ve been a bit more better than the legacy it left.

3. The New Frontier is @#$%-ing stupid holy Mackerel-

Okay. So I talk about ANF a lot. It’s a season I have a love/hate relationship with solely because of how easily it could’ve been fixed in my personal opinion. It has so many interesting characters that were absolutely positively fumbled it’s unreal.

But The New Frontier, the big baddies of Season 3, the namesake of the season? Are the most un-fleshed out factions in TWD’s comic universe… holy shit are these people dysfunctional.

Firstly, let’s start with the leaders. Joan, the group mouth piece. She handles contact with surrounding settlements. Other than that it seems like she does… nothing else. That’s not me being hyperbolic—she does nothing else. Which isn’t a bad thing. The community has 4 leaders with 4 specific skillsets. Clinton is the agricultural lead, David’s the head of defense, and Lingard’s in charge of medical.

But why does everyone treat Joan like she’s the HBIC? Aren’t the four of you in charge of Richmond’s council? Why does she get the final say in everything no matter what?

When David takes Javi to meet the rest of the council, Joan and Clint out rule David. Even though the vote should be split because even though he’s not physically present; Lingard said his vote is with whatever David sides with. So that’s 2v2 not 2v1.

Lingard’s "head of" title doesn’t even make sense when you realize there’s only Lingard tending to people in Richmond. How is he head of medical if he’s the only man in medical (prior to meeting Eleanor). Unless there's other medics in Richmond who're just invisible and unseen. But I digress we love our crackhead doctor here.

When you confront Joan the second time in the church, it STILL makes no sense. Where do I even start? The fact that even if you have Max with you and he can PROVE that the raids were not from the guy in-charge of soldiers but from Joan, Clint and Lingard STILL fence sit. Even when Javi reveals TWICE that Joan’s actions got David’s daughter executed, she straight up writes Mariana off as collateral. How did neither Clint nor Lingard go “...Hold on a second, JOan that's uncool.”

Joan cannot be THAT manipulative when the proof in the black forest gateau is sitting you guys right in the face. I could see if I killed Max, meaning the only guy who would be willing to confess wasn’t even alive. Then sure yeah, the cards aren’t in my favor.

But I have proof, Joan ADMITS IT, and yet Lingard’s too whipped to say anything that’ll help out the guy who saved his life, and Clint’s a bonafied dunce for some reason. I don’t even understand why Clint was fence sitting in the first place, he has no motive other that the "plot demands he doesn’t intervene".

The hypocrisy is insane with them, too. The most notable case being The NF vs. Clementine.

So Clementine’s in the wrong for (determinantly) stealing meds for AJ. Alright, I’ve written before how I see where the New Frontier is coming from in my David woobifying post a while back. Okay, stealing is wrong. Yeah.

But then that all falls out the window when your ONLY doctor is getting white boy wasted presumably off the community’s supply of meds. The holier-than-thou committee cannot play the “no thieves” card when your head doctor is OD’ing on half of the goddamn Percocet supply in the medical tent. It just doesn’t work.

And it REALLY doesn’t work when you, David, already KNOW that he does that shit! Often! Insert obligatory David x Lingard quip here, but in all realness you cannot acknowledge Lingard is the biggest meds thief in the New Frontier and try to hide him and his dirty laundry before the other’s see him then turn around and pretend that Clementine’s the one bleeding your pockets dry and ruining your trust.

Feel absolutely free to add onto these opinions of mine bcause I refuse to be alone on this

[my-mt-heart]

Thoughts on TBOC Trailer

I'm issuing another trigger warning (for mention of abuse) and another gentle reminder that if you're happy with the trailer, then I’m genuinely happy for you. This post will not resonate with you though, so I encourage you to keep scrolling or to just block me. I really won't be offended. If you aren't happy with the trailer or you're still processing the trailer, well, let's talk about it...

There are three major issues for me. The first is the way it positions the story as Daryl's despite all the promises offscreen that it would be Carol's story this season. He gets the first appearance, the name drop, and the spotlight in 90% of the shots while Carol's side of things is like an undercurrent. I love Daryl. I love that he has his own spinoff to explore his character more deeply, but this is supposed to be Carol's spinoff equally. She may not have been marketed as much as Daryl has been over the years, but her popularity and Melissa's critical acclaim have more than earned the same amount of narrative space that Daryl has. Her being sidelined in S11 and then removed entirely from the Caryl spinoff upset an entire fanbase.

Finding out about Carol's/Melissa's return on the other hand offset that pain and started generating (organic) buzz for the show, so it baffles me that AMC wouldn't keep following that path to maximize viewership. If TBOC really is Carol's story, and I'm not saying she won't end up having the most screentime, why wouldn't they want to sell that to the Carol/Caryl fans who left, the Carol/Caryl fans who feel uncertain about the storytelling (hi 👋) and the GA who love Carol, but may not realize she's back because all the media coverage keeps leaving out "TBOC" and using Daryl as the thumbnail? When you have something amazing, like Melissa's acting and Carol's story development and Caryl's chemistry, then it only makes sense to show it off. But instead, the positioning triggered my fear of Carol being sidelined again, of her being treated as insignificant to Daryl's story and the story overall. Whether that's valid or irrational, it's still not the visceral reaction I want to have when I thought I was being treated to the epic return of the character who taught me everything I know about resilience and strength.

My second issue is the heavy-handed positioning of Daryl, Isabelle, and Laurent as a nuclear family, not just when Daryl tells Laurent that he and Isabelle want to take him to America, but the classic American image right after that of the three of them playing baseball together. Whether it's a misdirect or not—I'm having a hard time figuring out which to be honest because I know Zabel and Nicotero are more than capable of taking it in a direction that might seem wildly absurd from our POV—I'm very uncomfortable with any representation of Daryl in a manipulative relationship/friendship/nun-ship, especially if the manipulation isn't going to be addressed. And I don't expect it to be addressed going off of what Zabel and Norman have been saying about Daryl needing to open up his heart to his new family.

I have to refrain from giving out any personal details about myself on my blog, but I'll share this because I think it provides important context for my position on Daryl and Isabelle (trigger warning). I was terrified of my dad when I was a kid. He wasn't a monster like Ed or Daryl's dad, but when he was angry—and he was angry a lot—he was mean and loud and destructive. That was my frame of reference for how men naturally behave, for almost all of my adolescent life. When I started watching TWD, I recognized some of my dad's worst qualities in Daryl at first, but then Daryl grew in ways my dad never could. He overcame his predisposition as an angry redneck because he "opened up his heart" to Carol and saved all of the violence/aggression for killing zombies and fighting villains (usually). When Isabelle accused him of being like his dad to get him to stay in France (106), it cut deep because Daryl isn't anything like his dad. He's not an abuser. He's not selfish. He doesn't abandon anyone or intentionally hurt the people he cares about. He's the male role model I never had. A man of honor who deserves to be loved by someone who sees that without a doubt. Carol sees that. She was the first person to help him nurture that, whereas Isabelle keeps him in the cycle of abuse by gaslighting him into becoming a father figure to a kid he barely knows. So unless the EPs are telling a clear story about that, which they aren't, they're just glorifying toxic/abusive relationships.

Caryl is the relationship that fans have invested in for more than a decade. It's one of the most iconic relationships on television for a reason. They represent hope for their fans, some having endured hardships in their own lives similar to Daryl's and Carol's. Their fans seek comfort in a love story between two damaged, middle-aged people who thought they couldn't heal from their trauma and thought they weren’t worthy of love. Their fans have every right to expect Caryl-centric storytelling in a show that's being marketed as a Caryl show (see AMC's hashtags), especially considering they've had to wait more than two years after some assholes underestimated Melissa's value to the franchise.

I personally went into SDCC wanting to know what I could look forward to for Caryl's shared arc in addition to their individual arcs. I think a lot of people did judging by all the questions they dropped on AMC's/TWD's social media accounts leading up to the con. Side note: All of those questions were ignored in favor of questions geared toward TWD fanboys. We only got the tease at the very end of the trailer, and that tease doesn't tell us anything new. Only that, once again, it's Daryl's story and Carol is in the periphery. We already know Caryl are going to reunite. We've known for over a year and even for those who don't track filming updates, it's not a difficult conclusion to come to. The trailer can't spoil how and when and what happens after, but it can show us how Daryl and Carol remain spiritually tethered despite being physically separated. It didn't do that. It played on anxieties instead of desires, which is both tiresome and unethical.

My last issue, which we've been talking about for a while now, is the excessive friendship positioning. Yes, Daryl's and Carol's bond is rooted in a deep friendship. No, it doesn't mean they can't also be romantic. But when that word shows up in every tweet, every synopsis, and every interview, it's not only deliberate, it's targeting a specific viewership and judging by Melissa's mandated (yeah, mandated) use of it as well, I think it's less about telling Caryl fans to set their expectations (AMC thinks we're already guaranteed viewers), and more about trying to appeal to dudebros/fanboys, which is ridiculous because those fans aren't going to invest long-term anyway, not without a catalyst for more Rick stories and action-adventure stories that aren’t in Zabel's wheelhouse. It's just going to make a portion of the fanbase who will invest long-term less hopeful for what they want, plus erase the romantic potential for the GA to see. It's obviously not wrong for AMC to try to maximize their viewership. It is wrong to invalidate the profitable viewership that they have in the process. I have no idea if the show intends to surprise Caryl fans with canon by the end of the season or if certain EPs will get their way, but I do know I can't make any sense of a platonic friendship for Caryl. Insisting on that would be a huge retcon for me. A dealbreaker, as I’ve always said.

AMC started off on the right track with the very first teaser we got, showcasing the significance of Caryl's relationship in the tagline, "To find home is to find each other.” The SDCC trailer feels like we've taken three giant steps backward. I came out of it feeling like the story Zabel, Nicotero, and some faction of AMC want to tell isn't for me, that my favorite characters aren't for me unless I'm willing to forfeit my understanding of them to make the fanboys and certain EPs feel justified in their biases. It doesn’t feel good.

That’s all of my SDCC coverage for now. I appreciate everyone for giving me the space to voice my honest opinions. It might be a buzzkill, but it’s the only way for AMC to properly assess what’s working and what’s not working for their audience 🤷🏻‍♀️

[lying-on-floors]

In Defense of Lori Grimes...

Listen, I've been rewatching TWD and I can only think of Lori Grimes.

I am a Lori Grimes defender for life and I don't care for your criticisms of her. The beginning of the show established that she was a woman going through marital issues. She already voiced how she felt guilty for the way she talked to Rick earlier that day and then found out her husband had been shot and fell into a coma! I don't know if y'all have ever known the grief of losing a parent and have had to watch how the grief affects your remaining parent, but I have. See, I was 5 when my dad was first arrested. My brother and I stayed with my grandma a lot because my mom was rarely home. She went out with friends as a form of escape from everything going on. Yes, she still loved us and she loves us now and we love her, even if it's really complicated and confusing at times. She just wanted to forget.

Shane wasn't much more than a distraction for Lori, an escape. And I am going to remind y'all that Shane took ADVANTAGE of her and her vulnerability. Everything people like to criticize Lori for is rooted in misogyny, like a lot of hate directed toward female characters.

Now, I am going to go over some of the common criticisms I have seen regarding Lori Grimes and I am going to disprove them.

"Lori Grimes was a bad mother."

No. Just No. She was a wonderful and loving mother. She loved Carl so much and she loved Beth. She would've loved Judith. All the times Carl acted bratty, understandably, she never once hit him or degraded him but reatherscoldde him and told him to do better.

AND I AM NOT PUTTING DOWN MICHONNE! I love Michonne and I love Lori. You can love both women and praise them for their roles as mothers and wives without pitting them against each other and it's sad that it is such a common practice amongst fandoms.

2. "Lori Grimes was a bad wife."

No. She was a loyal, supportive, and loving wife. As soon as she saw Rick was alive, she set immediate boundaries with Shane. She told him it was over. She told him she didn't want him to involve himself with her or her family EVER again. Shane didn't like that. He believed that HE OWNED HER and fucking assulted her! Like she is her own person and doesn't belong to anyone.

She supported Rick up until her death. She was his left hand. He went to her for everything, like he does with Michonne. And I love that he does that.

3. "Lori Grimes is selfish."

Okay? And? She's human. She's going to behave selfishly at times. And don't bring up her not wanting to have Judith at the beginning of her pregancy. She didn't need to tell Rick because it was her choice. She told him because she loved him. Rick even told her he would never make her have a child she didn't want but Rick helped her to look positivly towards the world's future. She had very valid reasons for not wanting to have a baby in the apocolypse and even if she had no reason other than not wanting to go through child birth, especially without medicine readily available, that's STILL VALID.

4. "Lori Grimes was a bitch."

This is the last one I'm going to address. Lori Grimes was not a bitch. She was a strong and powerful woman, who didn't take anyone's shit and set strict boundaries.

All I can say is that fandom hates women. Women of color also get a lot of shit, like I'm not denying that AT ALL and I will defend every last woman throughout the TWD universe, even the villians. Just because a woman wasn't submissive or she was antagonistic DOES NOT MEAN SHE'S DESERVING OF ALL HATE!!

In conclusion, I love Lori Grimes and the women of TWD. They're always overshadowed by the men around them and it's time they have the spotlight and praise they deserve.

Only comment if you want to uplift the women of TWD and the world. If not, die. <3 XOXO <3

[lazyneonrabbitt]

True Savior

TWD OC insert story.

Requested by @rexburn12 Lineup scene, following canon with OC inserted plot twists.

A/N: I do not take any more OC requests outside of close friends or prior knowledge of the characters. This was a tryout and concluded I'm not one for these kinds of requests.

With Maggie falling ill the group needed to move her to the Hilltop, the only community that had a doctor that could help her. It was already stressful enough to move a sick person between communities, but it only got worse with time.

The group had met with multiple blocked roads, guarded by either walkers tied to immovable fallen trees, chained up with what looked like their friends' belongings or cars and armed men. It took all day to get to where they were now.

Surrounded. Whistling could be heard from any direction they tried to flee in, eventually being hoarded onto the large open space in the forest.

Men rounded them up, taking their weapons one by one as more and more people appeared from the tree line and the back of a van that drove in opened up.

Rick watched along with his group that sat lined up as the men started to drag out familiar faces from the back of the van. Glenn, Michonne, Rosita and Daryl were thrown to the ground and forced to their knees along with the rest of the group.

Abraham keeps his head high as his eyes follow one of the goons walking up to the RV and knocks on the door, exclaiming “let’s meet the man!” with a grand gesture.

With grand bravado the door of the RV opens up and a man steps out holding a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. It was like the cars' headlights followed him like a spotlight as he came down the steps. The man oozed confidence with his leather jacket, crisp white shirt and a wicked grin actoss his face.

He quickly points out to Rick, who he curses out for killing so many of his men in a scary manner. He continues on to explain his people’s code to the group, telling them how every single on of them now works for him and his group.

His Saviors.

“So you see, this whole thing. The road blocks and leading you all here,” Negan points the bat from one end of the line to the other as he goes on his monologue, making people flinch as the bat gets close to their heads. “It was all buying time and deciding who of you I’m going to kill.”

The group shocks, some backing down where they sat, except for Abraham who squared up to the man.

Negan moves along the line, stopping right in front of Maggie with his bat pointed right at her face, threatening her which had Glenn lunge forward at the man but quickly yanked back into the group.

“We got a feisty on over here!” Negan’s full body speech just kept going like nothing happened.

“I got an idea how to solve this issue we’re having.” He raised his bat again, one by one he passed the heads of the group on their knees chanting “Eeny, meeny, mi—”

“Negan, there’s something out there..” one of the Saviors interrupts Negan’s tirade, much to Negan’s annoyance. He snapped at the man, “it’s just a fucking walker.” but the man was somehow terrified, pissing Negan off enough to earn a punch to the face. With his nose smashed in he dropped to the floor screaming, but not without Negan’s boot shoving him and forcing him to look up. “Go out there, and fucking kill the damn thing.”

The man was hauled up by other Saviors and shoved off towards the woods.

“Now, where were we?” Negan turned back towards the kneeling group. “Oh, right.” He lifted his bat back up to where he left off at Sasha’s head. “Miny, mo.” With each word he moved from head to head. “Catch a tiger, by it’s toe..”

Without warning something flies past Negan, slamming right into one of the Saviors who was leaning against a vehicle. A loud cracking sound accompanied the impact of flesh against metal, shocking everyone around and pulling their gaze towards the two now dead men laying piled against the bent door of one of the cars.

“What the fuck?!” Negan exclaimed out loud as a sudden panic broke out among the group of Saviors. The whole place is filled with chaos until a loud growl emanated from the dense, dark woods. The place goes quiet as all the eyes go look towards the source of the noise, but all that was visible were two bright red eyes in the darkness.

Without a second thought people start to back up, away from the unknown thing lurking in the woods, but it was all for nothing as the large thing appeared.

Out of the tree line stepped a large beast. An enormous creature that blended almost seamlessly with its fur as dark as the night sky, slowly revealing more of itself as it walked into the beams of the cars’ headlights. On all fours it already stood eye to eye with the tallest human in the field and didn’t even flinch as one of the men shot at it. The bullet seemed to ricochet off the beast’s body, or did it pass through? No one could tell because there was no response at all from the creature.

After that first shot was fired, everyone else joined in the madness, guns blazing and men screaming as they emptied clip after clip on the monster who gave not a single kick. Slowly it rose on its hind legs, snarling and baring its teeth at it roared out loud. At its full height its chest rose far above any human’s head, thick muscled arms ending in giant clawed hands capable of tearing through steel. Its back paws as large as a man’s head, crushing one of the corpse’s skulls as it had moved forward. It was like the beast was armored with its thick, strong muscles that no weapon stood a chance against.

With the Saviors running out of ammo one by one the panic rose once more. One after another they threw their now useless guns at the beast that in turn charged into the group of attackers.

Off to the side the captured people had huddled together and watched the slaughter in front of them happen. Bodies were twisted in ways that should never be possible, choked screams and dying whines gurgling on blood were forever imprinted in the group’s minds as they saw the wolf like beast tear through flesh with long claws, cracking skulls under giant paws.

Dismembered and beheaded bodies laid strewn across the forest floor, shiny red blood highlighted by the cars’ lights that shone over the scene.

The monster sank back onto all fours, shaking out its fur and sending what remained of the Saviors that got stuck in his fur flying off.

The group all cowered together as the beast stepped over to where it sniffed out a cowering body hidden underneath. The scene was horrifying but they all couldn’t look away, watching as it shoved the dead weight off who turned out to be Negan, who in panic swung his bat at the beast but never made it far as a set of strong jaws snapped shut around the wood and splintered into tiny pieces.

A large, strong paw raised up then, and a loud snarl left the beast’s lips as it brought it down with enough force to shatter the man’s skull with ease, ending his reign of terror with a single strike.

The still chained down group stared in fear, in awe and with looks of curiosity between them as the beast wiped the blood off its claws until one of them gasped as another person appeared. It was a blonde woman, slender build and gorgeous green eyes that for s short moment glowed bright golden yellow over a gentle smile. “Please, don’t worry. We mean no harm to you.” She made her way to the first one in her reach, Glenn, and undid his bindings, moving on to undo Abraham’s as well who joined his free friend in untying everyone else.

A chorus of thank you’s and relieved sighs left the survivors as they all slumped together, looking after one another and following the large beast’s movements as it made its way over to its companion.

“You did well, mate.” The woman spoke, to which she got a content grumble in response as they both move on to head back out. Before they got too far off Maggie had gotten to her feet to run after them, catching them in time to thank them from the bottom of her heart. “Thank you, for saving my family.” She caught her breath from the earlier shock. “Truly, how can we repay you?”

Seemingly unbothered the woman stopped and turned around, shaking her head and spoke up. “No problem, really.” with one last kind smile she turned and moved to fall back into step with the beast who had moved ahead.

With the two strangers disappeared again the survivors moved on to scavenge for working vehicles. “This one runs!” Abraham had gotten a simple car to run, having three others join him.

“Pickup runs too.” The rumble of an engine summoned people towards the truck, Michonne hopping in beside him and others piling onto the back.

One more car ran and with that everyone had found a ride and they set off towards home.

In the back of the last car sat Maggie and Glenn in a tight embrace as the Sasha made way for Hilltop to have her checked out by the doctor.

The two other cars made it back to Alexandria without issues and everyone went straight home, agreeing to meet in the morning to discuss everything that happened and get into contact with Maggie and Hilltop.

[lola-andheruniverse]

WIP Saturday - Caryl Fanfiction Rec

Dear fellow carylers, today's WIP is from the talented artist and author @alatariel-gildaen. A very interesting TWD X Borderlands crossover that deserves your attention!

Vault of the Savior is posted on 9Lives and AO3.

Summary: Legend has it that the Vault of the Savior will only open for four individuals in the universe at any one time. And Handsome Jack has tracked them all down.

Carol, Daryl, Rick, and Michonne have to navigate the treachery of Hyperion, of bandit clans, monsters, aliens, and of their own pasts to survive Pandora.

Rated: M Word count: 12.940 (04 chapters of?) Published: June 26, 2024 - WIP A lot of people dislike reading crossovers because they don't think they can keep it up or care about characters from different universes. If you are one of them, dear fellow Caryler, let me tell you that the success of a crossover depends entirely on the author knowing how to weave together two different stories, and not on your prior knowledge of them. Believe me, our author has an special talent to it (her TWD/X-Men crossover is incredible and reviewed here), so please give this WIP a try. You're in good hands. I don't play videogames and have no idea of what Borderlands is and I'm hooked! I love the different codenames, backgrounds and motivations behind our characters and I'm very intrigued by the villain's intentions on luring them all to Pandora. Can't wait to see Carol and Daryl's relationship evolve in such a different but equally harsh scenario as the ZA. Plus, this fic gives Rick and Michonne a big spotlight, so if you like Richonne, you're in for a double treat. So far our author is doing a great job writing them, which is difficult after so long writing for a single ship. Let's applaud her for that! I really hope you give this WIP a read, dear fellow carylers! And don't forget to leave a review/kudos. Feedback is love and love keeps our authors motivated to write. Share the love!

[freefromthecocoon]

I'm back!

Sorry for the conversational hiatus. I had some family issues over the holidays. A lot of you know that my sister developed a severe respiratory illness (not COVID) and passed away a couple of weeks ago. I just want to thank those of you who have reached out with your kind words and your thoughts and prayers. You know my sister is the person who got me into TWD. She told me how much I would love RIck, Daryl and especially a lady named Carol. It makes me sad that she won't get to complete that journey with us, but even after her passing I feel she is sending me little signals. She had an old jewelry box that belonged to our mother with some old family jewelry in it that belonged to our parents. Including a vintage costume jewelry choker necklace that I do not recall seeing. I think it belonged to our mother. Needless to say when I saw the piece, I bawled my eyes out with bittersweet tears.

"it's a double capper, it will bring you luck" I was definitely smiling through my tears.

There not being a lot of news for TBOC right now is understandable with the heavy promotion going on for TOWL. I know some of you are frustrated that Melissa (for now) is not being heavily promoted. I think a lot of us tend to forget that Melissa most likely is just fine with not having the spotlight on her as being in the limelight has never historically been her favorite thing to do. I really do suspect this will change. I think we will see promo ramp up at the latest by SDCC. I feel there will be a TBOC presence there and I look forward to all the McReedus interviews and Caryl promotion that are hearts desire.

So have patience my dears, I know it's not easy right now, but we will get there.

[youmakethelight]

Dear AMC

Okay, so here's where I'm at following the David Zabel quotes released yesterday. I truly hate to be in this negative mindset and I wanted my tumblr to be a fun space only, but it's what I'm feeling, so I'm going to get it out. This is the most serious post I'll ever write (hopefully) so buckle up.

I'm not doing this because I don't want to continue to spread joy about caryl. I'm doing this because, if there's any chance, however small, that I can help to make a positive difference for the people I've come to care about, then I'm going to do that. This is because I care about female representation and empowerment. And because I care about what these stories mean to and for people, and especially people who relate to characters who have experienced abuse. Holding these characters' stories is a responsibility and those who do so need to be held accountable for how they do it.

I'm going to talk a lot now, but it's going to mainly be about Melissa, Isabelle's character, David Zabel, Greg Nicotero, and the idea of romantic caryl. I'm going to try to break it up into sections just because it's so long.

Melissa

Melissa McBride snuck up on me. I started watching TWD a couple of years after it first aired and like many, I fell for Daryl as a character. I observed his chemistry with Carol and always thought their relationship was something special. But like many, I gave up on the show around season 6/7. When TWD was released on Now TV in the UK this year, I decided to catch up, and season 9 hooked me on #caryl. Specifically, I was mesmerised by Melissa McBride and I've only grown to love her more. It's been beautiful finding the fandom and realising that Melissa McBride is the beating heart of it. She might not have as many Twitter followers as Norman Reedus, but she is valued more than I have seen any actor and she honestly doesn't even have to try. Fans will support her for walking to a car. I like Norman but I love Melissa.

Melissa looks happier than I have ever seen her look and she is honestly the only thing that has been keeping me tethered to any hope that I will enjoy this spinoff. My hype has been 100% driven by Melissa and how she has spoken about being back. I've already paid for Carol merch, which is something I never do. And if it wasn't for the fact I knew she was coming back at the end of season 1, I honestly wouldn't have watched Daryl Dixon. After investing in their relationship over 12 years of TWD, I'm not interested in seeing Daryl solo travel the globe and find a girl in every port. I'd rather watch something else and pretend the spinoff doesn't exist. But since Melissa is here and she's happy, I've still been hooked.

Seeing Carol confront her trauma surrounding Sophia is something I have been wanting for years. Since I started watching TWD again this year, all you'd ever hear me say is "why does no one ever talk about Sophia?". So I am beyond happy that story is receiving a spotlight in season 2. And I sense this is what Melissa is happy about too.

Beyond that, I really feel like Melissa doesn't have much space for her own voice. At SDCC, she said that she's quiet on her EP notes because she's the new person. And David Zabel made a joke that she doesn't want to make him cry (hilarious). Of course, I have no idea what the reality is, but my gut feeling is that Melissa is happy that she finally had some control with her character's own story after 14 years. But I truly don't believe she has even been given the space to think about how she *personally* would like the caryl story to look, let alone what they choose to do with the other major female character's story. I think Melissa respects Norman and trusts him with that part of the story. She knows he's had more power with the other producers - he was there for all of season 1, it's his name on the title of the show, and he chose the showrunner and writers.

And as for everything else, Melissa has spent the majority of her career in a male-dominated genre, all of her most powerful coworkers are part of that demographic, and in response to caryl, she has been the target of misogyny and ageism that is ongoing today. If I were her, I'd feel I can only speak so loud for so long before someone feels I've stepped on their toes.

While I do believe Norman cares about her deeply, I don't have any reason so far to trust that he understands the nuances of sexism well enough to be able to make the calls I'd want him to make. I really feel that if he did, he would never have agreed to the half naked shipbait nun scene in season 1. On to my next section...

Isabelle, David Zabel and Greg Nicotero

I will die on the hill that Isabelle's story should never have been touched by any inkling of shipbait, because she is a dedicated nun. The idea of romance for her present day story (especially with the male lead) grossly over-simplifies the decisions that led her to become a nun.

I do personally feel that the isabelle-laurent-daryl surrogate family idea is *pretty much* just that. I think, personally, DZ is lying when he says that the idea of romance wasn't manufactured. I think he wants us to believe that what we see on screen is organic. Absolutely nothing about the half naked wound helping scene, the happy stares across rooms with a happy score, and the 'isabelle just woke up in hospital and oh look its daryl's crossbow he must have been looking over her' scene is organic. Those are manufactured. Until episode 6, I liked isabelle and I think clemence is great. But daryl and isabelle's chemistry is non existent. I honestly think calling it a friendship is a stretch. Maybe the god awful, problematic "are you going to do to laurent what your dad did to you" could have been forgiven if they'd genuinely had any compelling bond whatsoever, but they didn't, and at best, it came off as needy. At worst (and what it actually was) was emotionally abusive. The thing I have always loved about caryl is that they *never* guilt-tripped each other like that. I really hope Zabel knows that line was truly offensive.

So anyway, I don't know, I think DZ would have liked it to go romantic, but nobody liked it. And based on the way they talked about it at SDCC, I think Norman is set on the idea it's really all about Laurent, and Isabelle is just another adult who cares about the kid so he cares about her too. However, I do think Nicotero and Zabel are invested in the idea that Daryl is falling for her. Nicotero in particular is obsessed with the idea that Daryl's falling for her while he doesn't know Carol is on her way - I actually find him enjoying that idea repulsive. So, I think they've written some ship bait in there, but I think Norman's acting choices will be reluctant. So, as long as there isn't something physical between them, I think Norman and Melissa's chemistry can recover from it. But. Zabel (and Nicotero) are showing their true colours.

While we're on Nicotero. I recently discovered that he has spoken about supporting b*thyl before. So, if that doesn't tell you everything you need to know about him and his idea of how women and romance should be presented on screen in 2024, I don't know what will.

Romantic Caryl

Finally, I want to address the idea of whether Carol and Daryl should or could add a romantic element to their relationship. Lots of people that I agree with have already written well articulated thoughts about this, including this by my-mt-heart. My personal feelings are these.

Carol and Daryl have built a layered, deep, and emotionally rich relationship over 11 seasons of TWD. Fans are aware of the romantic layers throughout the years, and even those who don't follow it closely can see the romantic potential. It would be a disservice to fans to let those years of layering and emotional depth fall flat. And frankly, so many fans simply won't follow. (And if you're worried about fans who don't like the idea not watching - well, honestly, I don't like R*chonne. Love them both individually but I never saw the chemistry and it felt random to me. But I still watched them and cared about them and their story and I even watched The Ones Who Live despite cringing the whole time.)

The creative opportunities are huge. Carol and Daryl are not a stereotypical love story by any means. Their dynamic has been fuelling creative minds for over a decade. I would personally admire any showrunner/writer who steps up to the challenge. Alternatively, not bothering comes across as lazy and cowardly to me.

At this point, there's absolutely no doubt in the audience that Carol and Daryl are soulmates. Their happy ending has been an important theme for a while now. And they are the characters that fans care about. Even fans who don't care about whether they have a romantic relationship agree that their idea of a happy ending would be with each other (and Dog). This wouldn't have to be romantic, but since we know that they are both interested in romantic relationships and have some romantic foundations together - why not? No other romantic relationship either of them could have is ever going to match up against Daryl and Carol's relationship. And why should they both be deprived of romance if they are both interested in romantic relationships? Who does that serve?

The idea that two people can so selflessly love each other for over a decade and end up together romantically is the ultimate bond of love. Suggestions that romance would 'cheapen' or 'ruin' a bond make me question what those people think romance means. It isn't the same as R*chonne's romance. It's quiet and calm and careful. It's two damaged souls uplifting each other. So many viewers are empowered by that sort of story.

It would show that AMC are progressive and not ageist or sexist.

Final thoughts

I can't express enough how much I wanted to ignore all of my doubts about this spinoff because of Melissa's involvement and because I genuinely do trust her creative imagination more than anyone. But the comments by Zabel that were released yesterday have brought back the pit I was feeling in my stomach. I trust Melissa and I will always trust Melissa. But I don't trust Zabel. I don't trust that Zabel is doing right by Melissa or by the characters of Carol and Daryl. That doesn't mean that I think he's evil and doing nothing at all right. I just truly believe that we deserve better and Melissa deserves better.

I will give all of my hard earned cash and time to Melissa projects, but I won't do the same for Zabel, or even Norman without Melissa.

[irmise]

I loved them together in the spotlight to promote twd. Now that they have their own show, I can't wait to see what they have in store for us !

[lxchadora]

moon ⇢ do you suppress your feelings? mars ⇢ are you the type to approach others first or do you like others to do that instead? aries ⇢ are you an impulsive person? leo ⇢ do you like being the center of attention or do you prefer to go unnoticed? aquarius ⇢ do you consider yourself an antisocial or social person? 1H ⇢ describe your style 9H ⇢ what languages ​​would you like to learn?

moon ⇢ do you suppress your feelings?

I think I have definitely done so in the past. It's gotten better.

mars ⇢ are you the type to approach others first or do you like others to do that instead?

So regarding roleplay stuff, I definitely reach out to people. Some of my best RPs happened because I was brave enough to approach people. I've had some people tell me they were intimidated to approach me and I'm glad they did. The TWD verse is dead, I think we should stop being chicken and follow and DM.

aries ⇢ are you an impulsive person?

No, definitely not.

leo ⇢ do you like being the center of attention or do you prefer to go unnoticed?

Unnoticed, generally speaking. But it depends, being in the center of attention isn't bad if you're around the right people, but I don't like being in the spotlight for more than a moment.

aquarius ⇢ do you consider yourself an antisocial or social person?

I'll answer this referring to my behavior on here, I definitely maintain RP etiquette. So social. I'll block people if they really break my limits however.

1H ⇢ describe your style

Ugg Boots/Doc Martens and knit dresses + leggings in the winter. Dresses or jeans (shorts or mom jeans) and crop tops when it's warmer. Though it varies but those are my preferences.

9H ⇢ what languages ​​would you like to learn?

A language with enough learning resources out there that I can use and that belongs to a culture I can identify with. There are a lot of languages I find beautiful but they might be not the best choice to study so realistically speaking I probably wouldn't bother learning them. I'd say Norwegian or Polish would be at the top of my list.

[retiredkat]

WARNING: SPOILERS for The Book of Carol

The Book of Carol Review: Daryl and Carol’s Chemistry Revitalizes The Walking Dead Spinoff

By Jeanette White

Carol riding a motorcycle in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol.

The first season of made two conflicting things clear: Daryl is still one of the best Walking Dead characters, but he struggles to carry the spotlight alone. A loner by nature and loyal to a fault, Daryl shines in the company of his found family.

Daryl’s name might be in the title of the spin-off, but he devolved into a supporting character in Season 1. While that continues in Season 2’s The Book of Carol to a degree, Melissa McBride’s return as Carol Peletier adds more depth and emotional tension and revitalizes The Walking Dead show.

Carol Shines, While Daryl’s Character Development Falters

A close up of Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead spinoff The Book of Carol.

The Book of Carol‘s first four episodes pack more of a punch than the entirety of Daryl Dixon‘s first season. Carol drops into the action where we last saw her after tracking Daryl to Maine. If you need a reminder that Carol is a bad**, you get it almost immediately. However, her scenes with Ash (Manish Dayal), a lonely pilot, offer a deeper look into Carol that we haven’t seen since Alpha wreaked havoc in Season 10 of The Walking Dead. McBride and Dayal have organic chemistry, adding an element of tragic nuance as Carol grapples with trauma, grief, and fear.

What’s most compelling about Carol is the line she walks between kindness and ruthlessness. The Book of Carol doesn’t shy away from showing Carol’s manipulative side. It’s not always pretty, but it gives her a more consistent character than Daryl, whose development feels uninspired and rehashed, even though Reedus’ performance remains as captivating as ever.

Season 1 saw Daryl bonding with Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) and Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) while trying to find his place in France. Ripping Daryl from survival mode to give him a woman and child he cares about would be interesting if he didn’t already have that with his core family in the US. What about Judith, RJ, and the paternal challenges Daryl navigated in Season 11? The spinoff seems intent on depicting Daryl as if he has no past, which doesn’t work almost 15 years into a franchise.

Caryl is Back, Baby

Daryl walking with his arm around Carol in Season 11 of The Walking Dead.

In some ways, Carol’s introduction solves the problem of reminding us of what has come before. She offers proof of Daryl’s past and growth. Since the duo bonded in Season 2, The Book of Carol makes good use of callbacks to fan-favorite TWD episodes that forged their relationship, like “Cherokee Rose.” If you’ve been flying the Caryl flag, there’s a lot to like about The Book of Carol.

Dividing the runtime between the two characters not only improves the spinoff’s pacing but offers a healthy dose of anticipation. Yes, we love watching Carol and Daryl do their own thing, but the question of “how” and “when” they’re going to reunite leaves you eager for the next episode. You can feel Carol’s desperation to get to Daryl. It’s serving angst—yes, long-simmering, delectable angst that won’t leave shippers disappointed.

The build-up has solid payout, yet Carol’s return isn’t without issues. The series shines when chronicling Carol’s journey to France but struggles with what to do with her once she’s there. Once again, promising side characters get sidelined, and arcs are cut short. Isabelle becomes a victim of TWD‘s reluctance to let Daryl have emotional intelligence. In contrast, Codron (Romain Levi) gets a nice spotlight boost if you can look past his bizarre character turn in Season 1’s finale.

Overall, The Book of Carol‘s first four(ish) episodes are excellent, but it unravels in the second half. Where’s the story going? Honestly, it’s hard to say. The truth is that Carol’s return enables the very best and the very worst of The Book of Carol. In case you haven’t noticed by now, both Daryl and Carol are of few words, which makes getting them to talk about anything somewhat painstaking. Awkward editing and overuse of the “interruption trope” only heighten the frustration. Still, McBride and Reedus’ enduring chemistry is truly something to behold, and they carry the legacy of The Walking Dead well.

If you’re hoping for more lore, you’ll likely walk away disappointed (those superpowered zombies deserve more attention). However, if you’re hungry for Caryl angst, you’ll eat. Daryl and Carol are both excellent characters, but The Book of Carol proves their relationship is the real star.

A Final Note:

A zombie ambling through Paris in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol.

It would be sacrilegious to review a Walking Dead installment without spotlighting the special effects team. Once again, the creatives behind The Book of Carol turned out unique and interesting walkers, even after so many spinoffs and seasons. The Walking Dead continues to be a powerhouse franchise, largely thanks to Greg Nicotero and the creative team responsible for bringing life to the undead.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premieres Sunday, September 29th.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Norman's Social Media in February

Hey Everyone! I have a few posts that are kind of random conversations between me and my peeps, mentioning random symbols and revolving around social media posts from the past month. I'm going to try and post them this week, just to get them posted. Just know that they're a few weeks old. I probably won't post about this past week's social media until next week. 😁

@galadrieljones:

Also I stopped by today to share that Norman posted a story of him driving in a car past the Eiffel Tower, which is shining a massive spotlight over Paris. He’s definitely still there!

(Twdmusicboxmystery: he's posted a LOT of pics of the Eiffel Tower over the past month. Don't know if he just thinks it's awesome (cuz it is) or if he's hinting at something.)

This was also included in the story:

o.yuuri96 is an Osaka based dealer for motorcycle clothing and accessories. I’m thinking they may do costume and props for Daryl.

@wdway:

I was going to ask what I was looking at? I recognized some of it as being motorcycle parts, but I wasn't sure of the overall meaning. Thanks for clearing it up.

@twdmusicboxmystery:

I would have thought Norman was over his candy crush obsession, but apparently not.

@twdmusicboxmystery:

I do notice that the first pic talks about things getting tricky and being your "wingman." It's something Shane called Daryl in S2. So, this could be a cloaked TWD reference. Not that it's terribly specific, but I'm sure things will get "tricky" at some point in the spinoff. 😊

@galadrieljones:

Norman is adding to his story

Ooh that one with the Norman face photoshopped on the girl is signed “martinaTWD” which makes me think it’s a fan art

He’s also posting the Eiffel Tower so much!!

@Galadrieljones:

Guys some really interesting posts in Norman’s story today:

First one has a bunch of boxes, look like pizza boxes? With writing I haven’t examined yet. They are labeled with “A” or “B.”

We have railroad tracks and a young person flipping off the camera

Then a quote about love from George Orwell with a woman catching a star…?

The boxes seem to be related to make-up for the show. They say “Raise the Dead”

Could that be the title of the spin-off…?

Idk this was an interesting one! There were more posts. These tho were the most mysterious I thought.

@twdmusicboxmystery:

I also wanted to mention the pictures you put above, @galadrieljones. I noticed the one that looks like pizzas but didn’t get a chance to take a closer look. They’re definitely makeup stuff. They all either say, “Daryl scar transfers” “injury transfers” or “suture transfers” (medical). One says “Camille wrist injury transfer.”

Can’t help but think of Beth with that one. Would love to think that Camille is a code name for Beth. Probably not, but one can hope. Really loved the others you posted as well. At least the black and white drawing (with the stripped zombie shirt) and the one of the cop holding back traffic so the cat can cross the road, he’s posted before.

I know bc I’ve taken screenshots of them before. I don’t know if that’s just bc he likes them or if he’s hinting at something. I don’t know what it would be, but cat = Daryl and cops = Grady, so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@galadrieljones:

Good call on the makeup boxes. I definitely didn’t look close enough to see a mention of a wrist injury. That’s super interesting.

@wdway:

@galadrieljones:

Thank you! It is the title!?

@wdway:

Just read this article about an hour ago and it relates to the boxes and possible name of the spinoff. But most the article is a repeat of what we already know.

@galadrieljones:

That is a very interesting title …

@wdway:

I did think it was interesting that the box has A's and B's on them.

So you're saying that after Norman has been quiet for so long now there's an abundance of strange post.

@galadrieljones:

Yep. This one is especially interesting because there’s a direct reference to the spin-off, plus some interesting quotes about love. Raise the Dead. Is that not exactly what we are hoping for?

Here is another of the posts. It seems to be a fan art? Not sure but it reminded me of your stripes theory, @wdway. Perhaps it is to do with Paris.

A couple more. It’s a big story. He posted that praying mantis again.

@wdway:

What I've been hoping for is Norman saying, "watch my spin-off. You'll see Beth! She's been alive this whole time! It's our love story! With a plot about fast, smart walkers! TD is the smartest and best part of TWD fandom. Emily and I will be promoting the spin-off all summer. The spin-off will premiere in October all your questions will be answered in Fear and the Maggie and Negan spinoff. Would that be too much to ask for, hope for? Just joking! Sarcastically.

@galadrieljones:

I agree. Hot and lovable weirdo lol.

“TD is the smartest and best part of TWD fandom!” That is definitely the dream lolol

@galadrieljones:

In the meantime, another wolf reference in Norman’s story today. I have seen this movie. It’s about the Wind River Indian reservation in Wyoming.

So both Native American and wolf references

@wdway:

I think I watched this movie last year. I was good. This might also be a nod to the actor (can't remember his name) who had an accident recently that almost and probably should have killed him. You know what? Maybe that's what the hint is about. The story about someone who survived something that seemed unsurvival.

@galadrieljones:

Oh, right. Jeremy Renner. And I liked the movie too!!

@wdway:

Yes, Jeremy Renner. As much as he's been in the news lately you would think I would remember but then again it's me.

@galadrieljones:

Jon Bernthal is also in the movie.

@wdway:

It wasn't an expensive movie, no special effects or anything like that but it has a good story to it.

I had forgotten that. That does have a tie to TWD then.

@twdmusicboxmystery:

Yeah I like this movie too. It was good. Jon Bernthal was a nice guy in it. Very un-Shane. I like the ties you both found.

@galadrieljones:

Norman’s story today, the Arc de Triomphe, seems a view from the backseat?