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WIP Saturday - Caryl Fanfiction Rec

Dear carylers, I know a lot of fanfic readers prefer to read complete works. It's an strategy to avoid being frustrated after getting excited by an abandoned work. But I truly believe reading WIPs is a fundamental part of being a fandom. WIPs allow us, the readers, to witness how a story is born, how it develops, and hopefully, how it gets finished. It's a sometimes enerving but always fascinating process, on my humble opinion.

The fascinating WIP of today is Saudade by @indigoraysoflight, currently posted on 9Lives and AO3.

Summary: As the dust settles after the battle of the Commonwealth, Carol and Daryl stand in the ruins of their fractured bond. Their wounds, aching to be healed. Their scars, waiting to be discovered. A storm of unspoken words and feelings swirling around them. The chasm between them – wider than it’s ever been before. 

Will they find each other before the world pushes them apart again?

Rating: E / Explicit Word count: 15691 (4 chapters of ?) Published: July 15, 2023 - WIP

My native language is (brazilian) portuguese so I'm very familiar with the concept and feeling of bone-deep nostalgia and longing that is 'saudade'. Fun fact: we use 'saudade' for everything because we long very deeply for things, places and people. Eu tenho saudade dos meus amigos de infância. I miss my childhood friends. Nossa, saudade de quando a apresentadora do jornal era a Sandra. How I miss when Sandra presented the news. Trust me, for us, it's the same feeling.

So, when AK described Daryl and Carol feeling 'saudade' on S9E1, she was very right. It's an ongoing feeling for both of them since S5, always missing each other even when they are on the same room. Being so on and out of sync simultaneously. Our dear author decided to explore what happened between the battle of the Commonwealth and the moment Daryl rides out on the show finale using 'saudade' as the conductive narrative/feeling. We are only four chapters in, but, oh, dear caryler, what a beautiful story she's telling us! It's cohesive and Daryl and Carol characters traits are on point. It's also incredibly sad and angsty but she also promised us sugary caryl moments and I'm on board for all of it.

If you're not following this WIP, I honestly encourage you. It's a great ride and it's just the beginning. Feedback can make the difference in whether or not a fanfic will get finished so, please, consider leaving the author a review to inspire her to keep writing.

I hope you've enjoyed my recs for this week, dear caryler! Tomorrow it's your turn to rec a fic you love. I'm counting on you! Caryl on!

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It’s been a whole year now since we all found out the highly-anticipated Caryl spinoff was canceled and replaced with a show so ridiculous, it’d be laughable if it wasn’t already devastating. While I acknowledge the steps AMC is taking to rectify the situation, while I know Melissa is in France right now hopefully getting everything she wants, it still makes me angry to think that two incredibly talented and respected women, plus so many Carol/Caryl fans, had to get served a shit sundae last spring all so a few privileged individuals could turn TWDU into their own personal playground. It was completely unprofessional and frankly just stupid.

The original Caryl spinoff should’ve never been scrapped, Melissa McBride should’ve never been booted from her own show, and fans shouldn’t have to endure more of what they don’t want while they’re forced to wait even longer for what they do want. I sincerely hope the eventual Caryl spinoff will be a huge success. I really want to support it, but I need AMC to treat Melissa like the leading lady she is, and I need them to finally reward Carol/Caryl fans for their loyalty. No more holding back.

I remember posting this immediately after the news broke, and even though it hasn’t been an easy year juggling what almost feels like two full-time jobs, I’m glad I persevered anyway (just like Carol always does). I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned along the way which ensured this movement wasn’t stepping on anyone’s agency, and I’m especially grateful to all the other fans who helped me gain a new perspective on my industry, the perspective that should always matter the most anyway. To everyone who reads my blog, whether you engage or not, thank you for being patient with me while I use my platform to push for gender equality and consumer rights. When I started posting a couple years ago, I only wanted to share my thoughts on a TV show that I love, particularly two characters that I find inspiring, and I hope to get back to that in the near future.

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Daryl and Carol came in 1st out of 33 couples with over 11.6K votes. Claire and Jaime (Outlander) were the runners-up. Alina and Kirigan (Shadow and Bone) took 3rd. Not a prestigious poll by any means, but it still reflects how much people love their relationship. AMC and TWD struck gold with Norman's and Melissa's chemistry and I sincerely hope it doesn't go to waste.

Big thanks to everyone who voted! The Outlander fandom is no joke!

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Vote for Caryl

https://twitter.com/glenniferrhee/status/1605133205086126083

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We Have a Future?

I bring this over to you from Twitter as well as a long thread I made about a potential future for Caryl. 

I’m taking the rumors of their spinoff as *rumors* for now, but it feels like a good time to talk about what I’d love to see if it’s true and more importantly, what I would subscribe to AMC+ plus for: 

1. An Explicit Caryl Romance

The “will they, won’t they” trope is supposed to be resolved by the series finale and we are now past that. We can take the “I love you’s” as canon or not, but it comes across as intentionally straddling the fence and for what? Caryl is one of the biggest ships on television. They have the support of the general audience, casual viewers, the writers, cast, and crew, so there’s no need to keep pandering to the least common denominators. Caryl’s relationship also aids representation, reminding viewers that people over 50 can fall in love, that a female love interest can have gray hair, and that a male love interest can display lower levels of sexual behavior. But that’s only effective if AMC shows they’re willing to commit. After 12 years, it’s time to go big or go home. 

2. Open Conversation about Caryl’s Romance 

There’s a reason the Caryl fandom thinks so highly of LaToya Morgan. She validates our perspective, she’s openly passionate about the ship, and she gets us hyped. Imagine how many fans would come running if more people associated with the show were allowed to do the same instead of having to toe the company line in the media, which only furthers the problematic viewpoint that Caryl couldn’t possibly be more than friends. 

3. A Daryl AND Carol Show 

Anything more than a cameo in the upcoming six episodes may be “logistically untenable,” but if Carol really is going to appear in the end, it should amount to something big like a reunion that tops No Sanctuary and it should set up the alleged next season for Norman AND Melissa to co-lead.

4. Equal Screentime 

One of S11’s worst crimes was minimizing Carol’s arc. She’s one of TWD’s strongest characters and she shouldn’t have to live in the shadows of every other character’s story or remain on kitchen duty. She can be a weapon of mass destruction, sure, but I want to see emotional growth for her too and not just retroactively.

5. Shared Screentime 

They may not be each other’s appendages, but Caryl do have insane amounts of chemistry that fans tune in for, so it should go without saying they need to share scenes together and more specifically, they need to share an arc that allows them to grow together as a couple. 

6. Meaningful Interactions 

Caryl’s relationship is so deep, they often don’t need words, but in no way should that limit their interactions to lingering stares. I want them to engage in conversation with each other, and I want those conversations to deepen their relationship even more. 

7. No. More. Shipbaiting.

It’s tiresome, it insults the characters, actors, and the audience, and it’s not worth paying money for. If I’m going to be pulled in, it’ll be by something I love, not something I don’t. 

8. Strong Leadership 

Representation offscreen matters too and if Caryl’s story is going to continue, then they need a showrunner who knows how to write character-driven narratives and specifically understands Daryl’s and Carol’s characters/relationship. An upper class white man who’s too focused on his own lore would not be the right fit . 

9. Story Integrity 

Norman, Melissa, and the writers spent years developing a beautiful narrative for Caryl, and I don’t want to see any of it retconned in service of the lore. 

10. Payoff

To be clear, I don’t think this was “the writers’” fault at all, but S11 and the spinoff debacle have left so many holes in Caryl’s story that many fans have come to expect disappointment at every turn and nobody wants to pay to be let down. If AMC delivers on the promises they set up on or offscreen, I will be there, but not a second sooner.

Thank you again to everyone participating in the blitz! :) 

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Melissa is nominated for best supporting actress. We’re having a Twitter blitz for her starting at 9am PT / 12pm ET. Join us if you want to show your enthusiasm! :) 

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Saturn Awards & Saturn’s Return

The Saturn Awards will take place on Tuesday 25th October. Melissa McBride has been nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Award.  She’s been nominated in this category consistently from 2014 to present, with wins in 2014 and 2015.  According to wiki, Melissa is the only consecutive two-time winner in the category and holds the record for most nominations for an actress with eight total! Even if she doesn’t win, the fact that she’s been nominated this many times speaks volumes. Her talent has been recognized year after year.  

I don’t put much stock in astrology, but I think it’s neat that Melissa’s last Saturn nomination for TWD coincides with her second Saturn’s Return. As I understand it (shaky grasp of astrology coming through lol), Saturn’s Return is supposed to be an important period for personal growth and development.  It can be a challenging time, but it’s ultimately about coming into your power and heading into the next phase of your life with confidence.  I don’t think there’s a definitive age for the second Saturn’s Return: some people pitch it at 58 (I think Melissa is 57 at the time of writing) while others use 56-60 as a ballpark figure.

Obviously, I want Melissa to win on Tuesday and I hope the odds are in her favor for the Saturn Award. And I hope her Saturn’s Return brings good things too.  

Whatever Melissa’s future holds, I hope she knows it’s been a joy to have Melissa/Carol on our screens.

Melissa’s not done playing Carol and I’m sure she’ll be nominated for further awards (and keep breaking records)!  We just need tptb to come through with a plan for Melissa/Carol/Caryl 😊

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“Daryl gives Carol a Cherokee rose” is one of the options for most romantic moment. VOTE FOR IT!

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Thank you for watching. Thank you for talking about it. Thank you for making videos. I have to remember this really isn’t a–it’s not a goodbye. It is a heartfelt thank you because without the fans, this never would’ve happened. It never would’ve happened. - Melissa McBride 

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Aunt Carol with RJ and Judith Grimes: first day of school pic

Melissa McBride with Antony Azor and Cailey Fleming Behind The Scenes (11.15 “Trust”) [📸: angelakkang]

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I felt this needed to be said.

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And we shall hahaha

Whining helps!! Who knew? We need to have a whine-fest on social media soon.

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Hmm. 

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I have a feeling things would've turned out differently if it was the Caryl Spinoff up there.

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Thanks for taking part in our Melissa and Caryl Blitz today. Both are still trending as we speak. Photo credit: @lighteneverything (obviously)