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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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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