So I’ve seen a few reactions to ep 4 and gotta say, I kind of fall in the middle on this one. I actually thought this was the strongest ep since the premiere. The pace picked up, we got burning walkers and a new threat. The music continues to be weirdly intrusive but top marks for production value as always. Carol was back in action if in a limited way (due apparently to an injury). But let's get to the bit everyone is talking about, because no, I don't think their intention was to once and for all shut down Caryl. Actually, I think this was them giving into pressure and throwing us a bone. It's not a tasty bone and I don't imagine it's leading anywhere other than utter starvation, but I do think they grudgingly understand that they need to keep Carylers on the hook or, at the very least, create some will-they-won't-they discourse. And it's working, right? We're all on here talking about it and by “we” and “all” I mean the 8 of us left who actually believe in this ship. (Go Team). To me, this was them acknowledging Caryl, if in a bitter way. The acknowledgement is laced with contempt, so that they can continue to play both sides. They can continue to cater to the “They’re so perfect” team and the “Ew! Grey hair! Sibling vibes!” team. They want both. They don't wanna pick a side.
My initial reaction to this scene was just that it was cringe. Just more bad dialogue. More tropey trickery. More inconsistency in the Daryl and Carol dynamic. It kinda came out of nowhere, which adds to the feeling that this was a metafictional statement of intent direct from the creative team (and I use the word creative extremely loosely). And look, I do think there's validity to that POV. They have been clear about their intentions with this relationship. They have been clear in their deprioritisation of Carol in Daryl's narrative (and vice versa). And they have been clear, as the OG show was, in their contempt for shippers as viewers. And we're going to be sensitive to that, right? Cos as shippers, we’re used to being treated with contempt by both the people telling our stories and the fellow fans watching them alongside us.
What I don't really understand is fellow fans piling on, laughing at Carylers’ expense. Partially because I don't really understand reading this moment straight. For one thing, why would you assume that these characters are telling the truth? It's called character complexity. It's called levels, people. But more importantly, I never understand people seeing the overt denial of feelings as a confirmation of a covert lack of feelings. Those are not the same thing. SO many of my ships have those moments where the characters deny or (over)explain or insist: Nooooo, we're not a couple, we’re partners, we’re just friends, best friends, we love each other but not that way, nothing's ever happened, nothing’s ever going to happen, it's not like that, we have no deeper romantic/sexual feelings for each other, cross my heart, hope to die, no further questions at this time. I find it so strange that antis use this as the ultimate proof AGAINST a ship rather than recognising it as the shippy trope that it absolutely is. It's SO Beatrice and Benedick coded. Masking deeper feelings with denial has a long literary history and, in TV history, it enables writers who want to endlessly defer/play both sides to confirm AND deny the existence of feelings, narratives and viewers that are inconvenient to them. Ultimately, if I had to come down on one side, I'd say this scene is more shippy than not. It does more to confirm Caryl than deny it. What infects it though, taking this moment out of the story, is how loud the bts voices have been on this matter, and every other matter, how managed and calculated the press and discourse has been. (Note: I don’t say well, it hasn’t been managed well). The obnoxious, overbearing presence of Zabel & Co makes this moment feel unbalanced, in much the same way that the show itself is unbalanced. There are too many intrusive elements; too much of what is happening onscreen is overshadowed by what’s gone on behind the scenes. And that, as I’ve said previously, is something we should not see. We shouldn’t see their fingerprints on these characters and their dynamic as clearly as we do.
What I will say to anyone watching this scene in isolation or just following the subsequent discourse is that Daryl's reaction here is typical of his character right now. I don't know who this moody bitch is or why she's been in such a bad mood all season long. But Daryl reacts in this scene the way he reacts to literally everything and everyone rn. He's no longer a gruff giant with a heart of gold. He’s just a generic, stoic, monosyllabic hero type. Blah. Both he and Carol have been flattened out as characters. Their motivations are one-dimensional and they keep having the same conversation over and over again. Carol: We should help. Daryl: Daryl no help. Daryl fix boat. Daryl go home. Daryl is manly man. Daryl have no feelings. Carol shut up. Carol annoy Daryl. Daryl walk away now. Fuck. Shit! (The swearing is also weirdly intrusive. I’m a fan of an eff bomb but it feels…misplaced and OTT…?). Who knows what happened to the sweetheart of the Cherokee Rose or the emotionally intelligent man he grew into. Despite having far more screen time and production priority, Daryl doesn’t fare as well in this flattening out process as Carol does. Maybe because MMB is simply a superior actor. Maybe because NR is resting on his admittedly sexy and charismatic laurels. Or maybe just because of choices he has made. A while back, when trying to work out what was off about the Caryl dynamic, I hypothesised that NR has just changed how he plays Daryl. And I think he has. And I think that change is backed by the writers and producers.
For dedicated viewers (I’m new but count myself as dedicated), it makes moments like this confusing. Because what are we watching here? Are we watching Norman Reedus be petulant about the idea that he wasn't enough of a draw? That people wanted Carol? That (some) viewers wanted a romance between him and his BFF after being teased and mocked for over a decade? (How very dare they). OR are we seeing Daryl’s hurt and anger at Carol come out, a la "Find Me” and "Diverged", cos he's been in love with her, devoted to her for years and nothing's ever happened despite him putting himself out there in the bravest way he knows how? OR are we just watching a giant man baby throw a tantrum over everything, refusing help, denying feelings, blocking connections, isolating himself, playing the antagonist in what's supposed to be his own narrative? And why exactly? Because he met a creepy nun and a precocious kid? Is that where this is all meant to be coming from? No idea. All I know is that Valentina was already my fave of the Spanish characters (tho possibly just because she reminds me of s10 Carol) and this scene just made her more so. All I know is that Carol deserves better than an eternally sullen bff and that Daryl is making Antonio look like a much better option in comparison.
Is it any wonder that this poor woman who flew across the world to find this stubborn dummy wants someone else to accompany them on the voyage home? Not only is setting out solo stupid as FUCK – and neither of them has ever been THAT stupid, they have ALWAYS grouped up for safety – but sharing close quarters with this version of Daryl for any significant amount of time would drive any woman to push his idiot ass overboard. Speaking of stupidity: I enjoyed the shot of them walking into town to join the battle together, but how on earth does it make sense that they’re just gonna “check in” on people during a full-on war? And where exactly does Daryl get off telling Carol not to do anything stupid? It’s trying to give s10 vibes but that’s not where we are. Carol is not a grieving hothead and Daryl is not her concerned shadow. The flattening out of these characters means remarks like this don't land the way (I think...?) they're intended. They're missing the levels they need, the covert affection that used to underpin every single exchange they had, no matter how trivial or how pivotal. They come across as just plain mean. Angry. Resentful. Disrespectful. And the Daryl Dixon I know would sooner die a long and painful death than be casually cruel to this woman, above every other woman in the world.
