For almost a decade now, The Walking Dead fans have been wanting Daryl to find some happiness in this bleak post-apocalyptic world, but the lone wolf has so far never once entered into a relationship. Season 10 could be Daryl’s lucky year, though, as showrunner Angela Kang is teasing that the character might get caught up in some “romantic entanglements” in the upcoming run.
While speaking to Insider, Kang was asked about the chances of a Daryl romance. First of all, the writer/producer explained why Daryl is not one to jump into an emotionally-open place like that easily, but she did hint that “aspects” of this would be explored in season 10.
“As for Daryl and his romantic entanglements or not, I think that Daryl, he’s an abused character who does not trust people easily, which makes it pretty hard to get into some relationships. But, we’ll be exploring some more aspects related to that in the following season. I hope that answers the question a bit.”
We know what the “Caryl” shippers among you might be thinking right now. The recent season 9 finale revealed that Carol and Ezekiel’s marriage had become strained, with the former moving back to Alexandria in the wake of the death of their son Henry. Despite the sad circumstances, fans flocked to social media to celebrate that Daryl and Carol could finally become an item.
It’s possible that this is what Kang is alluding to in her comments, but Melissa McBride has revealed that she doesn’t think the Carol/Ezekiel relationship is over just yet. This could be a hunch, but it might also be a hint that a reconciliation’s coming for the couple in the future.
So, who could Daryl maybe find love with? Well, he did seem to developing a thing with Connie in season 9. A lot of fans weren’t too keen on this pairing, but she does seem to be the most likely option for a potential partner for him right now.
In any case, there’s lots of time for folks to speculate about this, as The Walking Dead is now off the air for the summer. In the meantime, though, you can catch Fear the Walking Dead season 5 when it premieres in June.