Why we need more of Carol and Daryl in season 8 of The Walking Dead

Season 8 has teased more Daryl and Carol

The Walking Dead's main strength is in its relationships and not many are stronger than the one between Daryl and Carol, a bond that was forged forever in season 2 when Carol's daughter Sophia went missing and Daryl refused to stop searching for the little girl.

Daryl comforted Carol when she lost her daughter Sophia

That search ended in possibly the most famous scene in the show's history when a walker-died or zombified Sophia came shambling out of Herschel's barn. She was promptly dispatched by a Rick Grimes bullet as Daryl comforted the grieving mother.

One of the few highlights of season 7 was the couple's reunion at the cottage outside the Kingdom where Carol was staying. Daryl didn't tell his friend about the death of Glenn and Abraham at Negan's hands because he knew she was suffering from some kind of mental breakdown.

A rare highlight in season 7

Another season 7 highlight was when Richard of the Kingdom outlined his plan to use an unsuspecting Carol as bait to kill the Saviors by leaving a weapons trail to her house so Ezekiel would be forced into a war with Negan. Of course he didn't know about Daryl's love for Carol and just called her the woman until Daryl demanded to know her name.

The weakest part of the writing though was that Daryl didn't kill Richard there and then for trying to use Carol to lure Negan and his Saviours into an ambush at Carol's cottage.

That task fell to Morgan after Richard got his child protege Benjamin killed by Negan's thugs. 

Richard talks to Carol about taking down the Saviors

In another lighthearted moment, who can forget Richard apologising to Carol in front of Morgan when he visited her at the cottage and was talking about rallying King Ezekiel to fight Negan?

Richard thinks all the talk of violence will upset Carol. Little does he know.

Morgan responds by telling Richard that Carol's probably the best fighter they have.
I don't know about you, but both Carol centred incidents made me smile.

Let's be honest, there wasn't much to smile about in the rest of season 7 especially the wretched first half of that gloomy season, including that depressing Daryl episode.

If The Walking Dead needs more screen time for the characters we really care about, that means seeing more of this interesting pair and cutting the less popular characters.

Reunions between Carol and Daryl are sweet