‘The Walking Dead’ Fans Are Divided Over Daryl, Carol, and Others

The Walking Dead fandom has reached a strong divide when it comes to certain characters and relationships. Chief among the arguments today is the once universally-beloved Daryl Dixon portrayed by Norman Reedus.

In the early days of The Walking Dead, Daryl was so popular that t-shirts labeled “If Daryl Dies we riot!” were a hot-selling commodity from the local Hot Topic. The hardened character made himself more vulnerable as years went on, due largely in part to his budding relationship with Carol Peletier. As time went on and nothing more than a platonic relationship was outright evidenced on screen, the fans who had been labeled “Carylers” (the portion rooting for Carol and Daryl to get together, romantically) seemed to be out of luck with their desires — but they held out hope as key moments for both characters often revolved around the other.

However, in Season Nine, King Ezekiel put a ring on Carol’s finger and Daryl moved into a period of isolation in the wake of Rick’s exit from Alexandria. In Sunday night’s Episode 9×12, Daryl went on a mission with Connie which prompted Reedus to share a story from The Hollywood Reporter which suggested Daryl and Connie might have some romance on the way.

Check out Reedus’ tweet below.

This tweet seems to have struck deep with the “Caryl” portion of The Walking Dead‘s fandom. The loyal viewers who have been with the show for years hoping to see one thing are voicing their frustration with Reedus supporting something else.

The evidence is in the responses to Reedus’ tweet.

Meanwhile, another portion of The Walking Dead‘s audience seems to be enjoying the notion of Daryl finding a romantic storyline come to fruition with Connie.

Check out some of the supportive responses from fans…

However, while the tweets above seem to be keeping to themselves, some fans are having a harder time enjoying themselves while watching the series as a result of online harassment.

It’s no secret comment sections have become toxic havens of anonymity where people can throw out insults directed toward TV shows or each other with no consequences. On social media, the camp of fans who support Daryl, Carol, Ezekiel, and some others is one of the most divided. In fact, both sides often end up throwing harsh words at one another.

One user laid out her case, referencing the aforementioned flame wars, in response to the tweet from Reedus.

They aren’t alone, either.

Some fans are ready to jump ship as The Walking Dead steers away from some of the original expectations and characters with potentially brand new storylines.

It will be interesting to see how The Walking Dead handles Daryl’s romantic love interests moving forward, if they assign the character any at all. In an age where pleasing everyone proves difficult, The Walking Dead is building new fans, reinforcing some, and alienating others all at the same time with each move it makes.

How do you feel about Daryl potentially finding a love interest on The Walking Dead? Should he end up with Carol? Should he be with Connie? Or is Daryl destined to be alone? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com’s After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.