'The Walking Dead' Fans Divided On Rick Vs. Daryl

Spoilers for The Walking Dead 8x05.Earlier this month, Norman Reedus teased a growing conflict [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

Spoilers for The Walking Dead 8x05.

Earlier this month, Norman Reedus teased a growing conflict between Rick Grimes and his right hand man Daryl Dixon — a conflict that finally came to blows between the surrogate brothers. After putting down a Savior that lead them on a wild car chase last episode, Rick and Daryl discover some explosives in the Saviors' overturned jeep.

"Ain't no Kingdom no more," Daryl explains. "We know what we gotta do. We blow open the Sanctuary, let the walkers flood in, they'll surrender. It'll be done. Hell, we could end this by sundown."

"They have workers in there, right? Families, too. Are there?" Rick asks. Daryl readjusts. They'll blow the south side of the main building and leave the walkers to the north side. As he tells it, the workers will be up the stairs before the walkers can get in.

"What if they don't? There are people in there who aren't fighters," Rick says. "Doing this could change that. Make them pick up guns and stand by the Saviors. And if the Saviors don't surrender, maybe everyone fights us. And we don't have the Kingdom anymore. We're not doing this."


"Nah," Daryl says, "You ain't doin' this." He turns. Rick grabs his shoulder. Daryl shakes him off. "There's a plan and everyone's sticking to it," Rick orders.


"Not everyone. There's a lot of our people who are dead, Rick. Things change, man. Negan and that other group? This is on them. People die… it's their fault. Not ours," Daryl growls. Rick is firm: they can't do this. He goes to stop Daryl, who socks Rick in the face.

"This ain't your choice." Rick tackles Daryl.

Rick is on the ground. Daryl brings a blow down — hard — it connects with dirt. They get up. Rick tosses the bag of dynamite away. Daryl chokes Rick to the ground. The truck is on fire. "Get up!" Daryl helps Rick up, they run clear — BOOM! Truck explodes. They watch it burn.

Rick wants to see the plan through. Daryl — who has revenge on his mind in season 8 — wants to win, and he doesn't care who he has to kill to make that happen.

"Choke hold's illegal, asshole," Rick says, in a callback to the first season when Rick and Daryl first met, and Rick had to break the news to Daryl that he left his asshole brother Merle handcuffed to a roof. Daryl lashed out, causing Shane to put Daryl in a chokehold — with a choked out and mouthy Daryl telling Shane, "choke hold's illegal, asshole."

"We're still brothers and we're still on the same team, but the stakes are higher right now," Reedus said of Rick vs. Daryl — but The Walking Dead fans are split on the brothers' schism.

Stop.

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Please stop.

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Seriously, if you could stop fighting, that would be great.

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Bromance

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

The Walking DeadSunday at 9PM EST on AMC

The Walking Dead

The Walking DeadSunday at 9PM EST on AMC

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