As two of the only remaining surviving characters from the first season of The Walking Dead, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) went on a long and storied journey together through the most harrowing life-and-death circumstances. Through it all, they were always there for one another despite being from different classes and communities in the prior world. Their relationship was always strictly platonic yet loving, albeit sometimes flirtatious.

With the second season of The Walking Dead: The Daryl Dixon coming in September 2024, named The Book of Carol and featuring McBride as a key member of the cast, fans are excited to see the favorite duo reunite. Their partnership has always been unique, filled with love and affection. But it has never crossed a romantic line. But because of how beautifully it transcends even a traditional “best” friendship, theirs is arguably the best platonic relationship on TV today.

A History of Daryl and Carol in The Walking Dead

The Pair Have Been Through a Lot

During the outbreak, a group of survivors gathered and set up a camp. Fans don’t see how these people come together since the story initially follows Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) journey after waking up from a coma instead. But both Daryl and Carol ended up as part of that group. At the time, Daryl was traveling with his overbearing, racist, and crass older brother Merle (Michael Rooker) while Carol was with her abusive husband Ed (Adam Minarovich) and her pre-teen daughter Sophia (Madison Lintz). The two were, for the most part, on completely opposite ends of the group and didn’t converse much.

Daryl had his guard up, believing he didn’t fit in and the group might discard him just like regular society had. He lashed out at people, including Carol. In one memorable scene, he screams at her, calling her a “stupid b***h” and blaming her for Sophia going missing. Carol, clearly accustomed to emotional abuse, stands, stares, and quietly takes it. She recognizes that Daryl needs to let out all his emotions and allows him to use her as his proverbial punching bag. In this scene, it becomes evident that Carol might be the only person who truly understands Daryl and can get through to him.

While at the farm, Daryl and Carol grow closer. Daryl searches day and night for Sophia and even tries to comfort Carol when she’s a wreck. The scene where he tells her the story of the Cherokee Rose in such a gentle way is one of the softer scenes fans have witnessed from his character, even up until this point.

Meanwhile, the way Carol made Daryl feel like a worthwhile leader and member of the team, even when no one else did, shows her understanding of the abuse he endured at the hands of his father and brother. The two have, it appears, much more in common than he might have realized.

When a reanimated Sophia comes ambling out of the barn, it’s Daryl who runs to Carol to stop her from seeing the horrifying state of her daughter while the others look on in shock and dismay. At the prison, when Carol disappears and is presumed dead, then later returns, Daryl’s grimacing face filled with tears and tight hug says everything. He has never gotten that close to anyone.

Daryl and Carol Have a Growing, Refreshingly Sweet Bond

They Have Never Been Romantic

Despite how their friendship grows, however, there’s never any sense of sexual tension, romantic feelings, or even jealousy when each gets closer to other people. These familiar TV tropes were completely avoided for the characters, and it’s refreshing. Carol is even the first to sense Daryl’s affinity for Connie (Lauren Ridloff), suggesting he pursue something romantic with her (though he sadly never obliges).

Daryl helps Carol through some of her darkest times. When her actions lead to Connie’s presumed death (thankfully, she survived), Carol is wracked with guilt. It’s the first time fans see conflict between them. After getting the silent treatment from Daryl, she pleads with her best friend not to hate her. He angrily replies that he could never hate her. It’s just not possible. There’s nothing that could tear these two apart.

Even when Carol marries Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Daryl takes up with Leah (Lynn Collins), they remain close. Months between visits are no match for the tight bond they share. But there’s something there that also runs deeper than a typical friendship. When Carol splits from Ezekiel, being there for Daryl is a big part of the reason. Interestingly, even Ezekiel understands. Husband or not, no one will ever come before Daryl.

By the end of the show, Carol is residing at The Commonwealth while Daryl has decided to go out on his own. They continue to keep in touch with one another. As fans of the spin-off series The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon know, Carol appears in the first season finale en route to find Daryl, having not heard from him for too long. She feels something is wrong. Even when they aren’t together, there’s an instinct, a bond that pulls them together. A piece of one is missing if they don’t know the other is OK.

What Makes Them the Best Platonic Couple on TV Today?

They Have Some Tough Competition

What makes a great platonic friendship? A deep bond whereby both individuals not only say but prove that they will do anything to protect one another. Each would put their life on the line if it meant saving the other. But most importantly, it’s about never crossing a line. While there may be light flirting, as there has been with Daryl and Carol, it’s always innocent and never leads to anything more, nor is there a looming feeling that it should.

When it comes to platonic couples on television today, there’s a common trope: eventually, fans “ship” them, and they get together. They end up in a relationship because both have had hidden feelings for one another all along. Maybe it’s a one-night stand that’s deemed a mistake, and the pair will go back to being friends. It might even just be an awkward kiss. With Daryl and Carol, none of this has ever happened. The friendship is affectionate, loving, even flirtatious. But it’s also more than a typical friendship.

There are other great platonic couples on television whose characters are of a sexuality that could suggest romance. But they don’t have the same intensity. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) from Friends were close, for example. They understood one another and were always there for one another. But their dynamic almost always involved the entire group: they weren’t as tight on their own as they seemed to be when they were with others. Plus, they actually kissed on a few occasions, and Joey even once proposed to Phoebe when he thought she was pregnant and needed support.

Leslie (Amy Poehler) and Ron (Nick Offerman) from Parks and Recreation are another fan-favorite platonic TV couple. But they held such different views that they likely knew deep down they would never get along romantically, even if they tried. As a comedy, the interactions were far more light-hearted as well.

Even looking at more dramatic shows, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) from Mad Men were close. However, it was more like a professional mentorship relationship that grew into a friendship than something deeper. They respected one another, but there was nothing to suggest that they would die for one another.

By contrast, Daryl and Carol are connected in a much deeper way. They both suffered deep trauma in their life before and during the apocalypse, tragic circumstances that would easily drive the best of friends apart. They both share the same loner mentality yet find the most comfort when they are together. So much so that when Daryl heads out on one of his last journeys, he asks Carol to accompany him. It speaks volumes to their connection that Daryl would rather be with Carol than his usual preference of being alone.

Most telling, however, is the final words the two speak to one another in the finale of the main series. “I love you,” he tells her, and she replies the same. Daryl likely hadn’t told anyone he loved them through the entire apocalypse and may never have said those words in his adult life. It’s such an intense and touching moment without romantic undertones that still tugs at the heartstrings. It feels just as deep as if two people were finally declaring romantic love for one another.

Fans Aren’t Shipping Daryl and Carol

A Romantic Relationship Could Ruin What They Already Have

Perhaps one of the most significant indicators of how great a platonic relationship Daryl and Carol have is that fans aren’t necessarily “shipping” them, expressing the desire for two characters in a show to get together romantically. Fans feel it would cheapen the bond between the two if it ever happened, not strengthen it. That’s a rarity for any show.

Yes, both individuals are attractive, strong, and like-minded. They are, for all intents and purposes, a power couple. They are soulmates. But they aren’t a couple. And fans want it to stay that way. In a Reddit discussion about “shipping” these two characters, Redditor raviolioh says, “I really enjoy their friendship and I think it’s really special and unfortunately rare for a show to have these two prominent characters sticking together for a whole series and never making it romantic.” In another discussion, Bemo2K says “what they have is unbreakable and unromantic, and that’s the way it should be.”

There’s never a glimmer in either of the parties’ eyes that they wish there were something more, and there doesn’t need to be. There’s little more to be had beyond romance. They are true best friends who, based on sexuality, could be linked up but never are. And that’s perfectly OK. Daryl and Carol are the epitome of deep, platonic friendship, and fans hope their love continues through the spin-off series. To do anything less would devalue a bond that’s arguably stronger without romance than it ever could be with it. Stream episodes of The Walking Dead on Netflix and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on AMC+.