What Daryl & Carol's Reunion Means for Daryl Dixon Season 3

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2, Episode 4.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 looks destined for a major overhaul after Daryl finally reunites with Melissa McBride's Carol. When news of The Walking DeadThe various spinoff shows first dropped, Daryl and Carol were touted as co-stars on a project later confirmed to take place in France. McBride soon outside, leaving Daryl Dixon as a solo series, before rejoining for a second season that was subsequently dubbed "The Book of Carol." Eventually comes their long-awaited reunion Daryl Dixon Season 2, Episode 4, "La Dame de Fer," as the war between Genet's Pouvoir villain group and Losang's union reaches its climax.

Daryl and Carol are now officially a tandem again, and will continue that way for the foreseeable future, as both Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride have been confirmed as main cast members for Daryl Dixon Season 3. The upcoming season of the walking dead Spinoff is already set for major upheaval due to the planned relocation from France to Spain, but with the Daryl-Carol partnership back together, Daryl Dixon Season 3 begins to take on a different complexion altogether.

Daryl Dixon Season 3 will have a very different premise with Carol & Daryl reunited

Daryl will not be a fish from American waters anymore

The most obvious tonal change in Daryl Dixon Season 3 will have a vastly different cast dynamic. Until now, normal Redus character has cut the figure of a unique outsider, struggling to acclimatize to his new environment and allies. Whether because of the cultural differences, his unfamiliarity with the country, or because Isabelle and Laurent forced him to feel foreign emotions, Daryl is permanently composed outside his comfort zone Since the series began. The addition of Carol, however, flips the situation on its head.

While Daryl and Carol will, technically speaking, still be tourists in Daryl Dixon Season 3's Spanish setting, their familiarity with each other totally changes the premise of the show. With Carol by his side, Daryl will no longer feel like the unique outsider of previous seasons. Rather than Daryl experiencing inner conflict about becoming a father figure to Laurent and falling in love with Isabelle, he will be accompanied by his closest friend. And while Daryl has struggled with the dilemma of whether to return home or stay in France before, traveling with Carol confirms that any doubt has been resolved.

actually, Daryl Dixon Season 3 will feel much more traditional The Walking Dead. As Daryl and Carol wander together through the overgrown wilderness of the zombie apocalypse, the spinoff will feel indistinguishable from the main show until a passer-by starts talking or the Nou Camp is in the background. This transition can already be felt in Daryl and Carol's reunion episode. French accents aside, the entire sequence where Daryl and Carol take refuge in an old couple's home could have been plucked straight from the main show, whereas Daryl Dixon Before felt much more distinct in style and tone.

Daryl & Carol's reunion will sideline supporting characters

Past spinoffs suggest that Daryl Dixon will rely less on supporting characters in Season 3

The shift from Daryl Dixon being the sole main character to Daryl and Carol along with the bill signals another big change for season 3. Previously, Norman Reedus was accompanied by a small handful of supporting characters - mainly Isabelle and Laurent, but Also the likes of Codron, Fallow and Sylvie. The addition of Carol naturally means less room for Daryl Dixons supporting castWhich will lead to another substantial shift.

Daryl Dixon has already made moves to accommodate Carol by killing off Sylvie and Isabelle in season 2. Fallou and Codron are unlikely to play in season 3, leaving Laurent as the only supporting character with a vague hope of staying between Daryl Dixons cast for a long time. Regardless of whether Laurent remains, however, Daryl Dixon Season 3 simply won't have the same space to explore new characters in-depth.

The Walking Dead: Dead City And The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Both focused on a pair of survivors from the main show (Maggie and Negan, and Rick and Michonne, respectively), and were both far more ruthless to supporting characters as a result. Those who live Killed off Okafor, Major General Beal, Thorne, Nat, Jadis - anyone without the last name "Grimes." Dead City Cut to Tommaso, Amaia, and most of their community in Manhattan.

Daryl Dixon Season 1 was more forgiving, as Quinn was the only real casualty among the newcomers. With an extra major star to consider, however, Daryl Dixon Season 3 may fall in line with its sibling shows in terms of not letting viewers get attached to characters that aren't in The Walking Dead.

Season 1 is Daryl's story and Season 2 is Carol's, but Season 3 will be shared

Daryl Dixon Season 3 Will Be More Than "Carol & Dixon"

Audiences can expect the overall focus of Daryl Dixon to change in season 3. Due to Melissa McBride's absence, Daryl Dixon Season 1 is inherently Daryl's story. Season 2, with its "The Book of Carol" subtitle, is more Carol's, even if both characters appear prominently. Daryl Dixon Season 3 will be the first time both characters share the spotlight equally, and it promises a fundamentally different story.

Whereas previous seasons tested Daryl and Carol as individuals, Daryl Dixon Season 3 will likely shift the focus to their bond of friendship. Exploring Spain and achieving their mission to return home will inevitably throw up the usual gauntlet of challenges and obstacles to overcome, and especially if Rick Grimes' brother of The Walking Deads comic series turns up. Daryl and Carol will need to call on their shared trust, loyalty and experience to overcome the odds.

The Walking DeadThe European spinoff could also delve into the fuel that has kept Daryl and Carol's relationship so bright for over 10 years, and perhaps even address the long-standing rumors of a romantic rift between the pair. Finally honoring what AMC initially promised when a spinoff starring Daryl and Carol was announced, the partnership itself will be the driving force of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3, not the two heroes surviving in isolation.