This Throwaway Walking Dead Scene Officially Confirms the Franchise Hasn't Learned Its Big Daryl Dixon Lesson Yet

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 was announced before the conclusion of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2, confirming the next installment of the spin-off will air September 7, 2025. Most viewers are preparing for an essential reset of the show, since the previous plot killed off all the villains and most of the characters introduced in the first couple of seasons. Now that Carol and Daryl are in England, encountering new people and likely another antagonistic group, there is no obvious indication that the conflict they left behind in France will have a significant impact on their journey ahead.

The recent release of the trailer for Season 3 has confirmed what most viewers suspected about the installment, giving a glimpse of new characters, deadly battles, and a couple of emotional moments for the long-running main characters. However, this trailer also features a quick clip that hints at a potential romance for one of these iconic Walking Dead characters, once again suggesting they might find love. After the events of Season 2, Daryl Dixon would be making a huge mistake in following through with this kind of sub-plot.

Viewers Noticed This Split-Second Hint in the Season 3 Trailer

Shortly after the conclusion of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2, the Daryl Dixon Season 3 trailer was released, giving viewers a glimpse of the next season's plot. At the end of Season 2, Daryl and Carol journeyed from France to England, going into the unknown with hopes of finding a way to get back home. However, the teaser for this upcoming installment doesn't suggest any foreseeable conclusion that would result in Daryl and Carol returning to the United States, leaving viewers with the impression that their European adventure will not end anytime soon.

In this trailer, the audience can see that Daryl and Carol end up involved with another community of people trying to survive, and another villain who is trying to harm others for selfish or vindictive reasons. This is similar to the last plot, which featured the two long-lost friends reuniting in France and battling the antagonists to protect the innocent Laurent, inevitably sending their remaining allies over the Atlantic back to the Commonwealth. For the first time in the history of Daryl and Carol's friendship, there will be an entire season dedicated to the two of them going on a journey without any of their trusted allies and friends.

Unfortunately, there's one concerning detail in the trailer for Daryl Dixon Season 3 that overshadows the exciting clips of adventure, action, and danger. In a very quick clip, the teaser shows Carol leaning away from a man who has a scar on the side of his face and seemingly has his hand near her face or shoulder. The intimacy of this scene makes viewers think they were sharing a kiss, hinting at a romantic subplot for Carol's upcoming storyline. Though certain romances have entertained and thrilled fans of The Walking Dead, this is the last thing they want to see in Daryl Dixon.

Fans Are Still Offended By the Last Romantic Subplot

Though fans love Carol in this franchise, many believe The Walking Dead is making a huge mistake by focusing so heavily on long-running characters pairing up for a new adventure. In Daryl Dixon Season 1, Daryl ended up on his own, having to make his own friends and rely on new people for the first time in years. However, this worked out in his favor, leading to immense character growth and heartwarming relationships with Laurent and Isabelle. After the weird and unconvincing love affair Daryl had with Leah in The Walking Dead original series, viewers were excited when Daryl and Isabelle began a romantic relationship in Season 2.

Despite this, Isabelle didn't seem to have a place in the plot once Carol showed up in France and the storyline shifted to focusing on the two reunited friends. In Season 2, Episode 4, "Le Paradis Pour Toi," Isabelle succumbed to her stab wound inflicted by Losang, dying shortly after she and Daryl reunited following their desperate attempt to keep Laurent safe. The two, who had just started their budding romance, had a tearful goodbye in which Daryl comforted Isabelle and promised to take care of her nephew.

While this was a memorable moment in the spin-off that definitely gave Daryl more growth, the audience felt cheated to have a Daryl romance dangled in their faces and then snatched away by a tragic and sudden death. Fans wanted to see the titular character finally have a happy ending, but Isabelle was also a popular character, with many viewers claiming she was the best new character since the flagship series ended. Her death, coinciding with Carol and Daryl's reunion, gave the impression that the show's creators intended to get rid of her character to offer the two friends their own journey, which will come to fruition in the upcoming season.

There's No Need to Add Romance to Daryl Dixon

Throughout the episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, viewers were wondering what the overall point of this storyline would be, but they were hopeful that the titular character would evolve past his stagnant characterization from the original series. In the first couple of seasons of Daryl Dixon, he became more compassionate and learned how to interact with others without relying on his long-time allies, which is an exceptionally popular addition to his timeline. Therefore, viewers were concerned that The Book of Carol would take away this growth, restoring Daryl to the person he was before he washed up on the shores of France.

The audience will have to wait and see how Daryl's characterization compares between Season 2 and Season 3, but the previous installment did not give fans a lot of hope. Daryl Dixon went from being the most popular spin-off in the franchise to receiving a good amount of skepticism from viewers. Still, the excitement surrounding Melissa McBride's return to the series inevitably led to the position the show is in now, going in a different direction to center the two friends, presumably without the burden of having to develop and continue new character plotlines.

This feels like a mistake for many viewers who enjoyed the first season of Daryl Dixon, but there is still the potential for Season 3 of the series to impress the audience, subverting their expectations. To do this, the plot needs not to repeat the issues of the previous installment, which was to rapidly conclude the conflict that started in Season 1, to pave a clear path for Daryl and Carol to venture out of France and into England. With the reputation of the show relying on what happens in the upcoming season, there is no need to include another romance in the storyline.

It's Time For the Franchise to Take Risks (But Not Like This)

By the conclusion of Daryl Dixon Season 2, the die-hard audience who were hoping for something fresh and exciting to add to the expansive world of the undead were disappointed, getting the sense that the show was going to devolve into the same repetitive rhythm as others in the franchise. Some viewers who have watched the trailers for Season 3 have even more doubts about the quality of the overall storyline, especially with subtle hints indicating unpopular tropes like romantic subplots. At this point in Daryl Dixon, the audience who haven't already given up on the show are prepared to see how the spin-off can manage a unique plot with arguably the most iconic dynamic duo in the horror universe.

There were a few mistakes made in Daryl Dixon Season 2, but large numbers of fans expressed their outrage over Isabelle dying, believing she didn't need to be written off the show in order to give Carol a place in the plot. Despite the creators having the option to include both of these characters in Season 3, they killed off the newest addition, making a bold and unfortunate decision that upset viewers, especially considering Isabelle was Daryl's new love interest. After this, making the odd choice to give Carol another love interest (following the two she had in the flagship series) would be a fatal choice for the popularity of the spin-off.

Bringing Carol back in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has been a controversial choice, but there is still room for the creators to prove this was a positive decision for the progression of the titular character's plot. Taking risks with this spin-off is a perfect way to rejuvenate the post-apocalyptic franchise, and they can do this in a variety of ways, including exploring variant walkers further, forgoing another antagonist in favor of the overarching undead villains, or even bringing back some other characters from the universe. These risks could be exactly what The Walking Dead franchise needs, but it certainly doesn't need another Carol romantic subplot.