Rick and Daryl’s Relationship Will Have to Break Before It Gets Better in Season 9
The closing moments of The Walking’ Dead’s season 8 finale were definitely tough for fans to watch. It saw Maggie and Daryl deciding to take a stand against Rick and his decision to keep Negan alive, and while Maggie’s resistance didn’t come as too much of a surprise, Daryl’s insertion of himself in the coup was more unsettling for viewers. Well, according to Norman Reedus things are going to have to get worse between the two brothers before they get better.
[row]“There’s definitely a fracture in that bone, but it’s been a slow fracture for a while now. And it’s sort of built up to a tension. The interesting part about that is, that fracture and that bone that’s been slightly breaking for a long time, when it snaps, it actually opens up the doors to heal itself,” he told EW.[/row]
Rick and Daryl’s friendship certainly was challenged through most of season eight as the two often shared different viewpoints on how to handle the Saviors and occasionally acted on them without informing the other. Heading into season nine, Daryl will be in search of his place, but there is one friendship fans can be assured will remain solid.
[row]“His relationship with the group is completely different now. The only person that he has a very similar relationship with is Carol, that’s it, because those two are [tight]. But the relationship between Daryl and Rick, it’s changed,” Reedus said during The Walking Dead’s season nine preview special.[/row]
Season nine will already be an interesting narrative to follow as Andrew Lincoln will be departing the series midway through. So, it will be tough for fans to watch the two have such a strained relationship with only a limited number of episodes together, but Reedus assures that even though Daryl will be speaking his mind more, it’s always with love.
[row]“We’ve seen the Ricktatorship, we’ve seen the Governor, we’ve seen the Negan era, and all this stuff happened. But it’s everybody following one guy and watching him fail. This year his relationship with Daryl is much different because Daryl’s definitely found his voice. He has a mature voice now, which is also a very harsh voice. It’s harsh but it’s full of love at the same time.”[/row]
At San Diego Comic-Con, Reedus echoed that thought while speaking to Variety saying that much like brothers, Rick and Daryl fight, but at the end of the day, they will always be family.
[row]“They fight and they disagree on things, but it’s like two brothers fighting. They always will have each other’s back, but they don’t necessarily agree on everything,” Reedus said.[/row]
All we have to say is that Rick and Daryl can be on the outs in season nine just as long as everything is solid between them come Rick’s final episode.
Having studied Media & Writing at James Madison University, I always knew that I wanted to do some type of creative writing, but being able to write about zombies, Starks, and superheroes on a daily basis for Fan Fest is my actual dream. While I probably shouldn’t be as proud as I am to be so similar to Nick Miller, I do hope to one day write my own “Pepperwood Chronicles’.
