There are a number of people that have been talking about Daryl since his emergence into The Walking Dead TV series and one thing that’s come up throughout the last several seasons has to do with his relationship status, which is kind of hard to tack down since he seems close to some people but doesn’t ever take that final step. There have been rumors that he’s gay and feels awkward about this around others, but the truth is that Daryl is, as Michael Briers of We Got This Covered puts it, is that Daryl just isn’t wired that way. Ever since he appeared on the show he’s been the kind of brusque, standoff-ish kind of individual that doesn’t always get along with everyone, though eventually he did learn how to live in the same proximity as the survivors. The fact that he was so angry at Rick for leaving his brother Merle on a rooftop with walkers ready to tear him apart didn’t really do much to foster any trust between him and the others, but still, he did eventually come to understand the value of friendship and having allies.
With Carol though there’s a different bond, almost akin to a type of mother figure that it’s been explained Daryl never had in his life since his father was an abusive alcoholic and his brother Merle was in and out of jail since he was a young man. Needless to say, Daryl didn’t have the best life since he was likely beaten and possibly worse as he was growing up. The angel wings on his vest actually came into the conversation a couple of times in the earlier episodes and talking about his past proved to be kind of a tough thing for him. In a big way Daryl’s upbringing turned him into the person he would eventually become, but the constant exposure to those that were willing to die and lay their lives on the line for each other turned him into the man that fans know now. It was when he started opening up to people and letting them in that things really started to change since he came to understand the value of having someone there that wasn’t going to be so hard on him, as Merle was, and would open up to him in turn. Obviously he was pretty resistant to start out, he wasn’t the easiest person to get along with since he was more feral than any of the others, but he did turn around eventually and even came to be a very caring and nurturing individual in his own way since he even became close to Judith, Rick’s daughter, by giving her the nickname ‘ass-kicker’.
That seems to be the extent of Daryl’s ability to get close to people though since he does have strong bonds with a few people in the group but is friendly towards others and doesn’t go much further. It does seem as though his relationship status is destined to stay as it is since quite honestly he doesn’t let a lot of people in without a struggle and he seems more comfortable this way. Some of us can relate since letting too many people in all at once and letting down our walls gives the feeling of vulnerability that we can’t stand. Daryl does seem like one of those folks that can’t stand to be vulnerable, and it makes sense given his past and his less than stellar childhood. But as far as relationships go it stands to reason that Carol is the person he feels the deepest for, but again this relationship is far different than a lot of people might think about when they use such a word. He cares for her deeply and he is very protective of her, but there are times when it’s a bit obvious that she vexes him in ways that he can’t always cope with so easily. That’s a real relationship, as it forces a person to take the bad with the good or simply walk away. Perhaps the only other relationship he’s fostered, besides the dysfunctional one with his brother that ended in heartache, was with Beth, who got the core of who Daryl was more than just about anyone since she managed to get deeper into his head than a lot of people had at that point. When Beth died the anguish on Daryl’s face was plain, and the meaning behind was hard to miss.
Daryl has relationships, but thinking that he’s going to go that deep with someone and become connected to anyone in that fashion seems like a wish that some fans might not see realized largely because he’s just not that kind of person and keeps himself locked away most times. There are only a few people that can open him up, and only when he wants to.
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