Daryl Dixon hasn’t been lucky in love on The Walking Dead, but season 11 suddenly creates a love triangle for Norman Reedus’ zombie apocalypse stalwart. Introduced in The Walking Dead‘s very first season, Daryl Dixon began as a surly and aggressive survive-at-all-costs loner, but has gradually transformed into a loyal and selfless survive-at-all-costs loner. Rarely one to wear his heart on his non-existent sleeve, Daryl’s romantic The Walking Dead history reads like a catalog of missed opportunities. A possible tryst with Carol amounted to nothing more than a strong friendship, and a teased romance with Beth ended before it began (wisely, considering their age difference).
Daryl’s fortunes finally improved in The Walking Dead‘s post-Rick time skip. As revealed in season 10’s bonus episodes, Daryl searched the riverside relentlessly for his missing brother, where he encountered Leah alone in a cabin. After months of periodic flirting, Daryl and Leah finally got together, but by the time his obsession with finding Rick finally faded, her forest cabin was abandoned.
Leah recently returned in The Walking Dead season 11 as a member of the villainous Reapers, inspiring Daryl to infiltrate their group with hopes of pulling her away. He admits as much in latest episode “On The Inside,” telling Leah he joined for her, not Pope or the other Reapers. Leah’s reappearance marked a love lifeline for Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead – a final season shot at happiness after years of solitude. And then Connie returned. Actress Lauren Ridloff took a break from bashing zombie skulls to join the MCU’s Eternals, but makes her long-awaited return in “On The Inside.” Before her disappearance, Connie and Daryl were beginning to spark, making eyes at each other across piles of rotting corpses. Daryl now faces a choice – continue exploring his feelings for Connie, or keep fighting for Leah.
Most TV love triangles occur because at least one party acts less-than-honorably. Like how Shane started sharing tents with his best friend’s wife, then got mad when Rick shockingly returned. Daryl’s situation, however, is purely coincidental. Daryl met Leah during The Walking Dead‘s time skip and was left with no reason to think she’d ever resurface. When the chemistry began bubbling between he and Connie, Leah was just a distant memory. Similarly, Daryl has no clue that Connie survived Alpha’s cave, so picks up his feelings for Leah with a clear conscience. It’ll be fascinating to see his reaction upon returning to Alexandria and realizing the 2 love interests he thought were lost forever have both returned… at the same time.
A love triangle is a great way of developing Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. As much as he’s softened over the years, Daryl is still an introvert, deeply uncomfortable about opening up emotionally. He’s also hesitant to enter a romantic relationship for fear of making himself vulnerable – hence the baby steps taken with Leah and Connie, while other characters chalk up relationships faster than zombie kills. Putting Daryl in a situation where two potential romantic partners have a place in his heart forces Norman Reedus’ The Walking Dead character to do some rapid emotional maturing.
Of course, the most important question is which direction Daryl will choose after eventually learning about Connie’s survival in The Walking Dead season 11. Though Daryl obviously shares a close attachment to Leah, it’s Connie he should (and most likely will) embark on a relationship with. Daryl thinks he can “save” Leah from the Reapers, but he’s ignoring how Leah makes her own decisions as Pope’s favorite soldier. As far as we know, Leah is a Reaper because she wants to be. She’s not like Alden or Lydia who were coerced into obedience by Negan and Alpha, respectively. More importantly, Leah made Daryl choose between finding Rick and staying at her cabin. Had Connie been in Leah’s position, she likely would’ve joined Daryl on his riverside hunting sessions, proving how much better suited they are as a couple compared to Daryl’s Reaper romance.
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