Thankfully, Carol’s long-awaited Walking Dead reunion with Daryl meant she achieved her main goal, but it did come at a price. During her journey to Europe, she had to tell several lies, one of which brought up some seemingly buried trauma. Having suffered a major loss back in season 2, Carol managed to move on and become one of the franchise’s most important characters, but she never fully addressed this heartbreaking death. Thirteen years later, Daryl Dixon has forced her to face her past, which has finally brought some sort of closure to this decade-old storyline.

Carol Telling Ash Why She Lied Proves The Walking Dead Never Properly Resolved Sophia’s Death

The Walking Dead Revisiting Sophia’s Death Is A Sign That The Storyline Needed Closure

Sophia’s death is easily one of The Walking Dead‘s most haunting moments, as it really set the tone for how brutal the show was going to be, but Carol never truly confronted her feelings about losing her daughter. Watching the young girl emerge from Hershel’s barn as a zombie was devastating for the whole group, but it undoubtedly affected Carol more than anyone. Losing her child in such brutal circumstances naturally caused her to break down in tears, but the show didn’t spend much time focusing on how it impacted Carol until 13 years later in Daryl’s spinoff show.

While her lie does achieve the intended objective, it also acts as a brutal reminder for Carol that she wasn’t able to save her daughter, which continues to weigh on her mind throughout season 2.

After meeting a pilot named Ash and learning about his son’s death, Carol lies about Sophia’s fate and claims she is still out there in an attempt to get a ride to France. Despite Ash initially rejecting Carol’s request, he soon changes his mind, knowing he’d do the same as Carol if there was a chance his son was still out there. While her lie does achieve the intended objective, it also acts as a brutal reminder for Carol that she wasn’t able to save her daughter, which continues to weigh on her mind throughout season 2.

The Walking Dead’s Carol Made The Same Dark Choice 2 Times In Just 3 Episodes

Since Carol became a main character in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2, she has made the same questionable choice twice in only 3 episodes.

With the franchise opting to revisit this story over a decade later, it’s clear there was still unfulfilled potential regarding the Sophia storyline. Season 2 had plenty of other dramatic narratives going on that meant the lack of resolution felt unnoticeable, but with the spinoff series finally making Carol admit the truth to Ash, The Walking Dead seems to be quietly admitting it never fully concluded the story while giving Sophia’s death the closure it deserves.

Why Sophia’s Death Is Only Returning To Haunt Carol In Daryl Dixon Season 2

Carol’s Had A Number Of Distractions That Prevented Her From Properly Grieving Her Daughter

While it’s understandable that Carol lying about her daughter would be a reminder of Sophia’s death, it remains unclear why this didn’t haunt her sooner. Considering Henry became the adopted son of Carol and Ezekiel and also died at a young age, it seemed like this would be more than enough to trigger an emotional response that brought back memories of Sophia. However, given Henry’s death happened during the middle of the Whisperer War, Carol didn’t really give herself time to properly grieve him and focused more on fighting her enemies, hence these old memories staying buried.

Additionally, Carol being a part of communities like Alexandria, the Kingdom, and the Commonwealth probably helped her feel a sense of stability. Although Carol’s “who came back” line in Daryl Dixon was about feeling unsettled, she has only spent short periods on her own throughout the franchise, meaning she has often had something to distract her. Having people like Ezekiel, Henry, and Daryl to give her a sense of family meant Carol hadn’t been isolated with her past trauma until Daryl Dixon season 2, showing why Sophia’s death has only now come back to haunt her.

Carol’s Regret Over Sophia Connects Directly To Daryl’s Relationship With Laurent

Daryl’s Desperation To Protect Laurent Feels Like The Protagonist’s Attempt To Avoid Repeating History

Daryl and Laurent have developed a father-son relationship throughout the spinoff, and it feels like their dynamic shares a direct link with Carol and Sophia. Originally, Daryl only wanted to help Laurent get to the Nest in exchange for a way home, but as the story progressed, he developed a more authentic connection with the child. Although he has never outright referred to Laurent as his son, Daryl has protected the boy with his life and was willing to sacrifice himself on numerous occasions to keep Laurent safe, indicating that the protagonist has essentially developed parental instincts.