Fans already know that Carol will survive through to the end of The Walking Dead since there is already a confirmed spin-off series starring her and the character of Daryl. But there is a lot that is still up in the air in terms of where she will be and what state of mind she will be in by the end.
Carol has had a sordid journey through the series, losing a lot of the people she loves, including many children, starting with her biological daughter Sophia. She has been ostracized, banished, and went through a variety of personal crises. Thus, before her current story wraps up and a continuation begins, a few things need to be resolved.
Repair Her Friendship With Daryl
Carol has had a fractured relationship with Daryl since the incident in the caves where her decisions almost led to Connie being killed. The two seemed to have mended fences since, but there's still something missing that used to be there – a sense of their close kinship. Carol was easily one of Daryl's best friends on The Walking Dead, and might very well still be if they can remove the awkwardness between them.
The nature of their relationship on the spin-off series is yet to be determined but fans hope they are friends and not foes. What's more, Carol needs to restore the level of closeness they once had, even if it remains on a platonic level.
Closure With Ezekiel
Carol and Ezekiel had a special bond, with a clear attraction between them from the moment they met. Ezekiel pursued Carol and they ended up getting married and living together raising Henry.
However, the relationship ran its course when it was clear they wanted to follow different paths. While they remained friends, there was always something lingering between the two. When Carol went out of her way to have Ezekiel moved up on the surgery list in the Commonwealth, it was clear she still cared deeply for him, even if it was only as a friend. With the possibility of Ezekiel dying before the season is over, fans hope Carol gets some closure with him that sees them both content with where they left things.
Make Things Up To Connie
Carol already apologized to Connie for her decision in the caves that almost led to her death and caused the group to separate and lose a few of its members. Connie seemed to have forgiven Carol as well.
Still, Carol has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and saving the group and its members from almost certain death, like when she showed up at Terminus. Fans hope to see a Carol as savior moment like that again that fully redeems her in Connie's eyes.
Forgive Herself For The Loss Of The Kids
Carol has gone through tremendous loss, just as everyone else on the show has. But she has taken it very hard, particularly and understandably with the loss of so many children she had grown close to. From the death of her daughter Sophia to Lizzie killing her sister Mika and Carol having no choice but to kill Lizzie – which was one of the best decisions Carol from The Walking Dead made - then finding Harry's decapitated and reanimated head on a post at the hands of Alpha was a lot to take in.
There were glimpses of how much it was getting to Carol when she was not sleeping and starting to hallucinate and see the children. It's unclear if she has truly yet processed all the loss and fans want to see her not only come to terms with it, but realize she isn't to blame.
Take Down Hornsby
Carol acts as a dutiful subject to Hornsby, but as fans know, she has a knack for playing a role. She may very well already be on to him but is playing her cards right to get in his good graces so she can strike when the time comes.
With Hornsby a clear antagonist of the final season, he poses a threat to not only the entire group but also the Commonwealth. Carol needs to resolve her relationship with Hornsby, using him to get what she wants while making sure he never figures out that she is several steps ahead of him.
Save A Child
Given how much loss Carol has suffered, particularly with children on The Walking Dead, fans want to see a scene where Carol directly saves a child. This would help redeem her, most importantly, in her own eyes.
Carol has always been a motherly type, even if she is no longer the cardigan-wearing, cooking-baking homemaker kind. Giving her a moment to directly protect a child or save them from harm may be just the thing she needs to resolve her insecurities and feelings of guilt.
Discover Rick Is Alive
Michonne already has an idea that Rick might be alive, and Daryl had hoped he was for a long time. But Carol has seemed to have long let Rick go. Given that they were two of the original cast members, and remain two of only five characters from Walking Dead's first season who are still alive, it would be wonderful to see Carol figure out that Rick isn't gone.
This could be a precursor for the spin-off series, which might have some crossovers with the movies. Or it could simply mark a happier ending for Carol knowing that Rick is alive and safe even if she never gets to reunite with him.
Correct Wrongs In The Commonwealth
There are a lot of wrongs in the Commonwealth, one of the most successful communities on The Walking Dead, as evidenced by the group secretly forming a revolution of sorts. Carol has never been a leader, per se, but she has always been the one to sit back, watch what's going on, and quietly make moves to do something about it.
Fans hope Carol has a part in resolving the big conflict in The Commonwealth, potentially weeding out the bad people and making adjustments that create a society where everyone has a job and a place but no one feels as though they are less than anyone else.