Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead season 11, episode 18
The Walking Dead season 11 is making a reunion between Rick and Daryl seem inevitable for the franchise’s future. While both characters are confirmed to return after The Walking Dead ends, there are no official plans for them to appear in the same show. For now, Rick and Daryl are slated to lead separate Walking Dead spinoffs.
In spite of the different futures planned for the two characters, the two meeting again feels like it’s bound to happen at this point. Building on the previous reveal that Judith and RJ are now in Daryl’s care, The Walking Dead season 11, episode 18, titled “A New Deal”, put significant focus on Daryl’s new role and his struggles as a parent. By continuing to emphasize this idea that Daryl is the most important person in the kids’ lives right now, The Walking Dead is making it all the more likely that Rick and Daryl’s journeys will eventually converge. After all, it’s hard to imagine the franchise wrapping up Rick’s story without him ever meeting RJ or seeing Judith again.
Walking Dead Can’t Easily Separate Daryl & Rick’s Kids Now
Earlier, it was assumed that Daryl would be riding away from Alexandria either alone or with Carol when it was revealed that he would receive his own spinoff series. But because of his new parental responsibilities, Daryl Dixon can’t easily isolate Norman Reedus’ character from Judith and RJ now. Considering that the kids have lost two parents now, it would be uncharacteristic of Daryl for him to abandon them after The Walking Dead season 11’s ending.
Since that’s the case, his upcoming trip to France will have to include them or at least find a good reason for Daryl to part with them temporarily. It could be that certain circumstances will force him to go on a long-distance mission. Alternatively, Daryl could be taken away just like Rick was, thus forcing him to make his way back to Alexandria. Regardless of the path it chooses, The Walking Dead can’t justify a permanent separation between Daryl and Rick’s kids. With that in mind, Daryl should be around whenever the time comes for Rick to find Judith and RJ.
When Can Rick & Daryl Meet In The Walking Dead’s Future?
AMC’s contrasting plans for Rick and Daryl doesn’t create a clear route for the two characters to cross paths, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. It shouldn’t be forgotten that AMC has expressed a commitment to keeping The Walking Dead franchise alive for years to come. If that promise is still intact, there’s certainly room for Rick and Daryl to team up once more, whether it be in the second season of Rick and Michonne’s show, or perhaps an entirely different Walking Dead spinoff series that arrives in 2024 or 2025, presumably after both of their shows have concluded.