| This article is about the TV Series character. You may be looking for her Comic Series or Assault counterparts, or the actress. |
| “ | Me and Sophia stayed at that shelter for a day and a half before I went running back to Ed. I went home, I got beat up, life went on, and I just kept praying for something to happen. But I didn't do anything. Not a damn thing. Who I was with him... she got burned away. And I was happy about that. I mean, not happy, but... And at the prison I got to be who I always thought I should be, thought I should've been. And then she got burned away. Everything now just... consumes you.
―Carol to Daryl.[src]
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Carol Peletier is a main character and survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. During the initial outbreak, she evacuated with her abusive husband, Ed, and her daughter, Sophia, to Atlanta. They eventually joined a camp of survivors. During her daughter's disappearance, Carol forms a long-term close bond with fellow survivor, Daryl Dixon. After discovering that her daughter was bitten and reanimated, Carol, now the last surviving member of her family, gradually builds inner strength, becoming increasingly proficient with weapons and also gains medical experience through Hershel Greene's assistance. She later becomes the parental guardian of Lizzie and Mika Samuels after the death of their father, albeit briefly. Carol is currently the only known remaining female survivor of the original Atlanta group.
Overview
Characterization
At the outset of the series, Carol is compassionate and soft-spoken, though often meek and defenseless, particularly when it comes to facing her abusive husband, Ed Peletier. She remains fiercely protective over her daughter Sophia, attempting to shield her from the various dangers of their surroundings. After Ed is beaten half to death, Carol rebels against her husband's wishes for Sophia to spend time with him, and begins to participate in group activities alone with their daughter. In Ed's loss, Carol slowly begins to empower herself. After Sophia's death, she begins to stand up for herself, and gains more independence, while strengthening her bonds with the group.
Carol later takes on a pro-active and pragmatic stance, particularly in the fourth season when she is forced to mercifully kill two sick members of the group in order to protect her loved ones. Rick deems Carol's actions morally questionable, and exiles her. Later, Carol confesses to Tyreese, the boyfriend of Karen, one of the members she killed, that she is responsible for the deaths. After Lizzie's psychotic tendencies escalate to the extent of killing her younger sister, Mika, Carol is forced to kill her to protect her group (which include Tyreese and Rick's infant daughter, Judith) as well as herself. The difficult choices made to stay alive leave her emotionally wounded as a result. In the fifth season, her resourcefulness is exemplified when she blows up the cannibal death compound, Terminus where the other survivors are held captive, thus regaining the respect and praise of Rick. Despite her initial hesitation to rejoin the newly established group full time, she eventually welcomes to the idea, and is seen as leader during the group's separation on their journey to Virginia.
She is shown to be a devout Christian, having constantly prayed for the well-being of herself and Sophia. She fervently holds onto her beliefs even after Sophia's death, insisting that her daughter is in heaven. However, Carol is shown to be agnostic from the fifth season, remaining unsure if she believes in God or Heaven.
As opposed to her comic series counterpart, Carol in the TV series becomes stronger and more independent as the first season moves along. The inclusion of Ed as her husband, according to Robert Kirkman in The Walking Dead Chronicles, was to give her a solid foil to produce the strength needed to survive that the comic counterpart didn't have.
Pre-Apocalypse
Southern United States
Before the outbreak, Carol lived down south where she eventually met a man namedEd Peletier. He was initially charming enough for her to date and eventually marry. However, his true nature would be revealed the longer they stayed together. She was a housewife, and fiercely looked after their daughter, Sophia, nurturing and providing her with comfort while Ed greatly neglected her (much to Carol's disgust).
Throughout their marriage, she was a victim of verbal and physical domestic abuse. Because of her shattered independence, she remained hesitant to inform any outsiders of the situation. During a conversation with Rick in the Season 4 episode "Indifference", Carol mentions that Ed drank often, and that she'd gotten her shoulder dislocated several times due to Ed's abuse. She learned how to reset it via the internet, being too embarrassed to keep going back to the hospital to make the excuse that she'd fallen down the stairs.
She once took Sophia to a shelter in Atlanta to get away from Ed but after a day and a half went back to him.
During the outbreak, she, Sophia, and Ed traveled toward Atlanta which was supposedly a safe-zone. They would later meet Shane, Lori, and Carl while on the road and eventually form a campsite outside the outskirts of Atlanta with other survivors sometime after the city was destroyed by the military.
Post-Apocalypse
Season 1
"Tell It to the Frogs"
Carol, together with Sophia and Ed, is first seen watching Rick and the others coming out from the truck from their mission at Atlanta. At night, when the survivors are resting around dimly lit campfires, Ed attempts to make his fire bigger, stating that its cold. Shane asks him to put it out, stating that the light and smoke may attract any walkers lurking around. Ed finally gives in and orders Carol to dim the fire to embers. The next morning, Carol is cleaning Rick Grimes' clothes for him, stating that it's the best she can do, especially without a real washing machine, and Rick thanks her. Later, Carol is doing laundry at the quarry with Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui, joking around about what they miss. When Andrea says she misses her vibrator, Carol looks at her husband then back at the women and whispers "me too," prompting laughter to explode from the women. The laughter draws Ed over, who orders them to stop and do the laundry. Andrea, fed up by Ed's attitude, says that if Ed doesn't like the way laundry's done, he can do it, tossing his clothes at him. Ed throws it back at Andrea roughly, starting up an argument. Ed demands for Carol to come with him. Jacqui then makes a remark to Ed, proving that she and everyone else know Ed abuses her in private. Carol is then submissive to Ed, but Andrea tells Carol she doesn't have to go. Carol then begins to resist, to which Ed responds with a slap to her face, drawing blood from her lip. Andrea and Jacqui, both upset, push Ed away, as Amy holds Carol in her arms. Shane, who was observing the situation from a distance, is enraged with what he has just witnessed. He approaches Ed and beats him senseless, threatening him to not ever lay a violent hand on his wife or daughter or he'll beat him to death. Carol is upset from the beating and tends to her husband, weeping and apologizing.
"Vatos"
Carol is seen sewing some clothes while Andrea and Amy return with the fish. She is then present for the confrontation with Jim, standing with Sophia and Carl, with her arms around them. She remains shy and hesitant to speak when Jim resorts to openly expressing how Shane shouldn't have interfered with her and Ed's personal issues, stating that it was their marriage and thus their own business to sort out with each other. Carol and Sophia later give Ed some water in the family tent, and Carol invites Ed to come outside with everyone. He rejects her invitation and tries to force his daughter to stay and keep him company. Carol, visibly concerned about Sophia and managing to finally stand her ground, says "Ed, she wants to join in." and brings the girl outside. Carol eats fish at night with the rest of the survivors and is intrigued by the conversation about Dale's watch. Moments later, when zombies descend upon their camp, she grabs Sophia, shields her, and flees to the RV with some of the other survivors as the zombies invade the camp, killing Ed, Amy, and others.
"Wildfire"
The next morning, Carol takes care of Sophia while the men dispose of the zombie corpses and tries her best to reassure her about their current situation they were in. As Daryl goes through each zombie with a pickaxe, she stops him when he gets to her dead husband. She proceeds to stab her husband multiple times, initially in a hesitant but then furious manner, venting out the anger that she had kept inside of her for many years. She later attends the funeral for her husband, Amy, and the other fallen survivors. While the others figure out what to do next, she takes care of a bitten Jim in the RV and notices his deteriorating physical health. Before departing the base camp, Morales and Miranda break the news that they are not going with them, but instead to Birmingham to find their extended family. She shares a goodbye hug with Miranda and Morales before they leave. Carol, Sophia, and the remaining survivors reach the Center for Disease Control and are about to flee as zombies begin to approach their location, but the doors suddenly open, drowning all of them in light.
"TS-19"
The group is admitted into the CDC by Edwin Jenner after going through a blood test to ensure none of them are infected. She is introduced to the luxuries the facility has to offer, including hot water and real beds. She is able to live in a comfortable room with Sophia and notes the wonderful feeling of sleeping in a real bed for the first time in months. She enjoys dinner and wine with everyone and learns about TS-19 and Dr. Jenner's work, and the fall of the CDC's infrastructure. After Dr. Jenner reveals the purpose of the countdown timer and shuts the control room's door, she is hysterical and pleads with Edwin to let them go, explaining how inhumane it is for him to be keeping them locked inside there and that Sophia deserves a better death than this. As the survivors finally get Edwin to open the door for their escape, they all reach the lobby to find the doors permanently locked and the windows bulletproof. Just as all hope diminishes, she approaches Rick and takes a grenade out of her purse, telling him that she found it in his uniform the day he arrived at camp and she washed the clothes. Rick uses the grenade to break the glass, successfully escaping the CDC. She reaches the RV just in time and she drives off with the group away from the complex as the ruins burn in flames.
Season 2
"What Lies Ahead"
Dale's RV breaks down on the way to Fort Benning, forcing the survivors to stop in the middle of the road. While searching other cars on the roadside, a herd of Walkers catches the group by surprise. Sophia is chased into the woods, and Rick and the others head out to look for her. They find an abandoned church, where Carol stops to pray for her daughter's safety.
"Bloodletting"
As they continue to look for Sophia, the group is found by Maggie Greene, who turns up like some avenging Valkyrie on horseback to retrieve Lori. Maggie takes Lori away, and gives the others the location of the Greene Family Farm, telling them to find their way there. They make it back to the highway, but Carol doesn't want to go to the farm without Sophia. Dale, Andrea, and Daryl decide to stay with Carol and see if Sophia comes back, while Glenn, and T-Dog head to the farm to seek aide for T-Dog's infection.
"Save the Last One"
Carol stayed behind at Dale's RV, hoping to find Sophia. Upon hearing her crying in the middle of the night, Daryl and Andrea go back out into the forest to search for Sophia, but return without her. The next day, they leave a sign and food for Sophia at the highway, and Carol goes with the remainder of the group to look for Hershel's farm.
"Cherokee Rose"
After leaving some food on the highway for Sophia, Carol and the others head to Hershel's Farm. She is then seen setting up tents with the other survivors and cleaning the RV, in the hopes that it will look good when Sophia returns. Daryl then gives her a Cherokee rose, said to hold good luck, to help them find Sophia.
"Chupacabra"
In The start of the episode it flashes back and shows them on the highway when Carl asks for food Carol goes to get some but Ed pushes the door shut and says he only has enough for the two of them, he then yells at Carol. She takes some food and hides it in her purse then she gives it to Carl. Carol is seen doing laundry with Lori and suggests that it would be nice to cook in a real kitchen again and offers the idea to cook for Hershel and his family that night, in the meantime Lori and Carol are welcome in to Hershel's house and cook dinner with the help of Patricia and Beth. Towards the end of the episode Carol brings dinner to an injured Daryl and gives him a kiss on the head, stating that he has done more for Sophia than her own father did in his whole life.
"Secrets"
Carol doesn't participate in the shooting practice. Instead she is seen standing behind Patricia looking out into the forest. Later, when Shane and Andrea come back from their search for Sophia, Carol helps Andrea clean off.
"Pretty Much Dead Already"
Carol is first seen cooking a meal for the rest of the group, when Glenn tells them the barn is full of walkers, she joins the group when they check it. After that, she tries to stop Daryl to go out looking for her daughter, Sophia, because he was still healing. He throws the saddle to the floor and walks away. Some time after that, they both are seen walking along a river, where he finds another Cherokee Rose. He says they will find Sophia, and Carol answers that it is right and she can feel it. Later, Shane breaks open Hershel's barns doors and a swarm of zombies pour out. After the group kills them all in self-defense, a labored breathing can be heard and one last walker comes out of the clearing cloud of dust, Sophia. Carol is beyond devastated and runs toward her, but Daryl stops her. Rick walks up from the back of the group and shoots Sophia in the head.
"Nebraska"
Carol refuses to attend Sophia's funeral, which angers Daryl. Back at the barn Shane is washing up at a water pump when Carol emerges from the forest, muddy and scratched. Shane cleans her cuts and apologizes for what happened to Sophia and that if he knew she was in the barn he wouldn't have opened it, but he was only trying to ensure the safety of his fellow survivors.
"Triggerfinger"
Back at Hershel's farm Daryl tells Carol that Lori had ask him to find Hershel, but he had refused. He speculates that Lori went on her own to town. Carol starts to leave, but turns around and asks Daryl not to pull away like this. He doesn't respond. Later that night, Carol goes back to check on Daryl, finding many dead squirrels and severed walker ears hanging on a clothes line. Daryl catches her and confronts her about coming to look for him again. This explodes into a full-on rant on Daryl's side when Carol quietly tells him to "Go ahead." Carol lets Daryl vent his frustration on her, while still not backing down herself by holding her ground. Daryl reaches his boiling point and screams that Sophia wasn't his daughter and blames Carol for not keeping an eye on her. He moves forward in an aggressive way, and Carol instinctively flinches away. Daryl pulls away, realizing what he had done, and stares at Carol without saying a word. The next day, Daryl finally returns to the folds of the group by entering the house during a group discussion and gives Carol a smile, which she returns.
"Judge, Jury, Executioner"
Carl is kneeling by Sophia's grave when Carol approaches. She reassures him that they'll see Sophia in heaven, one day. Carl snaps back that heaven is just a lie, "And if you believe it, you're an idiot". Carol approaches Lori and Rick saying that they need to control Carl for being disrespectful towards her. Lori unknowingly tells Carol to calm down and Carol takes it personally, telling Lori that she just lost her daughter days ago and that she hadn't lost her mind. During the group meeting, Carol says she wants the fighting to stop and for them to just make a decision about Randall. Dale retorts back saying "Not saying anything or killing him yourself... there's no difference." Carol is seen with the other survivors gathering around Dale as he is about to be shot by Daryl to prevent reanimation.
"Better Angels"
Carol is seen with the group when they are preparing to move into Hershel's home and is also seen when Rick and the group investigate the barn after Randall is missing. Rick states that the handcuffs are still locked and that he could have slipped the handcuffs, then Carol asks if it was possible and Rick answers with a yes.
"Beside the Dying Fire"
When the herd of walkers advance on the farm, Lori is horrified to discover that Carl is missing. Carol reassured her that they won't leave without him and that she will help look for Carl. When they are unable to find him, Carol assumes that he sneaked out and went looking for Rick or Randall. When Lori wants to go looking in the woods for Carl, Carol convinces her that they need to leave the farm, as it has become overrun. Lori reluctantly agrees and tells Carol to get Beth and Patricia. She does so and the four women run from the house. Carol runs ahead of the other women in the confusion and gets separated. As Carol runs she is cornered against the shed by a couple of walkers. Andrea then comes to her rescue, but Carol soon loses track of Andrea. As the rest of the survivors flee the farm, Carol gets left behind and is chased by walkers. Daryl Dixon hears Carol's screams and comes to her rescue, picking her up on his motorcycle, narrowly avoiding a group of walkers in the process.
In the morning, Daryl and Carol are riding away from the overrun farm, dodging walkers along the dirt road as they go. They eventually meet up with the rest of the survivors on the highway. Carol is happy to discover that Carl is still alive and is reunited with his mother. Carol shows concern for Andrea when she does not show up with the others.
When the group stops on the side of the road, Carol shows concern for the groups well-being when they decide to stay the night. She becomes angry at Rick when he reveals that everyone is infected, and he never told anybody. Later that night, she expresses her concerns to Daryl, telling him that she feels unsafe with Rick. Carol tells him that he deserves better than to be Rick's henchman. When Daryl asks her what she wants she responds with "a man of honor". When the group hears a noise in the woods, Carol says that they should go and tells Rick to "do something" to which he responds harshly.
Season 3
"Seed"
Seven to eight months following the events of the preceding season, Carol has gone through a significant transformation. She is shown to be increasingly proficient with weapons and is taking a more active role within the group, such as when it comes to securing the prison. In addition, her self-confidence has grown and she seems to have moved on from mourning her daughter. The relationship between her and Daryl has also become closer and more personal, with the two of them casually joking around and assisting each other with various things. There is also the hint that she might be harboring romantic feelings for him now. Her trust in Rick has been regained, to the point where she believes within the past few months, Rick has done more to keep the group alive than Shane ever did.
She and Lori have strengthened their bond as well, with Carol helping her through her pregnancy and providing her with reassurance. The two now share a cell together since settling into the prison.
"Sick"
Carol is mostly seen in this episode helping the other survivors take care of Hershel as he had given her some medical advice prior to being bitten. Carol asks Glenn for a favor which involved helping her kill a female walker so she can practice performing a C-Section as she may have to be the one to deliver Lori's baby due to Hershel's current condition and because of Carl being born that way. Carol is seen about to cut into the stomach as she is being watched from afar by Andrew, who was believed to be deceased.
"Killer Within"
Walkers invade the prison, separating the group. Carol and T-Dog were one of the groups that were separated from the others. While locking up one of the gates to ensure no more Walkers got into their safe haven, T-Dog was bitten on the shoulder from behind by a quickly advancing Walker. He insisted on getting Carol somewhere safe inside of the prison and refused to sit down and wait for his time to run out. Once they got to the end of a hall, two Walkers blocked their escape and they had no where else to go. T-Dog heroically charged the two zombies, holding them back and sacrificing his life to allow Carol to escape. Daryl and Rick find her headscarf and revolver left behind next to T-Dog's devoured body and assume she was killed, but do not find evidence to confirm this.
"Hounded"
Finding Carol's knife jabbed in the throat of a walker, Daryl breaks down in worry for Carol's current position and condition. He begins stabbing the ground with her knife, but is distracted by a rocking door. He angrily pulls it open assuming it to be a walker, but finds Carol, starved and dehydrated, inside. Daryl picks her up and carries her back to the group.
"When the Dead Come Knocking"
Daryl takes Carol back to the safety of her cell to recover. He presumably gets her some water and calls Rick, who was questioning the recently arrived Michonne, over.
Having previously believed Carol to be dead, Rick is overcome with stunned relief upon seeing her. They share a friendly, emotional hug, along with some of the other survivors. When Carol sees the baby, she is overjoyed, but, when she notices that Lori is not there, she realizes that Lori had died in the birth and is devastated. She grasps Rick, breaks down, and apologizes, blaming herself for not being there to help with the birth. They both console each other. Later on, Carol is seen holding baby Judith while bidding Daryl farewell as he leaves for Woodbury.
"Made to Suffer"
Carol observes Axel complimenting Beth on caring well for Judith (Rick and Lori's baby) and asking for her age, and she takes it as Axel making a move on her. She pulls him aside and orders him to leave Beth alone and not make any advances on her (as she is seventeen years old and he is a full-grown adult). Axel offers as a rebuttal that there are few women around who can satisfy him, because Maggie is in a relationship with Glenn, and he assumes Carol to be a lesbian due to her short hairstyle (a stereotype often attributed to lesbian women). When she informs him that she isn't, he dubs their conversation "interesting," to which Carol replies, "no it's not," and walks away.
Later, when Beth questions Hershel about Carol and Axel's location, when she hears voices in the prison, Hershel replies that it couldn't have been them, as they were together in the guard tower keeping watch.
"The Suicide King"
Carol begins talking with Carl about Lori while they wait for Rick and the others to come back from their trip to Woodbury. When they eventually come back, Carol frantically looks in the car and becomes worried when she can't find Daryl. She questions Daryl's whereabouts and Rick tells her that Daryl is still alive, but he left the group so that he could be with Merle again. Carol is shocked and in a state of disbelief, asking Rick many times if Daryl is actually gone and how he could possibly leave the group. Later, when she is preparing a crib made out of a cardboard box for Judith to sleep in, Beth walks up to her and begins talking to her about Daryl's departure from the group and also about Judith. Carol tells Beth that Sophia, her daughter, used to wake the neighbors and how Ed, her now deceased husband, used to sleep at a friends house. Carol also tells Beth how men like Ed, as well as Merle, get into people's heads and make them feel like they deserve the pain and abuse they give them. Beth mentions how angry she is at Daryl for leaving the group for Merle but Carol says not to be because Daryl has codes and that they need more men like that in this world. She seems to be at ease with Daryl leaving, despite initially being crestfallen at Daryl for leaving.
"Home"
Carol and Axel are seen erecting barriers around The Prison in preparation for an impending attack from The Governor and Woodbury. During this time, Carol and Axel begin to bond, as Axel informs her of how he ended up in prison for "armed robbery" due to a misunderstanding. Because of their time together, Axel now sees Carol as a friend and approaches her again later on in the episode. While Carol is talking with Axel outside, he is shot and killed by The Governor, starting a battle between The Prison group and The Governor's group. Carol then quickly ducks down and uses Axel's body as a shield in order to protect herself from the crossfire. Maggie quickly rushes outside and provides Carol, Beth, and Carl with weapons that they then use to defend themselves.
"I Ain't a Judas"
In the episode, Carol walks into Daryl's cell and talks with him about Merle. Carol tells him how she's glad he came back for them and that she thinks Merle isn't good company for Daryl and that he's only bringing him down. She tells Daryl to look how far he's come without Merle in his life and that he's a better man without Merle. Later, when Andrea arrives at the prison, as soon as she sees Carol, they embrace each other and Carol tells that how, once Andrea saved her, they thought a walker killed Andrea back at the farm, in "Beside the Dying Fire". Later on, Andrea comes up to Carol so she can see Lori's baby, "Little Ass Kicker". Carol tells Andrea that the baby's real name is Judith and Daryl gave her nickname Little Ass Kicker. As she is talking with Andrea and catching up, Carol suggests to Andrea that she end the whole Prison-Woodbury conflict and that night, Andrea should sleep with The Governor, gives him the best night of his life, then, while his guard is down, kill him in order to end it. Carol influences Andrea enough so that she thinks about it, and when she's back in Woodbury, she sleeps with The Governor, then afterward, as The Governor is asleep, she walks up to The Governor with a knife and is going to kill him, but she realizes can't do it, so she puts her knife down and walks away.
"Arrow on the Doorpost"
Carol only appears very briefly in this episode. Carol is first seen when she begins to open the gates for Rick and the others, who are returning from their meeting with The Governor. She is not seen inside until Rick gathers them, which implies that she was outside, keeping watch, while Merle and Glenn were fighting inside. When Rick gathers everyone, Carol is seen listening carefully to what Rick has to say, and when Hershel walks outside to talk with Rick, he mentions that he and Carol believe that they should leave the Prison behind and take their chances out on the road rather than take the risk of losing the prison and being killed by The Governor, but that they would go along with whatever Rick thought would be best for the group.
"This Sorrowful Life"
As Merle is walking around the upper level of the Prison, Carol calls to him from the common room downstairs. She asks if he is with them. When Merle says yes, Carol believes he doesn't understand what she is asking of him; she adds that she does not mean if he is living in the same place with them, but if he is on their side, and tells him he needs to choose whose side he is on. Merle replies that he's on Daryl's side, and Carol says that Daryl's with them. Merle goes on to say that Carol is no longer who she was back at the Atlanta camp: A mouse afraid of her own shadow. Carol replies that that was her husband's shadow she was living in, not hers. Merle then leaves an aggravated Carol behind.
Later on in the episode, Carol is seen sitting around with the rest of the group in the prison-yard, holding Judith in her arms. She listens to Rick reveal his plan to give Michonne to The Governor (and how he decided to pull back on said plan) and inform everyone that he is stepping down as leader. Carol does not say anything, but looks on in astonishment.
"Welcome to the Tombs"
Carol is first seen helping the group loading supplies, clothes, and belongings in the cars so they could leave the prison if necessary. She'd stay in the prison with the rest of the survivors when the Woodbury army attacked while Carl, Hershel, Beth, and Judith were outside in the woods. During the attack, Carol fired against the Woodbury soldiers as they fled the prison in fear. As Rick, Daryl, and Michonne left to go after the fleeing Woodbury survivors, Carol was one of the survivors that stayed in case The Governor returned for another attack. She helped clear the gates of walkers when Rick's team left. When they came back, Carol, sad to see Andrea didn't return with them, helps unloading the cars and goes back to the prison.
Season 4
"30 Days Without An Accident"
Carol, along with the other survivors and former Woodbury residents, have built-up the prison so that it's more fortified. She is seen talking to Daryl about the prison and the crescent raise in the number of walkers near the fences, comparing the situation to a month ago. Later on, Carol is shown in the library, reading stories to the children, however she is using 'story time' reading as a cover to teach the children how to use knives, so they will have a better understanding of how to survive in the apocalypse. When Carl enters the library and notices this, she ask him not to inform his father.
"Infected"
Carol is seen helping Karen in putting the children inside the cells after a zombified Patrick attacks the cell block. After Ryan Samuels is bitten, she is seen carrying him in one of the cells. She prepares to amputate his arm, only to discover he is also bitten in the nape. Later she brings in his two daughters. After Mika and Lizzie say their goodbyes to him, she pulls out her knife and walks to Ryan, before she can end his suffering, Lizzie volunteers to do it herself. She ends Ryan's suffering after Lizzie suffers an emotional breakdown. Later she is seen telling Lizzie that if she wants to live, she has to be strong. After Lizzie walks away, Mika tells Carol that Lizzie is just messed up and that she is not weak. Later after a brief talk with Lizzie, Carol cuts a flower and puts it at the side on her ear. They both share a smile and Lizzie holds her hand.
"Isolation"
Carol is first seen with Rick, Tyreese, and Daryl, examining the bodies of Karen and David. When Rick and Tyreese get into a fist fight, Carol tries to break them up. Carol is later seen talking to the group about isolating the Infected in Cell Block A. Later, she is holding the door for the infected walking in. As she closes it, Lizzie walks in and tells Carol she isn't feeling well. Lizzie begins to cry, and Carol comforts her, and assures her that she'll be fine. Lizzie asks Carol if she could tuck her in. Carol, not wanting to stay exposed to the virus, tells her that Glenn can tuck her in, saying he is the "best" at tucking kids in. Much later in the episode, Tyreese visits to Carol at the kitchen area and asks her to watch over Sasha since she has a natural mother instinct. Carol apologizes about Karen. After Tyreese leaves, she begins to cry and dumps some of the water. Afterwards she heads to the fences to pump water, knowing many walkers are nearby. She is close to being bit, but Rick comes to her aid. At the end of the episode, Rick confronts Carol and asks her how much she cares for everyone and how much she'd give. His final question to her is "Carol, did you kill Karen and David?" After a long pause, Carol responds "Yes" and walks away.
"Indifference"
Carol goes with Rick on a medical supply hunt for Hershel after the others do not return. They meet a couple named Ana and Sam and they ask Rick if they can go with them to the prison. Carol speaks in favor of them. After splitting up, they are in a house and Carol explains to Rick she did what she did because she believed everyone else would have gotten sick and died. Outside while finding food, Rick asks Carol why she never talks about Sophia, and Carol explains that she is dead. Later on while heading to the safe house, they find Ana's dead body, to which Carol has no surprising reaction to. They wait for Sam to return but he never does, and they assume he either is dead or he left. They head to the car and Rick makes a decision to banish Carol from the group. He insists that Karen and David might have lived regardless of their illness, and that killing them was not Carol's decision to make alone. To avoid having Tyreese kill Carol, the possibility of others not wanting her at the prison, and Rick not wanting her around his children, he gives her gas and other supplies and sends her on her way in another vehicle. Before they say their goodbyes, Carol gives Rick a watch that Ed gave her on their first anniversary, and then she leaves.
"Inmates"
Carol returns in this episode, saving Lizzie, Mika, and Judith from walkers after Tyreese went to investigate screaming. She and the three children go to find Tyreese. When she confronts him, she realizes that he is still unaware that she killed Karen and David. Carol reveals that she witnessed the end of the prison assault, and saw Tyreese in the distance and followed him.
"The Grove"
On their way to Terminus, the group is seen sleeping on the tracks one night, where Carol is tending to Judith and talking with Lizzie. Carol later mentions her daughter Sophia, before telling Lizzie to go to sleep. In the morning, the group is on the move, and Carol and Tyreese smell smoke in the air. Carol takes Mika with her to find supplies nearby, and Tyreese stays back with Lizzie and Judith. Carol attempts to convince Mika that people need to kill other people sometimes in order to survive. During this trip, a walker approaches Tyreese, Lizzie and Judith, but its leg falls into a hole in the tracks. Tyreese approaches it to attempt to kill it, but is stopped by Lizzie, when she tells him that they don't always have to be killed. Meanwhile, Carol and Mika stumble across a pecan grove with a house on the property. They backtrack to get the rest of the group before entering the house. Tyreese and Carol leave the girls outside with Judith while they clear the house. Suddenly, a walker emerges from a side door, prompting Mika to shoot it, alerting Tyreese and Carol. Lizzie is visibly upset with Mika killing the walker. Later that evening, the group is in the house. Carol and Lizzie are at the table cracking pecans, and Mika finds a doll upstairs to play with. During this time, Tyreese takes a moment to look around at the unusual sight of being able to sit in a living-room. Mika simply tells him to relax, and that they could stay there forever.
The next morning, Carol starts the teapot, only to look out the window and see Lizzie playing with a walker. Carol immediately runs outside and kills it, while Lizzie vehemently protests. Carol later takes Mika out to go deer hunting, but she is unable to shoot a deer due to her personal vendetta against killing. Carol and Tyreese are seen later getting water from the well, in which Tyreese tells her that he's not ready to be around people yet, and that he trusts her as a person. During this time Mika runs outside the house to find Lizzie, and spots her rounding the yard. Lizzie can be seen feeding a mouse to the walker who had fallen on the railroad tracks toward the beginning of the episode. Mika catches up with her, and tells her that they're not alive, and that they're bad. Lizzie insists that she can hear them talking. During their argument, burned walkers begin emerging from the forest, and the two girls run back to the house, screaming for Carol. Carol and Tyreese hear their cries when they get back to the yard, and begin shooting the walkers that are chasing after the girls. Lizzie and Mika join in the shooting. Later that night, Carol asks Lizzie if she understands walkers now, and Lizzie says that she does. She cooks pecans with Lizzie and Mika, and mentions that she used to bake them with her grandmother when she was little.
The next morning, Tyreese and Carol are out hunting, and Tyreese begins talking about Karen, and telling Carol that he sees her in his sleep, haunting him. Carol tells him that people who are dead probably exist there to remind you of what once was. Upon returning to the house, Carol and Tyreese stumble upon a horrific sight. Lizzie has killed Mika with her knife, firmly believing that she would come back to life. Carol reaches for Lizzie's knife, but Lizzie pulls her gun, and tells Carol that they need to wait. Lizzie also mentions that she planned to kill Judith, but Carol convinces her to give her the gun, and to go with Tyreese back inside the house, creating the ruse that she will tie up Mika. Lizzie agrees and returns to the house with Tyreese and Judith, while Carol is suggested to kill Mika before reanimation. Later on, Tyreese and Carol make the revelation that Judith is not safe around Lizzie, and Lizzie can't be around other people. The decision regarding Lizzie is silently unanimous: she had to be executed. Later on, Carol takes Lizzie out under the ruse of gathering flowers for Mika. Lizzie gets the sense that Carol is mad at her, but is convinced that Carol's anger is because Lizzie pointed a gun at her earlier. Crying, Lizzie turns away, and Carol tells Lizzie to look at the flowers as she shoots her in the back of the head. Tyreese watches the execution from the kitchen window of the house, and they bury the two girls together in the yard. Later that night, Carol hands her revolver to Tyreese and confesses to Tyreese that she was the one to kill Karen and David at the prison. After Tyreese learns that Karen's killing was quick and that she was unaware of what was happening to her, he forgives Carol. The two leave the house in the morning with Judith, continuing on their way to Terminus.
"A"
Carol appears during a flashback in the prison, where she is seen walking with Tyreese and Ricks stops them to ask for Carol's spear pole so he can kill the walkers gathered near the fences.
Season 5
"No Sanctuary"
While traveling with Tyreese and Judith, Carol tells Tyreese that she will make sure that him and Judith are safe inside Terminus, but that she will not stay there. They then see a walker come out of the woods, which Tyreese refuses to kill because of his emotional instability. Carol does it and realizes that a herd is coming through the woods. They hide from the herd, but the herd is distracted by the sound of gunshots coming from the direction of Terminus. The trio dodges the herd and finds another track that leads east on the other side of Terminus. They then get the drop on Martin (a Terminus resident) setting up charges to distract any potential walkers from the sound of the gunshots. When they overhear him mention Michonne and Carl, it becomes clear that Rick's group is being held at his base and is in danger. Carol and Tyreese tie up Martin, and she leaves Judith with Tyreese and heads out to the compound to rescue her friends on her own. She smears herself in walker blood to sneak in with the herd that they encountered, which is approaching the complex.
Upon reaching Terminus, she infiltrates the complex by exploding the large propane tank by the gates by using a high powered military rifle and bottle rocket. She then sneaks in with the herd. This distraction gives Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Bob the opportunity they need to escape from the butchers, who are about to slaughter them for meat. While searching through the buildings, Carol happens upon a room where the captives' possessions are held. She spots Daryl's crossbow and finds the watch that Rick had given to Sam (S4 ep. "Indifference"), who was also being held at Terminus. Carol then enters the ritual room, where she is cornered by Mary. Carol manages to fight her off, asking Mary where Rick and the others were. When Mary doesn't answer, Carol shoots her in the leg, crippling her. Mary tells Carol that Terminus was a sanctuary at one point, but changed into a complex where they lured people in, in order to take their possessions and be used as a food source. Carol is disgusted by Mary's immoral delusions and opens the door to the outside, allowing several walkers in to devour the crippled Mary. Carol then leaves.
As the facility is overrun, Carol makes it back to the woods and encounters the group. Daryl, Rick, and the rest of the survivors are stunned and have an emotional reunion with her. Upon realizing that Carol set the events at Terminus in motion, Rick is overwhelmed with gratitude. Rick, Carl, and Sasha are further overjoyed when she leads the group back to the cabin where Tyreese is with Judith. Tyreese admits to Carol that he'd been forced to kill Martin, after Martin had threatened to kill Judith.
"Strangers"
Carol can be first seen at a creek with Tyreese, filling water bottles. Tyreese tells her that he talked to the rest, and that everyone knew what she did at the prison, and that they were okay with it. Both she and Tyreese seem still scarred about the events with the girls during their trek towards Terminus. Tyreese expresses he doesn't want to tell the others about what happened. She's later seen talking with Rick, and he's expressing his gratitude towards her and he owes her everything. Rick seems to be apologetic about banishing her, but she tells him he did it so she can survive. He tells Carol he's with her all the way, and asks her "Will you have us?" and she nods her head yes. She then can be seen with Daryl, at nighttime on guard, saying that she doesn't want to talk about what happened. He respects her wishes on not to speak about it and leaves it alone. She and Daryl then hear a noise, but don't discover what the noise is. Daryl the next day can be heard talking to Rick about his suspicion that someone was watching them the night before. Carol then helps the group kill some walkers attacking Gabriel, who is pleading for help. Gabriel takes the group back to his church and several group members search his it. Carol is amongst them, and finds Gabriel's writings on his desk, referring to the Bible and the divine word of God.
Later, Carol can be seen with Daryl getting gallon jugs of water and rigging up a car for travel. Daryl tells Carol that she can go back to the way things were, to which Carol seems reluctant. During Abraham's speech at the church about survivors, Carol is seen to be looking intently at the door and seems to be planning to leave. She soon disappears, only to be discovered by Daryl at the car that they rigged up earlier. Daryl asks what she's doing, and she says that she doesn't know. They then see another car pass by in the dark, and Daryl recognizes it immediately as the same car that took Beth. He smashes the tail lights out on the car and tells Carol to get in. The two drive off in pursuit of the car.
"Slabtown"
Carol appears briefly at the end of the episode. She has been rendered unconscious after being hit by a station wagon, driven by 2 officers at Grady Memorial Hospital in an attempted rescue mission for Beth. Beth witnesses her being brought in on a stretcher.
"Consumed"
Carol and Daryl drive on in pursuit of the mysterious car until their vehicle runs out of gas. They spend the night in an abandoned women's shelter where Carol and Sophia once stayed to temporarily escape from Ed's abuse. Nearby noise leads them to a pair of walkers - a mother and child - trapped in one of the other rooms. Carol moves to kill them but Daryl insists that it isn't necessary. The next morning Carol sees Daryl outside cremating the mother and child, and she goes out to thank him. They leave and scout the area, spotting in the distance a white cargo van hanging off the side of a highway - marked with the same white crosses that were on the other vehicles Daryl encountered. They are soon ambushed by Noah, who steals their weapons and flees. Carol draws her hidden revolver and tries to shoot him in the leg, but Daryl stops her, much to her anger. She reveals that she left the church due to not wanting to see anyone else die. They move on to investigate the white van, finding nothing but a stretcher from Grady Memorial Hospital, which gives them their first solid lead. They are quickly surrounded by walkers, forcing them to escape by riding the van over the edge and onto the ground below, holding hands as they go. Carol sustains a few injuries, leaving her with a limp. They survive and head up another office building to scope out the hospital. Up to this point of the episode the pair has been discussing their respective journeys and why they need to keep surviving despite all the horrors they have been through. Noise from elsewhere in the building leads them back to Noah fighting off some walkers and fleeing once again. Daryl chases him, and Carol catches up to find Noah trapped beneath a book shelf with a walker trying to get at him from the unblocked doorway. Carol begs Daryl to save him, and after some reluctance Daryl kills the walker and helps to free Noah, who tells them of Beth and their recent escape from the hospital. They flee when a white-cross car approaches, but Noah collapses on his injured leg and Daryl stays back to help him. Carol runs ahead and is accidentally struck by the white-cross car seen earlier, knocking her unconscious. Noah - promising that she will get proper medical treatment and that she and Beth can be rescued - convinces Daryl to stay back, and they watch as Officer O'Donnell and Officer Alvarado place her on a stretcher and into the car before speeding off.
Throughout the episode, several flashbacks convey some of Carol's experiences after being banished by Rick: the first one shows her taking shelter in a law firm in Griffin, Georgia for an evening before she notices the smoke rising from the nearby prison, prompting her to drive over and discover the settlement in ruins. She is next seen burying Mika and Lizzie's bodies at the pecan grove and then looking up at the sky to see the plume of smoke seen originally in "The Grove". The next one shows her watching the bodies of Karen and David burn. The last flashback shows her alone in the immediate aftermath of the Terminus breakout, cleaning herself off from her walker camouflage-disguise and then walking away.
"Crossed"
Carol is seen briefly at the start of the episode, still unconscious from the car incident, when Beth is examining her from the door, and Steven Edwards checks on her.
Rick tells Michonne that he has to go as he reminds her that he owes Carol everything. She is then mentioned by Officer O'Donnell, who is suggesting turning off the machines that are keeping Carol alive and letting her pull through herself, saying they "can't keep wasting valuable resources".
Carol is seen again, briefly, towards the end of the episode, when Beth successfully completed her plan to get Carol drugs, "Epinephrine", as told by Steven would save her life. Beth administers the epinephrine and waits for Carol to wake up, holding her hand and looking down in anguish."I just wanted you to know I was here," Beth says, in a way to comfort both her and Carol. Carol, however, remains unconscious for the rest of the episode.
Carol is mentioned several times throughout the episode by Rick and co., regarding their plan on saving her and Beth.
"Coda"
After receiving medication, Carol is seen starting to wake up as Beth and Dawn are talking. Later when the hostage exchange is about to take place, Carol is seen being wheeled by Beth and they hold hands as they see their group. Officer Licari is exchanged for Carol and Officer Shepard is exchanged for Beth. After Beth is accidentally shot in the head by Dawn, Carol and the rest look on in horror. Carol comes to try to comfort a distraught Daryl to put down his gun, and they both begin to cry. Carol is seen being helped to walk by Tyreese as they leave the hospital with the rest of the group, and everyone looks on in grief to see Daryl carrying Beth's corpse.
"What Happened and What's Going On"
Carol and the others stay behind while Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Noah, and Tyreese investigate a neighborhood which could be a potential safe haven. After the group discovers that the neighborhood had fallen, and that Tyreese had been bitten and later died, they regroup and bury Tyreese.
"Them"
Carol is first seen sitting on the road with others waiting for Daryl, Maggie and Sasha. When the truck ran out of gas, Carol is seen walking on the side of the road with rest of the group. When Daryl leaves to hunt/forage, Carol goes with him and comforts him over Beth's death, giving him her knife and gently kissing him on the forehead. As they keep moving on and find some cars, Daryl decides to circle back and Carol suggests going with him, but he refuses. While sitting on the road 4 dogs come out of know where, but Sasha kills them. Later when the group spotted the bottles of water, Carol pointed out that the water might have been poisoned, but they hear thunder and lightning and they all enjoy the rain until they feel a tornado coming and headed to the barn that Daryl found earlier. While they were clearing the barn she says to Maggie that some people don't give up just like them. Carol is later seen sitting next to the fire, she comments that Carl keeps bouncing back and listens to Rick's story.
"The Distance"
Carol will appear in this episode.
"Remember"
Carol will appear in this episode.
Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Carol has killed:
- Ed Peletier (Before Reanimation)
- Ryan Samuels (Before Reanimation)
- Karen (Out of Mercy)
- David (Out of Mercy)
- Mika Samuels (Before Reanimation)
- Lizzie Samuels
- Mary (Caused)
- Many unnamed Terminus residents (Caused or Direct)
- Numerous counts of zombies.
Relationships
Sophia Peletier
Carol is the mother of Sophia. Carol is very protective of her daughter and is willing to risk her own life in order to keep her safe. At the Atlanta camp Carol only ever left Sophia alone when she was doing camp tasks or when Sophia went off to play with the other kids, such as Carl or the Morales children. When Sophia goes missing, Carol becomes extremely distraught and prays for Sophia's safety. During this time, she begs the group to go looking for her after dark and constantly cries during the night. When her worst fear of Sophia becoming a walker turns into a reality, she goes into disbelief and says that it was not her daughter that they shot. She then refuses to attend Sophia's funeral, claiming that what Rick shot wasn't her daughter and that Sophia had died a long time ago. She eventually recovers from her grief, and states that Sophia is in a better place, Heaven. However, in season 4, when Rick asks Carol why she doesn't ever say Sophia's name anymore, she responds to him that Sophia is dead and refers to her as somebody else's slideshow. After the fall of the prison, Carol tells Mika that she has to survive not just by running away, and states that her daughter ran away and got killed. Ed Peletier
Carol and Ed were married before the apocalypse. Ed constantly abused Carol and their daughter, Sophia, even after the apocalypse had hit. At the Atlanta camp, Ed acted very controlling of Carol, forcing her to pull a log out of a fire, ordering her to go in the tent, slapping her when she disobeyed him, as well as other acts. While Carol, Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui were washing clothes during Tell It to the Frogs, Ed shouted at them, things like "This ain't no comedy club" when they were laughing, and "I'll still knock you on your ass" to Andrea. He tried to drag Carol away in anger, but she was pulled away by Andrea, Jacqui, and Amy. This caused Ed to become even angrier and caused him to slap Carol across her face. Shane quickly grabbed Ed, threw him to the ground, and started beating his face, telling him that if he ever laid his hands on another women in camp then he would beat Ed to death. Carol started to cry and tried to pull Shane away from Ed. When the camp was attacked during Vatos, Ed was devoured by walkers that swarmed his tent. The next day, Carol asks to stop Ed from becoming a walker and destroys his corpse before he "comes back." In The Suicide King, Carol tells Beth that she is not the same woman she was a year ago and that if Ed came through the door alive and told her to go with him, she would tell him to "go to hell," showing that she isn't afraid of him or people like him anymore. In Indifference, Carol talks to Rick about her relationship with Ed, including knowing how to treat a separated shoulder because she'd learned to do this for herself instead of having to go to the ER and answer questions from the doctors. After Rick banishes her, she hands him a small timepiece (he'd lost his watch), one that Ed had bought her for their first anniversary. She says she should have gotten rid of it a long time ago. In The Grove, Carol tells Tyreese that Ed used to tell her his favorite hunting jokes (namely, "What's the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts?"). This, coupled with the fact that Ed bought her a watch for their anniversary, implies that Carol and Ed may indeed have gotten along with each other at some points. Rick Grimes
Rick and Carol get to know each other during their stay in the Atlanta Camp. After Carol's husband Ed is killed by walkers, Rick and Lori begin looking out for Carol and her daughter Sophia. It is Carol who gives Rick the grenade [she'd found it and put it in her purse] that frees them from the CDC shortly before the explosion. When walkers swarm the highway, trapping the group, Sophia runs into the woods. Rick quickly follows her, asking her to hide while he kills the walkers pursuing them. She never returns, setting off a lengthy search and, ultimately, Rick having to put down a walker Sophia when she emerges from the barn of the Greene farm. Carol becomes distant from Rick and his family, due to Sophia's death, and an insulting comment Carl makes to her. For this or other reasons, she becomes one of the people to oppose Rick's leadership, stating that she doesn't trust Rick to lead them properly following Shane's murder and the revelation that he had known for some time that anyone who dies will become a walker. Rick challenges her, and anyone else who doubts him, to leave the group. Carol chooses to stay. As months pass on the road, Carol admits that Rick has done a good job and got them farther than Shane ever could have. Their close friendship is evident when Daryl brings her back to their cell block after the group believed her dead. Close to tears, the friends embrace as Rick can hardly believe her miraculous survival. When Carol learns of Lori's death, they again seek comfort with one another. Carol helps Rick to look after his baby for him and remains supportive of him and his decisions. When Rick learns that Carol was responsible for Karen and David's death, he is very displeased with her, telling Carol that they could have been saved, that he wants to keep her safe from Tyreese's anger [Tyreese had gotten into a fistfight with him after discovering Karen's charred remains], and that he no longer trusts her around his children. Ultimately, Rick evicts Carol from the group, leaving her heartbroken and alone. When Carol reappears to the group at the end of "No Sanctuary," Rick is overcome with gratitude towards her for selflessly putting herself at risk to save him and the rest of the group, despite him having exiled her. This gratitude seemingly intensifies when she leads Rick, Carl, and the others to Judith, who Rick and Carl had presumed to be deceased. Rick later expresses in confidence with Carol that he is sorry for having sent her away, and welcomes her back into the fold of the group with open arms. Lori Grimes
Both original members of the Atlanta survivors, and mothers, Lori and Carol form a friendship. Both women are shown comforting and offering advice to one another, especially regarding their children. It is evident that Carol looks up to Lori as a matriarch, even referring to her as the "first lady" of the group. Throughout the series, Lori and Carol have grown incredibly close, which is clearly evident when Lori and Carol decide to live in a cell together. Carol plans to perform a C-section on Lori, practicing on a walker beforehand. After Andrew releases walkers into the prison, Carol becomes separated from the group, and was the only member of the group who did not know of Lori's death. After being reunited with the group, she learns of Lori's death and is reduced to tears. Carl Grimes
Carol can often be seen not only keeping a close eye on Sophia, but Carl as well. When Carl is accidentally shot by Otis on a hunting trip, Carol becomes very nervous about his well-being (in spite of her own daughter's recent disappearance). She is quite relieved to find out that Carl makes a full recovery. After Sophia's rediscovery as a Walker, a bout of tension briefly erupts between Carl and Carol: When Carol sees Carl at Sophia's grave, she tells him Sophia is in heaven now; he scorns her for this, saying that there is no God or afterlife, and if Carol believes it she is an idiot. This event is long forgotten, however; though Carl and Carol seldom interact in Season 3, they appear to be on good terms with each other. In "The Suicide King," Carol and Carl work around the guard tower to keep watch and await Rick's return. As they are doing this, they have a heart-to-heart conversation about life before the apocalypse, and how it compares to life as it is now. Further into the conversation, Carol tells Carl that Lori was proud of him; though he seems to believe otherwise. Carl appears to be concerned for Carol's safety during The Governor's attack on the Prison in "Home," as she lies on the ground vulnerable to gunshot with only Axel's dead body as a shield. He seems relieved when Maggie covers her and allows her to join him and Beth in safety behind a wall of the Prison. In 30 Days Without An Accident, Carl spots Carol teaching children how to use knives, and Carol asks of him not to tell his father. She does this again in Infected, which causes some trouble between them. Judith Grimes
After getting over her grief regarding Lori's death, Carol takes a fondness to Judith and is often seen cradling her in her arms and caring for her. After being found by Daryl after she was separated from the group, Carol was surprised to see Judith in Beth's arms, and since then, uses her experience of having a daughter to good use in nurturing Judith. Carol, along with Beth, are the primary caretakers of Judith. Carol also tells Andrea about Judith's nickname when she goes to the prison for the first time, and in the process discovers about the deaths of Shane, Lori, T-Dog and Axel. When Beth is not seen cradling Judith, she is either asleep in her crib or is being cradled by Carol. After the prison assault, Carol finds Tyreese, Mika, Lizzie and Judith. Carol is soon seen looking after Judith with Tyreese, also convincing Lizzie not to kill her, insisting she can't even walk. Daryl Dixon
A close bond began to develop between the two during Season 2 as Daryl risked his life by going out in the woods to search for Sophia. After Daryl gets injured by accidentally getting shot by Andrea, Carol brings him food and even gives him a kiss on the forehead as an act of thankfulness. She later tells Daryl that he did more for Sophia than her own father, Ed, ever did, and that he is just as good of a person as Rick and Shane. Their relationship becomes strained after the events during the barn massacre and Sophia's revelation as a walker, with Daryl becoming rude towards Carol. However, he soon apologizes to her, and even rescues her from zombies on his motorcycle during the barn invasion in the Season 2 finale. In the Season 3 premiere, "Seed", Carol brings Daryl some food and they begin talking. While they converse, Carol rubs her shoulder uncomfortably, and Daryl asks "What's wrong?" She replies she had used a rifle, and that she wasn't used to the kickback. Daryl then gently massages her shoulder, but stops after realizing how this might seem. Carol starts to jokingly flirt with Daryl, but he denies the offer and they both laugh. Additionally, in Season 3, in the episode "Hounded", Daryl goes to look for Carol, who has been presumed dead, after finding her knife stuck in a zombie. Daryl finds Carol in an empty cell and proceeds to carry her back to the safety of the group. This likely strengthened their relationship. In the return of Season 3, "The Suicide King" Daryl leaves the group with his brother, Merle, and when word comes back to the other members of the group, Carol is saddened at the loss, but is later happy of Daryl's return. Daryl is shown to be extremely upset with Rick's decision to banish Carol in Season 4, despite the fact that she killed Karen and David. Daryl was ecstatic to see Carol outside of Terminus at the start of Season 5, he shows his gratitude for rescuing them all from being killed by the Terminants and relief of seeing her alive by embracing her. Their relationship stays strong and stable despite the events of Season 4. The two seem to pick up where they left off, with the exception of the unspoken understanding of Carol's actions at the prison which caused Rick to excommunicate her. Despite her claims to the opposite several times throughout "Strangers", Daryl respects her privacy in not wanting to talk about it. Merle Dixon
Carol and Merle didn't get along well during their time in Atlanta and the campsite. Carol was shocked when she learned that Merle was still alive and that he left with Daryl. When Merle joins the prison group, Carol is distrustful of him and tells Daryl that Merle isn't good for him. As Merle is walking around the upper level of the Prison, Carol calls to him from the common room downstairs. She asks if he is with them. When Merle says yes, Carol believes he doesn't understand what she is asking of him; she adds that she does not mean if he is living in the same place with them, but if he is on their side, and tells him he needs to choose whose side he is on. Merle replies that he's on Daryl's side, and Carol says that Daryl's with them. Merle goes on to say that Carol is no longer who she was back at the Atlanta camp: A mouse afraid of her own shadow. Carol replies that that was her husband's shadow she was living in, not hers. He complimented her for stepping up since the apocalypse first started. Carol appears saddened to learn of Merle's death, and praises him for giving the group a fighting chance against the Governor and Woodbury. Shane Walsh
Carol, while never directly lashing out at him or antagonizing him, appeared to have a poor relationship with Shane. This may stem from his habit of intervening in situations where Ed seemed like he was about to become hostile towards her, or someone else in the camp. When Ed slaps Carol across the face, Shane beats him savagely, leaving a sobbing, remorseful Carol to tend to her injured husband. Their relationship sours much further in Season 2 due to how Shane handled the case of Sophia's disappearance and is directly responsible for her revelation as a Walker in Hershel's barn. Subsequently, as he is trying to comfort her, Shane trails off topic and instead gets on the subject of how everyone in the group is against him. This causes Carol's disdain for him to increase even further. Despite Carol's strained relationship with Shane, she is shocked to learn that it was in fact Rick that killed him. This prompts Carol to try to leave the group with Daryl, before the latter turns down her offer to do so. Glenn Rhee
Carol and Glenn are good friends and look after each other during their stay at the Atlanta Camp. Glenn shows concern for Carol due to her being unable to defend herself from walkers, and protects her whenever he can. When Sophia goes missing, Glenn assists Carol in finding her. Glenn is saddened and sorry for Carol when Sophia's fate is revealed, and constantly looks after her. After Hershel is bitten, Glenn is thankful towards Carol for assisting in saving him and appreciates his medical skills. Later, Carol asks Glenn for a favor which involved helping her kill a female walker so she can practice performing a C-Section as she may have to be the one to deliver Lori's baby due to Hershel's current condition and because of Carl being born that way, which improves their friendship. When the flu spreads throughout the prison, Carol tells Lizzie that Glenn is a good tucker and that he'll make sure that Lizzie gets to sleep. Dale Horvath
Carol and Dale are good friends and look after each other during their stay at the Atlanta Camp. The two are shown to care for each other, and work together during their daily chores at the camp. Dale shows concern for Carol due to her being unable to defend herself from walkers, and protects her whenever he can. When Sophia goes missing, Dale assists Carol in finding her. At the highway, Dale tells Carol that he is willing to stay behind to wait for Sophia, to which Carol is grateful towards him for. Dale is saddened and sorry for Carol when Sophia's fate is revealed, and constantly looks after her. When Dale is disemboweled by a walker, Carol is saddened of his death. Andrea
Andrea and Carol have a good relationship. At the Atlanta camp, Andrea and Carol were joking and laughing with each other. Ed walked over and tried to drag Carol away which resulted in Andrea shouting at him and defending Carol; this shows she cares about her. Carol is saved by Andrea in "Beside the Dying Fire". Andrea also volunteered to search for Sophia when she was missing in earlier episodes. This is likely to have strengthened their relationship. Later in "I Ain't a Judas", Carol and Andrea embrace as Carol explains that they thought she was dead when the dead walker fell onto her. She also explains how T-Dog and Lori died. She then tells Andrea that she can end the war between the Prison and Woodbury and prevent more innocent people from dying by assassinating The Governor. When Andrea dies in "Welcome to the Tombs", as was the case with Lori, Carol notices she is not present when Rick and the others return from Woodbury and immediately deducts that she has died. She seems saddened and disheartened but also somewhat unsurprised, given the circumstances of Andrea's plight. However, Carol slowly begins to cry upon discovering the sad news, indicating that Andrea's death has in fact had a significant impact on her. Amy
Carol and Amy are good friends and look after each other during their stay at the Atlanta Camp. The two are shown to care for each other, and work together during their daily chores at the camp. When Ed slaps Carol, Amy helps to defend her from him. Jim, later on, states that Shane beating Ed was wrong, to which Amy says that he did the right thing as Ed was hurting Carol. After the walker attack on the camp, Carol is saddened of Amy's death. T-Dog
Carol and T-Dog are good friends and look after each other during their stay at the Atlanta Camp. The two are shown to care for each other, and work together during their daily chores at the camp. T-Dog shows concern for Carol due to her being unable to defend herself from walkers, and protects her whenever he can. When Sophia goes missing, T-Dog assists Carol in finding her. T-Dog is saddened and sorry for Carol when Sophia's fate is revealed, and constantly looks after her. When Andrew releases walkers into the prison, T-Dog helps Carol to fight off the walkers, and is bitten in the process. Carol escapes with T-Dog through the tombs and tells him that she has to help him with his infection. T-Dog brushes her off, saying that everything is God's plan. The two later encounter more walkers, and T-Dog, knowing his time is up, selflessly holds the walkers back and tells Carol to escape. Saddened, Carol escapes and looks back as T-Dog is devoured. After reuniting with the group, Carol acknowledges that T-Dog saved her life. Jacqui
Carol and Jacqui are good friends and look after each other during their stay at the Atlanta Camp. The two are shown to care for each other, and work together during their daily chores at the camp. When Ed attempted to tear Carol away from the laundry group of woman, Jacqui attempted to prevent it from happening, noting the bruises that Carol already had, and the new ones she was sure to receive. Jacqui later comforts Carol when Shane beats Ed up. Carol and Jacqui improve their friendship when they celebrate a new life in the CDC. When Jacqui decides to stay behind at the self-destructing CDC, Carol is saddened, but respects her decision to do so without any arguments. Miranda MoralesCarol and Miranda appear to have been good friends, as they are both mothers and presumed to have been housewives before the outbreak. When Morales announces that he, Miranda and their children are going to Alabama to find family instead of traveling with the rest of the group to the CDC, a disheartened Carol says goodbye to Miranda and gives her a warm hug before the two parties separate. Jim
Initially, Jim and Carol did not interact much and were distant towards each other. Carol is seen to be rather worried when Jim begins to dig holes for no apparent reason. When it is revealed that Jim was bitten, Carol looks after him in the RV when he begins to have a fever, even offering to get water for him. After Jim decides to get left behind and reanimate, Carol is shown to be saddened and stays with him in his last moments, alongside the other survivors. Hershel Greene
Hershel teaches Carol a few minor medical techniques in preparation for the birth of Lori's baby. The two become close to one another in their time alone in doing this. After Hershel is bitten by a lurker, his leg is amputated by Rick to stop the infection. Carol, like Maggie, is not optimistic about Hershel's chances of survival, but works as hard to keep him alive anyway. When Carol reunites with the rest of the group,she is extremely happy to see Hershel again and gives him a strong, bracing hug (despite his now-limited balance). Hershel seems equally happy to see Carol. It is possible that the fact that Carol helped save Hershel's life helped to strengthen their growing bond. After Rick gives the news of him kicking Carol out of the group, Hershel seems upset, almost crying. Maggie Greene
Carol and Maggie seem to get along, though little interaction is seen between them. Maggie, unlike Beth, does not believe that Carol alone will be able to help Hershel make it through his amputation and subsequent recovery. Maggie saves Carol's life in "Home" during the Woodbury invasion by covering her until she could join Maggie, Beth, and Carl in safety behind a wall of the Prison. This may strengthen their relationship in subsequent episodes. In "Internment," Maggie notices Rick returns from his supply run without Carol, and expresses immediate concern for her. When Rick explains why Carol is no longer with the group, Maggie understands and agrees with Rick's decision, though she stated she could not have done it herself. Beth Greene
Beth is seen being kind and friendly to Carol. When Hershel's life hangs in the balance after he is bitten by a walker, Beth seems highly confident in Carol's ability to save her father's life. Carol seems to be developing a bond with Beth, similar to that of a mother and daughter, as evidenced by her intervening during the incident between Beth and Axel in "Made to Suffer," in which Axel began to flirt with Beth. The two of them are the primary caregivers of Judith, as Carol is experienced in taking care of children and Beth loves taking care of Judith. In "The Suicide King," while Carol is doing laundry, Beth comes up to her with Judith and they talk about Daryl leaving. The two have bonded and now can talk about almost anything together. In "I Ain't a Judas" Carol glances at Beth as she is singing, making Beth feel more comfortable further suggesting they have a close relationship. When Beth was killing walkers in "Welcome to the Tombs," Carol was by her side, protectively holding Beth close to her. After the war is over and the new residents from Woodbury arrive at the prison, Carol and Beth come out of their hiding place, holding hands. When Beth is just about to begin a plan to kill Dr. Edwards and escape from Grady Memorial Hospital, she hesitates when she sees Edwards wheeling in an unconscious Carol on a stretcher. In light of this, Beth decides to stay at the hospital, despite her overwhelming urge to break out, in order to see to it that Carol survives and makes it out with her. She later works fervently to help keep Carol alive, eventually obtaining a dose of epinephrine for her to give her a chance of survival. Beth holds an unconscious Carol's hand as she waits for her to wake up, telling her that she just wanted her to know she was there for her. After Beth's accidental death at the hands of Dawn, Carol is saddened to the point of tears, seeking comfort from both Daryl and Tyreese. Patricia
Patricia and Carol's relationship seemed to be a strong friendship. As they are both the oldest women at the farm, they seemed to bond over laundry and caring for the children. In "Beside the Dying Fire", Carol seemed worried for Patricia and the other women's safety as they stayed within the house while everyone fled. Carol was clearly disheartened when she learned of Patricia's grizzly demise at the hands of the walkers. Axel
When the group discussed the idea of the remaining prison survivors joining the group, Carol voiced her misgivings stating that the men are in fact convicts. In "Made to Suffer", she observes Axel conversing with Beth Greene and, sensing that he may be making advances towards her, privately tells him to keep away from the girl. When Axel shows interest in Carol, she quickly brushes it off. Carol does not trust Axel, but works with him to guard the prison in the watch tower. Despite her distrust of him, Carol comforts Axel in "The Suicide King" when he and the rest of the group learn of Oscar's fate. Axel is also seen protecting Carol from Rick when he starts yelling and waving his revolver over seeing a hallucination of Lori. In "Home", Axel and Carol began to bond and become friends. While they were talking outside of the prison, Axel was shot and killed by The Governor, leaving Carol to have to use his body as a shield for herself. Carol became extremely distraught at using her new friend's dead body as a shield to protect herself. MichonneThough Carol and Michonne have not interacted often, they are shown to be on good terms with each other. Michonne voices her appreciation to Carol for saving her and the rest of the group at Terminus. Later, when it begins to rain after an apparent drought in "Them," Carol and Michonne happily embrace each other, suggesting a sort of friendship between them. Tyreese
Tyreese did not have much interaction with Carol, but it can be assumed that they initially had a fairly good relationship with each other. Tyreese did not have much initial interaction with Carol, but it can be assumed that they had a fairly good relationship with each other. Carol is one of the people who stays behind at the prison while most of the men leave to free Maggie and Glenn from the Governor's clutches. Tyreese and his group arrive at the prison around this time. Carol and the others keep the group locked up, as a precaution, but give them food and water and allow them to bury their dead (Donna). Carol seems to have no problem with Tyreese's group joining the prison permanently. Eventually, Tyreese and Sasha return to the prison, and he presumably gets to know Carol better. In "Isolation," Carol is shocked and distraught as Tyreese fights with Rick upon discovery of his girlfriend Karen's charred remains. Tyreese is devastated, but before he leaves to find medicine for Sasha, he lets Carol know how he appreciates her support. Unbeknownst to Tyreese, Carol is the one who killed Karen (along with another man, David, who was also ill). Carol confides her actions in Rick, who, disturbed by her lack of remorse, banishes her in "Indifference," while Tyreese is still away from the prison. When Rick is about to inform Tyreese of the situation in "Too Far Gone", The Governor and his militia arrive at the prison. Tyreese flees the prison with Lizzie and Mika (the little girls Carol had agreed to raise), along with baby Judith. After some time on the road, Carol finds the girls and they go to Tyreese (who'd left them in the woods because he heard yelling on the train tracks). Initially, Carol believes Tyreese knows the truth and will harm her, but instead, he hugs her. Tyreese is delighted at Carol's reappearance because he thought Carol had died (Rick returning to the prison alone made him think so.) Carol chooses to keep quiet about her role in the murders. They continue to follow the tracks to try to find Terminus. In "The Grove", he and Carol have become closer, with Carol treating the infection on his arm and sharing in taking care of the girls. After they find a small cottage to rest in, Tyreese even says he would be happy starting a life there with Carol and the children, because he trusts her. After Carol executes Lizzie (due to Lizzie killing her sister and nearly killing Judith), she, exhausted and guilt-ridden, confesses to Karen and David's murders, placing a revolver on the table to let him decide her fate. Tyreese is shocked and nearly grabs the revolver, but says he forgives her, but he would never forget what she had done because it has now become a part of who she is. He tells Carol they can't stay at the cottage now, and they, along with Judith, resume their search for Terminus. SashaTo be added Ryan Samuels
Little is known of the relationship between Carol and resident Ryan, but in 30 Days Without An Accident, he sits in on her story class before leaving, suggesting that he might have known about her efforts to teach the kids how to use knives. When Carol discovered that Ryan was bitten she quickly makes an attempt to amputate his arm to save his life, but is horrified to discover that he had a bite on his nape as well. She comforts him, as he is dying and brings his daughters into the room to say their goodbyes. He asks Carol to look after his children, showing that he trusts her with his children. Lizzie Samuels
After Ryan Samuels' death, Carol is now Lizzie's adoptive mother. Lizzie experiences slight anger towards Carol over the killing of her father before reanimation as well as Nick and the other Walkers around the prison fence (as she still believed the Walkers to be people). Carol tells Lizzie that she was weak during the moment of Ryan's death, and she needs to become strong if she wants to survive. This causes Lizzie to have a change of heart, and she later takes the knife out of Carol's hand, signifying that she is ready to kill Walkers if she needs to. Carol picks a flower from the ground and puts it in Lizzie's hair, and the two share a smile. They appear to be much closer by the end of the episode. In Isolation, Carol comforts her when she contracts the flu. At the start of Indifference, Carol again tries to encourage Lizzie before she leaves on a supply run with Rick. At one point Lizzie calls her, "Mom," leading Carol to ask her not to call her that again. Carol very reluctantly leaves Lizzie and Mika behind after Rick banishes her. In Too Far Gone, Lizzie insists to Mika that they do what Carol would want them to do, and defend the prison instead of hiding with the other children. This leads to Lizzie shooting Alisha and another of the Governor's group in the head, saving Tyreese's life. (it is left unclear whether Carol taught her how to shoot) After discovering that Lizzie had killed Mika and was feeding the undead, Carol realized that she was beyond help, and executed her. Mika Samuels
After Ryan Samuels' death, Carol is now Mika's adoptive mother. When Carol tries to lift Lizzie's spirits after her father's death, Mika tells her that Lizzie is "messed up," which makes Carol uneasy. After the prison assault Carol finds her way to Tyreese, Lizzie, Mika and Judith. She is seen talking to Mika often trying to convince her to toughen up. In the Grove, Carol lets Mika shoot a deer, but Mika refuses and Carol once again says she needs to toughen up and that she can't just run, as that's how her daughter died. When she finds Mika murdered by Lizzie she is seen to be shocked and traumatized, later executing Lizzie after finding out how she really is. She then buries Mika and Lizzie and leaves the grove. Patrick
Patrick seemed to be on rather good terms with Carol, instantly stepping in for her when she asked him to look after the kitchen for her. Much like how he called Daryl "sir", he would also refer to Carol as "Ma'am" respectively. This is shown when Carol is giving knife lessons to the group and he asks Carol if he can leave. SamCarol and Sam seemed to have a stable relationship in the short time they knew each other. Carol noticed that Sam's arm was dislocated and pushed it back into its socket, as she learned how to due to having to do it to herself after Ed brutally beat her. Carol suggested that Ana and Sam should look for supplies with them and they were quick to agree to try and prove their worth as Rick and Carol had accepted them into the group and told them about the prison. Once discovering Ana was dead Carol and Rick waited at the house for a while for Sam, once he didn't arrive Carol suggested they leave and when Rick agrees Carol tells him that it was a nice watch what he gave Sam which suggested that she was more saddened about the loss of the watch than Sam or Ana. AnaCarol and Ana seemed to have a stable relationship for the short time they knew each other. Carol reattached Sam's dislocated shoulder and Ana was shown to be incredibly grateful like Sam. Carol also suggested that Ana and Sam help them search the houses. Ana and Sam agreed to try and prove they are helpful and go their separate ways, once Rick and Carol discover Ana's body being devoured and her leg completely removed she wasn't shown saddened, but more shocked and alerted. NoahCarol and Noah don't interact much, especially due to the fact that Carol spends most of her time in coma, but they seem to be in good terms with each other during the small time they're together. |
Appearances
TV SeriesSeason 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
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Trivia
- Carol has a mild case of claustrophobia as stated in "TS-19".
- It is interesting to note Carol's short hair is throughout the TV Series. This is speculated by the fact that she was abused by her late husband might have prevented her from growing her hair out long to assert control and make her less "attractive" to other men (for the same reason he never allowed her to wear pretty clothes, as she tells Lori)
- Originally, Carol was supposed to be killed in "Killer Within", but the producers eventually decided against it.[1]
- Carol is one of the five remaining survivors left from the original Atlanta group.
- She is also the last remaining female survivor of the Atlanta group.
- It is interesting to note that Carol hasn't appeared in a fifth episode since the second season.
References
- ↑ 'The Walking Dead': Glen Mazzara talks about T-Dog's death and Carol The Walking Dead News (December 17, 2012)