Carl’s potential early death in The Walking Dead Season 8 would close the show to many interesting storylines. Unlike its TV counterpart, The Walking Dead comics really plays off of Rick and Carl’s relationship to propel the story. Carl is a central character and seems like he’ll grow to become a leader in his own right. Here are some moments we would’ve loved to have transferred from the comics to show.
[WARNING: The Walking Dead comic spoilers ahead.]
Carl and Negan’s unlikely friendship
Carl and Negan develop a strange relationship after the All Out War arc. Carl frequently visits Negan in his cell to talk about his frustration with his father, Rick. He just sits and talks with him even though he’s not supposed to. Rick knows Carl visits Negan, and it creates the beginning of another odd dynamic between the once rivals. Sometimes The Walking Dead TV series lacks the human element in the show that we fell in love with. It can become too action heavy and forget to develop the relationships that make us continue to tune in every Sunday.
The eye lick
Carl eventually gets his first real girlfriend, Lydia, in The Walking Dead comics and it gets super weird. Lydia comes on to Carl by licking his empty eye socket. While it’s definitely a jarring scene, it was also kind of funny. Here, you have Carl experience his sexual awakening with a girl who’s a bit crazy. Not that the show would ever go near this scene, but it would’ve made for TV. And yes, Carl and Lydia have sex.
Carl and The Whisperers
Carl’s relationship with Lydia leads one of the best arcs in The Walking Dead comics—The Whisperers. This cult wears the skins of the dead to live amongst the walkers in peace. They believe they should fulfill all their carnal desires and have a strict hierarchy. Lydia’s mother, Alpha, is responsible for the death of many beloved characters, including King Ezekiel and Rosita. They can still bring The Whisperers into the show, but we really enjoyed the Romeo-and-Juliet-esque relationship between Carl and Lydia that ties it all together.
It’s too bad the show is writing off Carl. There’s no way he comes back from a walker bite in the chest and we really hope it's not a Glenn-Dumpster moment. Death fakeouts always feel so cheap. What The Walking Dead comic moments featuring an older Carl would you’ve liked to seen on the show? Let us know in the comments below.
