I took it as Carol was wanting this fantastic life. A home where she wasn't abused, a child she could raise with her husband to be strong, everything was a fantasy version of her previous life.

When Henry died then the home rotted, her fantasy was over and she wanted to go back to being alone.

 

I was surprised as well, but in hindsight Carol has typically separated herself on multiple occasions during the series.

She may not want to leave Ezekiel, but she feels she needs to be alone.

She's losing herself and I think she can't be there for the King if she can't be there for herself.

 

Carol's story is always so heartbreaking.

 

Maybe now she will cut off that mop of frizzy hair


And the King too.....time for a change dude, time for a change.

 

Hopefully she quickly snaps out of it, cuts her hair, and goes all nuclear annihilation on the Whisperers!

 

I’m just happy Carol is back in Alexandria! I missed her there!

 

Please let this happen! The Lori Strode look is bad!

 

I would have started this topic myself if it wasn't already done . I didn't understand Carol and Ekekiel splitting up either. I thought I must have missed something.

 

Angela Kang's explanation about Carol did help me in understanding the choice to leave.
I think she needs be with her family. Staying with Ezekiel and the Kingdom people and still being thought of as the Queen would just be a constant reminder of the fairy tale life that ended for her with Henry's death.
My husband and I have had multiple children die. We beat the statistics and stayed together. We actually became closer because we're all each other has left. Some people just can't handle the constant reminders of what is now gone.
We all deal with grief differently and Carol has a habit of distancing herself when grieving.
I think that she will manage better with her family at Alexandria. I also think that she and Lydia will eventually help each other as well.

 

We don't always agree, Pep, but I agree with you there.

I think Carol married Ezekiel so Henry could have a family. when Henry was killed, there was nothing to keep them together. Carol knew it, Ezekiel couldn't accept it.

 

Agreed.

 

Re-watching some scenes, I'm thinking Carol's issues are more with Zeke's inability to move on. He internalizes the loss of Henry and, as Carol says, he wants to blame her for his death but because he can't, he focuses in on Daryl.

Carol starts to really confide in Daryl in the Sanctuary and it's clear she's upset and dealing with the loss of Henry, but it's really Zeke who is having the much harder time. He's not the jovial King he was, now he's an emotional wreck and while he's not abusing Carol or outwardly blaming her. His distance from her sends that message to her.

Carol wants to do what she knows how to do, move on. She lost so much over the years, she's learned how to move on. They all have, really. They know their world sucks, so they take the losses and move forward, taking in the little moments as they can. That's why when they arrive at Alexandria they all seem to sort of unload their unhappiness and enjoy the moment.

 

I know. I was terribly disappointed. Carol is damaged emotionally and I was hoping she would get some comfort from the deep love Zeke has for her much like Rick and Michonne were there for each other after Carl's death. Maybe they'll reunite in time when she gets her feelings sorted.

 

Carol made the comment about losing herself again. That's what happened when she went really dark and didn't want to kill any more, yet would to protect her family. I think she is on the verge of going full Carol on the whisperers, but is fighting not to go down that path. She didn't look meek when she said that those were Alpha's boundaries, not ones they agreed to. She had to be alone before to get past things and I think she needs time now to get past things and not become the person she doesn't want to be again. But I think we all want her to be that Carol for a while.

 

I agree with you all who say this breakup came out of the blue. Last thing we saw, Carol was happy with Ezekiel. Henry was treated by them both as a young man, living and learning a trade in another community, with their blessing. Fledged the nest. Mum and dad still happy.
Carol and Ezekiel have been together for over 6 years. Could be 8? All this talk about Carol living in a fairy tale... really? Carol, the most realistic and level headed person in the apocalypse would go along with a *fairy tale* for 8 years and then suddenly choose to quit it, because a mad person killed someone dear to her, - again? Carol was shown to deeply care for Ezekiel, even if she never stopped rolling her eyes at all the royal bullshit. If this relationship was going to end, I think we should have seen signs of it crumbling, but there weren't any. Losing a child as a reason for breakup, in this scenario, doesn't make sense to me. They've lived through so many losses, both of them. This feels like an excuse for breaking them up.

To be honest, I was just wondering, if they decided to shut down the Kingdom, get Carol reunite with the last remaining members of Team Family at Alexandria, and start writing Ezekiel like an asshole, they might as well have put his head on a pike instead of Henry's.

And Ezekiel jealous of Carol's close friendship with Daryl... just really odd, after all these years. What would have been more believable is him asking Daryl for advice how to reach Carol in her grief. At least Daryl was in character handling the situation.

 

I've been thinking the same thing. For how they left the relationship between Carol and Ezekiel, they might as well have put Ezekiels head on the pike like how it was in the comic. It would have had a much better dramatic effect imo than this breakup which leaves things in an awkward position.