They're not believable.

Carol's smarter than this. I'd rather Maggie had gone into revenge mode during the war against Negan.

 

Great starter questions.

I think it's all believable and excellently played out.
No, it's not "in character" because clearly she is not herself. She's had a mental breakdown, she's not coping with her grief, not coping with the frustration that someone like Alpha could just come along and rip her life apart, purely out of spite and for the hell of it. So her mind is fixated on revenge as a way of setting things right and she can't let it go, it's like an addiction. It's exactly like drug dependency. She knows she needs to give it up because it's consuming her, yet the only thing that keeps her going is the need to get this fix, and whilst she's focused on her mission to kill Alpha, she doesn't have to reflect on her loss. She can't let herself go through the acceptance part of grief, she's using the anger part to fuel her, as a twisted way of honouring Henry, like killing Alpha will make it somehow better.

I actually think they've done a fantastic job with this arc, I'm just worried that for some fans they've pushed this too far. I have no doubts she'll recover from this as a fan favourite character. Because she is awesome. She's not just what she's now, she's everything she's been over the ten seasons. Just like her current breakdown is not just about Henry, it's also about everything else that's happened to her prior to Henry.

Having Negan kill Alpha would be an end to this obsession. And Carol actually saving people instead of torturing and executing will be probably what heals her. Connie making it out alive of that cave would certainly go a long way in healing the relationship between her and Daryl as well.

Carol going back to destroy the horde is actually perfectly in character and shows that despite everything she can still see the bigger picture. The fact she was ready to sacrifice herself for it, also shows that remarkably brave side to her. Equally, it highlights how mentally unstable she is, by putting her life at unnecessary risk, and how in her focus on the horde she's completely disregarding the possible implications of the explosion, not only to herself but also to the others who are still in the cave.

Daryl is furious with her yet he knows he can't be, because she's so not herself, she's so messed up. He just needs to walk away from her now and have some space. He's said and tried everything. It's upto Carol now. I have no doubt she'll figure it out. This was surely the final wake up call that will snap her out of this.
I thought this was all done extremely well.

 

Not believable, not Carol. Melissa`s a great actress though. Seems the writers are screwing Carol`s character around from Kingdom come and back.

 

Like Morgan, Carol has swung to the extremes before. She wanted to be alone prior to Ezekiel breaking through to her. What I have a problem with is that she is putting everyone else in jeopardy. That is the unbelievable part for me, and it makes me intensely dislike her.

What's weird is that they seem to be channeling the comic version of Carol these days.

 

I now hate Carol. Not sure I'll ever be able to not hate her anymore. I don't care that she lost her son, it doesn't give her the right to endanger everyone else over and over again. And it's clear she doesn't even care.

It was a STUPID decision, because even if she wanted to kill the hoard, she could have given the group a heads up so they weren't trapped when her idiotic plan went sideways.

 

She wasn’t this crazy when she lost Sophia.
But I do think it’s leading up to something


The truth is out there

 

When I saw the dynamite I knew exactly what was going to happen with it. Daryl is pissed at Carol for what she did. He's been trying to help her and she won't let him. I don't think Connie and Magna are dead, but it sure looks like it.

 

And I hated comic Carol.

TV Carol was not a character that was ever a favorite of mine. I liked her okay, thought she had some great moments, but never a character that would cause me to lose sleep if she died. With that said I do think that this is an evolving arc for Carol that will come full circle. @BlackBird hit all the nails on the head.

But I think that while Daryl may forgive her, he will never forget the fear and sorrow her actions caused and thus he may never fully trust her. I think their relationship is now forever changed because of this.

 

Good idea to use the dynamite to eradicate the herd. Bad execution by not running it past the group first. Like everyone’s said, she’s not herself which is how our group found themselves in this predicament to begin with. She may be remorseful but I don’t think she can stop so who knows what else may go down before this is over.

 

As much as i have loved carols character over the last 10 or so yrs, i am so done with her after this ep.
I understand she has been traumatised, but risking the lives of people who have fought alongside her is unforgiveably selfish. They have all lost people so her behaviour has become self indulgent and dangerous to others.
I cannot forgive her for the loss of connie and i hope yt?hat daryl doesnt either.carol needs to feel the consequence of her impulsivity.

 

I'm really starting to think that her actions are two fold.

One, going into this arc most comic fans expected and wanted Alpha to follow her comic death. But I think most show fans wanted to see Carol get that kill. I actually wanted to see Carol kill Alpha and Negan to save Daryl from Beta by killing him. Winning over Daryl.

But I feel that this arc for Carol is partly designed to make fans turn on her enough to not want her to get the Alpha kill. At this point she doesn't deserve it.

I also really wonder if this isn't the final arc for Carol. Part of me thinks they would never kill off Carol, especially after losing so many long time characters. If she dies then Daryl is the last season 1 character left. But bringing Maggie back and having Connie supplant Carol as Daryl's female companion....even though I never saw Daryl and Carol as being possibly romantically linked. It's possible Carol gets a "last hurrah" type moment.

I honestly see her getting a redemption arc and surviving, but still she doesn't get the Alpha kill.

 

I hate what TPTB have done to Carol these last few seasons.

Her storyarc's are just a loop of "The Grove".

 

I no longer want her to be the one to kill Alpha either, but not because she doesn't *deserve* it. I just think it would be probably better for her if she didn't. She will have to let it go then. Negan could just do it quickly and end it. If Carol were to do it, torturing her first would absolutely ruin Carol, I fear. She is so messed up right now, she would completely lose her humanity. God help us, no.

I think you're right though, her story could go in both directions now: redeemed hero again or die as a redeemed hero. Either way, she will be redeemed for sure.

 

I'm certain TPTB are building up to a fight between Carol and Alpha. At the end of the fight, Carol has Alpha at her mercy, but realizes that Daryl is right ("We have a future"/"We fight for our future") and she walks away.

 

Can I just say in Carol's defence that I don't think she can be judged by "normal" standards right now. Yes, her actions could be seen as reckless and selfish, IF she was ok. But she's not ok. She's clinically depressed. She cannot think clearly. She's in a very, very bad place and her judgement is askewed. So I can't be angry with her, because she's ill.

It's no good saying others have been through just as bad stuff or worse. It's true, but what does it matter? It's how we perceive what happens to us that matters. Same thing would break one person, whilst make another stronger. Even the same person would react differently at different stages in their lives, or on a different day even. We all have different thresholds and dispositions.

I can't be angry with Carol, because she's so broken.

 

As I said, I hate what TPTB have done with Carol's character these last few seasons, but I understand her grief.

At least Carol's trying to kill Alpha; unlike Rick, who always threatened to kill Negan.

 

Until he actually did. Then ordered Siddiq to save him.

I know, this arc for Carol has been really hard to watch for her fans.
She's not one of my favourites, but I found it so sad to see her like this.

We had years of it with Daryl... and I could hardly bare it at times. And yet look at him now. People can get through terrible rough times.

These guys, ten+ years into the apocalypse, are super strong. Carol will pull through.

 

I am hoping we get a deeper reveal for Carol. They have hinted at it in the show, but I believe Carol sees Alpha as the personification of everything she has endured since the beginning.

Everything that has happened to her were all situations she didn't have true closure on. Sophia was killed by a walker, Lizzie killed Mika but she was broken and not going to survive, but Carol carried the deaths of those children the whole time. She hasn't had a specific person or thing to get her wrath out on. I think she sees Alpha as that thing. Everything that she has gone through is summed up in this one person. So she doesn't just see Henry's death. When she looks at Alpha she sees Henry, Mika, Lizzie, Sophia, the death of her relationship with Zeke. She wants to kill Alpha because she thinks it will finally end her suffering.