Is Carol Living On Borrowed Time On 'The Walking Dead'?
Written by Creator Pri Figueiredo
Remember the third season of The Walking Dead? Episode 7? No? Go re-watch it. Play it. Fast forward to 15:20.
That's Carol saying to Daryl she has "nine lives."
Curiosity hit me and I went through all the near-miss moments Carol's had on the show, just to check. With the promos for Season 6, Episode 13 showing her and Maggie in dire straits it was worth the digging, especially when I found out how many of those nine lives she's already spent.
1. Season 1 - Episode 6, The CDC
This is actually a moment worth counting for all our Season 1 characters. They didn't want to be stuck inside, they wanted to live, and they almost didn't.
"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this."
Those were Carol's words to Jenner that day, and she made it out with the rest of the group. Actually, she pretty much saved their lives, because she'd held onto Rick's grenade from his first day at the camp. That's what I call foresight.
2. Hershel's Farm Herd
What a devastating season Carol had that year. She lost her daughter then found out she'd become a walker, only to have her put down by Rick. Not only that but the car with Lori, Beth, and T-Dog just drove away, leaving Carol and Andrea behind. If it hadn't been for Daryl hearing her screaming for help in the season finale she'd have been lost for good. That's two.
3. At The Prison
In 'Killer Within,' the group gets separated when walkers invade the courtyard where they are. T-Dog and Carol get cornered between two groups of walkers inside the prison and he sacrifices himself so she can escape. T-Dog certainly redeemed himself after leaving her behind at the farm.
4. 'Isolation'
Sickness invaded the prison and the group was once again separated in order to deal with it. Carol was left with Rick and while both were trying to get the sick people some water, she ventured outside the gates to manage a pipe obstruction. Of course, the walkers came at her and Rick went to the rescue, only to send her away an episode later. Just seeing the walkers approaching her, you knew it was a close call.
5. "You're not here... and neither am I"
This was one of those episodes that left us feeling like we all wanted to be like Carol. She kicked some serious proverbial butt in 'No Sanctuary,' rescuing Rick and the gang all by herself, and doing so completely inconspicuously. Here in the "candle room" — recently listed by Carol in her little black book of death — she had a gun pointed at her and had to fight her way out. So far, I count five.
6. Finding Beth
Along with Daryl, back in Atlanta, following a lead on Beth's whereabouts, Carol fell off a bridge in a car, had a not-so-friendly first encounter with Noah, and lastly was run over by the same people who took Beth in the first place. All that in the space of a day!
7. 'Crossed'
Then, as if all that hadn't already been debilitating enough, she ran the risk of being unplugged from life support. It was Beth who worked her way around Dawn — and the Doc — to get Carol the medicine she needed to survive.
8. The Wolf / Morgan
Between having a concussion, being knocked down unconscious by Morgan (oh Morgan, why?) and the Wolf leader taking advantage of the situation, I'd say it was a little bit too much — and a lot of luck considering she'd already hit her head once that day.
9. 'The Same Boat'
This week's capture takes the count to nine.
Nine times Carol has been dangerously close to kicking the bucket and calling it quits. Will she use up her last life in the next episode or will she manage to stay out of harm's way?