The biggest mystery to come of last night’s episode of The Walking Dead is the mystery figure that Daryl calls out to greet Michonne.
Speculation has led to this figure being one of the following possibilities.
Carol
Carol is the most unlikely candidate as the set-up and cliffhanger to last night’s episode suggest someone else entirely. Fans already got to see the Carol and Daryl reunion.
Beth or Zombie Beth
Some have suggested that Beth might be the character who is in the woods with Daryl, but this also seems unlikely. As EW.com pointed out, Daryl wasn’t happy as he would have been if it was Beth. As Beth was seen in scenes in a hospital, it’s clear that entire storyline would have to be explored prior to here meeting the Rick and company at the church. What’s more likely is a zombie version of Beth and even that seems like a longshot.
Beth-Takers
The people who took Beth are a possibility, but could Daryl have finished them all off on his own? Could he have lost Carol while trying to save Beth? Unlikely. Could the Beth-Takers have captured Daryl and used him to lead them to the church? More likely, but still implausible.
Morgan
Morgan seems to be more of a possibility but considering the show’s executive producer, Greg Nicotero, told EW.com that “time had passed” since he began tracking the group, it feels like he wouldn’t return in the show’s upcoming fourth episode as that would be too soon.
Aaron
EW suggests that Aaron might be a possibility. Aaron is a character that was introduced in the comics at the same time as the show is currently in. A recruited for the post-apocalyptic community kown as the “Alexandria Safe-Zone,” Aaron is a good guy just trying to recruit strong people for his thriving community. Sounds like Daryl would be the perfect fit.
Mystery Character
The most likely option (as also evidenced by the poll on Talking Dead after Sunday’s episode. Both Scott M. Gimple and Robert Kirkman have said that this season of The Walking Dead will introduce new characters who aren’t featured in the comics. Daryl’s mystery guest could be the first of these new characters.
