Carol Peletier (TV Series)

"Today, we're gonna be talking about knives. How to use them, how to be safe with them, and how they could save your life."

- Carol to the children during knife lessons.

Carol Peletier is a main protagonist and survivor of the zombie apocalypse in AMC's The Walking Dead. During the initial outbreak, Carol evacuated with her abusive husband, Ed Peletier, and her daughter, Sophia Peletier, to Atlanta. They eventually joined a camp of survivors. Following the deaths of her husband and daughter, Carol formed a close bond with fellow survivor Daryl Dixon.

Overview
Carol is a kind-hearted and soft-spoken woman, though often meek and defenseless (especially when it comes to facing her husband Ed Peletier). She has always remained extremely protective over her daughter Sophia, attempting to shield her from the various dangers of their surroundings. After Ed is beaten half to death, and becoming even stronger following his actual death, she begins to develop thicker skin and draws a new found boldness inside of her. Carol continues this development throughout the second season, standing up for herself much more and deepening her connections within the group.

She is shown to be a devout Christian, having constantly prayed for the well-being of herself and Sophia. She fervently holds onto her beliefs even after Sophia's death, insisting that her daughter is in heaven.

As opposed to her Comic Series counterpart, Carol in the TV series becomes stronger and more independent as the first season moves along. The inclusion of Ed as her husband, according to Robert Kirkman in The Walking Dead Chronicles, was to give her a solid foil to produce the strength needed to survive that the comic counterpart didn't have.

Southern United States
Carol lived down South where she eventually met a man named Ed. He was initially charming enough for her to date and eventually marry. However, his true nature would be revealed the longer they stayed together. She was a housewife, and fiercely looked after their daughter, Sophia, nurturing and providing her with comfort while Ed greatly neglected her (much to Carol's disgust).

Throughout their marriage, she was a victim of verbal and physical domestic abuse. Because of her shattered independence, she remained hesitant to inform any outsiders of the situation.

During the outbreak, she, Sophia, and Ed traveled toward Atlanta which was supposedly a safe-zone. They would later meet Shane, Lori, and Carl while on the road and eventually form a campsite outside the outskirts of Atlanta with other survivors sometime after the city was destroyed by the military.

"Tell It to the Frogs"
One night, when the survivors are resting around dimly-lit campfires, Ed attempts to make his fire bigger, stating that it's cold. Shane asks him to put it out, stating that the light and smoke may attract any walkers lurking around. Ed finally gives in and orders Carol to dim the fire to embers. The next morning, Carol is cleaning Rick Grimes' clothes for him, stating that it's the best she can do, especially without a real washing machine, and Rick thanks her. Later, Carol is doing laundry at the quarry with Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui, joking around about what they miss. When Andrea says she misses her vibrator, Carol looks at her husband then back at the women and whispers "me too", prompting laughter to explode from the women. The laughter draws Ed over, who orders them to stop and do the laundry. Andrea, fed up by Ed's attitude, says that if Ed doesn't like the way laundry's done, he can do it, tossing his clothes at him. Ed throws it back at Andrea roughly, starting up an argument. Ed demands for Carol to come with him. Jacqui then makes a remark to Ed, proving that she and everyone else know Ed abuses her in private. Carol is then submissive to Ed, but Andrea tells Carol she doesn't have to go. Carol then begins to resist, to which Ed responds with a slap to her face, drawing blood from her lip. Andrea and Jacqui, both upset, push Ed away, as Amy holds Carol in her arms. Shane, who was observing the situation from a distance, is enraged with what he has just witnessed. He approaches Ed and beats him senseless, threatening him to not ever lay a violent hand on his wife or daughter or he'll beat him to death. Carol is upset from the beating and tends to her husband, weeping and apologizing.

"Vatos"
Carol is seen sewing some clothes while Andrea and Amy return with the fish. She is then present for the confrontation with Jim, standing with Sophia and Carl, with her arms around them. She remains shy and hesitant to speak when Jim resorts to openly expressing how Shane shouldn't have interfered with her and Ed's personal issues, stating that it was their marriage and thus their own business to sort out with each other. Carol and Sophia later give Ed some water in the family tent, and Carol invites Ed to come outside with everyone. He rejects her invitation and tries to force his daughter to stay and keep him company. Carol, visibly concerned about Sophia and managing to finally stand her ground, says "Ed, she wants to join in." and brings the girl outside. Carol eats fish at night with the rest of the survivors and is intrigued by the conversation about Dale's watch. Moments later, when zombies descend upon their camp, she grabs Sophia, shields her, and flees to the RV with some of the other survivors as the zombies invade the camp, killing Ed, Amy, and others.

"Wildfire"
The next morning, Carol takes care of Sophia while the men dispose of the zombie corpses and tries her best to          reassure her about their current situation they were in. As Daryl goes through each zombie with a pickax, she stops him when he gets to her dead husband. She proceeds to stab her husband multiple times, initially in a hesitant but then furious manner, venting out the anger that she had kept inside of her for many years. She later attends the funeral for her husband, Amy, and the other fallen survivors. While the others figure out what to do next, she takes care of a bitten Jim in the RV and is able to notice his deteriorating physical health. Before departing the base camp, Morales and Miranda break the news that they are not going with them, but instead to Birmingham to find their extended family. She shares a goodbye hug with Miranda and Morales before they leave. Carol, Sophia, and the remaining survivors reach the Center for Disease Control and are about to flee as zombies begin to approach their location, but the doors suddenly open, drowning all of them in light.

"TS-19"
The group is admitted into the  CDC by Dr. Edwin Jenner after going through a blood test to ensure none of them are infected. She is introduced to the luxuries the facility has to offer, including hot water and real beds. She is able to live in a comfortable room with Sophia and notes the wonderful feeling of sleeping in a real bed for the first time in months. She enjoys dinner and wine with everyone and learns about TS-19 and Dr. Jenner's work, and the fall of the CDC's infrastructure. After Dr. Jenner reveals the purpose of the countdown timer and shuts the control room's door, she is hysterical and pleads with Edwin to let them go, explaining how inhumane it is for him to be keeping them locked inside there and that Sophia deserves a better death than this. As the survivors finally get Edwin to open the door for their escape, they all reach the lobby to find the doors permanently locked and the windows bulletproof. Just as all hope diminishes, she approaches Rick and takes a grenade out of her purse, telling him that she found it in his uniform the day he arrived at camp and she washed the clothes. Rick uses the grenade to break the glass, successfully escaping the CDC. She reaches the RV just in time and she drives off with the group away from the complex as the ruins burn in flames.

"What Lies Ahead"
Dale's RV breaks down on the way to Fort Benning, forcing the survivors to stop in the middle of the road. While searching other cars on the roadside, a hoard of Walkers catches the group by surprise. Sophia is chased into the woods, and Rick and the others head out to look for her. They find an abandoned church, where Carol stops to pray for her daughter's safety.

"Bloodletting"
As they continue to look for Sophia, the group is found by Maggie Greene, who has come to retrieve Lori. Maggie takes Lori away on horseback, and gives the others the location of the Greene Family Farm, telling them to find their way there. They make it back to the highway, but Carol doesn't want to go to the farm without Sophia. Dale, Andrea, and Daryl decide to stay with Carol and see if Sophia comes back, while Glenn, and T-Dog head to the farm to seek aide for T-Dog's infection.

"Save The Last One"
Carol stayed behind at Dale's RV, hoping to find Sophia. Upon hearing her crying in the middle of the night, Daryl and Andrea go back out into the forest to search for Sophia, but return without her. The next day, they leave a sign and food for Sophia at the highway, and Carol goes with the remainder of the group to look for Hershel's farm.

"Cherokee Rose"
After leaving some food on the highway for Sophia, Carol and the others head to Hershel's Farm. She is then seen setting up tents with the other survivors and cleaning the RV, in the hopes that it will look good when Sophia returns. Daryl then gives her a Cherokee rose, said to hold good luck, to help them find Sophia.

"Chupacabra"
In The start of the episode it flashes back and shows them on the highway when Carl asks for food Carol goes to get some but Ed pushes the door shut and says he only has enough for them he yells at Carol. She takes some food and hides it in her purse then she gives it to Carl. Carol is ​seen doing laundry with Lori and suggests that it would be nice to cook in a real kitchen again and offers the idea to cook for Hershel and his family that night, in the meantime Lori and Carol are welcome in to Hershel's house and cook dinner with the help of Patricia and Beth. Towards the end of the episode Carol brings dinner to an injured Daryl and gives him a kiss on the head, stating that he has done more for Sophia than her own father did in his whole life.

"Secrets"
Carol doesn't participate in the shooting practice. Instead she is seen standing behind Patricia looking out into the forest. Later, when Shane and Andrea come back from their search for Sophia, Carol helps Andrea clean off.

"Pretty Much Dead Already"
Carol is first seen cooking a meal for the rest of the group, when Glenn tells them the barn is full of walkers, she joins the group when they check it. After that, she tries to stop Daryl to go out looking for her daughter, Sophia, because he was still healing. He throws the saddle to the floor and walks away. Some time after that, they both are seen walking along a river, where he finds another Cherokee Rose. He says they will find Sophia, and Carol answers that it is right and she can feel it. Later, Shane breaks open Hershel's barns doors and a swarm of zombies pour out. After the group kills them all in self-defense, a labored breathing can be heard and one last walker comes out of the clearing cloud of dust, Sophia. Carol is beyond devastated and runs toward her, but Daryl stops her. Rick walks up from the back of the group and shoots Sophia in the head.

"Nebraska"
Carol refuses to attend Sophia's funeral, which angers Daryl. Back at the barn Shane is washing up at a water pump when Carol emerges from the forest, muddy and scratched. Shane cleans her cuts and apologizes for what happened to Sophia and that if he knew she was in the barn he wouldn't have opened it, but he was only trying to ensure the safety of his fellow survivors.

"Triggerfinger"
Back at Hershel's farm Daryl tells Carol that Lori had ask him to find Hershel, but he had refused. He speculates that Lori went on her own to town. Carol starts to leave, but turns around and asks Daryl not to pull away like this. He doesn't respond. Later that night, Carol goes back to check on Daryl, finding many dead squirrels and severed walker ears hanging on a clothes line. Daryl catches her and confronts her about coming to look for him again. This explodes into a full-on rant on Daryl's side when Carol quietly tells him to "Go ahead." Carol lets Daryl vent his frustration on her, while still not backing down herself by holding her ground. Daryl reaches his boiling point and screams that Sophia wasn't his daughter and blames Carol for not keeping an eye on her. He moves forward in an aggressive way, and Carol instinctively flinches away. Daryl pulls away, realizing what he had done, and stares at Carol without saying a word. The next day, Daryl finally returns to the folds of the group by entering the house during a group discussion and gives Carol a smile, which she returns.

"18 Miles Out"
Carol is not seen in this episode, however, she is mentioned by Lori as well as Andrea while they are talking inside the Greene home.

"Judge, Jury, Executioner"
Carl is kneeling by Sophia's grave when Carol approaches. She reassures him that they'll see Sophia in heaven, one day. Carl snaps back that heaven is just a lie, "and if you believe it, you're an idiot". Carol approaches Lori and Rick saying that they need to control Carl for being disrespectful towards her. Lori unknowingly tells Carol to calm down and Carol takes it personally, telling Lori that she just lost her daughter days ago and that she hadn't lost her mind. During the group meeting, Carol says she wants the fighting to stop and for them to just make a decision about Randall. Dale retorts back saying "Not saying anything or killing him yourself... there's no difference." Carol is seen with the other survivors gathering around Dale as he is about to be shot by Daryl to prevent reanimation.

"Better Angels"
Carol is seen with the group when they are preparing to move into Hershel's home and is also seen when Rick and the group investigate the barn after Randall is missing. Rick states that the handcuffs are still locked and that he could have slipped the handcuffs, then Carol asks if it was possible and Rick answers with a yes.

"Beside the Dying Fire"
When the herd of walkers advance on the farm, Lori is horrified to discover that Carl is missing. Carol reassured her that they won't leave without him and that she will help look for Carl. When they are unable to find him, Carol assumes that he sneaked out and went looking for Rick or Randall. When Lori wants to go looking in the woods for Carl, Carol convinces her that they need to leave the farm, as it has become overrun. Lori reluctantly agrees and tells Carol to get Beth and Patricia. She does so and the four women run from the house. Carol runs ahead of the other women in the confusion and gets separated. As Carol runs she is cornered against the shed by a couple of walkers. Andrea then comes to her rescue, but Carol soon loses track of Andrea. As the rest of the survivors flee the farm, Carol gets left behind and is chased by walkers. Daryl Dixon hears Carol's screams and comes to her rescue, picking her up on his motorcycle, narrowly avoiding a group of walkers in the process.

In the morning, Daryl and Carol are riding away from the overrun farm, dodging walkers along the dirt road as they go. They eventually meet up with the rest of the survivors on the highway. Carol is happy to discover that Carl is still alive and is reunited with his mother. Carol shows concern for Andrea when she does not show up with the others.

When the group stops on the side of the road, Carol shows concern for the groups well-being when they decide to stay the night. She becomes angry at Rick when he reveals that everyone is infected, and he never told anybody. Later that night, she expresses her concerns to Daryl, telling him that she feels unsafe with Rick. Carol tells him that he deserves better than to be Rick's henchman. When Daryl asks her what she wants she responds with "a man of honor". When the group hears a noise in the woods, Carol says that they should go and tells Rick to "do something" to which he responds harshly.

"Seed"
Seven to eight months following the events of the preceding season, Carol has gone through a significant transformation. She is shown to be increasingly proficient with weapons and is taking a more active role within the group, such as when it comes to securing the prison. In addition, her self-confidence has grown and she seems to have moved on from mourning her daughter. The relationship between her and Daryl has also become closer and more personal, with the two of them casually joking around and assisting each other with various things. There is also the hint that she might be harboring romantic feelings for him now. Her trust in Rick has been regained, to the point where she convinces herself within these past few months that Rick has done more to keep the group alive than Shane ever did.

She and Lori have strengthened their bond as well, with Carol helping her through her pregnancy and providing her with reassurance. The two now share a cell together since settling into the prison.

"Sick"
Carol is mostly seen in this episode helping the other survivors take care of Hershel as he had given her some medical advice prior to being bitten. Carol asks Glenn for a favor which involved helping her kill a female walker so she can practice performing a C-Section as she may have to be the one to deliver Lori's baby due to Hershel's current condition and because of Carl being born that way. Carol is seen about to cut into the stomach as she is being watched from afar by Andrew, who was believed to be deceased.

"Walk With Me"
Carol does not appear in this episode.

"Killer Within"
Walkers invade the prison, separating the group. Carol and T-Dog were one of the groups that were separated from the others. While locking up one of the gates to ensure no more Walkers got into their safe haven, T-Dog was bitten on the shoulder from behind by a quickly advancing Walker. He insisted on getting Carol somewhere safe inside of the prison and refused to sit down and wait for his time to run out. Once they got to the end of a hall, two Walkers blocked their escape and they had no where else to go. T-Dog heroically charged the two zombies, holding them back and sacrificing his life to allow Carol to escape. Daryl and Rick find her headscarf and revolver left behind next to T-Dog's devoured body and assume she was killed, but do not find evidence to confirm this.

"Say the Word"
Carol does not appear in this episode, leaving her status unknown. Though her body has not been found, the group assumes she is dead and erects a grave for her. When considering possible names for the new baby, Carl offers the names of all the female group members who have died, including Carol. Daryl later leaves a Cherokee Rose at her grave site.

"Hounded"
Finding Carol's knife jabbed in the throat of a walker, Daryl breaks down in worry for Carol's current position and condition. He begins stabbing the ground with her knife, but is distracted by a rocking door. He angrily pulls it open assuming it to be a walker, but finds Carol, starved and dehydrated, inside. Daryl picks her up and carries her back to the group.

"When the Dead Come Knocking"
Daryl takes Carol back to the safety of her cell to recover. He presumably gets her some water and calls Rick, who was questioning the recently arrived Michonne, over.

Having previously believed Carol to be dead, Rick is overcome with stunned relief upon seeing her. They share a friendly, emotional hug, along with some of the other survivors. When Carol sees the baby, she is overjoyed, but, when she notices that Lori is not there, she realizes that Lori had died in the birth and is devastated. She grasps Rick, breaks down, and apologizes, blaming herself for not being there to help with the birth. They both console each other. Later on, Carol is seen holding baby Judith while bidding Daryl farewell as he leaves for Woodbury.

"Made to Suffer"
Carol observes Axel complimenting Beth on caring well for Judith (Rick and Lori's baby) and asking for her age, and she takes it as Axel making a move on her. She pulls him aside and orders him to leave Beth alone and not make any advances on her (as she is seventeen years old and he is a full-grown adult). Axel offers as a rebuttal that there are few women around who can satisfy him, because Maggie is in a relationship with Glenn, and he assumes Carol to be a lesbian due to her short hairstyle (a stereotype often attributed to lesbian women). When she informs him that she isn't, he dubs their conversation "interesting", to which Carol replies, "no it's not," and walks away.

Later, when Beth questions Hershel about Carol and Axel's location, when she hears voices in the prison, Hershel replies that it couldn't have been them, as they were together in the guard tower keeping watch.

"The Suicide King"
Carol begins talking with Carl about Lori while they wait for Rick and the others to come back from their trip to Woodbury. When they eventually come back, Carol frantically looks in the car and becomes worried when she can't find Daryl. She questions Daryl's whereabouts and Rick tells her that Daryl is still alive, but he left the group so that he could be with Merle again. Carol is shocked and in a state of disbelief, asking Rick many times if Daryl is actually gone and how he could possibly leave the group. Later, when she is preparing a crib made out of a cardboard box for Judith to sleep in, Beth walks up to her and begins talking to her about Daryl's departure from the group and also about Judith. Carol tells Beth that Sophia, her daughter, used to wake the neighbors and how Ed, her now deceased husband, used to sleep at a friends house. Carol also tells Beth how men like Ed, as well as Merle, get into people's heads and make them feel like they deserve the pain and abuse they give them. Beth mentions how angry she is at Daryl for leaving the group for Merle but Carol says not to be because Daryl has codes and that they need more men like that in this world. She seems to be at ease with Daryl leaving, despite initially being crestfallen at Daryl for leaving.

"Home"
Carol and Axel are seen erecting barriers around The Prison in preparation for an impending attack from The Governor and Woodbury. During this time, Carol and Axel begin to bond, as Axel informs her of how he ended up in prison for "armed robbery" due to a misunderstanding. Because of their time together, Axel now sees Carol as a friend and approaches her again later on in the episode. While Carol is talking with Axel outside, he is shot and killed by The Governor, starting a battle between The Prison group and The Governor's group. Carol then quickly ducks down and uses Axel's body as a shield in order to protect herself from the crossfire. Maggie quickly rushes outside and provides Carol, Beth, and Carl with weapons that they then use to defend themselves.

"I Ain't a Judas"
In the episode, Carol walks into Daryl's cell and talks with him about Merle. Carol tells him how she's glad he came back for them and that she thinks Merle isn't good company for Daryl and that he's only bringing him down. She tells Daryl to look how far he's come without Merle in his life and that he's a better man without Merle. Later, when Andrea arrives at the prison, as soon as she sees Carol, they embrace each other and Carol tells that how, once Andrea saved her, they thought a walker killed Andrea back at the farm, in "Beside the Dying Fire". Later on, Andrea comes up to Carol so she can see Lori's baby, "Little Ass Kicker". Carol tells Andrea that the baby's real name is Judith and Daryl gave her nickname Little Ass Kicker. As she is talking with Andrea and catching up, Carol suggests to Andrea that she end the whole Prison-Woodbury conflict and that night, Andrea should sleep with The Governor, gives him the best night of his life, then, while his guard is down, kill him in order to end it. Carol influences Andrea enough so that she thinks about it, and when she's back in Woodbury, she sleeps with The Governor, then afterward, as The Governor is asleep, she walks up to The Governor with a knife and is going to kill him, but decides to put her knife down and walk away.

"Clear"
Carol does not appear in this episode.

"Arrow on the Doorpost"
Carol only appears very briefly in this episode. Carol is first seen when she begins to open the gates for Rick and the others, who are returning from their meeting with The Governor. She is not seen inside until Rick gathers them, which implies that she was outside, keeping watch, while Merle and Glenn were fighting inside. When Rick gathers everyone, Carol is seen listening carefully to what Rick has to say, and when Hershel walks outside to talk with Rick, he mentions that he and Carol believe that they should leave the Prison behind and take their chances out on the road rather than take the risk of losing the prison and being killed by The Governor, but that they would go along with whatever Rick thought would be best for the group.

"Prey"
Carol does not appear in this episode.

"This Sorrowful Life"
As Merle is walking around the upper level of the Prison, Carol calls to him from the common room downstairs. She asks if he is with them. When Merle says yes, Carol believes he doesn't understand what she is asking of him; she adds that she does not mean if he is living in the same place with them, but if he is on their side, and tells him he needs to choose whose side he is on. Merle replies that he's on Daryl's side, and Carol says that Daryl's with them. Merle goes on to say that Carol is no longer who she was back at the Atlanta camp: A mouse afraid of her own shadow. Carol replies that that was her husband's shadow she was living in, not hers. Merle then leaves an aggravated Carol behind.

Later on in the episode, Carol is seen sitting around with the rest of the group in the prison-yard, holding Judith in her arms. She listens to Rick reveal his plan to give Michonne to The Governor (and how he decided to pull back on said plan) and inform everyone that he is stepping down as leader. Carol does not say anything, but looks on in astonishment.

"Welcome to the Tombs"
Carol is first seen helping the group loading supplies, clothes, and belongings in the cars so they could leave the prison if necessary. She'd stay in the prison with the rest of the survivors when the Woodbury army attacked while Carl, Hershel, Beth, and Judith were outside in the woods. During the attack, Carol fired against the Woodbury soldiers as they fled the prison in fear. As Rick, Daryl, and Michonne left to go after the fleeing Woodbury survivors, Carol was one of the survivors that stayed in case The Governor returned for another attack. She helped clear the gates of walkers when Rick's team left. When they came back, Carol, sad to see Andrea didn't return with them, helps unloading the cars and goes back to the prison.

"30 Days Without An Accident"
Carol, along with the other survivors and former Woodbury residents, have built-up the prison so that it's more fortified. She is seen talking to Daryl about the prison and the crescent raise in the number of walkers near the fences, comparing the situation to a month ago. Later on, Carol is shown in the library, reading stories to the children, however she is using 'storytime' reading as a cover to teach the children how to use knives, so they will have a better understanding of how to survive in the apocalypse. When Carl enters the library and notices this, she ask him not to inform his father.

"Infected"
Carol is seen helping Karen in putting the children inside the cells after a zombified Patrick attacks the cell block. After Ryan Samuels is bitten, she is seen carrying him in one of the cells.She tries to cut his arm, only to discover he is also bitten at the back of his neck. Later she brings in his two daughters. After Mika and Lizzie say their goodbyes to him, she pulls out her knife and walks to Ryan, before she can end his suffering, Lizzie volunteers to do it herself. She ends Ryan's suffering after Lizzie suffers a emotional breakdown. Later she is seen telling Lizzie that if she wants to live, she has to be strong. After Lizzie walks away, Mika tells Carol that Lizzie is just messed up and that she is not weak. Later after a brief talk with Lizzie, Carol cuts a flower and puts it at the side on her ear. They both share a smile and Lizzie holds her hand.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Carol has killed:
 * Ed Peletier (Before Reanimation)
 * Ryan Samuels (Before Reanimation)
 * Numerous counts of zombies.

Ed Peletier
"Ed never let me wear nice things."

- Carol to Lori.

Carol and Ed were married before the apocalypse. Ed constantly abused Carol and their daughter, Sophia, even after the apocalypse had hit. At the Atlanta camp, Ed acted very controlling of Carol, forcing her to pull a log out of a fire, ordering her to go in the tent, slapping her when she disobeyed him, as well as other acts. While Carol, Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui were washing clothes, Ed shouted at them, things like "This ain't no comedy club" when they were laughing, and "I'll still knock you on your ass" to Andrea. He tried to drag Carol away in anger, but she was pulled away by Andrea, Jacqui, and Amy. This caused Ed to become even angrier and caused him to slap Carol across her face. Shane quickly grabbed Ed, threw him to the ground, and started beating his face, telling him that if he ever laid his hands on another women in camp then he would beat Ed to death. Carol started to cry and tried to pull Shane away from Ed. When the camp was attacked Ed was devoured by walkers that swarmed his tent. The next day Carol asks to stop Ed from becoming a walker and destroys his corpse before he "comes back." In season 3, "The Suicide King," Carol tells Beth that she is not the same woman she was a year ago and that if Ed came through the door alive and told her to go with him, she would tell him to "go to hell," showing that she isn't afraid of him or people like him anymore.

Sophia Peletier
"That's not my little girl. It's some other...thing. My Sophia was lost in the woods. All this time, I thought. But she didn't go hungry. She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago."

- Carol talking about Sophia after her death.

Carol is the mother of Sophia. Carol is very protective of her daughter and is willing to risk her own life in order to keep her safe. At the Atlanta camp Carol only ever left Sophia alone when she was doing camp tasks or when Sophia went off to play with the other kids, such as Carl or the Morales children, Eliza and Louis. In Season 2 when Sophia goes missing, Carol becomes extremely distraught and prays for Sophia's safety. During this time, she begs the group to go looking for her after dark and constantly cries during the night. When her worst fear of Sophia becoming a walker turns into a reality, she goes into disbelief and says that it was not her daughter that they shot. She then refuses to attend Sophia's funeral, claiming that what Rick shot wasn't her daughter and that Sophia had died a long time ago. She eventually recovers from her grief, and states that Sophia is in a better place, Heaven.

Daryl Dixon
"Daryl has his code... The world needs men like that."

- Carol talking to Beth.

A close bond began to develop between the two during the second season as Daryl risked his life by going out in the woods to search for Sophia. After Daryl was injured by being accidentally shot by Andrea, Carol brings him food and cares for him, telling Daryl that he did more for Sophia than Ed ever did, and that he was just as good of a person as Rick and Shane. Their relationship becomes strained after the events during the barn massacre and Sophia's revelation as a walker, with Daryl becoming rude towards her but soon apologizes to her, and even saves her during the barn invasion in the Season 2 Finale. In the Season 3 premiere, "Seed", Carol brings Daryl some food and they began talking, she rubs her back and he asks "What's wrong?" she replies with "That rifle, the kickback, just not used to it." Daryl then gently massages her shoulder. After that, Carol starts to jokingly flirt with Daryl but he denies the offer and they both laugh. Additionally, in season 3, in the episode "Hounded", Daryl finds Carol after being lost for days. This likely strengthened their relationship. In the episode "When the Dead Come Knocking", Daryl tells Carol to stay safe proving that he cares for her. When Daryl leaves the group to go off with Merle in "The Suicide King", Carol is initially upset, but understands his reason for doing so. In "I Ain't a Judas", Carol tells Daryl that she is glad he is back, and she also warns him about his brother Merle not being good for him. In "30 Days Without An Accident", Carol and Daryl are shown to be a lot more affectionate towards one another, even to the point at which Carol calls Daryl "Pookie."

Rick Grimes
"Rick's gotten us a lot farther than I thought he would."

- Carol revealing her opinions on Rick

In Season 1, Carol ends up saving everyone's lives when she reveals that she found a grenade in Rick's clothes when she washed them. In "TS-19", with only a minute left on the clock and the CDC about to explode, Carol hands Rick the grenade so they can break the window and escape. During Season 2, Carol became one of the group's opposers of Rick's leadership, having stated that she doesn't trust Rick to lead them properly. This grudge may have developed when Rick failed to retrieve Sophia from the woods in "What Lies Ahead." As season 3 progresses, Carol admitted how Rick has done a good job and got them farther than Shane ever could have. Their close friendship is evident in "When the Dead Come Knocking" when Daryl brings her back to their cell block after the group believed her dead. Close to tears, the friends embrace as Rick can hardly believe her miraculous survival. When Carol learns of Lori's death, they again seek comfort with one another. In "The Suicide King" Rick back at the prison tells her that Daryl left with his brother Merle, Carol seems very affected and Rick comforts her with a hug.

Lori Grimes
"You've gotta be worried sick about delivering the baby."

- Carol to Lori over delivering her baby.

Both original members of the Atlanta survivors, and mothers, Lori and Carol form a friendship. Both women are shown comforting and offering advice to one another, especially regarding their children. It is evident that Carol looks up to Lori as a matriarch, even referring to her as the "first lady" of the group. Throughout the series, Lori and Carol have grown incredibly close, which is clearly evident in the Season 3 premiere, "Seed", when Lori and Carol decide to live in a cell together. In "Killer Within", Carol becomes separated from the group, and was the only member of the group who did not know of Lori's death. She finds out about Lori's death in "When the Dead Come Knocking" and is devastated. She may take the place of the baby's mother, as she is seen holding her many times.

Carl Grimes
"Heaven is just another lie and if you believe it, you're an idiot!"

- Carl yelling at Carol.

Carol can often be seen not only keeping a close eye on Sophia, but Carl as well. When Carl is accidentally shot by Otis on a hunting trip, Carol becomes very nervous about his well-being (in spite of her own daughter's recent disappearance). She is quite relieved to find out that Carl makes a full recovery. After Sophia's rediscovery as a Walker, a bout of tension briefly erupts between Carl and Carol: When Carol sees Carl at Sophia's grave, she tells him Sophia is in heaven now; he scorns her for this, saying that there is no God or afterlife, and if Carol believes it she is an idiot. This event is long forgotten, however; though Carl and Carol seldom interact in Season 3, they appear to be on good terms with each other. In "The Suicide King", Carol and Carl work around the guard tower to keep watch and await Rick's return. As they are doing this, they have a heart-to-heart conversation about life before the apocalypse, and how it compares to life as it is now. Further into the conversation, Carol tells Carl supportively that Lori is proud of him; though he seems to believe otherwise. Carl appears to be concerned for Carol's safety during The Governor's attack on the Prison in "Home", as she lies on the ground vunerable to gunshot with only Axel's dead body as a shield. He seems relieved when Maggie covers her and allows her to join him and Beth in safety behind a wall of the Prison.

T-Dog
"I'll do what I have to. You're not becoming one of those things."

- Carol to T-Dog over his infection.

T-Dog sacrificed himself in order to save Carol because he had already been bitten on his shoulder. His selfless sacrifice weighs heavily on Carol, as seen in the episode "I Ain't a Judas", Daryl calls the prison a tomb, she says that's what T-Dog called it and then acknowledges that it was T-Dog who in the end, saved her life.

Miranda Morales
Carol and Miranda appear to have been good friends, as they are both mothers and presumed to have been housewives before the outbreak. When Morales announces that he, Miranda and their children are going to Alabama to find family instead of traveling with the rest of the group to the CDC, a disheartened Carol says goodbye to Miranda and gives her a warm hug before the two parties separate.

Axel
"You're quite a lady."

- Axel to Carol, being flirtatious.

When the group discussed the idea of the remaining prison survivors joining the group, Carol voiced her misgivings stating that the men are in fact convicts. In "Made to Suffer", she observes Axel conversing with Beth Greene and, sensing that he may be making advances towards her, privately tells him to keep away from the girl. When Axel shows interest in Carol, she quickly brushes it off. Carol does not trust Axel, but works with him to guard the prison in the watch tower. Despite her distrust of him, Carol comforts Axel in "The Suicide King" when he and the rest of the group learn of Oscar's fate. Axel is also seen protecting Carol from Rick when he starts yelling and waving his gun over seeing a hallucination of Lori.

In "Home", Axel and Carol began to bond and become friends. While they were talking outside of the prison, Axel was shot and killed by The Governor, leaving Carol to have to use his body as a shield for herself. Carol became extremely distraught at using her new friend's dead body as a shield to protect herself.

Hershel Greene
"Oh, there you are!"

- Carol to Hershel as she reunites with the group.

Hershel teaches Carol a few minor medical techniques in preparation for the birth of Lori's baby. Presumably they become close to one another in their time alone in doing this. In "Seed", Hershel is bitten by a lurker, and his leg is amputated by Rick to stop the infection. Carol, like Maggie, is not optimistic about Hershel's chances of survival, but works as hard to keep him alive anyway. When Carol reunites with the rest of the group in "When the Dead Come Knocking", she is extremely happy to see Hershel again and gives him a strong, bracing hug (despite his now-limited balance). Hershel seems equally happy to see Carol. It is possible that the fact that Carol helped save Hershel's life helped to strengthen their growing bond.

Beth Greene
"Men like Merle get into your head, make you feel like you deserve the abuse. I’m hardly the woman I was a year ago, but if Ed walked through that door right now, breathing, and told me to go with him, I’d like to think I’d tell him to go to hell."

- Carol to Beth.

Beth is seen being kind and friendly to Carol. When Hershel's life hangs in the balance after he is bitten by a walker, Beth seems highly confident in Carol's ability to save her father's life. Carol seems to be developing a bond with Beth, similar to that of a mother and daughter, as evidenced by her intervening during the incident between Beth and Axel in "Made to Suffer", in which Axel began to flirt with Beth. The two of them are the primary caregivers of Judith, as Carol is experienced in taking care of children and Beth loves taking care of Judith. In "The Suicide King", while Carol is doing laundry, Beth comes up to her with Judith and they talk about Daryl leaving. The two have bonded and now can talk about almost anything together. In "I Ain't a Judas" Carol glances at Beth as she is singing, making Beth feel more comfortable further suggesting they have a close relationship. When Beth was killing walkers in "Welcome to the Tombs", Carol was by her side, protectively holding Beth close to her. After the war is over and the new residents from Woodbury arrive at the prison, Carol and Beth come out of their hiding place, holding hands.

Maggie Greene
Carol and Maggie seem to get along, though little interaction is seen between them. Maggie, unlike Beth, does not believe that Carol alone will be able to help Hershel make it through his amputation and subsequent recovery. Maggie saves Carol's life in "Home" during the Woodbury invasion by providing her with a gun to cover herself until she could join Maggie, Beth, and Carl in safety behind a wall of the Prison. This may strengthen their relationship in subsequent episodes.

Andrea
"The Governor...you need to do something, No...you need to sleep with him, give him the greatest night of his life, get him to drop his guard, then when he's sleeping...you can end this."

- Carol to Andrea.

Andrea and Carol have a good relationship. At the Atlanta camp, Andrea and Carol were joking and laughing with each other. Ed walked over and tried to drag Carol away which resulted in Andrea shouting at him and defending Carol; this shows she cares about her.

Carol is saved by Andrea in "Beside the Dying Fire". Andrea also volunteered to search for Sophia when she was missing in earlier episodes. This is likely to have strengthened their relationship. Later in "I Ain't a Judas", Carol and Andrea embrace as Carol explains that they thought she was dead when the dead walker fell onto her. She also explains how T-Dog and Lori died. She then tells Andrea that she can end the war between the Prison and Woodbury and prevent more innocent people from dying by assassinating The Governor. When Andrea dies in "Welcome to the Tombs", as was the case with Lori, Carol notices she is not present when Rick and the others return from Woodbury and immediately deducts that she has died. She seems saddened and disheartened but also somewhat unsurprised, given the circumstances of Andrea's plight. However, Carol slowly begins to cry upon discovering the sad news, indicating that Andrea's death has in fact had a significant impact on her.

Patricia
Patricia and Carol's relationship seemed to be a strong friendship. As they are both the oldest women at the farm, they seemed to bond over laundry and caring for the children. In "Beside the Dying Fire", Carol seemed worried for Patricia and the other women's safety as they stayed within the house while everyone fled. Carol was clearly disheartened when she learned of Patricia's grizzly demise at the hands of the walkers.

Judith Grimes
"You cozy in there? Yes."

- Carol to Judith when putting Judith into her crib.

After getting over her grief regarding Lori's death, Carol takes a fondness to Judith and is often seen cradling her in her arms and caring for her. After being found by Daryl after she was separated from the group, Carol was surprised to see Judith in Beth's arms, and since then, uses her experience of having a daughter to good use in nurturing Judith. Carol, along with Beth, are the primary caretakers of Judith. Carol also tells Andrea about Judith's nickname when she goes to the prison for the first time, and in the process discovers about the deaths of Shane, Lori, T-Dog and Axel. When Beth is not seen cradling Judith, she is either asleep in her crib or is being cradled by Carol.

Shane Walsh
"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it."

- Shane to Carol

Carol, while never directly lashing out at him or antagonizing him, appeared to have a poor relationship with Shane. This may stem from his habit of intervening in situations where Ed seemed like he was about to become hostile towards her, or someone else in the camp. When Ed slaps Carol across the face in "Tell It to the Frogs", Shane beats him savagely, leaving a sobbing, remorseful Carol to tend to her injured husband. Their relationship sours much further in Season 2 due to how Shane handled the case of Sophia's disappearance and is directly responsible for her revelation as a Walker in Hershel's barn. Subsequently, as he is trying to comfort her, Shane trails off topic and instead gets on the subject of how everyone in the group is against him. This causes Carol's disdain for him to increase even further.

Despite Carol's strained relationship with Shane, she is shocked to learn that it was in fact Rick that killed him. This prompts Carol to try to leave the group with Daryl, before the latter turns down her offer to do so.

Mika Samuels
After Ryan Samuels death, Carol is now Mika's adoptive mother.

Lizzie Samuels
After Ryan Samuels death, Carol is now Lizzie's adoptive mother.

Appearances
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Season 4

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Trivia

 * Carol is one of the few members in her group that still believes in God and an afterlife.
 * Andrea says that the item she misses most is her vibrator and Carol replies with, "me, too." Carol also states that she misses her Maytag (washing machine).
 * It is possible she may be left-handed due to the way she handles her rifles.
 * Carol is the adopted mother of Mika and Lizzie Samuels.
 * Carol has a mild case of claustrophobia as stated in, "TS-19."
 * At the beginning of Season 2, she told Andrea that her biggest fear is Sophia turning into a walker like Amy. This fear is sadly realized at the mid-season finale of the same season.
 * Carol is seen for the first time firing a weapon and killing walkers in the Season 3 premiere, "Seed."
 * It is interesting to note Carol's short hair is throughout the TV Series. This is speculated by the fact that she was abused by her late husband, Ed Peletier, who might have prevented her from growing her hair out long to assert control and make her less "attractive" to other men (for the same reason he never allowed her to wear pretty clothes, as she tells Lori).
 * Compared to the others in her group, Carol grows the least amount of hair throughout the time skip. It can be assumed that since she has yet to allow her hair to grow at all in the ten months since the apocalypse began, she has found that having shorter hair is useful and more comfortable. This can be dictated as logic prevailing, as it would certainly keep her from being grabbed by the hair.
 * Due to her short hair, Axel humorously mistakes her for a lesbian in "Made to Suffer."
 * Originally, Carol was supposed to be killed in "Killer Within," but the producers eventually decided against it.
 * In an appearance on Talking Dead, Lew Temple commented, "don't get too close to Carol," which is a possible reference to her role in the deaths of Ed, Sophia, T-Dog, Axel, and Andrea.
 * Carol may have caused the most unintentional deaths among the characters.
 * Carol is portrayed as an avid reader in the comic series; this aspect of her personality is alluded to in "TS-19", where Carol is shown to be quite impressed by the large array of books in the CDC's rec. room.
 * Carol is one of the few remaining survivors left from the original Atlanta group, the others being Rick, Carl, Glenn and Daryl.
 * Also, Carol is the only known female survivor from this group that is still alive, since Miranda and Eliza Morales have an unknown status.
 * Due to common misconception, Melissa McBride said on twitter "but I currently am a series regular. It's legalese." meaning she has been a main character all of season 3, if not season 2 but has yet to appear in the opening credits.
 * Carol has outlived many characters her comic counterpart did not.
 * Carol is the currently longest-living female character in the series, and is the only remaining female character who appeared in Season 1 to be confirmed alive (as the fates of Miranda and Eliza Morales are currently unknown).
 * With that, Carol is also the only female survivor left from the Atlanta Group to be confirmed alive.
 * Carol is one of the few remaining members of Rick's group who has not directly killed a living human being. (Others include Beth and Glenn).
 * Whilst Carol was never directly credited as a main cast member, she was considered to be a main character or at least series regular by AMC. This is similar to Hershel Greene and T-Dog.
 * This, however, changes during Season 4, when she is added to the opening credits.
 * Curiously, Carol's gravesite remains erected next to those of T-Dog and Lori, even though she has been found alive.

Comparison to the Comic

 * Carol is very different from her comic book counterpart:
 * Carol is much older than her Comic Series counterpart, being somewhere in her mid-40's; whereas in the Comic Series, she is 24.
 * Her hair is shorter in the TV Series; whereas in the Comic Series, it's longer.
 * In the TV Series, Carol outlives her daughter.
 * Carol in the TV Series is much more emotionally stable than her comic book counterpart.
 * Carol's disappearance, presumed death by the characters, and subsequent discovery is similar to Tyreese's gym scene, in the Comic Series shortly after his daughter's death.
 * In the TV Series, Carol is much more in control of her emotions. Though she is quite distraught over Sophia's disappearance, she nonetheless remains a relatively helpful, devoted, and available member of the group on Hershel's farm. She also regains her sense of stability relatively quickly after the deaths of Ed, Sophia and Lori, whereas the heartbreak Carol endured in the Comic Series never truly left her and was one of the main factors contributing to her subsequent suicide.
 * In the TV Series, Carol can fight and handle firearms, among other weapons, with great proficiency. Her comic counterpart cannot fight at all and never even handled any weaponry.
 * In the Comic series, Carol kill herself and Sophia was adopted by a member of his group (Glenn and Maggie) creating a family with 3 members. In the TV series, Carol takes care of Samuel's daughters after Ryan's death, creating another 3 person family.