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"Find Me" is the eighteenth episode of the tenth season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It is the one-hundred and forty-ninth episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 7, 2021. It was written by Nicole Mirante-Matthews and directed by David Boyd.[1]

Plot[]

Daryl and Carol find an old cabin that takes Daryl back to his years away from the group after Rick disappeared. He relives the painful memory of meeting a reticent survivor and the toxic events that amplified his relationship with Dog.

Synopsis[]

Daryl is preparing to go on a hunting trip. As Carol approaches, she notices a map that Daryl dropped and picks it up. With Daryl struggling to start his bike, she offers to do it for him, as she has experience with pedal sewing machines. Daryl declines her offer, but supposes Carol wants to come along, which she confirms. After he manages to start the bike, she climbs on it as well, despite Daryl's reluctance. The two playfully bicker as they ride away, with Dog running beside them.

After stashing the bike in some shrubbery, the pair find a deer trail, but it turns out the deer has already been partially devoured when they find its corpse. They discuss where to hunt next. Daryl suggests the river, but asks if Carol is okay with that, which she affirms. After a lengthy trek, Carol gets a foot cramp. Daryl thinks they might have been better off searching for food in another area, but Carol wants to spearfish before moving on. Despite Daryl's doubts about her abilities, Carol spears a fish on her first try. Later, as they're filleting Carol wonders if their luck has run out, with the recent losses of Hilltop and Alexandria. Daryl points out they didn't lose Alexandria, and is confident they can rebuild, but Carol is more pessimistic, as she believes rebuilding is futile and the dead will catch up to them eventually. Daryl says he isn't going to let that happen, before cutting off the conversation altogether. Suddenly, Dog takes off running after something, with Daryl and Carol rushing after it. Dog leads them to an old, abandoned cabin, which Daryl clearly recognizes. He briefly remembers a woman playing with Dog on the porch. Carol suggests they stay the night, as Daryl reminisces further.

He remembers his life five years ago, when he was still searching for Rick. Camping on a nearby riverbank, Daryl is surprised when Dog, then still a puppy, runs up to him. Daryl happily pets the pup, but it soon runs off. With that, Daryl goes back to his improvised shelter and studies a map he drew of the surrounding area, deciding on where to search for his friend next. Later, he reunites with Carol, who briefs him on current events, such as the increased isolation of the communities and Maggie leaving Hilltop. Carol impatiently asks how long Daryl plans on staying out in the wilderness, as it's already been two years. Daryl doesn't know, but supposes he will be searching for as long as it takes. Carol understands and says that she would help him if she didn't have obligations at the Kingdom with Henry and Ezekiel, but Daryl assures her that he knows. Before he leaves, she tosses him some supplies. Further downriver, Daryl finds an overturned boat. Once he kills the nearby walkers, he checks the body underneath, but it isn't Rick. Back at his shelter, Daryl weathers a storm. Much to his anguish, the rain destroys his map. Defeated, Daryl walks out into the rain.

One year later, Daryl is still searching, when he stumbles upon some iron spikes protruding from a tree. Soon enough, Dog, now grown up, runs from out of the trees and beckons Daryl to follow him. The canine brings him to a nearby cabin. He busts inside and kills a walker, but is soon ambushed by a woman, who holds him at gunpoint. The woman asks for his name. Daryl attempts to leave, but the woman prevents him from doing so.

Back in the present, Dog fixates on a spot on the floor. When Carol removes the floorboards, she finds a box with a note inside. Reading it, Carol realizes the cabin belonged to the woman from Daryl's past. She asks him about this, but Daryl is dismissive, letting Carol know that he already told her everything. Carol, however, doesn't believe him. Sighing, Daryl asks what else she wants to know, to which Carol replies that she will listen to whatever Daryl wants to tell her.

Four years ago, Daryl sits tied up inside the cabin, as the woman drags the walker corpse outside. Daryl fiddles with his ropes, but is stopped by the woman. Daryl asks if she's going to kill him. She asks if she should, and believes Daryl doesn't want to die. Daryl spits back that she doesn't know anything about him, which she acknowledges, so she asks for his name again, and why he is trespassing on her land. Daryl introduces himself and says that he was just trying to help, but Leah snarks that he is tied up with a shotgun pointed at his head, and rhetorically asks what kind of help could he possibly offer her. After a tense moment of silence, the woman decides to cut Daryl loose. Before he leaves, Daryl asks if she's going to tell him her name, but she tells him "no".

Six months later, Daryl is sitting at his shelter when he is startled by Dog. He takes Dog back to the cabin, where the woman thanks him for bringing her pet back. Since the woman still refuses to introduce herself, Daryl asks for the dog's name, but the woman simply calls him "Dog". The woman takes note of Daryl's scar, and says that living out in the wild isn't for everyone. Daryl supposes the lifestyle will catch up to all of them, but the woman replies that this will happen only if they let it. With that, Daryl takes his leave, and the woman tells him to be careful.

Eight months after this, Daryl is gathering some wood when he is ambushed by a group of walkers. He takes out a couple, but starts to retreat when he notices there are too many. Suddenly, the woman arrives to assist him and signals Daryl to follow her. They hide together and wait for the walkers to pass by. Once the threat has subsided, Daryl sternly tells the woman to stay away from his camp. Offended, the woman introduces herself as Leah as she leaves.

Three months after their encounter, Daryl arrives at the cabin and tosses a fish on Leah's doorstep. Some time after Daryl returns to camp, Leah tosses the fish back at him, and says that she can catch her own. Daryl says that he was trying to be nice, but Leah asserts that she doesn't need him to be nice and just wants to be left alone. Daryl bitterly promises he won't bother her again, and Leah replies that she won't visit him anymore either. Noticing that she is still lingering, Daryl says that he understands why she lives out in the woods by herself. Leah guesses that Daryl has been alone for a long time, too, which he confirms. Leah asks if Daryl has frostnip, but he brushes it off. Nonetheless, she invites him to spend the night at her cabin to get warm. Later that night, Daryl is woken by the sound of broken glass. He finds Leah picking up a broken picture frame. Leah explains that today is the birthday of the boy in the picture. She recounts how she didn't have a good family growing up, so she had to find her own. She found that with her squad, with whom she fought side-by-side. When the world ended, they swore they would stay together. The squad, she says, gave her hope, and she tried to give the same to her son, Matthew. She tearfully admits that Matthew wasn't her biological son, but she adopted him after her close friend died giving birth to him. Tearfully, Leah laments that it doesn't matter, as Matthew is gone. She walks over to a window and looks over Matthew's grave. She continues her story, recounting how she was with Matthew and Dog's mother (who was pregnant) when the dead surrounded them. Leah was separated from her squad, and ran to the cabin with Matthew. It was only then that she noticed Matthew had been bitten. Matthew died the same day Dog was born, which was the last time she saw another living person until Daryl. Leah asks him who he lost, so Daryl tells her it was his brother, who was lost in an accident, but his body was never found. Leah asks if Daryl still thinks his brother is still alive, but he doesn't know, though promises to never stop looking until he finds out.

In the following ten months, Daryl and Leah spend a lot of time together, and even become romantically involved. Over time, however, Leah becomes increasingly frustrated with Daryl periodically leaving to look for Rick. One day, when Daryl reveals that he will be gone for a few days, Leah reaches her breaking point and asks Daryl where he belongs, whether it's by the river looking for his dead brother, with the family he left, or with her. Daryl claims he doesn't know, but Leah thinks he does, and tells him to choose. Later, Carol finds Daryl at his shelter packing up. She asks if he is coming back, but he denies this, and reveals he is just moving. Carol gifts Daryl a knitted vest, and tells him in turn it might be a while before she comes see him again. Daryl tells her that she doesn't need his permission to move on with her life, although she denies asking in the first place. He then supposes she wants him to move on with his, but she claims she just wants Daryl to find peace, as she doesn't want to lose him because he doesn't know when to stop. Daryl assures her that she won't lose him before leaving. When he comes back to the cabin, however, he finds it trashed and Leah missing, along with Matthew's picture. Dog, however, is still present, and soon joins Daryl. Daryl writes Leah a message saying "I belong with you. FIND ME.", and places it in a wooden box Leah kept under the floorboards, along with a few cans of food. He then leaves with Dog, telling his pet not to worry, as he is certain they will get Leah back.

In the present, Daryl laments that he should have been there to help Leah. Carol asks if he thinks Leah is still alive or someone took her, but Daryl doesn't know. Carol considers the possibility that Leah left on her own. Daryl denies this, and blames himself for walking away. Carol comforts Daryl by saying that it's not his fault every time he loses someone, and that losing Leah isn't on him, nor is losing Rick or Connie. Daryl resentfully agrees to Carol's last example, as he blames Carol for losing Connie instead, since she never knows when to stop. Carol says that she is sorry for Connie, but isn't sorry for going after the horde nor making Alpha pay for killing Henry, because she was right. Daryl begrudgingly asks if her being right is all that matters. Carol realizes Daryl isn't upset with her because of Leah or Connie, so she invites him to say what he really means. Daryl tells her that she shouldn't have come. Carol claims she just wanted to help, but Daryl retorts that she wanted to run instead, so that's what she did. Carol seems confused by this assertion, but Daryl thinks she ran because she couldn't deal with the guilt, so she made it his problem. Carol snaps back that Daryl's only problem is thinking he has to save everybody, and that she doesn't need a savior or a martyr, but a friend. Daryl asserts that friends don't have the same conversation over and over again, and that he is sick of it. Carol says that, in that case, Daryl should have let her get back on the boat. He coldly agrees that he shouldn't have stopped her, and gives her permission to run if she wants to, as he won't stop her this time. He, however, maintains that he knows where he is supposed to be. Carol sadly states that she was right, as their luck has indeed run out. She heads inside the cabin, leaving Daryl standing alone on the porch.

Other Cast[]

Uncredited[]

Deaths[]

  • Matthew's Mother (Confirmed Fate)
  • Dog's Mother (Confirmed Fate)
  • Matthew Shaw (Confirmed Fate)
  • 1 deer
  • Numerous fish

Trivia[]

  • First appearance of Leah Shaw. (Flashback)
  • First (and last) appearance of Matthew Shaw. (Flashback, Photograph)
  • The title of the episode, "Find Me", refers to Daryl's letter that he left for Leah.
  • This episode was made available for streaming to subscribers of AMC Premiere on March 4, 2021.
  • This episode marks Norman Reedus' 125th appearance on the TV Series.
  • This is the sixth episode to feature only two main cast members, after "Still", "The Grove", "Slabtown", "The Well" and "Bury Me Here".
  • The August 21, 2017 solar eclipse was depicted in this episode, making it one of the few episodes in The Walking Dead franchise to be marked by a specific date.

Episode Highlights[]

TBA

References[]

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