In The Walking Dead universe, loneliness is a terrible thing. The idea of building connections is the foundation of The Walking Dead, as it allows survivors to grow larger in numbers against greater and more violent forces.

When it was announced that Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier) was dropping out of the now-titled Daryl Dixon spinoff, fans were heartbroken and befuddled. There is no Daryl without Carol, and vice-versa, although the spinoff has undoubtedly proven that the titular character can stand on its own. Then, a rumor began circulating that McBride would appear in the spinoff's second season, and it was well-received. Daryl Dixon has already begun transitioning her into the spinoff, along with a tease of another character making his way back home.

RELATED: Daryl Dixon's Laurent Could Be The Walking Dead's Most Powerful Character

Carol Finally Makes Her Way to Daryl Dixon

The fifth episode of Daryl Dixon goes back to the days before Daryl's adventures in France. He was wandering around America, trying to find Rick Grimes and Michonne to no avail. As he was stranded in the middle of nowhere in Maine with no gas to quicken his journey, he ultimately decided to head back to the Commonwealth empty-handed. On his way there, he makes what was supposed to be a pit stop, which puts Daryl off his course.

At a settlement in Maine, Daryl radios the Commonwealth, where Carol picks up. This is as far as fans get of Carol in this episode, meaning there's no physical appearance of her. Still, hearing McBride's voice even over a static radio is nostalgic. Not to Daryl's surprise, Carol sounds a bit unhappy. While not explicitly stated, she may miss her best friend, who has been gone for well over a year. But he promises to return home, as she reassures him everything is fine back at the Commonwealth. While she hints at a tedious and routine life at the Commonwealth with no excitement, she does deliver some pretty big news that says otherwise.

RELATED: TWD: Daryl Dixon's Plot Armor is Practically Invincible to Laurent

Carol Possibly Teased Rick's Arrival at the Commonwealth

In the rather clever -- albeit a little cliché -- final moment between the friends, the radio breaks up just as Carol drops a bombshell. She tells Daryl that "[static] came back," and the line drops. Neither he nor the audience could hear the name, but the biggest mystery of The Walking Dead franchise for the past few years can well enough answer it. It has to be none other than Rick, who is the entire reason Daryl left the Commonwealth in the first place, even if the spinoff chooses to avoid using Rick's name in its entirety. If the tease ended up being anyone else, for whatever reason, it would be a massive disappointment for fans who've felt baited. Who else could be anticipated to return besides the main character who started the story?

Rick's return to the Commonwealth, hopefully alongside Michonne, is monumental for the franchise and slightly spoils the upcoming The Ones Who Live spinoff. A happy ending was always anticipated for Rick and Michonne so that they could finally reunite with their children and live out their days at the Commonwealth. But it does tarnish the enigma around Rick and Michonne's conflict against the looming CRM. The tease proposes that Rick and Michonne made it out alive, but fans shouldn't already know the endgame before it happens on-screen. The Ones Who Live shouldn't already be solved in another spinoff. It deserves its time to shine, even if its ending is eminently predictable.

RELATED: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 1, Episode 4, "La Dame de Fer," Recap & Spoilers

The Future of Carol on TWD: Daryl Dixon

Rick Grimes, though, likely won't appear in Daryl Dixon. If Rick has really made it home, the last thing he'll want to do is travel to another country. He's been a captive of the CRM for several years, missing the birth of his third child and seeing his daughter grow up. Daryl may be Rick's best friend, but even Daryl would understand that Rick has been through the wringer enough -- let him have at least one moment of peace with his family. So, Carol is responsible for bringing Daryl home, who already has enough information to track Daryl's location.

Daryl had already told Carol he was at a settlement in Maine on the coast. With that information, plus the fact that they had a radio -- a commodity many survivors aren't privileged to have in the outbreak -- Carol has enough signs to point her in the right direction. At this point in the present day of the series, Daryl has probably been gone for weeks. This means that Carol might not be far behind Daryl, especially if she finds the settlement that dumped him on a boat to France.

Daryl Dixon has been leading up to the titular character returning home once and for all, leaving his exploits in France behind. But AMC has already announced a second season ahead of the first season's premiere, and the series isn't exactly secretive about the continuation of filming in France with McBride on set. It's easy to deduce that Daryl won't be making it home anytime soon, and Carol will stay on his side in France. Maybe the lesson AMC should take away from this is to keep these mighty plot twists tight-lipped, just so the story can unveil itself on-screen rather than from behind-the-scenes rumors and set photos. Regardless, it's certainly an exciting time to be a Walking Dead fan, with so many OG characters making their way to the screen like the golden days.

The Season 1 finale of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres next Sunday on AMC and AMC+ at 9:00 PM ET.