‘The Walking Dead’ Theory: Morse Code Message From Daryl?

Walking Dead fans have a theory about last week’s episode, and it involves a possible Morse code message from Daryl. No, you didn’t miss a scene with a telegraph. But you may have missed two things from “Service” that make this idea fairly plausible. Here’s the relevant scene. Check it out.

Notice Daryl’s blinking? That’s the basis for this theory. So what do fans think he is communicating? Well, there have been a variety of interpretations of his Morse code blinks, several of which are some variation of “I East,” which could be him trying to communicate that The Sanctuary is located east of Alexandria.

Now, of course, the blinking may not be Morse code. It could just be Daryl’s eyes adjusting to the sunlight. He has, after all, spent Season 7 of The Walking Dead in a dark room. Many fans attribute his blinking to this fact and aren’t buying into the Morse code theory. Then there are others who believe otherwise. Although he has spent most of his time alone in a dark room, this isn’t his first foray into the outside. He watched zombies in the yard earlier this season, during his time as a captive. That’s the scene shown in the photo at the top of this article. And even in this scene, he didn’t just walk outside. He’s been there for a while. And just before the possible Morse code communication, his eyes are open and steady – squinted, but not blinking unnaturally. Still not convinced? Here’s the second thing used as support for this idea. Toward the beginning of last week’s Walking Dead episode, there was this shot.

A Morse code chart on Rick’s kitchen wall. Was this foreshadowing what was to come later in the show? Was it meant to tell us that Rick knows Morse code and interprets Daryl’s blinks as such?

Admittedly, Daryl Dixon is a Walking Dead fan favorite, and our hearts are breaking for him this season. And to watch Rick feeling weak and wounded, powerless to do anything about a miserable situation is difficult to watch. We want so badly to find some glimmer of hope for Daryl, Rick, and the rest of the Alexandria population. Maybe we’re gasping at straws here. Maybe it’s wishful thinking. Comicbook spoke to showrunner Scott Gimple earlier this week and asked for his thoughts on the theory. Here’s what he had to say.

“… it was an incredibly sunny day. But I will say this, the fans of this show are the greatest fans that watch a television program. The stories that they tell and the things that they gleam out of it are actually really thrilling. It just excites me that they have enough faith that we have put in some labyrinth theme kind of stuff. I would love to live in a world where that was true but it also could have been a sunny day. Hazy, too, which makes it worse.”

So… hmmm. He doesn’t really come right out and say that this Walking Dead fan theory is wrong, but he indicates it’s a stretch. Which could just mean he’s trying to throw us off. I mean, really, if it were true and Daryl was telling Rick the location of The Sanctuary, would Gimple say so at this point? Probably not. He wants us to tune in this weekend and see if the theory plays out! He loves Walking Dead fan theories! They keep people talking and engaged in the show!

So what do you think? Is Daryl communicating with Rick? Is his message going to be the start of a big revolution, a big uprising of Alexandria against Negan? Or is it all hopeful thinking on the part of Walking Dead fans, and he is just blinking in the bright sunlight?

Tune in to AMC tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET to see the next episode of The Walking Dead. Hopefully we’ll find out the truth then.

[Featured Image by AMC]