'The Walking Dead' Season 10 Episode 18 Spoilers: Meet Daryl's Friend Leah

The Walking Dead season 10 episode 18 graces our TV screens this Sunday, but we've got the scoop if you want to know what happens in advance.

Courtesy of the latest SPOILER report from the experts at We Are The Walking Dead Fans, we learn precisely what Daryl Dixon was up to during his time away from Alexandria. And, it's the exact kind of subplot fans have been asking for for the past decade.

The episode begins with Daryl and Carol heading off into the woods to find supplies that might help mend Alexandria's busted wall. At some point during the journey, Dog starts barking wildly and heads off in a specific direction. Our heroes follow their pet to an empty cabin, and Carol suggests the pair stay there for the night. When Dog starts digging at the floorboards, Carol realizes he's leading them to the provisions they need. The supplies also come with a note attached, and Carol asks Daryl if "this is where she lived."

It turns out the she in this case is a young woman named Leah, played by actress Lynn Collins, who previously took on a role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Despite the three years that had passed since Rick's presumed death, Daryl continues to search for him. Leah first encounters Daryl by putting a gun to his head and eventually lets him go.

They cross paths multiple times over several months. One of these times, the puppy version of Dog even leads Daryl to her cabin. The woman eventually reveals her name and says that she was once with a group, but left them after her close friend died during childbirth. She now cares for the boy, Matthew, as her own. In turn, Daryl tells her he's searching for the body of a brother he thinks he's lost.

Daryl and Leah wind up spending 10 months together in a sexual relationship, but the situation grows sour as Leah tires of Daryl's constant search for Rick. She says he must give up the ghost if they intend to stay together, and Daryl refuses to do so. He eventually changes his mind, but by that time, Leah has already left. Dog, however, stays behind. Daryl leaves a note telling Leah to come find him, and this is the note Carol discovers.

Having dug up all these painful memories, Carol's questioning of Daryl about his past eventually turns into Daryl accusing his friend of trying to run away from the bad things she's done. He also blames her for losing Connie, but Carol insists she made the right call to stop Alpha. The tension isn't resolved at the end of the episode, and Carol wonders aloud if the luck in their friendship has finally run out.

In other words, much like episode 17 before it, episode 18 offers an interesting side story that doesn't yet advance the main plot of Michonne's Rick-related findings or Eugene's new stormtrooper friends. This episode does, however, offer insight into Daryl's past that we needed to see to fully understand his character. It also offers up a solid preview of the Daryl and Carol spinoff series AMC intends to premiere in 2023.

Many walker stalkers will likely label this episode as a filler script, but it's possible these rising tensions between two friends will play a bigger role later on in this bonus batch of shows.

The Walking Dead airs March 7 on AMC.

What do you think of these episode 18 spoilers? Is it possible we might see Leah again? Tell us in the comments section!