Of all the things I look forward to the most in Season 3, it is the development of the Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon relationship.

I just love these two actors together. I know the writers are playing up the bromance, but Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus just give the characters’ developing bond such an emotional, visceral punch.

I think they were meant to be brothers. Shane and Merle were the pretenders to that throne for each of them.

My three favorite moments:

1) When Daryl approaches Rick after the episode with Shane and tells him, “Ain’t no reason you should have to do all the heavy lifting.” The man is intuitive as hell and, more than that, willing to do some of the harder work of keeping the group together that no one else except Rick seems to comprehend needs to be done.

2) When Dale was attacked and begging for death, it was Daryl who realized that Rick was struggling with having to do yet another wrenching task. When Daryl stepped up and gave Dale a sort of last rites (“sorry brother”), he showed what kind of heavy lifting he was really willing to do.

3) In the Season 2 finale, when Carl, Hershel and Rick were on the highway and they suddenly hear the sound of a Harley approaching. Daryl rode up and the first person he approached was Rick. The solid, welcoming, man-to-man, brother-to-brother handshake said more about their developing kiinship than a page of dialogue could have done.

Rick knows that, unlike Shane, he will always be able to count on Daryl to do what is right, what is necessary and what is best for everyone, even when it’s hard or distasteful.

And unlike Merle, Daryl knows Rick values him for the competent, smart, intuitive and worthy man he is.

In another life, they would have been adversaries. Instead, they are brothers.