In an interview with Entertainment Weekly showrunner, Angela Kang was asked what’s stopping the friends from leaving like they said they would.
In response, the showrunner explained: “I think ultimately, even though both of them at times feel like they’d be better off alone, they love the people that they’re with so much, and it’s to the point where it’s painful.
“And I think that in some ways, neither of them have run off for good because what that means is really abandoning everybody else, and that’s hard for them.
“Even when Daryl was off in the wilderness last season, he was still maintaining ties to the community. It’s just that it had been a long time and Carol felt him slipping away.”
source: express.co.uk