Comic-Con favs Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride joined Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, showrunner David Zabel, and executive producer Greg Nicotero for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season two panel and press conference. The new season debuts on AMC on September 29, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT and finds Daryl questioning his decision to remain in France.
During the press conference, the TWD team confirmed the first two six-episode seasons were conceived as a whole. Taking the action to France allowed The Walking Dead spinoff to not only showcase how the apocalypse affected another part of the world but also reinvigorate the franchise.
”You know, the stories are different, the relationships are different, the settings are different, and even the light is different. So, different things happen to us,” offered Norman Reedus when asked how the setting affects his approach to Daryl. “The show’s very different in Europe. You’re on a TV show that’s become such a massive thing. It sort of moves itself, and you get swept up in the monster of it. We reinvented the show, because it looks different, half of it’s in French, it’s completely different, the relationships are different. The show itself feels to me like making art again, like we did in the beginning, of the show in Georgia.”
Without giving away spoilers, Melissa McBride added, “I have to say that one of my favorite scenes is with two of them. The connections that are made between the characters, the landscape of France, it’s so beautiful, but it’s all like a gift wrap to these new things that are evolving within Daryl, for instance. [Norman] goes places I’ve never seen him go before as far as acting, or the character, a little deeper in a very special way.”
Greg Nicotero admits that even though he’s been with the franchise since the very beginning, there are things in season two that surprise him. “There’s the premiere episode, which I directed, there’s a scene with Melissa and Ash and there’s a moment there that I didn’t see coming when I read the script and when we shot it. And it was really interesting because you feel like you know Carol and then she just makes this one statement and it really makes you look at her differently,” says Nicotero. “I really appreciate that they’re getting that opportunity. And it’s the same with Daryl. There are surprises that their characters go through that still give us more layers than they are. “
One of the big topics of conversation surrounding season two was how much French to include. The goal was authenticity, so characters were allowed to speak French when they should. If characters are communicating with Daryl or Carol, then they would speak enough English to communicate. There’s quite a bit of French language in the upcoming season, to go with the season’s European tone.
Basically, according to David Zabel, the goal was to make it feel like a French show. The crew was 97% French, which helped lend to the authenticity as they incorporated French culture and history. Plus, there’s the added element that the disorientation of introducing another language created, lending a vulnerability to these characters we’ve known for over a decade.
”There’s a lot of action coming in season two. The writing is really tight. What we noticed is that there’s a lot going on, but it still breathes,” says McBride. “It’s not just like we have to hit a plot point or have to get from A to B. We’re going to feel this, we’re going to ride this emotion, and we’re going to end up here. So, it feels like a good ride.”
Both McBride and Reedus feel there’s something special about The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol. “I think characters mean a lot to a lot of people. They inspire,” says McBride. “I feel like my character…I feel like we’re having a lot more fun with these characters. Like, there was a lot of heavy stuff to go through to get to this point. Not that there’s not a lot of heavy stuff now. I just feel like it’s something different.”
“It has the energy of the first couple of seasons of our original show. Like, we’re excited. It’s fun to shoot,” confirms Reedus. “But also like you were talking about the language and part being in French is that we don’t know what you’re saying. Are we going to fight? Are we going to get along? And now you’ve got the two of our characters trying to figure stuff out together.”
And one final highlight out of the press conference. Reedus was asked if, given their chemistry, Carol and Daryl will ever get together. “Well, in season three you find out that we’re related,” joked Reedus. “No, I don’t know yet. Never say never.”
– Additional reporting by Alison Helms
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