Exclusive interview | The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon’s Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride talk about their return for Season 2 | Web Series
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol has been a solid season so far, first premiering in September. Season 2 gave viewers to immerse into the world for 6 episodes, with a poignant finale which aired last week. Ahead of the premiere, Hindustan Times caught up with lead actors Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Melissa McBride (Carol) of the beloved show, who talked about reprising their roles to interrogate what comes next and take the show forward. (Also read: The Substance movie review: Demi Moore shines in audacious body horror on ageing)
Stepping forward with Season 2
Norman says that it was Carol’s character whose arc interested him the most when he first read the script of Season 2. “I was so excited for Melissa to come and join the show. I was talking to her about that time and we were so excited to see her back, almost as Christmas is coming! I was really interested in the way we were going to build our characters, and I wanted that to be dynamic. It was nice to have Melissa back, and I was excited to see how she was going to bring Carol this time around.”
Melissa nods in agreement. She adds, “Also, in the details of how she gets there. The way she manoeuvres herself in that direction once she finds out, sort of, where she is. I thought that was going to be very interesting and fun to play. I thought it would surprise the people who are familiar with this character.”
What drives these characters
She also shares that she was looking ahead in terms of how these characters find each other along the way. “What was that moment going to be like? I couldn’t wait to read that part!” Particularly for her own character, Melissa notes that she was constantly looking for what was driving her in these situations. “It was the search for someone she loves very much, whom she considers a relative almost. Also, without going into too much detail, the personal cracks that she has been under, is what is driving her through these situations. That’s where I put the focus on: her state of mind, her state of heart, her state of mission.”
The unifier amidst bigger issues
The Walking Dead is a show that manages to invest in these two characters and harbour a sense of hope and humanity amid all the destruction and violence. Norman insists that one of the things that they do in the show, which would benefit everybody in the world, is how they do not swap the little things in favour of all the big things that matter.
He further explains, “Little things don’t matter as much as big things sometimes, and I see how these characters, when they first started off, would never hang out together… they were all forced to hang out together and forced to listen to each other. They work out whatever little things they have between them to get to the next day. They talk and work things out, and I think a lot of time people swap these little things too much.”
Melissa agrees and concludes by saying: “Sometimes, things feel like they are in an upheaval, and things are going in all directions… The show itself is an unifier. We meet a lot of fans who have become true great friends, whose paths would have never crossed without this show. Also, the story in the show, as Norman was saying, unifying that against a bigger problem. We are in the midst of a bigger problem and these little things will work themselves out because of that. I think it all matters when we come together.”
Season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is available to watch on Prime Video.
