The Walking Dead: Norman Reedus Discusses Daryl And Carol Spin-Off

Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, is back to filming the final season.  But it wasn’t really supposed to happen this way.  In fact, it appears that the main show was going continue on as Daryl and Carol would be heading out for their own adventures at the same time!

In an interview with EW Live, Reedus shared how the vision for the spinoff began. “Angela and I started talking about it during the episode Greg directed with the snow,” Reedus says, referring to showrunner Angela Kang and director/executive producer Greg Nicotero. That winter wonderland episode, “The Storm,” was filmed at the end of 2018 and served as the season 9 finale.

According to EW, there was one big change to the original plan that caught Reedus by surprise. It seems what was originally discussed was that Reedus and McBride would leave The Walking Dead while the show was still continuing, rather than after the series wrapped up at the conclusion of season 11, which is now the plan. Not only that, but they would periodically return to the original series to check in before heading out again. Now the spin-off will act as a continuation of the series rather than operating on a simultaneous parallel track.

“I didn’t know the flagship show would end,” Reedus reveals. “The whole thing was we would take off and we’d come back and check in and we would take off. So I didn’t know that was going to happen. And to be honest, I was hoping that would never happen because, you know, that’s the mothership. I’m scared to leave the mothership. That’s scary new ground. I mean, I’m excited for the spin-off and I’m excited for the type of show it will be, but I didn’t see that coming that. That kind of came out of nowhere.”

During an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Kimmel asked Reedus about the new spinoff and what viewers can expect. “It’s a different type of show,”Reedus explained, vaguely. “It’ll be completely different.”

Could it be a comedy sitcom, suggested Kimmel. “It would be funny, I think [if it was a sitcom], to have these two characters explain to the world who they are… That could be funny,” Reedus agreed.

Daryl and Carol have been the two longest-tenured characters now on The Walking Dead. The two have long been shipped by viewers to have a romantic relationship but that’s never come to fruition. Instead, the two share the closest friendship on the show and rely on each other heavily now that other leaders on the show like Rick and Michonne have departed.

“I love the way these characters interact and relate to each other on so many levels and can’t wait to see where their ride goes from here,” Reedus said in a previous statement.

Also in the same statement, Melissa McBride added, “There is… a rather mysterious aspect to their fondness for one another that I enjoy, and their playfulness when the world permits. I’m very curious! Angela [Kang] has a way of shaking things up in great and unexpected ways. She’s like a kid playing with the dimmer switch! I’m very excited!”

The Walking Dead heads into a final 30 episodes once this Season 10 Special Event airs on October 4. The show will air six episodes in early 2021 that are expected to focus on Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and where she was while she was away from our main group. It is also expected to introduce the community and the characters in the community where Maggie had been living.

Are you excited about all of this Walking Dead news like we are? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!