Daryl and Carol fans have a lot to look forward to when “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” returns with its second season, subtitled “The Book of Carol.”
Melissa McBride, who was originally set to costar in the series alongside Norman Reedus but had to step away for personal reasons, first appeared in the Season 1 finale; she later joined Season 2 and will also star in the just-announced third season. And she knew she’d be returning for Season 2 for quite some time.
“It was before the scripts were written for season 1,” Reedus said at the Variety Studio, presented by Google TV at 2024 San Diego Comic-Con. “The relationship they have — she can feel it. Something doesn’t feel right. It’s like a premonition… It’s a bond that’s a tangible, cosmic sort of bond.”
For Carol, McBride says, “I think that she is concerned about where her friend is. When things get quiet, things get stirred, so she’s on a mission to find her friend for several reasons.”
Season 2 of the AMC series picks up where the first left off as both Daryl and Carol “both confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, causing tension at the Nest.”
So, how long will it take for the pair to reunite? The group couldn’t reveal specifics of course, but McBride teased, “It’s a great journey but it does take that long.”
The pair will unite, however, since news of Season 3 — starring both of them — was announced on Friday. It will be based in Madrid, with shooting planned in the Galicia, Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia regions.
Why Spain? “Sangria,” joked Reedus.
“It’s part of the progression of Daryl and Carol trying to get home. They find their way there through a bunch of surprising and cool reasons but Spain is right across the border from France,” showrunner David Zabel said. “It’s one of the things that distinguishes us from the other ‘Walking Dead’ shows — that we get to show how different parts of the world have responded to the walker apocalypse and the different impact it has had in different places and come up with some cool, new things that you don’t see in the American versions.”
Executive producer and director Greg Nicotera chimed in, “And we’re better.” Before noting that the travel also “keeps it fresh.”
“One of the reasons we went to Europe to begin with was to really have a whole new journey and take the characters that we know and put them in a strange land,” he said. “Any opportunity that we can to continue exploring the world is a great opportunity for these characters.”
Season 2 of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon — The Book of Carol” will premiere on AMC and AMC+ on September 29.