“Hands down, he’d be dead.”
We asked Reedus what Daryl would have done, and the actor did not hesitate with his response.
“He would have slit his throat,” says Reedus.
Norman Reedus on ‘The Walking Dead’.Josh Stringer/AMC
“Hands down, he’d be dead.”
But Daryl wasn’t there.
NORMAN REEDUS:He finds that note and at first is going to take it with him.
Norman Reedus on ‘The Walking Dead’.Josh Stringer/AMC
And then he’s like, nah, maybe they’re still out there.
Maybe there’s hope there.
Why take that away?
And that’s just another story line.
Like, that could be a show.
And there’s so many of them in so many different directions.
And the people that don’t have money are down in the sewers.
And then it flips.
It’s like eat the rich they’re eating the rich, taking their stock.
So I don’t know that Daryl would be anti-eat-the-rich.
I think he would probably wear that T-shirt.
I do know that there’s a whole bunch of social injustices that are being referenced this season.
Equality, class warfare, there’s just a whole bunch of things that were addressed in season.
And I think that’s kind of where we thought we were headed.
I know I did.
I know Andy did, so I could see that mural coming true.
First off, you know I love it when you’re dropping Motorhead references during an interview.
Yeah, I know.
Most people would see that note and be like, whatever, but it really impacts him.
And he’s clearly thinking way too much about it.
Daryl has always been that guy looking after somebody else before himself.
Since Sophia got lost, he’s always been that character on the show that puts himself second.
People keep asking me, “How do you want to see Daryl at the end?
How do you see his story end on the show?”
I just want him to find peace.
I want him to be comfortable in his own skin.
Maybe someplace where he doesn’t have to do that over and over again.
What does it take for that to happen?
Is he capable of that?
I think that would be a nice place for him to be in.
More so than I think any of the other characters, he’s very selfless.
He’s always been selfless.
He’s never gone off on a mission for personal gain.
Carol’s done it.
Negan’s done it.
They’ve all done it, except maybe Glenn.
Even Shane did it.
Glenn never did it.
Maybe that’s one of the things Daryl learned from Glenn and Hershel.
It’s funny coming from a character who also has felt so uncomfortable around other people before.
Especially when you first got to Alexandria, and other times as well.
What was filming that like?
That was really cool.
I kept hearingMatrixmusic in my head.
I liked having those two start differently and come together in one big kaboom!
I thought it was really cool the way they put that together.
What can you tease about what’s coming up for Darryl and company after that?
Well, there’s that group, the Reapers.
There’s a very Blackwater sort of vibe to that group.
They’re very professional.
They know how to kill.
They know how to take care of themselves.
They have a certain tactical skill set that we’ve never come across before.
So they’re used to pain, they’re used to fighting through it.
And that guy is a really good character.
And that actor, Ritchie Coster, that played him is really good.
So there’s an intensity that’s almost like the hand of God has put into him.
It’s veryBoondock Saints, to be honest.
You just can’t stop him.
And the group that he has is very good at what they do.
