“The subtext was heavier than the text.
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the series finale ofThe Walking Dead.
Daryl Dixon was always going to make it out alive ofThe Walking Dead.
Norman Reedus on ‘The Walking Dead’ series finale.Jace Downs/AMC
The fact that fans promised to riot if he didn’t was one clue.
The fact he isalreadyinproduction on a spin-off serieswas the other.
But how would Daryl make it out?
Norman Reedus and his black eye on ‘The Walking Dead’ series finale.Jace Downs/AMC
And how would things end with him and his post-apocalyptic BFF Carol?
We got those answers on Sunday’s series finale, directed byGreg Nicotero.
(Art imitating life!)
Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus in the series finale of ‘The Walking Dead’.Jace Downs/AMC
Those emotional words were not merely exchanged between characters, but actors as well.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How do you feel about how Daryl’s story wrapped up here after 11 seasons?
I like that that the Commonwealth story line is ending.
Zombie Greg Nicotero with Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus on set of ‘The Walking Dead’ series finale.Courtesy of Greg Nicotero
I was ready to put that to bed a little while ago.
That’s kind of heartbreaking to me.
[Laughs] That was not a coincidence.
That really hurt.”
You look like Doyle from the Misfits with all the black around the eye.
So we’ve used all my real black eyes.
Yeah, that was a really emotional day.
The subtext was heavier than the text.
It felt like a funeral.
It was very quiet on set.
It was a very rough day sad and very heavy.
I know there was some work done on that scene.
It sort of started maybe as something a little different.
Were you guys talking with director Greg Nicotero about how you wanted to handle that?
Yeah, we were talking with Greg about it.
I don’t know where that came from or how that idea germinated.
It had become such a real situation that we just needed to play it real.
It was really sad.
That was all Norman and Melissa.
Greg really wanted to do that.
He continues to direct as a zombie.
It’s kind of wild.
So we end with Daryl taking off on his bike, looking for Rick and Michonne.
Is there anything connective between where we end here and where we start on your new show?
It is a little connected.
That attitude kind of blends in to where we go.
It doesn’t last long, but it kind of blends in there again.
