Posted in: TV, Walking Dead | Tagged: the book of carol, The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol: No "Caryl" Chapter?

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol Showrunner David Zabel on why they don't see "Caryl" happening anytime soon and more.

With the second season hitting in less than a month, filming on the third season already underway, and rumblings getting louder about a fourth season, what more could fans of AMC's Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Melissa McBride (Carol)-starring The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol? Well, we know one thing that "Caryl" fans want, and that's for our leads to get all sorts of romantic. Unfortunately, that doesn't sound like it's going to be happening anytime soon, based on what Showrunner David Zabel had to share in the latest issue of SFX Magazine.

"The obvious thing to do, and the easier thing to do, would be, 'Okay, now they're falling in love, and they're a couple.' But I always felt like that would be a mistake because it would feel like you were going into the TV book of tricks. To me, there was never a question that [their connection] was something other than what it is, and what it seems to want to be, and why it works so well," Zabel shared, noting that going beyond that was a road that the writers weren't looking to travel down. But could there be a growing attraction between Daryl and Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) moving forward?

"There are moments of friction, but there are obviously moments of mutual interest, and more than friendship that seems to be developing. Norman and I talked about this – that we wanted to draw a mature, adult relationship between a man and a woman and see where it went. Let's just put these two characters, who are very different in very interesting, intriguing ways, force them together by the story facts, and then see what happens," Zabel explained. "What happened in season one was that you could see a connection forming, for sure. We didn't manufacture that, but we left room for it. A lot of season two is about the development of that and where that relationship goes, and that little surrogate family of Isabelle, Daryl and Laurent."

Here's a look back at the newest mini-teaser that was released this week for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, set to hit AMC and AMC+ screens beginning on September 29th:

Here's a look back at Reedus and McBride checking in to confirm that filming was officially underway on the third season in and around Madrid, Spain – and offering us a quick lesson in Spanish in the process:

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol: What We Know…

"It was a little weird, but then again, it wasn't because both of our characters are very adaptive. It was kind of like riding a bike. We knew where she was, knew what she wanted, what she was trying to do. So that part was easy," McBride shared during an interview with EW about how it was surprisingly easier to get back into the swing of things than some would expect. That said, don't mistake McBride's words to mean that it's the same Carol we've come to know and love.

"She is determined. But it's a different type of fearlessness that's driven by her determination to find her friend — and also by the headspace that we find Carol in, which will be revealed." You know, that radio communication between the two did sound a bit concerning – but McBride wasn't offering more than that – but Reedus did drop this very interesting line: "There's a lot of action in season 2. There's a lot of business and a lot of very heartfelt moments. There's also a lot of hero stuff with Melissa. It's beautiful."

During the first season of AMC & AMC+'s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl (Reedus) washes ashore in France and struggles to piece together how he got there and why. The series tracks his journey across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.

The new season picks up where the first season left off, following Daryl and Carol (McBride) as they 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. Additionally, Genet's (Anne Charrier) movement builds momentum, setting Pouvoir on a violent collision course with the Union of Hope in the fight for France's future.

Looking ahead, Season Three tracks Carol and Daryl as they continue their journey towards home and the ones they love. As they struggle to find their way back, the path takes them farther astray, leading them through distant lands with ever-changing and unfamiliar conditions as they witness the various effects of the Walker apocalypse.

The second season stars Reedus, McBride, Charrier, Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Laika Blanc Francard, Romain Levi & Eriq Ebouaney. Back in November 2023, we learned that Manish Dayal (The Resident) had been cast as Ash, an engineer from Boston who moved to the family weekend house in Maine after the onset of the apocalypse. Ash lives by a strict schedule based mostly around his daily flights in a retrofitted single-engine plane and mysterious visitations to his backyard greenhouse. Showrunner David Zabel, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Angela Kang, Brian Bockrath, Daniel Percival, Jason Richman, and Steve Squillante join Reedus & McBride as executive producers.

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