Melissa McBride is joining Season 2 of AMC’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon to reprise her fan-favorite role of Carol Peletier from the original Walking Dead series.
As announced at New York Comic-Con and reported by THR, McBride’s Carol is returning to The Walking Dead Universe after Norman Reedus‘ Daryl spent the first season of his spin-off without her. McBride was intended to be part of the show from its beginning, but departed when the filming location was moved to Europe to match its setting. She will make her first appearance in Daryl Dixon’s Season 1 finale, previewed at NYCC and set to air on October 15.
Why fans want Carol and Daryl as a team
TWD: Daryl Dixon is a spin-off of The Walking Dead, AMC’s zombie apocalypse franchise based on the long-running comic written by Robert Kirkman with art by Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. Reedus’ titular character was introduced in the first season of the original series, 2010’s The Walking Dead, and was a new addition for the adaptation rather than being based on any of the comic’s characters. Unlike many characters in the dangerous world of The Walking Dead, Daryl survived through all 11 seasons and was the first individual character to have a spin-off titled with his name.
Carol was a character in the early issues of the comic, but McBride’s version in the TV adaptation not only outlived her counterpart but became one of the most savvy and determined survivors of the zombie outbreak. While both Carol and Daryl were popular characters on their own, fans were especially drawn to the unlikely and profound friendship they forged with each other.
McBride remarked on her return to the role, saying, “I’ve known there was much more to be told of Carol’s story as I felt her so unsettled when we last saw her, as she watched her best friend, Daryl, ride away. Apart or (hopefully!) together, their stories run deep, and I’m so excited to continue Carol’s journey here. This team of storytellers have done amazing work to land these two established characters in an entirely new world to them, and I’m loving the discoveries!”
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon picks up where Daryl’s arc left off, but now sees him far from the southern USA setting of the original series. Daryl washes ashore in France and finds himself responsible for protecting a young boy named Laurent, even as he tries to make his way back to his own people in the Commonwealth.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is streaming now on AMC and AMC+.
