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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Star Explains Carol’s Big Season 2 Lie
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2, episode 1!The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonstar Melissa McBride and director Greg Nicotero react to the season 2 premiere’s major callback toThe Walking Dead, alongside its meaning for Carol (McBride). DuringDaryl Dixonseason 2, episode 1, Carol comes across a survivor named Ash (Manish Dayal) who offers her sanctuary, specifically saying she can stay in his barn for the night. This triggers a flashback toThe Walking Deadseason 2, episode 7, when her daughter, Sofia (Madison Lintz), walked out of Hershel’s (Scott Wilson) barn as a zombie. The scene was recreated for the spinoff’s season premiere.
Speaking withEntertainment Weekly,McBride and Nicotero spoke about recreatingThe Walking Deadseason 2, episode 7 scene of Sofia coming out of the barnzombified for theDaryl Dixonseason 2 premiere. The actor explained how, despite having input about her survivor’s guilt, she was still surprised by the decision to recreate the scene. However, she found it emotionally resonant and important for her development. The director spoke about the power of bringing the key scene back, alongside the little details necessary to recreate it. Check out what McBride and Nicotero had to say below:
Melissa McBride: What surprised me was how quickly it was right there. It was a little confusing going through the night in the present tense into the daytime in the flashback. Having to carry the emotion through each of it was a little challenging. But I loved playing that scene…. I was surprised when I read it in the script. I was just like, ‘We’re really going to do that. We’re going to have a whole flashback and recreate the whole thing?'
Greg Nicotero: It really was wild to recreate that. I had so many memories of like, ‘Oh, we need hay here, and there’s a body there. I remember putting blood over there, and then there was a dead zombie here.’ And so it was really kind of strange standing there looking at the side of the barn. I took me right back to how I was feeling being there when we shot it. That’s such a powerful moment.
Melissa McBride: Greg and the set designer and everybody did such an amazing job to recreate that. And the little girl playing Sophia looked so much like her. Everything was just so similar that this was all right there for Carol. Just looking at Norman [Reedus] and Greg, I always think how long we’ve been together. And Greg is still as excited about doing this show as he was way back when, so it was special to me. If that scene was going to happen, I can’t think of a better way for it to have happened. Having Greg here as we filmed that so far away from home — it was strange and beautiful and magical in a way, just because of the journey we’ve shared thus far.
What Sofia’s Death Recreation Means For Daryl Dixon Season 2
Carol’s Survivor’s Guilt Will Be Heavily Explored
It was previously confirmed by McBride that Carol’s survivor’s guilt will be a core element of her storyline, the flashback being an obvious nod to this concept. This is furthered when she lies to Ash about Sofia being alive,convincing him to fly her to France by saying she thinks her daughter might still be alive across the sea.While her decision will lead to her reunion with Daryl and meeting otherDaryl Dixonseason 2 characters, it also shows her avoidance of discussing the truth behind what happened to her daughter.
Why Carol Lies About Sophia’s Death In Daryl Dixon Season 2
Daryl Dixon season 2 featured Carol lying to her new ally about Sophia’s death, leaving questions about why she didn’t simply tell the truth.
Sofia isn’t the only child Carol has lost either, forced to shoot Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) inThe Walking Deadseason 4 after she murdered her sister, Mika (Kyla Kenedy), and having her adopted son, Henry (Matt Lintz) beheaded by the Whisperers in season 9. Although her biological daughter is her most emotionally potent loss, the deaths of other children she’s cared about also informed her development throughout the series. Given howDaryl Dixonseason 2 premiere reviewswere positive, it’s possible the barn recreation scene is only a taste of how much her trauma will be explored.
Our Take On Carol’s Flashback In Daryl Dixon Season 2
More Should Be Utilized To Fully Explore Her Trauma
Daryl Dixonseason 2’s premiere made good use of Carol’s past to reflect her survivor’s guilt, helping to deepen her character thoroughly for the first time in many years. Given the number of people she’s lost over time,we hope the barn scene is just the start of her coming to terms with everything that’s happened in her years of survivingthe apocalypse. With her story in the spinoff only just beginning, a deeper exploration of her trauma is bound to be in store during the forthcoming episodes.
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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Cast
In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.
