Carol and Daryl
A couple big bits of news today for The Walking Dead universe.
For one thing, we have a release date for the Rick & Michonne show that’s only a few months out.
The other big news is the return of Melissa McBride’s OG Walking Dead character, Carol, joining Norman Reedus in the second season of Daryl Dixon. The news dropped at AMC’s presentation at New York Comic Con.
“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,” McBride said. “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!”
McBride was originally supposed to star alongside Reedus in the first season but according to AMC, relocating to Europe was too big of an ask. Either McBride has changed her mind, or the show is leaving France and heading back to the US in Season 2. (My guess is that those resourceful heroes of Fear The Walking Dead rescue him in a giant beer-bottle-shaped hot-air balloon!)
Daryl Dixon has been an odd show. In terms of production value, costume design, the location and most of the acting, it’s been pretty good. Carol’s absence may even part of the reason we have such a cool new character in Isabelle (Clémence Poésy).
The problem is the story is just . . . really stupid and preposterous and after five episodes, next to nothing has actually happened. Yes, the new “super zombies” are kind of cool, but I just can’t get over the ridiculous plot and all the little ways old TWD bad habits keep seeping into the script.
All of this, of course, leads back to the headline of this post. Is it fair to have a show titled Daryl Dixon when Carol Peletier (a rather French-sounding name) is just as big and important a character? Maybe it should be The Walking Dead: When Daryl Met Carol or The Daryl and Carol Show.
Though, to be fair, you could call it just about anything and it would be better than the truly dreadful title AMC came up with for the Rick and Michonne show. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Lived is truly one of the worst titles for a show I’ve ever encountered. Call it Rick & Michonne for Pete’s sake! This would be like giving Morgan his own show and calling it The Walking Dead: You Know What It Is.
Which, okay, now I kind of want that to happen.
Daryl Dixon’s Season 1 finale airs this Sunday. I’ll be reviewing it here on this blog.
What do you make of McBride’s return? Let me know on Twitter or Facebook.
