Tag Archives: Carl

Thoughts on AMC’s Interview with Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon)

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Warning: This Walking Dead Season 3 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further.

This is the first season I’ve started receiving AMC’s weekly newsletter, so I have no idea if they’ve done one before, but I’m surprised they took this long to do an interview with Norman Reedus, who plays my favorite character, Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead.

Because I heard tons of hilarious stories about Reedus clowning around on set with his co-stars, I was expecting an epic interview. Although I was disappointed that this one turned out to be a bit anticlimactic, given my anxious anticipation to hear from Reedus about his experiences working on the show.

I was definitely fascinated to learn that Reedus actually rides a motorcycle and likes cruising around down south while working on the show. I also liked finding out about the ways he has influenced who his character is on the show, since Daryl is so layered and complex. I would have asked more questions about his character’s back story and influences.

I can definitely see what Reedus means about how his fight scene with Michael Rooker (Merle) went down. It would have been cool to see them really go at it like “wild animals” as he puts it, but I think they did things just right. It had an authentic sibling vibe to it.

He does show his fun side too, talking about how he re-gifts some of his fan mail to Chandler Riggs (Carl) and how they hang out. Some of his fans who send him those things are probably disappointed to read that however. I got a laugh when he said that he accidentally called the baby on the show “Lil-Ass-kisser” instead of “Lil-Ass-kicker.” Whoops.

Like Reedus says at the end, there’s always the concern that your character could get killed off at any moment on a show like this. Although I think we’re all hoping that Daryl will stick around for a good long while. He continues to make The Walking Dead worth watching, even when the writers do annoying things with other characters.

Do you have a favorite Daryl line or moment from the show so far? What is it?

Prison Crew vs. Woodbury Round 1: Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8 (Made to Suffer)

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Michonne (Danai Gurira) on The Walking Dead

Michonne (Danai Gurira) on The Walking Dead Copyright 2012 AMC TV

Warning: This Walking Dead Season 3 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further. Similarities and differences between the show and the comic are also discussed, but whenever possible, details of the comic are left ambiguous in case you decide to start it later on.

Summary: A new group of survivors stumble upon the prison and take shelter there. Back at Woodbury, Rick launches his rescue operation, Michonne finally faces off against The Governor, and Andrea uncovers some of her new boyfriend’s dark secrets.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8 pulls a Lost with its opening. Remember that exciting moment right before stuff was supposed to down in the last episode? That spot where you were focused on all your favorite characters? We’re not going to pick up there. Instead we’re going to be in a completely different place with brand new characters, and we’ll get back to everyone else later. Normally I would be annoyed by that kind of tactic, except it’s hard to stay mad when an awesome new character from the Walking Dead comics is introduced right in the beginning.

We start out with Tyreese (Chad Coleman) and his daughter, his daughter’s boyfriend, and some other random couple fighting their way through walkers in the woods, until they come upon the broken backside of the prison. Unfortunately the woman is bitten and with zombies hot on their trail, they must make the quick decision to seek shelter there. Luckily for them, Carl hears their screams of terror and tracks them down to help. He escorts them back to safety and even offers to shoot their doomed friend. Already displaying excellent character, Tyreese waives off the assistance with the line “We take care of our own,” as he wields a ball pein hammer. Then his daughter flips out when Carl locks them up together (smart move Carl), but Tyreese continues to be a cool cat with the response “His house (his rules)…” Heck he’s just grateful for a place to sleep.

For those unfamiliar with the comics I’ll briefly explain why Tyreese’s appearance is so great. In the comics, Tyreese and Rick become total besties because they’re both strong, determined guys. They often disagree about how their group should be run and who should be the leader. Sometimes their arguments are so serious that they get physical. One of the most beautiful two-page pieces of art in the comics, involves fists flying between the two. I’m looking forward to fascinating drama and complex dilemmas Rick will have to face with Tyreese around.

Anyway, how could we forget about everyone else at Woodbury? First off, props to Glenn and Maggie for their escape attempt. Glenn’s plan to rip sharp bones out of a dead walker for weaponry is pretty genius. Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Oscar infiltrate Woodbury and not a moment too soon, considering they save Glenn and Maggie right before execution. The ensuing firefight left me on the edge of my seat constantly wondering who would get killed. I wasn’t surprised that Oscar goes, though I was a bit sad that he gets a throwaway Star Trek red-shirt style demise.

Michonne’s showdown with The Governor is fun, although a bit agitating because she leaves everyone else high and dry just to fight him. She kills The Governor’s walker daughter, smashes his zombie televisions with her head, and shoves a glass shard into his eye. Believe it or not, that’s Michonne being nicer to him than she is in the comics. She brutally mutilates The Governor there, but she has more reasons to.

I love (sarcasm) how Andrea stumbles onto the whole nasty scene and still manages to stay with The Governor, even after he dodges her inquiries about what happened. As a Daryl fan, I was so mad that he stayed behind to find Merle, and that he was taken prisoner. I was legitimately surprised that the scumbag Governor gave that big speech in which he sold out Merle, outing him falsely as a traitor. I’m extremely nervous for Daryl and Merle, since The Governor whipped the crowd into a murderous frenzy. Hopefully Andrea will intervene on their behalf.

Were you surprised that The Governor turned on Merle? Let me know in my poll.

What do you think is in store for the characters when the season resumes in February? Will Daryl and Merle survive? Will Rick and The Governor come directly to blows?

Glenn Goes Beast Mode: Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 7 (When the Dead Come Knocking)

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Michonne (Danai Gurira), Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Oscar (Vincent M. Ward), and Daryl (Norman Reedus) on The Walking Dead

Michonne (Danai Gurira), Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Oscar (Vincent M. Ward), and Daryl (Norman Reedus) on The Walking Dead Copyright 2012 AMC TV

Warning: This Walking Dead Season 3 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further. Similarities and differences between the show and the comic are also discussed, but whenever possible, details of the comic are left ambiguous in case you decide to start it later on.

Summary: Glenn and Maggie are brutally interrogated in Woodbury, while Andrea helps The Governor with a bizarre experiment. After rescuing Michonne from a pack of walkers, Rick and company learn of Glenn and Maggie’s misfortune. Michonne, Rick, Oscar, and Daryl then set out on a mission to rescue their friends from Woodbury, but hit some snags along the way.

I’m proud of Glenn for taking such a brutal beating in the opening of The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 7. I can’t believe that he manages to take all that abuse and still maintain his wits. It’s a little sad though when he tells Merle about T-Dog being dead, and rather silly when he lies and says Andrea is still with his group. Can’t wait to see the look on Glenn’s face when he finds out Andrea is in Woodbury.

Later on that sicko Merle leaves a tied up Glenn to fend for himself against a zombie. Thankfully Glenn busts out of his chair and goes beast mode on that thing. It is simultaneously awesome and hilarious when he screams like a madman after killing it.

Any ounce of sympathy I might have felt before for Merle or The Governor immediately evaporated once they started abusing Glenn and Maggie. I’m just glad that scumbag The Governor didn’t actually rape Maggie, since he did force himself on another woman in the comics. I was upset that Maggie is the one who finally cracks and reveals the prison considering the show already does such a poor job writing female characters. The writers seemingly throw every opportunity out the window to show women in a positive light. In the comics, Glenn is actually the one who can’t take the interrogation, so why not carry that over to the show? Give Maggie a chance to prove she’s tough.

Andrea does The Governor an interesting favor by helping out the nerdy guy with an idiotic experiment. Obviously The Governor wants to see if his daughter has any of her old memories left, so he has nerdo see if a dying man’s memory stays behind inside the zombie’s brain. No surprise that the experiment is a failure! Andrea has to stab it in the head. No idea why we needed to see this. I don’t remember it from the comics.

Back at the prison, Rick reluctantly rescues Michonne from a pack of walkers with sharpshooting assistance from young Carl. I can’t believe that Rick immediately tries to squeeze information out of her wounded leg. What a bastard! I thought his very tearful, emotional reunion with Carol was rather bizarre. Maybe Carl will get a new mom? That would be weird since Carol clearly has the hots for Daryl.

Rick and Carl decide on a name for the baby: Judith, the same name given to her in the comics. Being the great father that he is, Rick decides to leave Carl and the others at the prison while he gathers a rescue party for Glenn and Maggie. In a completely twisted scene, Rick’s party gets surrounded by walkers and Michonne kills some noisy kook who finds them (thank god she finally became useful). Wisely they feed his corpse to the zombies. Did you agree with that decision? Take my poll and let me know.

Rick’s crew is right outside entrance of Woodbury by the episode’s close which left me totally amped up for the next episode. Shit is clearly going to hit the fan and there will be some serious bloodshed in Woodbury.

Do you think Merle will remain loyal to The Governor? Or will he take Daryl’s side? Will Daryl remain loyal to his friends?