Norman Reedus on Reuniting with Carol on 'The Walking Dead'
The latest episode of The Walking Dead well and truly confirmed that the series is trying hard to ramp up the energy and optimism, and that's no clearer in the multitude of smiles we were gifted to from Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes, more often than not when he was covered in his own blood too.
The episode took place in two locales. While Rick and co were busy making new friends, Daryl was just close enough in proximity to Carol to ensure that we'd be getting yet another reunion. At this point, those are as common as character deaths.
"I remember reading the script and being like, “Yes! Finally!” This whole season I’ve been separated from everyone and finally I have been getting to be with everyone again. There are certain actors I’ve been with a while and totally trust and we have that rapport, we know it’s going to be good, and Melissa is one of them. We can throw rocks through windows and it’ll be great. It was like two kids on the first day of school," star Norman Reedus said.
"I don’t even know if that hug was in the script. Our first rehearsal of that scene, everyone was crying. Everyone on set was waiting for that to happen. We were waiting for it to happen as much as everyone on the show was. Everyone was like, “F—, finally.”
On why Daryl opted against telling Carol about Abraham and Glenn's death, in what was the most poignant scene of the episode, "Daryl’s seen how far she’s gone to preserve something of her own life. If you lose yourself 100% what’s the point of anything. We’ve watched her leave and come back and kill and not kill. He’s seen her go through that, and it’s a very selfless act to tell her everyone was okay. She means more to him than anything else. He’s protecting her inside and outside.
"It’s crazy because me and Melissa are very close. We know each other really well. To do scenes like that, it can’t help but become personal. The first time we did that scene we started crying. Andy [Lincoln] and I have that too. We’ve seen each other go through these things for seven years. There are bonds that are real. She and I have that real connection. Steven [Yeun] and I had that connection."
On Daryl's bouncing back from what he's been through in the first half of the season, "The way Daryl deals with that is he buries it deep within himself and grits his teeth. He doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve until he comes in contact with someone he cares about. Carol is one of those people. It’s interesting to watch someone try not to cry, and he’s trying not to cry like all the time. He’s always had to be tough. He had to hide it. When he comes across certain people, it starts to leak out, it’s just a flood. Melissa is one of those people that comes and does that with me, actually."
Source: http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/noman-reedus-on-daryl-and-carols-reunion...
