A poignant moment in Daryl Dixon has Norman Reedus’ titular character asking Melissa McBride’s Carol Peletier how they have endured the zombie apocalypse. Carol summarises the long and arduous journey of the survivors of the apocalypse with a quirky reply, “We just got lucky.” Explaining the longevity of the characters, Reedus says, “It is not just luck. It is also about determination. I guess a pureness of spirit.”
Getting emotional about Carol and Daryl, Reedus adds, “The relationship between the two is bigger than all the little boxes everybody puts characters on television in. There is a deeper understanding between them. Some sort of spiritual strand that connects those two characters. It is full of hope and love. Full of optimism in some crazy way to keep going. Even when one character lacks optimism, the other brings a positive perspective.”
McBride echoes Reedus’ sentiments. She says, “I agree. It is more than luck. Because the danger is always there. You have to find the faith that keeps you going.”
Unlike Carol, Daryl shares screen space with Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) only in the spinoff. However, they form a profound, almost spiritual relationship over the course of the show. As the saying goes, opposites attract. Daryl is an adept zombie hunter who does not hesitate to kill to protect himself and those close to him. Conversely, Laurent is a pacifist whom a religious group regards as a messiah who holds the key to the future of humanity.
Speaking about the contrast in their characters, Scigliuzzi says, “Daryl does not believe in anything, whereas Laurent believes in God because he has been brought up with nuns in the abbey. These two have such a different perspective of the world. But they still have that bonding you see on screen. Initially, Daryl is really hard on himself, and he becomes softer as he understands Laurent’s attitude through the episodes.”
While Daryl never views Laurent as a messenger of God, a moment in the show almost makes you think otherwise. As some zombies encircle Laurent and try to attack him, the boy prays to God, and they instantly go away. However, it turns out that it is Daryl’s subconscious dream. Louis explains this as “a revelation for Daryl.” The actor adds, “He never really considers Laurent as the messiah. But that dream makes him consider the idea that there is something special about Laurent.”
Unlike Daryl, Fallou Boukar is “a religious guy,” says Eriq Ebouaney, who portrays the character in the series. At the same time, he believes that, as a human being, Laurent holds the key to mankind’s future. Explaining this aspect, Ebouaney shares, “Fallou believes more in humans. Because he wants people to be together, and to love each other, he wants peace and respects peace more than anything. And he believes that the boy will accomplish that. This is why he shepherds the boy.” Ebouaney goes on to add, “With season 2, the comeback of Melissa McBride, everything is edgier. Both the emotions and action.”
Speaking of action, one character who is involved in some key action moments is Anne Charrier’s Marion Genet, the evil leader of a survivor group in France called Pouvoir des Vivants (power of the living). Genet is powerful enough to bring a man, who is almost double her size, to his knees at the snap of a finger. On what explains Genet’s influence, Charrier says, “I think it is her self-confidence. Most of the tyrants are not that powerful. It is their charisma and aura that pull people. And at one stage, people who are desperate need to follow a leader. Whoever is telling them that they will make things better for them, they will follow that person.”
Despite the cruelty that Genet exerts on some of the other characters, Charrier regards her kindness as the most attractive characteristic. “Even though Genet is really cruel, she can be kind sometimes,” says Charrier. However, Romain Levi, who plays Stephane Codron, disagrees with Charrier’s view. Charrier is quick to retort, “She has been kind to you at some stage.” And Levi light-heartedly replies, “Alright.”
Levi plays Pouvoir warrior Codron, a character with a personal vendetta against Daryl Dixon. Ironically, Codron has a better ‘vision’ of the world and develops a strong sense of empathy after he loses an eye. On the paradoxical nature of his character, Levi says, “It is really awful to see his eyes like that. But I like the fact that what you see is not exactly what is inside. It is a beautiful idea.” The second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres on November 12 on Prime Video.