Norman Reedus says The Walking Dead Daryl and Carol finale goodbye 'felt like a funeral'

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of The Walking Dead.

Daryl Dixon was always going to make it out alive of The Walking Dead. The fact that fans promised to riot if he didn't was one clue. The fact he is already in production on a spin-off series was the other. But how would Daryl make it out? And how would things end with him and his post-apocalyptic BFF Carol?

We got those answers on Sunday's series finale, directed by Greg Nicotero. The episode began with Daryl (Norman Reedus) trying to save Judith (Caily Fleming) who had been shot in the previous episode by Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). But the rescue mission hit a speed bump when Daryl was knocked out and given a black eye — a plot twist that was incorporated after Reedus suffered his own serious concussion and black eye on set. (Art imitating life!)

Daryl finally saved Judith, as well as all the other denizens of the Commonwealth, but his most difficult task still lay ahead — saying goodbye to Melissa McBride's Carol. In a touching scene by the lake, the dynamic duo discussed their different paths; him leaving on his bike to go search for Rick and Michonne, and her inheriting Lance Hornsby's job at the Commonwealth. That was followed by a goodbye next to Daryl's motorcycle where "I love yous" were shared and tears were shed.

Those emotional words were not merely exchanged between characters, but actors as well. EW spoke to Reedus about Daryl's TWD send-off, the connection to his upcoming spin-off, and why his final scenes with McBride were "like a funeral."

Jace Downs/AMC Norman Reedus on 'The Walking Dead' series finale

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How do you feel about how Daryl's story wrapped up here after 11 seasons?

NORMAN REEDUS: It's not done, so I can't even answer that question because I'm still shooting Daryl. I like that that the Commonwealth story line is ending. I was ready to put that to bed a little while ago. But it's definitely weird on a personal level knowing I'm not going to see the cast or the crew anymore. That's kind of heartbreaking to me. I'm happy where the season ended, but as far as the Daryl story, it's still continuing so it's not really over for me yet.

So is that just a coincidence that Daryl gets knocked out in this episode and you got a concussion working on the same episode?

[Laughs] That was not a coincidence. It was wild too, because I'm like looking at my black eye and everything else and I'm like, "Oh yeah, that hurt. That really hurt."

You look like Doyle from the Misfits with all the black around the eye.

Oh yeah! It's funny because I've had like four real black eyes on this show and some of them we've covered up, some of them we've just written it into the story line, and then some of it we've enhanced. So we've used all my real black eyes.

Jace Downs/AMC Norman Reedus and his black eye on 'The Walking Dead' series finale

Obviously, the stuff I really want to talk about are the scenes with you and Melissa. What was it like filming that scene with her next to the lake where Daryl and Carol are about to be split up? Tell me about shooting that with you two obviously having worked together for so long and being the friends that you are.

Yeah, that was a really emotional day. The subtext was heavier than the text. It was wild. There are certain parts of real life that blend in with story lines sometimes, and that was a really heavy day. It felt like a funeral. It was very quiet on set. It was a very rough day — sad and very heavy.

I know there was some work done on that scene. It sort of started maybe as something a little different. Were you guys talking with director Greg Nicotero about how you wanted to handle that?

Yeah, we were talking with Greg about it. There was a lot of dialogue that was kind of jokey and we kind of took out the jokey-ness because it was such a real day, and to say jokey dialogue, it kind of didn't make sense. I don't know where that came from or how that idea germinated. Actually, I think Melissa started that ball rolling and it kind of rolled in the wrong direction by the time we got to shooting it. It had become such a real situation that we just needed to play it real. It was really sad.

Jace Downs/AMC Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus on 'The Walking Dead' series finale

When you're about to get on the bike and you're telling each other "I love you" in that final scene together after this journey they've been on, there has to be a little bit of Norman and Melissa in there in addition to Daryl and Carol saying those words, right?

That was all Norman and Melissa. And when you say goodbye to somebody that's that close to you in real life, and then you're playing two characters who are saying goodbye, it becomes very real.

Did part of you consider clipping zombie Nicotero a bit as you sped past him on your bike in that final scene?

Greg really wanted to do that. He was the first zombie I ever saw, so it's nice that he's the last zombie I ever saw on the show. It's funny when Greg dresses up as a zombie while he's directing, because it's not like he goes and takes the makeup off as soon as he's done. He continues to direct as a zombie. It's kind of wild.

Courtesy of Greg Nicotero Zombie Greg Nicotero with Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus on set of 'The Walking Dead' series finale

So we end with Daryl taking off on his bike, looking for Rick and Michonne. Is there anything connective between where we end here and where we start on your new show?

It is a little connected. I don't know what take they use in the final episode, but there's a moment where I'm riding the bike and I'm thinking about everything that I'm leaving behind, and there's just a moment where I kind of smile, and that's me reflecting on all my family. That attitude kind of blends in to where we go. It doesn't last long, but it kind of blends in there again.

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