Warning: SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 is over, leaving plenty of questions and even more possibilities open for a second season. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2’s new title even suggests the show will tie in more closely than ever with the flagship series, which ended in November of 2022. Even with developments as exciting as that confirmed for the second outing, perhaps the greatest strength of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 is the fact that it stepped so firmly into new territory.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon left the post-apocalyptic United States behind and journeyed to France, and used the new location to tell a more thematic and character-driven story. At the heart of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is Daryl’s relationship with Laurent, played by first-time actor Louis Puech Scigliuzzi. The world is rounded out with the addition of characters like Fallou, played by Eriq Ebouaney, who leads a resistance movement Daryl comes in contact with.

Related: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 - Renewal, Release Date Prediction & Everything We Know

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi and Eriq Ebouaney spoke with Screen Rant about their work on the show, their thoughts on finale moments, and more. Note: This interview was conducted during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and the show covered here would not exist without the labor of the actors in that union. This interview has also been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi & Eriq Ebouaney On The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

Screen Rant: Eriq, the last time I talked to you, the show hadn't been out yet. How has it been for you to watch it and see how people feel about it?

Eriq Ebouaney: I'm really happy to see that the fan base is thrilled and surprised with this new show. Being part of this huge event is amazing. I've gotten messages from all over the world, because I think people started being aware that this show is a really top-notch show. I'm thrilled to be part of The Walking Dead family.

And Louis, I’ve asked you how it was to work with Norman, but I didn’t ask about Clémence Poésy. What was it like spending so much time working with her?

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: She's really, really nice. It's really fun to work with her. At first I didn't really know her, so I didn’t speak to her much, but now it's been nearly a year, and one season of this, and she’s really kind. She’s a really, really, really good actress.

Eriq, Fallou is the leader of this resistance, and you get to work on this great rooftop camp set and travel around, but did you have any extra information when you started filming, like about how long they had been fighting, and how they chose the rooftops? Did you get a lot of backstory?

Eriq Ebouaney: [They’ve been fighting] for less than five years, I think; that's my idea. They've been on that rooftop trying to be the Union of Hope; that’s the name of the resistance. These communities try to survive, be together with spirituality, and have a new way of living in this post-apocalyptic world.

The thing is, I didn't have any idea how the location was [going to be]. For us, it was an amazing location. I imagined all the different places, but the setup was so amazing. It was mind-blowing when we [saw] the first location on the rooftop with all the extras and everything; it was amazing.

You were both on that set at the end of episode five and the beginning of episode six, where Norman is fighting in the pit with the walkers. How was that filming experience? That set looked very crowded, but fun.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: I thought it was such a good experience, and the set was so, so cool. The people are always nice on set, but this time, it didn't feel like the same; it was even better.

Eriq Ebouaney: It was dark, electric, and full of smoke and stuff like that. And the extras were shouting all over the place, so it was really, really tense.

Are those kinds of scenes more difficult than a one-on-one because there's so much going on? Is it harder to stay focused on your performance?

Eriq Ebouaney: For myself, it’s much better to be surrounded by all those extras. All those people [who are] involved and dedicated give you energy, so you can be in it. And sometimes, to tell you the truth, you can be like a spectator as well. But it's good to be in it.

Louis, this was your first project, like we talked about last time. Did doing this change how you felt about acting or what you want to do in the future?

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: It changed a lot of things in my life. I didn't really know if I wanted to do this; I never thought about it, honestly. I wanted to be a lawyer. It may seem stupid, but I wanted to be a lawyer. I don't know why; I just had this idea in my head. Why not? You know?

And I got this call. I was in Greece with my grandma; I came one time, I met Norman, and they told me that I had it. It changed so many things. It's definitely the best experience ever. Maybe one kid in a billion kids gets to do this, and I'm really grateful for it.

Was there a scene that was the hardest for each of you to shoot this season?

Eriq Ebouaney: I'm a pretty lazy guy [Laughs]. For me, the hardest [scenes were] with stunts and fighting. Some of them were really hard for me.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: I think the hardest one for me was when Norman shouted at me. When I caught the rope. That was such an emotional scene because Norman was shouting at me. We did it a couple of times, and it was a really, really, really hard scene to shoot. The last time, I said, “Do you want to do it again?” and Norman was just there saying, “No, I’ve had enough of it. It’s too much for me,” and so we stopped. And they loved it; everybody did.

I just rewatched that this morning, and it’s hard to watch.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: Yeah. I’ve never watched it.

Really?

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: I've never watched it. I watched the show, and every time, my dad tells me, “It’s that scene,” and I go into the toilet. I remember it, and I feel like it was yesterday.

Eriq, I know they’re making season 2. I don’t know if you’re in it, but is there anything you want to see in season 2, whether or not it has to do with your character?

Eriq Ebouaney: I want all the bad guys to be dead! [Laughs]. But wait and see. You’ll be blown away.

About The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

In The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl washes ashore in France and struggles to piece together how he got there and why. The series tracks his journey across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.

Check back for our other The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon interviews:

• Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Romain Levi, Eriq Ebouaney & Anne Charrier
• Director Daniel Percival & Director of Photography Tomasso Fiorilli
• Production Designer Clovis Weil
• Romain Levi & Lukerya Ilyashenko (mid-season)
• Romain Levi & Anne Charrier (season finale)

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon can be streamed now on AMC+.