Warning: This article contains general spoilers for the impending The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 finale.

Summary

  • The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 will see the return of Carol, a long-term survivor with potential romantic chemistry with Daryl.
  • Carol is set to appear in the main cast of Daryl Dixon season 2 after a surprise appearance in the upcoming season 1 finale.
  • Carol's return will be celebrated with the new season being retitled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will see Carol returning to the fold in season 2. The spinoff show, which is currently airing Sunday nights on AMC, follows Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) washing up on the shores of France for a new adventure following the events of the Walking Dead series finale. However, the show has so far not featured Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), another zombie apocalypse survivor and someone who has had long-term chemistry with Daryl with potential romantic undertones.

Per ComicBook.com, AMC announced that Carol will officially be returning as a main cast member on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2. In honor of her triumphant return, the season will be titled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon — The Book of Carol. A screening of the next episode at New York Comic Con has also confirmed that this season 2 return will be presaged by an appearance from Carol in the Daryl Dixon season 1 finale as well. Check out what McBride and Reedus had to say about the former's return below:

Melissa McBride: I've known there was much more to be told of Carol's story as I felt her so unsettled when we last saw her, as she watched her best friend, Daryl, ride away. Apart or (hopefully!) together, their stories run deep, and I'm so excited to continue Carol's journey here. This team of storytellers have done amazing work to land these two established characters in an entirely new world to them, and I'm loving the discoveries!

Norman Reedus: My good friend, the talented, beautiful Melissa McBride, will be a series regular for season 2. We couldn't be more thrilled.

Carol's Daryl Dixon Season 1 Absence Explained

Carol and Daryl in The Walking Dead series finale

This return is made even more triumphant because Carol's absence from Daryl Dixon season 1 was never part of the original plan. When the show was originally announced in 2020, it was intended to have the story focus on both characters. This was in keeping with the trend of Walking Dead spinoffs splitting off a pair of characters with a strong connection, including as Maggie and Negan on The Walking Dead: Dead City and Rick and Michonne on the upcoming The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

However, Carol's presence in Daryl Dixon was complicated by the necessities of shooting the show in Europe in mid-2022. McBride was unable to commit to the location and time of the shooting for season 1, which meant the show had to be retooled around Dixon alone. However, set photos revealed that McBride was present on set for a short period, hinting at the eventual return that AMC has now confirmed.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 is currently set to resume filming later this month due to an interim agreement between AMC and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), which is currently on strike for fair pay. It is unknown exactly what conditions were met to allow McBride to fully return. However, when it returns, the show will still be set in Europe, only with Carol added to the Daryl Dixon cast.

Source: ComicBook.com