Reedus explains how France and Spain changed Daryl’s story.
Summary
– Norman Reedus said Daryl Dixon’s move to France and Spain helped push the character into fresh territory
– Reedus pointed to local writers and real European locations as key parts of the show’s authenticity
– He recalled cultural details that confused him and Melissa McBride during filming
Norman Reedus opened up about how The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon gave his longtime character a very different challenge by throwing him into France and Spain.
During The Future Global Storytelling panel, Reedus discussed how the spinoff used its European setting to make Daryl feel like a stranger in a strange land. That shift allowed the series to test him in ways fans had not seen during the original run of The Walking Dead.
Reedus said the production leaned on French and Spanish writers to bring real cultural details into the scripts. That helped the show avoid feeling like an American story dropped into another country.
One example stood out to Reedus. He mentioned a scene that featured the line “Brian is in the kitchen,” which confused both him and Melissa McBride during filming. They later learned it was tied to how English is taught in French schools.
That kind of detail mattered because Daryl’s confusion was part of the story. He was not supposed to understand every custom, every phrase, or every situation around him.
Reedus also referenced filming in Belchite, Spain, a location tied to the Spanish Civil War. Details like that gave the show a stronger sense of place and helped separate Daryl Dixon from what came before.
For Reedus, the European setting was not just a backdrop. It became a way to keep Daryl evolving while giving the The Walking Dead universe a wider, more personal feel.
