The Big Picture
- The latest episode of The Walking Dead spinoff features a flashback scene with Carol, even though audiences don’t get to see her.
- Showrunner David Zabel wants to keep Melissa McBride’s character, Carol, in the show and sees the radio conversation as a way to connect back to the original series.
- The show hints at more to come for Carol’s ongoing story, and the audience can expect surprises as the story unfolds.
Following The Walking Dead‘s end in 2022, and the expansion of the universe with the then highly-anticipated Daryl Dixon spinoff The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon that sees Norman Reedus reprise his role as the titular cross-bow wielding tough guy. The series was initially billed to be the Carol and Daryl show, with fellow original series star Melissa McBride billed to reprise her role.
However, it would later be announced that Carol would no longer play a part citing location difficulties. Now, the latest episode of Daryl Dixon has seen the return of that familiar – albeit we don’t get to actually see her. Carol’s cameo comes in a flashback scene for Daryl when he was in Maine collecting walkers for fuel. Audiences are treated to Carol’s voice over a radio, as she communicates with Daryl.
Showrunner David Zabel is, however, clear on wanting to keep McBride’s character around. In a conversation with EW, Zaleb reveals the radio conversation was the spin-off’s way of connecting back to the original show. “We were always excited with any ways that we could kind of kiss up to the legacy show, to the franchise, and to the history of the characters. And this was obviously a very exciting way, because it was the first time in our show where he had actual real-life literal contact with the world that he was stranded from, and with ostensibly a character who’s as close to him as anybody,” he says.
A Potential for More Carol
Years of watching franchise shows have thought us that hints and nuggets of information of what’s to come can be thrown around occasionally. Zaleb adds, “Well, it is important to what her ongoing story may be, and it is important in terms of what we were thinking is going on in Carol’s world at that moment. It’s also not what the audience expects or anticipates, if they’re anticipating something. So it will ultimately prove to be surprising. But that’s all based on the idea that we’re going to play out that story.” On whether there is more Carol to come, Zaleb answers, “You’ll have to watch and see, but we love the character and we want to keep her in the world of the show.”
