This Explosive The Walking Dead Episode Is Also Norman Reedus' Favorite

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There are few shows in the modern era — particularly scripted cable dramas — that can compete with "The Walking Dead," at least in terms of longevity. Based on Robert Kirkman's Image Comics series of the same name, AMC's prestige zombie drama lasted a full 11 seasons, airing 177 episodes. It also generated multiple spin-offs, with the universe going strong to this day. And of those nearly 200 episodes, Norman Reedus does, in fact, have a clear favorite.

Reedus, who played the fan-favorite Daryl Dixon, appeared in almost every episode of the show and was one of the few original "Walking Dead" cast members whose character made it out of season 11 alive. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in 2022 about his favorite moment from his time as Daryl as the series was coming to an end, the actor singled out the episode "What Comes After" from season 9. "When Rick blew up on the bridge, that scene was extra special to me," Reedus said at the time.

"What Comes After," for context, is the episode that saw Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes leave "The Walking Dead" after having served as the show's anchor for its entire run up to that point. It was an emotional chapter for both viewers and the show's cast. Speaking to that, Reedus explained that some things were actually changed during production on the episode to highlight those emotions:

"I was originally written to run with the group down the bridge and be like, 'No!' But Greg [Nicotero] directed that episode, and we came up with this idea that it was like he'd be in a hospital bed dying and I'm holding his hand. I know he's not going to make it through that. So to run on the bridge and be like, 'Nooooo!' ... everybody's doing that already. So, we made this change where I'm just locking eyes with him and I'm shooting zombies that are walking towards him, but it's more about me and him connecting. I'm here. I want you to be the last face I see before this is over. And it turned out to be such an emotionally charged scene."

"He came down off the bridge for my close up and he's standing by the camera and everyone's crying. Andy's bawling behind the camera. I'm bawling in front of the camera," Reedus concluded. "But I like that we took that moment and we altered it and we made it different than just 'Nooooo!' I'm glad that we put in the work to change it. And Greg, to his credit, he let me do it."

"The Walking Dead" was, for a time, by far the biggest show on cable. Around season 5, the series even hit a straight-up fever pitch in the broader pop culture zeitgeist and became a ratings monster. Around the time that Steven Yeun's Glenn Rhee was beaten to death by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), though, things took a turn, and there was a decline in terms of both ratings and perceived quality.

That said, "What Comes After"' is widely regarded as one of the best "Walking Dead" episodes ever made. It even scored a 9.2 rating on IMDB, with few episodes eclipsing that throughout the show's 11 season run. Several actors from the series' past also returned in flashbacks as part of Rick's big goodbye, and what could have come across as a corny way to write off the show's protagonist proved to be a rewarding experience for longtime fans. Based on Reedus' comments, it seems it was just as rewarding for the cast.

Lincoln's Rick didn't die in the episode, however, which was perhaps the biggest shock. The plan, originally, was to have Rick return in a trilogy of "Walking Dead" movies, but those never came to pass. Instead, Lincoln returned alongside Danai Gurira's Michonne for a spin-off series titled "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live." As for Reedus, he's currently headlining his own spin-off show, "Daryl Dixon," which is heading into its third season.

You can grab "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon.