Ride With Norman Reedus: My twisted view
July 3rd marked another new episode of Ride With Norman Reedus, this time with a Texas “twist”.
Norman meets up with his friend, artist, and former competitive skateboarder, Jake Lamagno. The two plot the course of their motorcycle ride from Austin to San Antonio. A large stretch of roads between the two cities is called the Twisted Sisters.
Once again, I enjoyed the show, learning more about motorcycles and seeing Norman interact with interesting people and places. As I am sure you know, the show stars Norman and not his The Walking Dead alter ego, Daryl Dixon. With that said, I cannot help but watch the motorcycle journey through the lens of The Walking Dead. Here are some of the tie-ins I noticed from this week’s episode of Ride With Norman Reedus.
Name dropping
One of the stops in Austin includes a visit to Troublemaker Studios, owned and operated by Robert Rodriguez. Norman met Robert through none other than mutual friend and The Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero. Norman is very impressed with several recognizable props and green screen sets from popular movies.
A familiar dining style
Before leaving Troublemaker Studios, Rodriguez offers Norman and Jake a genuine Texas taco meal. In a bit of a comical twist, when Norman plows into his dinner, I found it to be a little reminiscent of the spaghetti dinner he shared with Aaron and Eric on The Walking Dead. I guess both Norman and Daryl eat with visible fervor.
Heads with dreads
Norman and Jake visit two different bike shops in the episode. One is named Limey Bikes, operated by Elijah and Chris. The second is a custom bike shop owned by builder Colt Wrangler.
Interestingly, owners at both shops are sporting dreadlocks like none other than our heroine Michonne from The Walking Dead. Norman asks Elijah how heavy his dreads are and they discuss the challenge of wearing that hairstyle with a bike helmet. Colt sports shorter dreads with a handlebar mustache and a broad rimmed hat during the episode.
Back from the dead
Limey Bikes specializes in restoring vintage Japanese motorcycles. They do not work on any bike built later than 1983. Chris of Limey Bikes describes the restoration process as bringing the bikes “back from the dead”. I am pretty certain that the restored motorcycles look a lot better than the undead that reanimate on The Walking Dead!
Fan encounters
Of course there are the expected Norman fan encounters. How can we imagine Norman going anywhere in public without a fan wanting to say hello?
In tonight’s episode, a female fan requests a photo and shares that it’s her birthday. A male fan wants to show Norman his tattoo. Then there is Norman sporting a hat embroidered with wings and a crossbow like those from The Walking Dead.
Next: New jobs for Rick and Daryl?
View with a twist
The visual landscapes and unique stops continue to make Ride With Norman Reedus a fun series. But as Norman visits interesting places and people, I will continue to keep my eyes peeled for themes from The Walking Dead. Is that an odd way to watch the show? Do you also look for Easter eggs from The Walking Dead during Ride With Norman Reedus? Are you enjoying the series? Let us know!