After much anticipation, it's almost time for Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier to return to screens. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is set to return for its third season (out of four) and fans are excited to see what is in store for the beloved TWD duo.
Daryl Dixon is known for its larger-than-life sights and surroundings, with the first season taking the TWD Universe global through Daryl's arrival in France. The second then saw Carol make her way there too as she searched for her best friend. And now, in the third, they will both end up in Spain (but not before a stop in London) as they attempt to fulfil their goal of making it back to the US.
Now this is The Walking Dead Universe we are talking about here, so there are going to be some surprises along the way for the pair. It also turns out that one of the biggest might be the genre that ultimately inspires this season.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 is based on Spaghetti Westerns
If you ever imagined what the world of The Walking Dead might look like in the Wild Wild West, we might get our answer in the third season of Daryl Dixon. In an interview with Collider this summer, star Norman Reedus likened the upcoming season to "a Western", also describing it as "f***ing great".
To be more specific, it sounds like the season will be more of a Spaghetti Western. Speaking on a Behind-The-Scenes video as part of the Behind The Dead YouTube series, showrunner David Zabel said that they were very excited about exploring the possibilities of a Spaghetti Western vibe this time around, which was aided by the show's new location in Spain.
"We thought there were elements of Daryl and Carol's characters that could fit into that kind of narrative construct."
Zabel references Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name movies, which were directed by Sergio Leone, as a source of inspiration. Executive producer / co-writer Jason Richman notes the similarities between Daryl Dixon and the character that Clint Eastwood played in those films, pointing out that he's a lone wolf who doesn't talk a lot while also finding himself at the mercy of the harsh morality of the world around him.
Melissa McBride, who plays Carol, points out how the feel of Spain also lends itself to this particular storyline and genre, praising the locations that the crew chose, as well as the set design, and the lower camera angles in really bringing the Spaghetti Western vision to life.
If you've watched the trailers for Daryl Dixon season 3, you'll already know that the series is wearing that Western style extremely well. Not only does Norman Reedus' Daryl look ridiculously badass on his motorcycle in a very Mad Max-esque desert, the sights around him and the angles that capture them make it feel very Wild Wild West indeed.
The Walking Dead franchise has dabbled with the idea of being a Western before. From some of the visuals from those early seasons as the lone deputy sheriff Rick Grimes found himself in this undead world to the fully-blown Western episodes in Fear The Walking Dead, the saga has toyed with the idea without going all in on it. It's certainly never committed to a Spaghetti Western in the way that Daryl Dixon season 3 looks like it's about to.
I feel like this is something it can afford to do more often because, if the spinoffs have taught us anything, it's that experimentation is a good thing. Not only does it differentiate them from The Walking Dead, it gives each one of them their own unique identities. Heck, it looks like Daryl Dixon is about establish a whole new identity for itself in its third season - one that goes all in on the sheer badassery of Daryl and Carol. We can't wait to see it!
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 premieres on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, September 7.