Daryl Dixon is one of the most thrilling shows on television but it also has the potential to be one of the most shocking. It is, after all, a part of the iconic Walking Dead franchise and we all remember how much the original series traumatized us over the years - especially in those first few seasons. Although it has adopted a somewhat more safe approach in recent - which is even more prevalent in the spinoffs - it isn't completely against killing characters off in the way that it used to.
That was extremely clear in the second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon as the show killed off multiple major characters who were vital to the success of the first season. Any survivors were also written out of the show. And that left the original TWD duo of Daryl and his best friend Carol Peletier to head out on a new adventure that took them to London. It was there that the show surprised viewers with another shock death in its season 3 premiere.
As Daryl Dixon left viewers feeling all kinds of emotions in one episode, one of the show's stars has spoken up about why that surprising moment had to go down.
Stephen Merchant reveals why Julian had to die after just one episode on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Heading into this season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, one of the biggest stories was the casting of Stephen Merchant. The captivating performer was featured in all of the video promotion for the upcoming season (which started as far back as the season 2 finale in November 2024) and it was clear that his character, Julian Chamberlain, was going to play a pivotal role. That's why it came as such a surprise when he was killed off in the season 3 premiere, marking the end of his time in the TWD Universe after just one episode.
Julian befriended Daryl and Carol after he revealed that he was the last standing Englishman in England. With a city to himself (and the dead), he was ecstatic when he met real, living people. And when he revealed that they had a boat, the three of them ventured out on a quest to America to get Daryl and Carol home. Unfortunately, one shipwreck on the shore of Spain later, and Julian ended up dead, turning into a dreaded walker. His new friends ended his undead era and let his body float out to sea as a tribute before heading further into Spain to find a new way home.
So, just why did Julian only last one episode when Daryl Dixon had a star the caliber of Stephen Merchant? Well, it turns out that this was more down to Merchant's own schedule, as he could only commit to one episode. In a new behind-the-scenes interview for The Walking Dead's official YouTube channel (featured in a new Daryl Dixon Episode Insider webseries), Merchant reflected on the reasoning behind his brief stint in the TWD Universe:
"The producers said: 'Steve, do you want to be in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon?' I said I can only give you one episode. They went 'we'll kill you off at the end'. I went 'See you on Monday.'"
It's unclear if the producers had any other plans for Julian beyond getting Daryl and Carol to Spain (because the character's death did honestly feel quite sudden) but it sounds like they were willing to make adjustments to get Merchant onboard. Series creator David Zabel called Merchant's portrayal of this character was one of the most exciting aspects of the season. Executive producer Greg Nicotero added that when Merchant's name came up during the casting, he was hoping that it would work out, saying "I was like ' please please please please please please'".
Merchant also spoke about his time as part of the TWD Universe with fondness, revealing that he has yet to meet any other members of the TWD legacy cast but that Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride were lovely to him. Both Reedus and McBride spoke of their excitement to work with him, too.
While it goes without saying that it would have been great to see Julian more actively involved in the remainder of the third season of Daryl Dixon, seeing Stephen Merchant get to be a part of the legendary Walking Dead franchise was worth the wait. He really brought Julian to life in a very short amount of time and had great chemistry with his TWD costars.
We'll miss Julian throughout the rest of the season, but Merchant really made it count with his unforgettable, energetic performance.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 airs on AMC and streams on AMC+ each Sunday.