‘The Walking Dead’ Star Norman Reedus Says ‘Bite Me’ As Show Makes ‘Very Unique’ Return


The Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus, graces the cover of Entertainment Weekly just in time for the show’s mid-season premiere this Sunday. Reedus, who plays fan-favorite Daryl Dixon, is shown wearing a custom-made T-shirt that reads, “Bite Me.” The magazine features a day on the set with Reedus as well as sneak peeks at the second half of season 5 from The Walking Dead’s showrunner, Scott M. Gimple, and creator, Robert Kirkman.

Warning — possible spoilers are ahead.

Back in November, Reedus told TVGuide.com he hoped that now that the group has reunited they’ll stay together instead of splitting off again. With The Walking Dead’s mid-season premiere trailer and Kirkman alluding to the group dynamic being further explored in this half of the season, this seems like it’s going to be the case, at least for now.

With everyone together and grieving Beth, it’s guaranteed to be an emotional episode of The Walking Dead. However, what looks like a funeral for Beth may not be what it appears as the Inquisitr previously reported — the funeral could be for the characters Noah or Tyrese or both. With The Walking Dead, you never know.

In an interview with Mirror Online, Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes, adds insight into the characters and where the group’s mindset is at this point in The Walking Dead. He expresses his excitement and says Walking Dead will give viewers some of its best storytelling yet.

“I think you’ll find Rick and the family at their lowest point. They’re back on the road and they’ve all reunited. They’ve all found one another and the group are hit with grief with Beth… He [Rick] knows you have to be brutal as well as caring and what you will see is this… you see a lot of characters reinventing themselves.

“It’s one of the most exciting parts of the series I’ve been involved with. Certainly since the first season. We almost reset the story and it’s so scary and so extreme and also some of the best storytelling that we’ve had.

“We’re moving into a territory now where it’s more psychological violence — human on human — and as a result far more terrifying.”

In the current issue of EW, showrunner Scott M. Gimple talks about The Walking Dead’s future — where the show picks up and where it’s heading. Gimple says fans can expect changes with “the show’s action, setting, and overall tone.”

“The story will shift quite a bit. We are going to see a show that in its looks and circumstances is very, very different from what we’ve seen.”

Creator Robert Kirkman gives insight into this Sunday’s episode of The Walking Dead specifically, which some of the cast and crew have labeled as “polarizing.” Kirkman believes Walking Dead fans may be caught off guard, and he expects the episode will bring plenty of debate.

“Episode 509 is going to be a fan-favorite episode in a lot of ways, and it’s going to be a fan-hated episode in a lot of ways because it is a somewhat brutal episode. Those are very hard for the audience here and there, but there’s a lot of magic in that episode as well, and a lot of really cool stuff that people are going to be very excited about. So it’s going to be a very special, very unique episode that I’m really excited for people to see.”

Walking Dead fans have been speculating about whether Rick and the group will head from Atlanta to Richmond, VA, and a big hint may have been dropped. Local news station CBS 6 WTVR reached out via Twitter to Richmond native Chad Coleman, who plays Tyrese on The Walking Dead. He was asked if the city will play a role in the upcoming season.

Coleman replied by private message, writing, “The prodigal child returns home.”

So to recap before The Walking Dead returns — it sounds as though the group will be mostly together with the exception of side missions. The dynamics of everyone together again will be explored, and they may possibly be leaving Atlanta for Richmond.

Do you think Rick and the group will head to Richmond? Are you ready for The Walking Dead to return?

[Image via Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC]

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