Spoilers for previously aired episodes of The Walking Dead follow
Yesterday we covered The Walking Dead’s midseason finale in which Beth (Emily Kinney) was shot dead after a standoff. I took Beth’s death in stride, I wasn’t particularly attached to her character, but this was devastating to some fans and also of course to the actors. In an interview with US Magazine, Kinney revealed that neither she nor her coworkers were aware that her character would die until the day the script was released. She said that producers did approach her first to gently break the news before everyone else learned Beth’s fate. She also said that she was upset and crying over her character’s death, and that people reached out to her to console her.
In the wake of Beth’s death, AMC had a public relations disaster when they posted a photo on Facebook right after the midseason finale aired on the east coast. The episode had yet to air on the west coast, and their photo featured a picture of Daryl carrying dead Beth with the caption “RIP Beth.” That image is below. Fans were understandably outraged at the huge spoiler.
Entertainment Weekly has new in-depth interviews with Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Andrew Lincoln (Rick). Both actors say that Kinney was loved on set and that they will miss her dearly. They sound like a really tight cast. I especially liked reading Lincoln’s interview because he’s so smart and well spoken. Here’s part of what he said about losing Kinney’s character and there’s more at the source:
And it’s a funny thing because there’s a scene where we come out of the hospital in the aftermath and Norman is carrying Emily and I am sort of leading the way. And I had made a conscious decision that Rick is driven on this, he’s just done on this. He’s gonna push people forward and not get emotionally engaged. I tried to do it. And then having Lauren Cohan and Steven’s reaction to seeing the body carried by Norman was unbearable. I kept having to turn away from the camera because my eyes were just weeping. Tears were rolling down my face. Watching LC and Steven’s performances in that scene, my mind exploded reconstituting that stuff, and then exploded again. They were so good. It was just a bad day at the office, dude. I hate saying goodbye to people at the best of times. But when Emily Kinney, who is such a fine actress and one of the sweetest human beings you are ever going to meet — it was a terribly sad episode. And we’re still reeling. She was family. It sucks.
That was sweet. Lincoln also talks about his character’s trajectory and how he initially didn’t want to say “shut up” after he shot the runaway cop, Bob, dead. It’s a good read if you’re a WD and/or Andrew Lincoln fan. The guy is an amazing actor.
Norman Reedus of course also had a lot of nice things to say about Kinney and how Beth’s death affected him and his character. He said “devastating” many times. Here’s some of what Reedus said about Kinney and about rumors that his character, Daryl, is gay. I didn’t think those stories were that big of a deal, but apparently they were. Comic creator Robert Kirkman has definitively stated that Daryl isn’t gay, but Reedus is cool with it either way.
On Beth’s death
It was rough. I won’t lie, it was rough. She’s such an amazing girl and such a great actress and what her character meant to our characters was a big deal, so to lose that was a very emotional day for everyone. It felt like you actually lost a friend.On Robert Kirkman mentioning in the letters section of the comics that they were considering having Daryl be gay
It’s funny that you brought that up because he caught of a lot of grief for even mentioning anything. Sometimes stories just get blown out of proportion. Whatever they gave me to do, I would happily do it and I don’t think it matters one way or another his sexual orientation. He’s an honest, badass dude and he has a lot of heart to him and it doesn’t really matter. It’s so funny when you meet people and their reaction to this and to that — and believe me they go from all the way far left to all the way far right. I didn’t really address that when it came out because it doesn’t matter. And whatever they give me to do, I would have done. But it’s kind of funny watching him cover his tracks a bit. A lot of times stories do get blown way out of proportion.
What a great way to handle that question! As a fan I wouldn’t care either way if Daryl was gay or not, but I do really want him to have a romance at some point. I’m glad he didn’t hook up with Beth, but I would ship him with Carol. I would like to see those two hook up.
some photos are screenshots from AMC’s The Walking Dead. Other photos credit: WENN.com
They both seem like super-cool and interesting guys.
I felt so bad for Emily Kinney on the Talking Dead, she really struggled to not lose it when they were interviewing her Sunday night.
I am not surprised that Norman Reedus would be cool with it if Darryl were gay, Kirkman definitely shot that down on the Talking Dead and did say they would be introducing a gay character from the comics on the show soon (I don’t know if it will be this season for the next one). I am surprised that there has not been some romantic interest in the direction of Rick and Darryl (and I can’t be the only one who thinks Rick and Michonne should make go of it, especially with her connection with Carl). And yes, I ship Darryl and Carol.
All of that being said, I love the Walking Dead cast, you can tell through interviews how much they truly enjoy working together and how much effort they put into helping making this show a good one. Andrew Lincoln, I think, is sadly very underrated. What articulate and kind man he is. I’d love to see him break out into feature films in the future. And Norman Reedus always gives a thoughtful interview.
Rick and Michonne shipper here! Would be so hot and Carl’s angsty, moody “dad, she’s my friend…stop it” would be awesome!
*raises hand in agreement* They have awesome chemistry.
The Rick and Michonne pairing got super shot down over on the TWD sub on Reddit. I couldn’t believe it – this one seems so obvious to me!
just about to type this, what Kirkman said on Talking Dead.
I honestly felt more for Emily losing her job and leaving the cast than I did when Beth died.
My PVR didn’t record the Talking Dead and I am so upset. Of all the days for it to decide not to record, why this one?
I couldn’t agree more about Andrew Lincoln – he’s wonderful. But I think he doesn’t really want to break out into feature films at this point in his life. I’ve watched several interviews with him in which the interviewers would ask why he doesn’t do more movies during the winter break like other actors do and that they are sure he gets many scripts now and he always replies that he doesn’t want to because he’d rather spend those 5 months a year in London with his family. Once during this conversation interviewer made a somehow judgmental face and Andrew just shrugged his shoulders and said he doesn’t have a problem admitting that.
I wasn’t terribly attached to the Beth character either, and I certainly didn’t want her hooking up with Daryl! I know Carol and Daryl love each other, but IMO it’s more of a brother and sister bond than a potential romance. I actually would like to see them bring in a new female character for Daryl, one, I hope, who would be more balanced than the women currently on the show. They’re either total badasses, ala Michonne, or they’re delicate weepy princesses like Beth. I envision Daryl with a woman – and I mean woman, NOT a girl – with a sharp wit, a great sense of humor who can get him to laugh, who can handle herself with a gang of walkers, but is otherwise very feminine, and even a bit polished and elegant, relative to a zombie apocalypse, of course. I think a woman like that would be a great foil for the Daryl character.
I also think the writers may make Daryl a virgin, not gay, which would explain his heretofore lack of romantic partners.
Carol and Daryl have a bond. They both came from being controlled by others and feared them. Now both are free from those and are learning who they are and how to survive. Their bond is just that. Not romantic.
I liked Beth. She was Hershel in so many ways. A moral compass that cared for others and tried to keep their humanity. Beth finally came into her own post prison. Daryl taught her, she taught Daryl. She had to survive on her own. And in the Hospital she got what the world is and what she needed to be. And she knowingly (imo) sacrificed herself to save another because that was moral and right. And she was strong enough to do it.
I feel that if you liked Hersehel there’s no reason you shouldn’t like beth. Sexism! (Just Kidding…. sort of)
Also, not a Carol/Daryl shipper. As I watched Consumed, I kept hoping to see what all these Caryl shippers see, and still I did not. They were laying on a bed next to one another at one point and they seemed to be completely in their own worlds, unaware of each other. For me, the writers would have a lot of work to do make their connection seem romantic. I couldn’t handle seeing them make out – the vibe is just to sibling-ish!
I think you may be right about Daryl being a virgin (I think NR has said that’s how he plays Daryl). And I think that he is demisexual, not asexual. The traumatizing neglect, emotional and physical (and maybe sexual) abuse he suffered as a child has made is incredibly difficult for him to trust people. And he needs that trust before he can open up and love someone. Only then can he feel sexual attraction.
It’s the zombie apocalypse is Daryl’s sexuality really an issue? I love Daryl ,but does it even matter?
I think within the context of the show it does. The show isn’t about the zombie apocalypse. It’s about the characters. It’s Days of our Lives with zombies.
Somewhat Jaderu
That’s actually more of what the upcoming spin off will be about. It’s said to be character driven and rebuilding after the end of days. TWD is more zombie apocalypse driven and how to survive in that world.
In TWD his sexuality isn’t important. Even Glenn and Maggie. The only 2 getting it on in this world on a regular schedule. It’s more there for storyline in regards to seperation of group, survival without the other, unknown.
And that’s why the spin off will focus on characters. Because TWD doesn’t want to make the show character driven.
I would like to see the writers make Daryl’s romantic/sex life an issue because him, almost more than anyone else, I want to see have a happy ending. I want him to find love, a family, friends, and too grow old comfortably. He is most capable at it because he is such an amazing survivalist. Plus I think he deserves it because of the awful childhood he had.
I watched one episode of that series on Saturday and I don’t know what to think about this actor.He’s some kind of beautiful and ugly at the same time.What is wrong with his eyes?
He needs some sleep.
Norman Reedus had a terrible car accident several years ago, and has a titanium eye socket – it does give him an odd, squinty look sometimes, and from what I understand he’s very self-conscious about it, and was going to quit acting because he thought it made him look too strange.
Thank you very much.I think he’s a good actor but this Walking Dead series is strange I accidentially watched it and I don’t know for how long it’s showed in my country but the subject is disturbing.I have to check out Norman’s previous work.
Well, if you’d like to learn more about Reedus, it might interest you to know that apart from acting, he’s also a well known artist with work selling in galleries all over the world – New York, London, Paris – and was a fairly successful male model as well.
Thanks.
It does matter if he’s gay; he can’t get together with Carol if he’s gay. I think they are a really hot couple. Lots of tension building.
One of the things that really bugged me with Beth was the incredibly tight pants she wore. During the zombie apocalypse, I have to think that jeans you can’t move in would cease to be a good idea. More utilitarianism, less “they make my ass look great”, but there she was trying to run in jeans two sizes too small. (Yeah, I know it’s tv, but it bugs me.) As long as it saved the Carol character for awhile, I am perfectly fine with the death of Beth.
I’m finding myself agreeing with you a lot lately RobN.
It doesn’t matter. Daryl is awesome and complicated, but not in a love torn way. He’s perfectly a-sexual and that works in this setting where you don’t really have the time to speed date.
He’s a survivalist who’s learning how to trust himself and others. Merle was the last holding him back. Beth was a light in his life that i’m sure will have lasting impact on how he acts in future episodes.
The most important (for me) is ….will Daryl take a shower one day?
I think about that every time Maggie and Glenn have their sexy time. The body odor must be horrific – how does one overlook that? I also think about how few times you actually see anyone stop to eat. I don’t think I’d be cut out to live in the post-apocolyptic world – I enjoy my clean clothes and food too much.
The same as people did for centuries – daily showers and sewerage are a fairly new inventions. They used to wear layers and layers of clothing and super long underwear, even in the heat of summer and they took baths every once in a very long while, if so – the poor would eat, sleep and work in the same clothes all year long, and the rich ones would wear corsets, petticoats, long underwear, wigs infested with bugs and still, we are all here, so they had to have sex despite the smell. In TWD they have rotting corpses, in real life people used to throw feces through the windows. It helps if you both smell equally awful. The brain adjusts to bad smells pretty quickly.
I have never even gotten the slightest gay vibe from Daryl, so this is complete news to me (that some fans think/want him to be gay.)
I shipped Daryl and Beth, so naturally I’m heartbroken that she died and my OTP was ruined.
But I’m okay with him getting a new love interest or even having a thing with Carol, I just really wanna see a makeout/love scene with Norman Reedus (I think he’s so sexy!)
Oh same here…I shipped them, too. I almost feel that the episodes in 4B like Still and Alone sealed Beth’s fate because the writer’s wouldn’t go that route with her and Daryl, yet the actors played it in a very subtle way…could be interpreted either/or. At least that’s what part of bethyl fandom picked up on it.
I was very upset by the way they killed her off – I don’t think beth would try something so reckless and impulsive as to stab that evil cop with scissors – c’mon…sloppy writing at its finest.
I didn’t ship Bethyl, but I do think the writers were hinting at it.
In Still, they showed how both of them were kind of defined by their gender roles, had major class differences that separated them, but were still able to bond over what had happened to them.
In Alone, their guards were down, very domestic setting, Daryl was especially touchy-feely (he carried her over a threshold!), lots of candle lit rooms, Daryl wanting to permanently shack up in the cozy house acting like a shy and awkward grade school boy with his first crush.
I think between seasons the writers must have changed their minds about Beth. That’s the only reason I can think of as to why they killed her off in the most bizarre, uncharacteristic, poorly written way possible.
Daryl needs a puppy. A little terrier mix that he can hunt with then come home to play with Judith. Give the man a dog.
Word. Maybe not a terrier tho, they bark too much. 😉
I’m thinking a German Shepherd….or the ubiquitous ‘black Lab mix.’
It would have to be a small dog, IMO. One that would not take up too much room in a vehicle (motorcycle ride), can be picked up a carried easy if hurt or travelling around tricky terrain, & hides easily in tight spaces.
He is absolutely the kind of guy who would have a dog. I’ve always thought the producers missed something when he didn’t show up initially with some dog trailing after him.
YES! I was so sad when they shot that down. He really does need a dog.
I’d also like to add to the general conversation that, yes, Rick & Michonne would be perfect together. My OTP will always be Daryl/Carol, though. I’m bummed about what Kirkman said on Talking Dead about Daryl’s asexuality. If Sheldon Cooper can have a romantic plotline, I think the longtime fans deserve some Daryl love one day.
I didn’t really like Beth, but it bummed me out that they *finally* started doing something with her character only to kill her off. Interviews after it aired are increasingly pointing toward it being a Daryl-feels move, and as much as I love Daryl forever more than anything, that’s not cool. We need an opportunity to see women become (or, hey, BE in the first place) strong characters and not just a pawn for the menfolks’ stories. That seems to be TWD’s MO, and it’s not cool.
I liked Beth. Plus she was such an original character and she had family connections. I also shipped Daryl and Beth, which would normally be weird but I think the age thing doesn’t matter as much in the ZA. I am so sad she died. Yuck.
Can’t read the article as I’m a season behind. Just wanted to show some love for Reedus/Dixon.
Daryl being gay came up as major discussion at ComiCon. And as of the last Talking Dead episode it was fully addressed by the creator.
Daryl being gay was discussed and denied. He’s not gay now and won’t be as the story progresses.
IMO it might have become too preachy for a show that has baanced its preachy messages quite well.
This topic has just been debated to death and continues to be even with flat out answers from those who would make that call. And those who keep things vague if there’s a chance. Saying “No” means there’s no chance.
I do love Norman and his responses are so great. He’s someone I think we can all see getting a drink at the bar with.
I loved the idea of Daryl and Beth-for some reason the Daryl character seems ageless to me because he is so emotionally fragile from his sh*tty childhood. I was shocked they killed off Beth. Her character grew on me and I really wanted to seem them reunited:(. Carol and Daryl don’t work to me because they seem like siblings and have such a strong friendship bond. I don’t think Daryl is gay, but I could see him as a virgin, maybe because of sexual abuse which seems plausible with his backstory.
I think I need to start watching this show…
Around the new year, every year, they do a marathon of every episode. You might look for it; it’s a great show.
it’s really good but has its moments of inconsistencies. you gotta just roll with it.
also, the first season or so had a totally different showrunner, and the new one hasn’t followed up with some of those ideas. for instance, in the beginning, zombies could pick up rocks and use them to break windows – they don’t have those thought processes in later season.
I’m a ride-or-die Caryl shipper, but my heart goes out to the Bethyl fans. I hated Bethyl but liked Beth, and LOVE Daryl!
A big NO to Caryl. I see zero sparks flying between those two.
This whole fanatic shipping some fans have going on like photoshopping their heads on a lovemaking couple is ridiculous.
I’m with you-they have NO chemistry together other than strong friendship.