As one of the most anticipated moments in recent The Walking Dead history, the reunion between Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) had to be done right. Reedus was aware of these stakes, which led to some changes along the way. The star of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the alterations made in Season 2, Episode 4, “La Paradis Pour Toi.” Reedus, an executive producer on the series, explained that Carol finding Daryl was initially different. The scene originally played out with Carol still finding Daryl as a prisoner. Instead, the scene was changed to what it is now, with Daryl fighting off The Hungry Ones to see that Carol is in France doing the same thing. Reedus went into detail about why this change was important.

“I wanted the emotion to be different. Not just, ‘Oh, she finds me and I’m weak.’ I wanted it to start weak, and then he gets out and turns into a killing machine — and then just a record-scratch moment where it goes quiet. Everything goes on around us, but the sound goes off and it’s like… ‘Is this real? You’re right in front of me.’ So we worked on that.”

That is exactly how the scene unfolds in the final version. Daryl is in the thick of fighting off the undead when he turns to see that the most important person in his life has traversed an ocean and Genet’s big plan to find him. They embrace in a long-overdue reunion. The moment lands as intended, making Carol’s long absence worth it. Similarly, other moments in the final episode evolved throughout the production process.

Norman Reedus Didn’t Want to Appear Too Heroic

If there is anyone who is the expert on Daryl Dixon, it is the man who has been playing him for a decade and a half. Reedus had more notes on his character concerning the climactic scene where he becomes free from his chains. Daryl raises his arm wordlessly for his captor to unlock him, a moment that Reedus was hesitant about.

“At first, it felt too hero,” the actor told the outlet about the moment. “And I hate looking like a hero. I don’t mind if I’m the hero; I just don’t want to know I’m the hero. So in my mind I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work.'” Director and showrunner David Zabel filmed the scene and other options to find some middle ground at the moment. But when it came to editing, nothing else worked as well as what was originally written. When Reedus saw the final cut, he changed his mind, saying: “I saw it, and I was like, ‘Okay, everybody likes it, so I must be wrong.’”

There are many ways to interpret this scene, but the way Reedus plays it does not seem unrealistically heroic. His comic timing plays a decent part in how the scene reads on screen. Daryl expects his freedom not necessarily because he is the best fighter in the world — though he is a powerhouse — but because this is an all-hands-on-deck situation. This wordless moment brings levity to an already heavy episode. Viewers can watch Daryl and Carol’s relationship unfold on AMC+ and every week on Sundays at 9 pm EST.