Taylor Swift fan Norman Reedus is headed back to San Diego Comic-Con to promote the second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which will showcase The Book Of Carol. This will put the original vision for this spin off back on track now that Melissa McBride’s Carol Peletier will be with her ride-or-die friend (of “Cherokee Rose” infamy) after chasing down clues about his whereabouts in a bonus season finale scene.

Reedus has admitted that he feels like the upcoming season finale will be “the best one-hour of ‘Walking Dead’ television ever, like ever, in everything,” which is a bold promise, but Daryl is allowed. Now, he’s dishing about how the long-rumored “road trip” spin off idea was actually much bleaker than a what-the-hell-let’s-explore vibe. Rather, Daryl and Carol would have begun their voyage after everybody (presumably in the Commonwealth) kicked the bucket. Even Michonne? Say it ain’t so, and this is bleak stuff, as Reedus told EW:

“One of the ideas was that everybody dies, and we might get on the bike and there’s no way to go back to anything because everyone’s dead. So it was sort of a travel show, kind of figuring out who’s left in the world.”

Well, the good news is that the existing spin off began in a slightly more lighthearted manner: with Daryl roasting on a row boat and washing ashore in France. Also, this international “road trip” should be more enriching than a mere cross-country bike ride, and the star of the series already spilled that Season 3 is definitely happening, and Season 4 could follow. So, there is still time for different types of BFF trips, but we’ll find out about the most current “vacation” when the second season debuts on Sept. 29.