The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon EP explains how one of the original show's most heartbreaking storylines inspired season 3: "It was four episodes of him out on his own, looking for this little girl"

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 was partly inspired by one of the original show's most heartbreaking subplots, says executive producer Greg Nicotero.

With the central duo having fled an infected-filled France via the Channel Tunnel, the spin-off's latest chapter kicks off with them arriving in England – only for them to hitch a ride on a sailboat with Stephen Merchant's lonely survivor and crash land in Spain. There, Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) stumble across a curious community, Solaz del Mar, and forge their own relationships (and storylines) with certain characters.

Some might think it's an unusual choice to not have the besties joined at the hip in the new episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, given the fact that season 2 was all about Carol desperately trying to find Daryl. But Nicotero believes that their occasional separation is what makes them so strong as a unit.

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"The chemistry that Norman and Melissa have is undeniable," he tells GamesRadar+, ahead of the show's return in the UK on October 24. "You know, I remember back on season two – and I'm talking season two of The Walking Dead – when Daryl's mission is to find Sophia, and it's four or five episodes of him out on his own looking for this little girl. It just made those characters so endearing to each other, and to viewers."

Any Walking Dead fan worth their salt won't need to hop on Wikipedia to remind themselves of the time when Daryl, who barely spoke a word to Rick and co in those early days, took it upon himself to bring back Carol's missing daughter, Sophia. The latter got lost during a walker attack as the gang heads towards Fort Benning in the season 2 opener. A friendship-defining moment for Carol and Daryl then arrives in episode 4, when he gifts her a Cherokee Rose flower he finds during his search and encourages her not to give up hope.

In episode 7, it's heartbreakingly revealed that Sophia got bitten while she was out there alone, having been rounded up with other walkers and put in Hershel's barn.

"I think what we've done in the subsequent years was take advantage of the chemistry that the actors have and the way the characters are written – they're complete characters on their own but when they're together, it's a different dynamic," Nicotero continues. "It's like taking two different ingredients and pouring them together and they explode. But they're both viable on their own. It's always important to pay tribute to who those characters are individually, and then have them interact together as well. And that's what the show does. The show will sometimes take Daryl off in one way, and Carol off in a different direction, and both of their stories are meaningful, but we know that the intention is to bring them back together somehow."

"What's happening while they're apart is really the heart of the show; that's kind of what's going on," Reedus adds. "There's this dialogue that we added early on... When we're walking into London, where I say to her, 'All we do is run and fight. Maybe there's a better way. Maybe we're doing this wrong.' I think it's in some of the trailers, too. Well, that seed sort of turns into a tree, which is a lot of [seasons] three and four, you know what I mean? So when we're apart, the tree gets more water."

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 airs every Sunday on AMC and AMC+ in the US. It premieres on Sky/NOW in the UK on October 24. For more, check out our guide on how to watch The Walking Dead in order and The Walking Dead recap.