The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon star defends season 2's shock death, says "everything's cause and effect" going into season 3: "It was always planned to be a big part later"

The Walking Dead fans are well-versed in saying goodbye to their favorite survivors on screen. The long-running franchise has never been afraid to off main characters, demonstrating just how dangerous this post-apocalyptic world can be. Some deaths, though, sting harder than others.

Warning! Spoilers for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 ahead!

Some hurt because we'd grown so fond of the newly-deceased (Tyreese), or because of their extreme brutality (Glenn). Others? Well, because we felt cheated of the time we could've spent with them, and the storylines that might have happened had they stuck around. Isabelle, Clémence Poésy's character, who shockingly met her demise in episode 4 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 is a prime example of the latter – but it's a plot point actor Norman Reedus assures still-disappointed fans will "mean something down the road" in the horror spin-off's upcoming third season.

"It was one of those things that Daryl went through, but it didn't have enough time," Reedus tells GamesRadar+ ahead of season 3's premiere on September 7. "Like 'it might have gone there', you know? That thing that I was talking about coming through the tunnel [in episode 1, when Daryl says to Carol], 'All we do is run and fight, maybe there's something better'? That better is happening all around him, except for him. It was another thing that Daryl can't have.

Having shared a quiet, unspoken attraction across The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1, Daryl and former nun Isabelle finally shared a kiss in the second season's second episode. It was a big moment for the character and fans alike, given that Daryl's only had one, very brief romance in the original series – and that started and ended in an one-episode flashback back in season 10. (I'm still mad that Daryl and Connie were never officially A Thing). By the end of episode 4, Isabelle had been fatally stabbed by big bad Genet's secret ally Losang (Joel de la Fuente).

"He had a little taste, so that's sort of changing his perception of what home is," Reedus continues. "Because, I mean, the truth is, if we were trying to get back home every episode, we'd just be looking for another boat every episode. Instead we get wrapped up in these other people's lives, and hopefully we learn something from them, and it changes our perspective. Everything's cause and effect.

"That storyline with Isabelle is one of those things that resonates with him. Like, maybe he could find that, maybe he could have that? Does he deserve that? You know, it's a big part of the story. It was always planned to be a big part later. So, you know, someone that watched the Isabelle story and they go, 'Oh, they killed her too soon'; it resonates and it's going to mean something down the road," he concludes. "A lot of people on the internet, they throw these things out there, but if you think about it, it all resonates. Everything has resonated so far."

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 premieres on September 7 on AMC and AMC Plus in the US. Fans across the pond should expect the first episode to drop a few days later – though we'll be sure to keep you posted on an exact release date.

In the meantime, check out our guide on how to watch The Walking Dead in order and The Walking Dead recap.