SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Actor Norman Reedus from 'The Walking Dead' at the Hall H panel with AMC at San Diego Comic-Con International 2017 at the San Diego Convention Center on July 21, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC)

Norman Reedus teases how season 9 of The Walking Dead may be one of the show’s best installments yet.

Fans who have lost interest in The Walking Dead need to consider otherwise. Norman Reedus — the actor portraying fan-favorite Daryl Dixon — spoke at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 about his excitement for season 9 and how it will distinguish itself from previous seasons.

As someone who has been a part of the show since season 1, Reedus has experienced all the ups and downs.

That makes his enthusiasm and this specific quote feel particularly authentic:

I’ve done scenes this season that I’m more proud of than I’ve done in five years.

This means Reedus hasn’t been this proud since the show’s first few seasons, a time many consider the golden era of the series. It is possible that Reedus feels as though the show is now tapping into the essence of what makes Daryl tick in a way it hasn’t done since those early seasons. This has already been teased in the season 9 Comic-Con trailer, in which Daryl talks about what it was like in those early years in contrast with what it’s like now:

That small group we had back in the beginning, we could do anything. That was right. This don’t feel right, man.

Instead of feeling like an accessory to the story of Rick or another character, it seems like Daryl is poised to have the story focused on him and his internal struggles in a way that hasn’t been the case for a long time.

Such a narrative shift seems rooted in the show’s change in leadership and writing, something Reedus was also enthused to share during the interview:

The vibe of the show is different. Angela Kang is killing it as our showrunner. She’s always been my favorite writer of the show, I’ve said it since she showed up. But I mean it’s a train driven by women, like the stories have more depth, there’s you know, this all out war thing is not happening anymore. It’s internal.

Reedus sounds even more relieved than many of the fans that the “All Out War” storyline is over, opening the door for new and fresh storylines. It also sounds like Kang understands not only the character of Daryl but the show as a whole in a way the showrunners and writers haven’t captured in a long time.

From Michonne to Carol and Maggie and beyond, the show has long included compelling female characters. It’s about time that the overall story is more female-centric and features them at the core of the series.

Experiencing deeper stories that feature more of an internal rather than external conflict for Daryl, these wonderful women, and the rest of the characters sounds like the best thing the show has done in a long time.

Has Norman Reedus made you more excited for season 9 of The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments!