The second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol picks up where it left off, the fan favorites Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) facing their own challenges. While Carol is determined to find her best friend, Daryl is conflicted with his decision to stay in France, creating tension among those at the Nest. Meanwhile, Genet (Anne Charrier)’s movement gains strength, leading Pouvoir into a violent conflict with the Union of Hope over the future of France.

Recently, Charrier, as well as Romain Levi, who plays Codron, now on the opposite side from Genet, spoke with the press about what fans can expect from season two, what it was like meeting Melissa McBride, and more.

The new season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premieres tonight on AMC and AMC+. Read the full transcript below.

SCIFI VISION:   The first thing I wanted to ask is talk about this season you got to work with Melissa, and I know you both were fans before starting on the show. So, what was that like for both of you?

ANNE CHARRIER:   It was great. We loved it. Well, I loved it. I can’t talk [for] Romain.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Of course, me too, I really loved it.

ANNE CHARRIER:   You know, she's a very good partner. She's very precise, very good actress, of course. And she's a good partner as well. I mean, you know, on the set, off the set, she's really a great person.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, definitely. For me, Carol was one of my favorite characters in the original show. So, you know, to be able to meet Melissa, it was amazing. Yeah, she's an amazing, such an amazing actress, and she's really a beautiful human being. So yeah, it was amazing. Every day was great. We had fun. We were in very nice conversations to each other, but it was great.

QUESTION:   So this is a question that fans of The Walking Dead have been asking for years and years. How do you define the relationship between Carol and Daryl? Would you say they are friends? Would you say they are soulmates? Would you say they are more than friends? How would you personally define it?

ANNE CHARRIER:   I'd say they're family. I'd say it's something like, you know, something that is a brotherhood, something that is very strong. They both lost their families nearly at the same time. I mean, so I've always seen it that way, you know, like, yeah, like you say, soulmates that meet at a moment that makes things - you know, they become family, because it's the right moment for them.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, definitely. And well, I really like the Caryl idea. And yeah, it's a good question. And I'm not sure there is a great answer about that ,because there are so many beautiful things between them. You know, it's maybe a love relationship, maybe a friend relationship, soulmates. Who knows And actually, I even don't know myself what it would happen between the both of them. It's everything is possible in a way.

ANNE CHARRIER:   And I feel, to my point of view, I feel it's very rich as well to have now in production for TV relationships between a woman and a man that are not romantic. I think that's one of the [things] that makes it so special as well.

QUESTION:   I was wondering how the past in the early part of the apocalypse and also the characters' feelings, how, as a result of those events, shaped who the characters are in the apocalypse?

ANNE CHARRIER:   You know, as for Carol and Daryl, you can see the arc of Carol is very rich about that. You know, she's a very fragile woman, married with a brute, you know, beating her up. And she becomes that badass, very strong, very powerful; it's very cathartic in a way. So, I feel it's about the same with every character. For Carol, it's very strong, but for my character, as I know you've seen all the episodes, she becomes stronger as well, but on the wrong side of, you know, she becomes an angry person. Grief makes her more dangerous and more powerful, but in a dangerous way.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, definitely all that happened changed us all in a way. I do believe that Codron had a very simple life, actually, and he was very happy with this kind of simplicity, before all that happened. Then, he had survived. He had these worries about protecting people he loved, for example, like his brother. Then, he changed. Everything changed from that fear to this idea that maybe you can die tomorrow. Then, yeah, he became the way he is right now.

QUESTION:   My question is for Anne. We learned during Comic-Con that the show was going to film in the Louvre. And we do know from the finale of season one that your character worked in a museum. So, I'm going to assume…that you guys filmed in the Louvre. How was that? What was that experience like, and what were some of the challenges the casting crew faced?

ANNE CHARRIER:   It was mad. So, first question, yes, I knew, because David told me. He told me where she was coming from and stuff. So, I knew she was working in the museum, but I didn't know we were going to shoot in the Louvre. Shooting in the Louvre was one of the most, of the strongest experience of my career as an actor, because usually you're very impressed with your partners or with what you have to play, but there I had everything. That was impressive. Walking on my own in the Louvre in those huge hallway, being able to stare at a painting with no one around, that was mad. Then, we had to play those very strong scenes. So, it was kind of a bit of pressure, I have to say, when you see the 800 people working on the set that day and knowing that you have to perform, and you won't have the set for a long time; you have it for one day only. So, yeah, it was very, very strong, very important.

QUESTION:   This is a very, very philosophical and beautiful season across the board. I'm curious with all the various messages and journeys that are happening, what do you ultimately hope audiences take away as a message from season two?

ANNE CHARRIER:   That you can always choose your side. Of course, I'm doing, you know, a message that is about my character a bit, but you can always choose the side you're going [to be] on.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, and even in very dark times, you can open your heart. I like that idea, and we can feel, we do can feel love in this season. Even if, yeah, it's hard, we're all fighting, you know?

We don't know if we're gonna die tomorrow, but yeah, we can still open our heart, yeah.

ANNE CHARRIER:   I love that. Romain says it so well. That's exactly what I meant.

SCIFI VISION:   So, last season, obviously, they were in a much different place as in the two of them and how they interacted, because now, obviously, he's not on her side at all. So, can you both sort of talk about where they are…at in regards to each other, you know, their points at the beginning of the season?

ANNE CHARRIER:   I'd say she's very, very, very upset with him as much as she's upset because she puts so much trust and faith in him, you know? So, she's still disappointed…So that's where they're at, I'd say.

ROMAIN LEVI:   And couldn't trust Genet too. He really believed in her at the beginning and almost the entire first season, he really believed in her. But then he felt something dangerous. He felt that they weren't in the same ideas of what is it to help the country, you know? And obviously, as you said, that in the end of the first season, he didn't want to kill a child. After all of that, yeah, Genet wanted to get some information, and she's ready to do a lot of things in order to get this information. Now the question is, will Codron speak or not?

QUESTION:   I mean, I know Caudron is not really a villain in this season, but both of you are, you know, in the universe of The Walking Dead, you guys are two of the most legendary villains now. What would you say some of your personal favorite villains from this universe would be, from any of The Walking Dead shows?

ROMAIN LEVI:   Okay, I'll start. I'll say definitely I really love Negan. He is one of my favorite. I love the way he was behaving, you know, this kind of theatrical ways to behave. I love this so much. I was really impressed by this way of behaving, really.

ANNE CHARRIER:   Sorry. Sorry, I'm fighting with the technique. I would say Alpha. Alpha was my favorite. Maybe because she's a woman. I don't know, but, you know, I thought she was so horrible. I thought hiding that way, I thought the way she was sneaking in and stuff, she was horrible. She's definitely my favorite one.

QUESTION:   As far as your character's point of view, what would you say, if you can give me your opinion, is there any hope in them at all? Do they have any hope?

ANNE CHARRIER:   For my character, I would say no, she doesn't. She doesn't have any hope for her, at least. But I think she really truly believes [genuinely] that she can change things for the people, that she can put things in order. She can do something for the community. She really thinks she can do that. She's honest with that, you know? But she's completely desperate for herself.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, and for me, I would say that, yeah, Codron, actually, I do believe that Codron has a lot of hope. Even in the first season, he wanted to protect people. He wanted to do good things in his way, [but] with mistakes. But in my opinion, Codron kept that. He really wants to help people to do good things. And now, in this new season, he will try his best to do good things in another direction, but still hope that you can give a hand to people.

QUESTION:   You've now done two seasons. You've filmed in amazing locations. What has been your most memorable moment filming this series that you'll look back on and say, “Yeah, that was my favorite part of making that show so far?”

ROMAIN LEVI:   It's not so easy to answer, because to tell you the truth, personally, I had so many beautiful moments. Really, I enjoyed every day on set. It's really a dream come true for me. I love this team so much. So, every day was magical, but I can say that maybe playing in the Mont Saint-Michel was something unbelievable. It was amazing. It's a place, it's a very specific place in France. There is a kind of magic in there, you know? This monument is really amazing. Everything around it is amazing. So, being able to play there, to destroy doors inside, to have a fight in the Mont Saint-Michel, it's really amazing.

ANNE CHARRIER:   It would be difficult for me to choose. I'm like Romain, you know? It's been such a wonderful experience, but I kind of know what...You know, I had this eye contact with the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, my character. Then, we start again with Mona Lisa and we're back with Carol. So, that was the two dreamt moments of that season, because it really was mystical. The Louvre was mystical in a way, because it's so powerful, that it's so intense to be there. And then I was meeting Melissa for the first time, and I had that scene with Carol. It was a very fun scene as well to do. So, I'd say that would be those two moments.

QUESTION:   I actually love those scenes with you and Melissa McBride. I felt like those characters in a different world could have found some similarities, maybe even some friendship. There was a lot of things that reminded me of those characters.

ANNE CHARRIER:   Completely, they could be friends. They could have been friends if they'd meet in another time, if their story was slightly different.

QUESTION:   To just tease a little bit of season two without any spoilers, what are each of you most excited for audiences to experience in this very big and very bold season of storytelling?

ROMAIN LEVI:   Oh, definitely.

ANNE CHARRIER:   Oh God, there's so many things.

ROMAIN LEVI:   But the first thing for me, definitely the fact that Carol is back. You know, when I read this in the end of the first season, I was like so happy about it. And I think I won't spoil anything if I say that they will see each other. They will be back together. And this is magical. This is very beautiful. That's why I really love the Caryl idea, but more it's stronger than this in a way. It's this, they finally find the way to find each other, you know? They found a way to find each other. It's very beautiful to see them together. It's really.

ANNE CHARRIER:   Yeah, I would have loved to find a more interesting answer, but I couldn't. You know, he's right. You know, that's definitely what is the point of this season, to see them together, to reunite them.

SCIFI VISION:   When we had talked last season, it had not aired yet in France. So I'm curious, since that's happened and now people around you have seen it…and know how great it is and everything, how has both of your lives changed just personally since then?

ANNE CHARRIER:   Oh, not much. But I mean, you know, professionally, it's very, very classy to be in The Walking Dead. But I wouldn't say my life has changed much. What about you, Romain?

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, I think that my life changed professionally. In a way, I worked very well last year and I'm working quite well this year. And I do believe it's because of this show, you know, being in The Walking Dead. Wow. And yeah, I do believe that my life changed as a human being, because yeah, as I said before, I was a big, big fan of the original show. So, when I had the possibility to be myself in this show, it's like, yeah, in a way, it's a life changing.

ANNE CHARRIER:   It's a shoot of self-confidence as well. Because you think, “Yeah, I can do it. I'm there.”

ROMAIN LEVI:   And to make a dream come true, you know, it's not so easy. Sometimes you have tons of dreams, but it's hard to get them, you know, to get it. So, I knew when you got it, yeah, it's something. It's something.

QUESTION:   Hi. So when your characters met Melissa McBride for the first time on set, what was that conversation like?

ANNE CHARRIER:   It was very easygoing actually, you know, because Melissa is that kind of person. So, you're very impressed, because you're going to meet Carol, and then you're meeting Melissa. And it becomes really very fast. It becomes a professional partnership and it's a very happy one.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, for me too. I was a bit intimidated at the beginning, of course, but she was so simple, so nice, so kind, so easygoing, you know, on set. That's all right. Very easily I said, “Okay, that's an amazing partner. I can feel that. Let's play, let's have fun, let's connect with each other. Let's trust in each other.” So it was amazing.

QUESTION:   You both have makeup experience this year. I won't get specific, but what was that like for each of you?

ANNE CHARRIER:   It's amazing, but it's not only makeup, you know? It's, I can tell you, I can say it now, because each time I was going to a different set, I had a different dummy, you know? I would meet a different me in worse shape than it was the day before. So, that was very funny. And the makeup experience is very funny as well, because you can see yourself in the mirror becoming something else, becoming, you know, I loved it. I loved it. I have to say, all the details and the artists that worked with us, you can see the artists working on this. It's very special. It's very nice.

ROMAIN LEVI:   Yeah, definitely. [That] amazing makeup, in a way, it's a real help to get into the character. You know, you look at yourself and say, “Oh, I'm not the same guy that I was this morning.” Something changed now, and you are using it. It's a real help as an actor, I do, I believe.