Norman Reedus Told NYCC 2022 The Famous Prop He Takes From The Walking Dead Set

When production on a movie or series ends — or even in the event of transition between seasons — actors tend to want to take home a small piece of the project they were involved in, and which they (naturally) have sentimental ties to. It is, much like a souvenir, a reminder of the character that accompanied them like a second persona for a long while, and of the memories they made while on set.

Of course, this was bound to happen in a long-running series like "The Walking Dead", which is now airing its final eight episodes after more than a decade on air. With its ultimate finale coming out in November, fans are understandably feeling some wistfulness for the zombie series which has been a constant on TV since 2010. But all good things must come to an end. It is often better to accept the need for a closing episode than to indefinitely sustain it and risk losing not only quality and but also people's attention (particularly given the number of viewers who stopped watching "The Walking Dead" some time ago).

On October 8, in their last appearance at New York Comic Con as part of "The Walking Dead," members of the cast plus Scott M. Gimple took part in a panel which also included a first look at the following day's Episode 18, "A New Deal." The seven cast members present at the panel were Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Ridloff, Eleanor Matsuura, Paola Lazaro, Michael James Shaw, and Norman Reedus. Reedus, who has played fan-favorite Daryl Dixon since the show's first season, confessed during the NYCC panel that he had indeed also fallen into that typical actor-like tendency to take some props home, with one particular item being his favorite.

There are two objects that immediately come to mind in association with Daryl Dixon: a motorcycle, and even more than that, a crossbow. Fans who've kept up with the show know Daryl to be a highly skilled fighter — otherwise, how would he have survived this long in the series' ruthless apocalyptic world? — but his knife skills certainly aren't as distinct as his archery prowess, which has arguably been his trademark since the beginning of the series.

During the aforementioned NYCC panel, the host turned to Reedus and asked a question that has probably been on countless fans' minds at one point or another throughout the many years that "The Walking Dead" has been on air: "Every season you've tried to take the Daryl crossbow home with you. Have you successfully managed to retrieve a Daryl crossbow from the show?" Reedus, wearing a pair of sunglasses and arguably looking as cool as his character, lifts the microphone and answers without missing a beat: "I think that every season but one I have them." 

He later added, seemingly without reservation: "I have at least 9 crossbows, which is a felony here in Manhattan. And I'm admitting it right now."

Episode 19 of "The Walking Dead" Season 11 comes out on October 16. The beloved series' final episode premieres on November 20.