As our Tuesday evenings are once again treated to a new season of Ride With Norman Reedus, this time taking viewers to the stunning landscapes of New Zealand and beyond, we decided to take a look back at some of the most memorable guest appearances from the show’s first four seasons.
Ride With Norman Reedus, exclusively available to BT TV customers on AMC, follows The Walking Dead star and undoubtable fan favourite – whose TWD character was rarely seen without a motorcycle himself – as he sets off on his bike to explore local cultures around the world. Every episode sees Reedus joined by a new riding companion, each bringing their own stories, connections and reason to the pair’s adventures along the open road.
In a year where travel has been mostly non-existent, Ride With Norman Reedus gave us an escape to somewhere outside of our homes, exploring new continents and countries, as well as seeing the beauty that awaits just off the beaten track. Now into its fifth season, the show has seen Reedus journey near and far with his comrades, visiting Alabama and Georgia in his domestic US, as well as heading abroad to the likes of Japan and Scotland. As the latest season unravels, with new guests including Josh Brolin and Dylan McDermott, we reminisce about some of our favourite ride partners so far.
Michael Rooker
One for The Walking Dead fans amongst us – Season 4 started off with a bang as the ‘Dixon brothers’ were reunited on screen. Although with far less zombies and hostility this time around. The choice of Michael Rooker for the season’s opening episode was a great one. Aside from playing Daryl’s older brother Merle in TWD, the actor has appeared in a number of other popular titles. Whether it’s his recent appearance in new Netflix comedy Love and Monsters, or his unforgettable time as Yondu in The Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 1 and 2), Rooker brings magic wherever he goes.
And magic is found once more as he and Reedus take a ride through Alabama, exploring the history of Birmingham and even visiting Rooker’s hometown of Jasper. What ensues includes a chance encounter with a cousin, a haunted chicken farm, and a return to where it all started for the pair – Senoia, Georgia – for a mini Walking Dead reunion to finish things off.
Milo Ventimiglia
From one iconic franchise to another, Season 4 also featured This Is Us leading man Milo Ventimiglia. Ventimiglia is no stranger to the heavyweight shows of the TV world, with recurring roles in Gilmore Girls and Heroes under his belt as well. And for Milo, whose life is as busy as his resume, the opportunity to join Norman almost passed him by. After not being able to make an appearance in an earlier season, schedules luckily worked out and the two actors could finally get together in Season 4 for a trip through Japan.
Journeying from Kyoto to Osaka, Reedus and Ventimiglia delve into the unique and beautiful Japanese culture that awaits them. The episode showcases an array of local traditions and activities – biker monks, bowing deers, archery and yams all feature. And for a show about riding fast, this episode also reminds us to take a moment where we can to slow down. For the busy actors, the long rides between destinations became a place of solace and connection. Ride with Norman Reedus is a show that exhibits wonderful places and the people that inhabit them, but it is also a show about the joy and reflective experience of the ride you take to get there.
Dave Chappelle
Another of the show’s most memorable guests came in Season 2, when Dave Chappelle joined Norman for a ride from Charleston, South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia. As they stop in Lowcountry along the South Carolina coast to learn more about the local culture, the pair discuss what biker culture means to them and it’s place within their lives.
Chappelle started riding motorcycles later on in life than most, and now enjoys using the mode of transport to travel both locally and to his comedy shows across the country. As someone who talks about the inner peace he has found through riding, he is a well suited companion for Reedus on their travels. While the pair connect, the episode also sees them give oystering a go, as well as meet up with some local bikers from the area and travel to Saint Helena Island. The comedian’s humour and passion are clear to see, and it is a pleasure to watch Chappelle and Reedus so in their element.
Melissa McBride
Season 3 of Ride with Norman Reedus is a show thatsaw Norman head across the Atlantic, where he is joined by another Walking Dead co-star, this time in the form of on and off screen friend Melissa McBride. The actress joins Reedus on a historic journey through Scotland, as the pair take in the beautiful countryside on their quest to learn more about McBride’s heritage.
Melissa’s appearance may come as a surprise compared to some of the more heavyweight biker fans the show includes, but her participation came about after Norman discovered she had family buried in Scotland but had never visited. The pair decided to make the trip together – McBride just needed to learn how to ride first… And learn she did, although it wouldn’t be a trip to the UK without some less than ideal weather conditions, meaning the pair do end up behind the wheel of Defender opposed to on the back of their bikes. That’s just one reason why this episode sits quite uniquely next to the rest however, as McBride’s very personal connection and purpose for the trip gives a natural direction to the places they visit. The pair are just as likeable off screen as their characters are in The Walking Dead – so much so that their own TWD spin off show is coming! – and this episode is a must watch for any Daryl and Carol fans.
Ryan Hurst
If there were two characters least likely to take a cross-country motorcycle trip together, it would be Norman and Ryan’s bitter enemies from The Walking Dead. Daryl and Beta did not get along on screen, but the actors are great friends in real life. This is fortunate for us, as Hurst’s appearance in Season 4 makes for one of our favourite Ride With Norman Reedus episodes ever.
The actor, whose big break aptly came from biker gang drama Sons of Anarchy – where he first learned to ride – joins Reedus for another leg of his journey across Japan. For those who are used to seeing Hurst donning his usual walker skin mask in TWD, watching him dressed in a zebra coat zooming through Tokyo in the Mario Kart-esque Street Karts is a refreshing change of tone. The show highlights two of the country’s contrasting landscapes; the modern and tech-filled city streets of Tokyo, and the serenity and magnificence of Mount Fuji. As we are transported and immersed into each moment of the pair’s travels, Hurst’s infectious nature makes this an episode to remember.
The new season of Ride With Norman Reedus is on AMC Tuesdays at 9pm. AMC is available on BT TV, channel number 332, and is also available in HD on channel 381.
