The Walking Dead is well into filming on season 5 of the apocalyptic zombie drama, so we figured it was time to check in and see how things were going down on the Georgia set. We dialed up our main man Norman Reedus to get a feel for the vibe down there, and Reedus is definitely pumped about what has transpired so far. “These scripts are the best scripts so far, and I’m really just excited to be back at it,” says the man who plays Daryl Dixon. “There are a lot of characters right now, so there are a lot of really different personalities on set. And it’s super interesting, everyone’s really bringing it. It’s going great. It’s so dynamic because it’s so fast-paced and so complicated. It’s great to be back.”

We asked Reedus about the reemergence of kick-ass-and-take-names Rick Grimes (after a prolonged visit from Super Duper Mopey Rick Grimes) and Reedus says that new attitude extends well beyond the former sheriff’s deputy. “Everybody on the whole team is so badass right now,” says Reedus. “It’s interesting, because a lot of personalities are clashing, or characters’ personalities are clashing. But yeah, we definitely have Rick back.”

Characters clashing? Who could that be? Lovers quarrel between Glenn and Maggie? Mullet quarrel between Abraham and Eugene? You-killed-my-girlfriend-and-then-burned-her-dead-body quarrel between Tyreese and Carol? We’ll have to wait to find out. But one thing we do know is that the show is actually enjoying a rare form of much-needed stability at the top spot, with Scott M. Gimple now enjoying his second full season as showrunner (after taking over for Glen Mazzara who took over for Frank Darabont). “Yeah, it’s great,” says Reedus of Gimple’s return. “Scott, he’s so good at his job, and he’s such a great storyteller and such a good writer. He has this thing planned out to the end, I think. He’s definitely very qualified for the job. I never felt like we weren’t stable, though. I feel like we’re as stable as we ever were, just we have the confidence that we have this team back. It’s such a well-oiled machine right now. It’s great, and everyone feels super confident.”