<Li> Michael Raymond - James as Dave, a member of Randall's group, who runs into Rick, Hershel, and Glenn . </Li> <Li> Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon, Daryl's violent and unreasonable older brother, who disappeared in the first season; seen in a hallucination . </Li> <P> After the first season aired, Deadline Hollywood reported that Frank Darabont had let the entire writing staff go and planned to use only freelance writers for the second season . This turned out to be not entirely accurate, and Robert Kirkman was quoted as saying the changes to the writing staff would not affect the production of the show . In February 2011, it was announced that Glen Mazzara, who had written the first - season episode "Wildfire", had been hired again as a writer / executive producer for the second season and will put together a staff of five more writers . </P> <P> At C2E2 members of the cast confirmed that the second season would begin shooting on June 1, 2011, and that Frank Darabont would write the season premiere episode . At the same event, cast members speculated that acclaimed author and long - time Darabont collaborator Stephen King may write an episode . Kirkman later confirmed that along with himself, Darabont and Mazzara the writing staff will consist of Scott M. Gimple, Evan Reilly, Angela Kang and one freelance writer, David Leslie Johnson . Four actors have joined the cast as new characters for season 2--Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene, Lauren Cohan as his daughter Maggie, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Hershel's ranch hand, Otis, and Michael Zegen as Randall . </P>

The walking dead season 2 episode 4 cast