I give it a similar rating, maybe even down to 5.

Another crazy leader that in the real world one of the followers would probably just put a bullet in.

The whole episode didn't really grab me at all. I am already tired of the reapers. I knew that pope was gonna kill the guy 5 minutes before he did.

What are we, 10 years or so in the apocalypse and a group just lets a lunatic throw their friends into the fire. For that matter, a small group just going around killing people for the hell of it?

And also, wouldn't a group of mercenaries be somewhere mercernarying in another country when the world fell. Doesn't seem likely they would all be together in a club of mercenaries at home just waiting around.

For the last season I have not really been overwhelmed so far.

 

I give it a six because I felt they wasted no more time with the dramatics but gave the viewers all they needed to know about this group except why they kill other survivors just trying to make it out there. The fact that they do makes them obviously the “bad” guys but I don’t really know how this furthers the overall arc along which I hope is the rest of our characters finally find some sanctuary reunited with lost loved ones at the commonwealth.

 

I thought that was very annoying too, not explaining why they are killing other survivors? Simply because they're the "chosen ones"? Is that a good enough reason?

 

IKR? If they’re mercenaries still, who are they working for? What’s the mission exactly? They’ve clearly lost sight of any constructive vision if they’re acting independently. I wonder how they would have fared if they had gone up against Alpha and her hoard, where the “foe” was barely indistinguishable from the Walkers.

 

I'm a little torn to rate it. Well, it was all about Daryl. And he was awesome in the episode. In a very complicated situation, having to play a very clever game. As opposed to the last time when they wanted him to sell his family out and switch sides, and he was fully prepared to die, - this time he really wants to get out of this hellhole alive. His people need him. The little kiddos back at home need him.
And then there's Leah he once cared about but now he's not so sure anymore who she is. He certainly knows he cannot trust her. It's massively complicated.

So for all that I'd like to give a high score.

But then not giving us anything about the reason behind this group turning on all the other survivors was very frustrating. And another psychopath leader... grrr. Please no. Have hardly recovered from Alpha and Beta.

As much as I'm all in for a Daryl centred episode, I'd rather not have him tortured in it! And right now the Commonwealth story and the Negan/Maggie conflict is way more interesting than this hell raiser group. And I want Leah out of the picture as soon as possible, as she clearly doesn't deserve Daryl. I'd like this Reaper Story over and done with, Leah gone, and Daryl to reunite with Connie. And obviously he should keep the dog.

I'm going with 7.

 

I would give it a 7. I really liked the suspenseful parts, which this show has been missing for years.

 

7.5/10

Despite the differences, I think the differences are not big enough to make this reapers arc to what it should or could be.

Leah will die and I hope she will not die in agony. I hope Daryl will not tell her the truth that he did lie to her about Maggie and Alexandria...etc and she die believing that Daryl has not lied to her so that she can have a peaceful death.
Now, how about the Dog. He betrayed Daryl...lol He went back to Leah instead of sticking with Daryl. After Leah's death, how would he go back to Daryl? This is an important and interesting point to elaborate!

I also hope that this reaper arc and the commonwealth arc are not two totally separate lines but they should somehow be merged. Eg the reapers were once commonwealth citizens but were rejected by the pumpkin colour armour security guy or, the reapers were once 'hired' by the commonwealth to 'clean up' the area...etc

 

Another thing I didn't get is that these Reapers had a run-in with Maggie's group before. Shouldn't they know who she is? Particularly since they've been chasing her around?

Like I said after the last episode the locations are just too close for this group to have co-existed around Negan and the Whisperers. Despite their training I'm surprised they haven't been wiped out.

The test placed on Daryl was weird too because Leah was his ex. It shouldn't be terribly surprising that he helped her get out of the fire.

Overall I think this group would've worked more if the story had been written that on a run for supplies Alexandria collided with these people. The group kept to themselves previously but after a member was killed they then decided to seek revenge. I just don't get why they're out terrorizing everyone when they only have 15 members. It doesn't seem smart. It's not like the group is the size that Negan or the Governor had.

 

Good point about the test being a little biased in favour of Daryl - I guess they were also testing his feelings for Leah? Who knows. But Leah must be totally brainwashed if she’s ok with being thrown under the bus this way and also how can she possibly follow a leader like “family” when he plays with fire and melts people when he’s angry?

I keep thinking about their motivation.
Perhaps they’re a nomadic/opportunist group and just recently arrived at Meredian, and decided to take their base and resources over.

Potential scenarios:

1. In the battle for Meredian they saw Maggie fighting like the little warrior princess she is and Pope decided they should have her in the group.

2. He wants her as a “wife”.

3. Maggie killed someone special in the Reapers group and that got Pope pissed. He wants to punish her/kill her himself.

If they only saw Maggie in that battle for the first time - they couldn’t suss that she was their leader.

There are only three possibilities what being “marked” means:

He either wants her dead, converted or enslaved, right?

 

Regarding the locations being too close, I speculate that these reapers are nomads.

First, Maggie went away and stayed with a group called Meridian, which, I suppose is far enough from ASZ.
Then, the reapers came along and attacked Meridian and finished off everybody but a few escaped. Maggie plus a few (eg Elijah) hiked back to ASZ. And, her group was tracked and followed by the reapers.

 

I think so too. I wonder how Elijah has ended up with Maggie’s group though?

 

Elijah's fighting skill and his usage of a reaper mask and outfit seem to indicate him being an ex-reaper.
Perhaps Maggie took him in when Elijah defected. And Pope got angry that Maggie received one of his people and thus, 'marked' Maggie?

 

Possible! But wouldn’t he be more angry with Elijah than Maggie? I think Elijah is definitely an ex-Reaper, but Maggie must have done something more than just taking Elijah in.

 

She did. She stole Elijah’s allegiance, his loyalty away from Pope and his family. Turning your back on your brothers is something Pope doesn’t tolerate as demonstrated with the fighter he threw in the fire. Guy carried his dead comrade 10 miles on his back but because he had some wounds on his back Pope decided he broke their cardinal rule. So Maggie gets “marked” but as you mentioned…..for what?

 

Yes… that’s the big question! None of the answers could be pleasant!

Punishing someone for a back wound… good gracious. The number of ways someone could get back wounds. For example, protecting someone with their own body.

The fact this Pope dude just jumped to a paranoid conclusion without even talking to the guy, conducting any form of investigation… is almost unbelievable (they’re supposed to be a FAMILY! ) and there should be red alarms flashing and sirens screeching in all the remaining Reapers’ heads (no matter how brainwashed they are) that their dear leader has no marbles left. If this (and Daryl’s fire test where she was flippantly used as an ignorant bait) won’t push Leah at least to do any sort of reckoning, nothing will.

Will be interesting to see how she’ll process what’s just happened. It will determine whether she has any part left in Daryl’s life or not.

 

Well, it would make me think twice, lol, but I don’t believe I would ever find myself aligned with a such a group to begin with….at least I hope not. However, if I somehow found myself there, after that display I would be extremely cautious around that guy. I’m even thinking I wouldn’t be able to trust my fellow soldiers either cause you’d never know if they would be setting you up in support of the cause if they thought you had second thoughts about the group or it’s leader.

 

Very true.

These group dynamics are fascinating, especially how they evolve, and how easy it might be to lose perspective if you’ve been in it from the start. If you have nowhere else where you think you can belong, because you’re so damaged, and you feel only these people can understand and support you because of the shared history. And as the group goes darker and darker and insanity creeps in, it’s harder to see and reject - they just go along with it. But is there a limit? Such thing as a wake up call? Well we’ll find out soon enough.

 

Yes, they may just be wanting to convert Maggie. That would also explain why the Reaper in the stairwell that Maggie tossed down, didn't kill her. Perhaps that person was just trying to capture her.