The Walking Dead Season 11 Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs From "Rendition"

After a few episodes of teasing, Rendition finally sheds some light on the mysterious Reapers, specifically their enigmatic, God-fearing leader Pope.

Whilst the Reapers' backstory (which we'll get to) is both compelling and well-conceived, and Pope himself is brilliantly performed by newcomer Ritchie Coster, the group leader ends up feeling like little more than a re-tread of the same old antagonistic tropes of the series.

Between his belief that God has made his strong and the final scene where he burns a Reaper to death for cowardice, he watches like a mixture of both Alpha and Negan. He's terrifying, uncompromising, and carries with him a serious superiority complex.

Though this is by no means a bad thing - The Walking Dead has always thrived with its most unhinged bad guys - the fact that he's been introduced so soon after Alpha and Beta's deaths makes him feel a touch uninspired.

It's also worth noting that the rest of the Reapers, mystifying as they may be in their masks, are as generic and one-note as they come, though we may get to learn more about them individually down the line.

Now, onto the Ups...