The Walking Dead finally returned for its latest batch of episodes last night, with 10×17 “Home Sweet Home” – AKA the start of a new chapter of an extended season 10 – focusing on Lauren Cohan’s Maggie Rhee following her return home in the previous finale. There wasn’t much room to explain what she’s been up to since she left Hilltop in that installment, but this outing finally revealed where Maggie’s been these past seven years.
Back in season 9, after the time jump, we were told she had taken Hershel and gone to aid old ally Georgie in establishing a new community. During a heart-to-heart with Daryl in this episode, Maggie explains that they actually travelled around, helping various settlements out of trouble. This is partly what kept her away so long, because people always needed her help, but it was also, Maggie admits, because she didn’t want to face Negan again.
She lost contact with Georgie two years ago, with the latter going out west and the Rhees remaining behind in a village near Knoxville, Tennessee. Eventually, however, the town “fell” and Maggie was forced to lead the surviving people back to her old home. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Daryl exactly what happened, though we know it’s to do with the Reapers, a group of human-hunting executioners who were introduced in the premiere.
Yup, the survivors only just wiped out the Whisperers last episode but they’ve already got another twisted enemy on their tails. A lone Reaper sniper ambushed Maggie’s group at their rendezvous point in the woods, murdering a couple of them before the camouflaged killer blew himself up with a grenade when confronted. Expect to learn more about the Reapers – an original creation for the TV show – and Maggie’s past as season 10C continues.
The Walking Dead 10×18 “Find Me” airs Sunday, March 7th on AMC.
