What could Daryl Dixon's plan be as he's inducted into the Reaper fold in The Walking Dead season 11? Attacking the Reapers at their own camp was always a risky gambit, but Maggie Greene probably expected to get further than the front gate before their mission went awry. The Alexandrian away team are now scattered - Maggie and Negan forging ahead, Alden out injured, and Gabriel roaming nearby. Daryl Dixon, however, gets the roughest deal. Surrounded by enemies, Norman Reedus' character discovers his ex-girlfriend under a Reaper mask, and soon finds himself bagged-and-dragged into captivity.
With Leah to vouch for him, Daryl sort of became a Reaper by accident...? The Walking Dead veteran survives Pope's literal trial by fire, passes the interview portion of the application process, and then witnesses a vacancy open up around the campfire. Daryl never officially accepted Pope's olive branch, but he also didn't fight back once the red carpet was rolled out. After smashing himself and Leah out of the burning building, Daryl could've refused to cooperate, demanding he's either released or sent back to his cell. Instead, Daryl keeps quiet and goes with the flow - what's his big idea here?
Daryl's reaction to Pope is actually a shining example of how far the character has come on his emotional journey during the zombie apocalypse. Back in The Walking Dead season 7, Daryl reacted in anger to Negan killing Abraham, and in retaliation for that outburst, Negan hit a home run with Glenn too. Daryl has carried the weight of that immense guilt ever since. Learning his lesson, Daryl is reading the situation much better in The Walking Dead season 11. Instead of fighting back at all costs, Daryl is keeping his cards close to his chest, following his head instead of his emotions. He's cooperating just enough for Pope to stop considering him an enemy - but committing himself to nothing.
Rubbing along with the Reapers helps Daryl keep his cover story intact. As far as Pope knows, Daryl is a lone warrior who makes ad hoc partnerships with other groups. If Daryl kept fighting the Reapers, they'd never believe he wasn't a fully-fledged ally of Maggie's. Not only does "joining" Pope's pals maintain Daryl's pretense, he can also begin to plot their downfall. The closer he embeds into the camp, Daryl can scout the defenses, figure out where their food supplies are, and earn the members' trust ahead of an inevitable assault. 11 seasons in, Daryl trusts his friends are out there regrouping. He's laying the groundwork so whenever Maggie, Negan, Gabriel (and a few hours after everyone else, Alden) arrive, they can finally get what they came for.
Lingering feelings for Leah might also be affecting Daryl's judgement. If he hadn't been busy Rick-rolling across the river banks, Daryl could've stopped Leah rejoining the Reapers, and they'd be living happily together with Dog in the forest at this very moment. Blaming himself, Daryl is surely hoping he can rescue Leah from Pope's fanatical clutches. Unfortunately, that means he can't do anything that'll risk her safety (like making a move against Pope), and needs to regain Leah's trust before they can make a break for freedom later in The Walking Dead season 11. Daryl would've clocked the Reapers' cracks when Pope killed one of his own men, and is biding time so he can escape Meridian with Leah on one arm and a big bag of food on the other.