Warning! SPOILERS ahead for The Walking Dead season 11 episode 4.

The Walking Dead season 11 finds Daryl among the Reapers and potentially changing sides but, in doing so, the show is repeating a story they've done before. As the final season of The Walking Dead, season 11 is longer than a typical season, totaling 24 episodes, and won't conclude until 2022. The extra episodes are intended to give The Walking Dead plenty of screen time to wrap up its decade-long tale but, already, season 11 is at risk of wasting that time.

Following the conclusion of the Whisperer War, the next major arc left to cover from The Walking Dead comics involves the Commonwealth. The interactions between Alexandria and the much larger community are what set the stage for the comic book's big finale, and the television show is expected to follow a similar though not exact path. The Walking Dead season 11 has been teasing the Commonwealth, but it's clearly holding off from revealing much of anything until later. Instead, the focus has largely been on introducing the Reapers, a violent group who Maggie has tangled with in the past. And while the threat posed by the Reapers has made for some very tense moments, it's a story the show has done many times before - and that's especially true when it comes to how it's using Daryl.

Related: Walking Dead: How Daryl's Subway Discovery Foreshadows The Commonwealth's Evil

The Walking Dead season 11, episode 4 "Rendition," has Daryl and Dog captured by the Reapers. Though, really, Dog isn't so much captured as goes willingly seeing as his former owner, Leah, is revealed to be among the Reapers. Daryl previously met Leah during his years in the woods searching for Rick. The two began a relationship, but Leah then mysteriously disappeared, leaving Daryl and Dog to return to Alexandria. Now that they've been reunited, Leah clearly wants Daryl to join the Reapers, but he doesn't seem so sure. Still, after they both survive his baptism by fire, the episode ends with the Reapers' leader, Pope, welcoming Daryl into their ranks. It's a moment meant to tease Daryl betraying the other survivors and staying with Leah, though it's pretty obvious Daryl isn't buying what Pope is preaching, making his full conversion rather unlikely. But that isn't the issue with this latest development. The problem lies in this being the fourth time The Walking Dead has done this exact story beat with Daryl.

Pope and the Reapers in Walking Dead season 11

The Walking Dead has always enjoyed painting Daryl in shades of gray, teasing that he may not turn out to be the good guy he's believed to be. In season 1, Daryl is introduced alongside his brother, Merle, a notoriously not nice guy and, while in his shadow, it's unclear if Daryl is any better. With Merle out of the picture, though, Daryl proves himself to be the better Dixon brother, and by season 3, is Rick's most trusted friend. But when Merle returns and Daryl joins back up with him, his loyalty is called into question. Daryl doesn't stay with Merle for long as he quickly realizes his brother isn't any good for him, and he returns to Rick and the others. A similar scenario is then repeated in The Walking Dead season 4, this time with Daryl joining up with another marauding group called the Claimers. He travels with them for a time before they run into Rick, Michonne, and Carl. An incredibly tense confrontation takes place, but it again results in Daryl ultimately choosing to side with Rick and the others.

The Walking Dead season 9 repeats this story beat once more when Daryl is captured by the Saviors and Negan tries to persuade Daryl to join him. This time, at least, Daryl is resistant from the start, but still the possibility that Daryl could turn on his friends and join their enemies is toyed with. And here, in The Walking Dead season 11, this idea is being tried out yet again. Instead of the Saviors or Claimers, it's the Reapers, and instead of the emotional pull of reuniting with his brother, Merle, it's a previous love, Leah. At this point, teasing Daryl's betrayal only to ultimately have him return to his true friends is a recurring trope specific to The Walking Dead. It appears so ingrained, don't be too surprised when it crops up again in Daryl and Carol's forthcoming spinoff show.

Next: Walking Dead's Daryl & Carol Spinoff Must Deliver On Its Different Promise