The Pioneers (also called Settlers[1]) are a network of hostile survivors introduced in Season 5 of AMC's Fear The Walking Dead. They are led by Virginia and serve as the primary antagonistic group of the second half of Season 5 and the whole of Season 6. The group is made up of 817 rangers and civilians alike spanning over the franchises twelve settlements in northern Texas and southern Oklahoma.
Overview
The group appears to be divided into two distinct ranks: the rangers, which are in charge of security, and the workers that maintain the communities. The rangers have clear authority over the workers, and are normally to be obeyed without question. The rangers answer to Virginia, but the chain of command within their ranks isn't clear, although it does appear that some rangers, like Hill and later Strand, have authority over others. Those that break the rules are punished by being forced to do dangerous jobs, such as working at the oilfields in Tank Town or clearing out walkers from an abandoned sugar plant. Due to the strict nature of the group, defections are fairly common.
Pre-Apocalypse
Nothing is known about the individual members of the group before or as the outbreak began.
Post-Apocalypse
Season 5
"Leave What You Don't"
The Pioneers make a deal with Logan in the past to get oil for their bigger plans.
After Logan fails, they kill him and members of his crew that were with him. After making a proposal to members of the survivor caravan to join them, it ends with Luciana staying with them to show how to make oil in exchange for sparing the others. Virginia offers that the entire group can still join them if they change their minds. According to Virginia, the group can help Dwight find Sherry if she's still alive, give Sarah the place to brew that she's been looking for and provide the safe place that June has been looking for too.
"Today and Tomorrow"
After catching Tom stealing some of their gas, Al and Morgan are forced to hide in an abandoned minivan with him from some of the rangers on horseback. Afterwards, Tom tells them his story, how the group found and helped him at Paradise Ridge but later turned on him as they blamed him for an incident. Al begins to suspect the group is connected to the Civic Republic Military as what they told Tom is the same as what Isabelle had told her about CRM.
With Tom worried about his sister Janis, Morgan and Al sneak into Paradise Ridge to find her and in Al's case, hopefully find a connection to Isabelle and CRM. Morgan discovers Janis gone and the ranger who had been sent to kill her reanimated as a walker. After a struggle, Morgan kills the zombified Pioneer and the two are captured by Virginia and some of her rangers. Rather than killing them, Virginia makes a pitch for Morgan and Al to join their group and claims no knowledge of any helicopters. Virginia releases the two, returning their weapons to them. Before Morgan and Al leave, Virginia reveals that she had a resident woodworker repair Morgan's broken staff to his gratitude.
"Channel 5"
Virginia makes her own promotional video that lies about her background and motives. Later, she comes across Morgan's group and offers her help only to be refused once more. She order two of her rangers to shoot bullets in the air to draw zombies to them before leaving. She still offers her invitation to join her group which Morgan reluctantly accepts later on.
"End of the Line"
Virginia gets Morgan's call for help and with Luciana in tow, she arrives at their spot and agrees not to separate Morgan's group entirely. However, much of the group is split up into different vehicles and taken to different towns for re-settlement. Annie, Max, Dylan, and the other children were sent away in the back of a tractor trailer while a flatbed truck drove Dwight, Tess, and majority of the other adults away. Grace is driven away for medical treatment by the Pioneers' primary physician, Dr. Holt.
Season 6
"The End Is the Beginning"
A group of rangers, including Hill, escort Virginia around in her stolen SWAT van until they run into a roadblock made of body parts. The rangers get out and inspect the immediate area as Hill checks a box at the roadblock, calling over Virginia once he realizes what is inside. After Emile's head is revealed by Virginia in the box, she and her escort leave the area in their vehicles.
"Welcome to the Club"
Pioneers, civilian and ranger alike, are shown living and carrying on their days as residents of Lawton. More than seventy Pioneers are known to live in Lawton, including Pioneer leader Virginia and her deputies Hill and Marcus. After the molasses plant is cleared, Victor and Janis are sent to live in Lawton, albeit in different roles, joining fellow caravan survivors John Dorie, who has been assigned the role of a ranger, Rabbi Jacob Kessner, and another woman. Pioneers from other towns are known to visit Lawton, including Daniel Salazar of Paradise Ridge, who offers his barber services to Virginia in her office.
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"Alaska"
The Pioneers will appear in this episode.
"The Key"
The Pioneers will appear in this episode.
"Honey"
The Pioneers will appear in this episode.
"Bury Her Next to Jasper's Leg"
The Pioneers will appear in this episode.
"Damage From the Inside"
Townspeople of Lawton can be seen walking along the main street. At night, inside a house, Virginia's severed wrist is seen being treated by Hill. When Victor returns to Lawton without Dakota, a frantic Virginia checks in with him in regards to her sister's well being. She then takes Victor to a back alley in town where a ranger is on guard duty inside a locked courtyard. He lets in Victor, Virginia, Hill, and Marcus as they check on an imprisoned Grace. Virginia then announces she wants all of the caravan survivors from the Gulch rounded up and brought to Lawton.
Members
- Virginia (Leader)
- Hill (Second-in-Command)
- Victor Strand (Councilmember/Ranger/Former Worker)
- June Dorie (Nurse)
- Miss Pfeiffer (Therapist)
- Jacob Kessner (Rabbi)
- Terrence (Woodworker/Ranger)
- James (Ranger)
- Marcus (Ranger)
- Samuels (Ranger)
- Cleve (Ranger)
- Kenneth (Ranger)
- Pioneer 1 (Ranger)
- Pioneer 2 (Ranger)
- Sarah Rabinowitz (Bodyguard)
- Luciana Galvez (Former Fuel Producer)
- Wes (Former Fuel Producer)
- Dom (Former Fuel Producer)
- Pete (Former Fuel Producer)
- Daniel Salazar (Barber/Morgan's Spy)
- Ellen
- Grace
- Wendell
- Annie
- Max
- Dylan
- Tess
- Philippe
- Tess' Son
- Sam
- Reg (Ranger)
- Jasper
- Skidmark
- Terry (Ranger)
- Mary Anne (Former Fuel Producer)
- Malcolm
- Dr. Holt (Doctor)
- Paige
- Janis (Laundry Woman/Former Worker)
- Cameron (Ranger)
- Sanjay (Worker)
- Adrienne (Ranger)
- Ben (Ranger)
- Jeb (Ranger)
- Worker 2 (Worker)
- Worker 1 (Worker)
- Juliet
- 786 unnamed members
- 9 unnamed Camp Cackleberry children
- 12 unnamed Caravan survivors
Formerly
- John Dorie (Former Councilmember/Ranger)
- Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki (Former Investigator)
- Dwight (Former Investigator)
- Alicia Clark (Former Lookout/Worker)
- Charlie (Former Lookout/Worker)
- Dakota
- Rachel
- Isaac (Former Ranger)
- Tom
Killed Victims
- Logan
- Doris
- Tom (Caused)
- Jeb (Caused)
- Ben (Caused)
- Adrienne (Caused)
- Sanjay (Caused)
- Randall Perez (Zombified)
- Sullivan Daniels (Zombified)
- Mark Smith (Zombified)
- Michael Jenkins (Zombified)
- Cameron (Zombified)
- Janis (Caused, Alive; Zombified)
- Malcolm (Zombified)
- Mary Anne (Zombified)
- 4 unnamed members of Logan's Crew
- At least 16 unnamed Pioneers (Alive and Zombified)
- Numerous unnamed Humbug's Gulch survivors (Alive)
- At least 6 unnamed Pioneer workers (5 Caused, 1 Direct)
- 13 unnamed funeral home survivors (Zombified)
- 15 unnamed office workers (Zombified)
- At least 30 unnamed Tank Town workers (Zombified)
- Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people
Deaths
- Juliet (Confirmed Fate)
- Tom
- Isaac
- Jeb
- Ben
- Adrienne
- Sanjay
- Cameron (Alive and Zombified)
- Janis (Alive and Zombified)
- Paige
- Dr. Holt (Confirmed Fate)
- Malcolm (Alive and Zombified)
- Mary Anne (Alive and Zombified)
- Terry (Alive and Zombified)
- At least 16 unnamed Pioneers (Alive and Zombified)
- At least 6 unnamed Pioneer workers
- At least 30 unnamed Tank Town workers (Alive and Zombified)
Appearances
Fear The Walking Dead
Season 5
Season 6
- "The End Is the Beginning"
- "Welcome to the Club"
- "Alaska"
- "The Key"
- "Honey"
- "Bury Her Next to Jasper's Leg"
- "Damage From the Inside"
Trivia
- The Pioneers are the first antagonistic group on Fear The Walking Dead to eliminate another antagonistic group, namely Logan's Crew.
- As of "Honey", there are at least twelve known active settlements part of Virginia's franchise, making it the largest known survivor network location-wise in The Walking Dead Television Universe thus far.
References
- ↑ Virginia told to Morgan's group: "Think of us more like the pioneers. (...) Yes, sir, settlers."
Fear the Walking Dead Groups
| |
|---|---|
| Major Groups | Madison's Group • Los Hermanos • Hopi Tribe • The Proctors • Morgan's Group • The Vultures • The Pioneers • Doomsday Cult • North Texas Alliance • Strand's Rangers • The Stalkers • Daniel's Resistance • Troy's Group • The Gearheads |
| Minor Groups | Connor's Pirates • La Mañas • Oscar's Group • Brandon's Group • Leland's Group • Clayton's Group • Civic Republic Military • Logan's Crew • Annie's Group • The Outcasts • Cole's Group • Dark Horses • Alicia's Group • Wilt's Posse • Marty's Group • PADRE Exiles |