Scavengers Reign, the MAX series based on the 2016 short film Scavengers, ends with Barry joining the reunited crew – minus one – of the stranded planetary freighter, Demeter 227, as they make the ruined ship their home once again. Kris, who managed to escape in the Demeter’s last functioning shuttle, however, faces an uncertain fate. Trapped in the shuttle with no food or water, a weakened Kris begs some mask-wearing humanoids for water when they pull her shuttle onto their own ship. Only six of the mask-wearing humanoids are shown on screen, although with the large size of the ship, there are likely many more.
Scavengers Reign follows a group of survivors – Sam, Ursula, Kamen, and Azi with her robot companion Levi – after a critical human error strands them on the dangerous planet Vesta. As they struggle to reach their fallen ship, the previously separated survivors converge as they approach the Demeter. After facing many dangers and acquiring both a new friend and a new foe, the survivors appear to have made the marooned ship their home. With Kris, a scavenger drawn to Azi’s distress calls in the hopes of looting the Demeter, stealing the ship’s only working shuttle, it is unclear whether the crew of the Demeter will ever escape Vesta after the ending of Scavengers Reign.
What’s Next For Kris In Scavengers Reign?
In the final episode, a starving Kris faces an uncertain fate. After abandoning the surviving crew of the Demeter and Barry, her last remaining crew member after Terrence’s death, she takes the Demeter’s only shuttle for herself (with a baby Levi stowaway). However, poor planning and a lack of resources leave her in a worse position than if she’d stayed with the crew on Vesta. Instead, because of her own arrogance and selfishness, she is left dying of thirst on a ship with no food or water. That is until her shuttle is taken in and boarded by mask-wearing humanoids.
The show doesn’t say who these people are. Something that is made clear is that these people are likely cultists. They wear masks and ceremonial robes. Further, as they walk toward Kris’ shuttle to investigate, the audience is given a glimpse of a skeleton wearing the same robes with an incense burner and beaded necklaces in one hand and a living plant in the other. This would seem to indicate some kind of death cult or, perhaps, given that the skeleton is holding a small, living plant, a cult that celebrates the cycle of life and death.
It is unclear whether these humanoids will help Kris or harm her. Because they wear masks, their facial expressions are hidden. This means that the audience is not given any indication as to how they feel. Either Kris is in luck, and they will bring her to the nearest colony, or they will kidnap her and either harm her or use her for more nefarious means. Something important to note is that the plant looks distinctly like it came from Earth, and the skeleton appears human. If they are indeed human, as they appear to be, it is possible that they will attempt to bring her into their cult.
What Happened To Sam?
After being attacked by a vicious plant that infected him with poison and used his DNA to create a murderous Sam body double, the end seemed all but guaranteed for the Demeter’s captain. He gave Ursula his ID card, allowing her to access every part of the ship and essentially appointing her as the new captain. However, when a mysterious old woman came and infected Sam with an organic life form, things seemed hopeful. He was cured and able to push forward toward the Demeter. However, things took a dark turn when it was revealed that the thing that had healed him was actually a mind-controlling parasite intent on spreading its seed.
Sadly, the tenth episode of Scavengers Reign saw Sam meet a heroic but tragic end. After helping an injured Ursula get as close to the Demeter as he could, he realized he could no longer resist the push of the parasite infecting his heart and taking over his mind. Knowing that it would soon force him to begin spreading the parasite to the other survivors, he tore out his own heart to save them, sacrificing himself in the process and closing off the possibility that we will see Sam again in a potential season two.
What Does Levi Becoming An Organic Life Form Say About The Planet Vesta?
One of the most interesting characters on the show is Levi, Azi’s robot companion. As Levi developed an increasingly stronger symbiotic relationship with the wildlife of Vesta, the planet began slowly replacing the robot’s mechanical parts with organic ones. The evolution of Levi is completed when they are put back together by the flora and fauna of Vesta after initially being torn to pieces by Kamen’s Hollow. Now more organic matter than machinery, Levi becomes a fully realized individual. While Azi began to recognize Levi’s individuality earlier on in the show, Levi’s evolution from machine to fully organic marks an irrevocable change in the character.
Levi’s becoming organic changes their relationships with the crew of the Demeter greatly. No longer are they simply a machine designed to take orders from and help humans. They can feel, think for themself, and even asexually reproduce. They demand to be treated like the person that they have become. Their evolution is an interesting contrast to the evolution that Sam experiences when he is infected with the parasite. While the planet’s fauna attempt to destroy Sam’s individuality by slowly taking over his mind, they actually give Levi individuality. This shows a duality in Vesta itself. While it is dangerous, it can also be beautiful and life-giving.
What’s Next For The Crew Of The Demeter?
The fate of the Demeter’s remaining crew (and Barry) remains in flux. Without a working shuttle, they cannot escape Vesta. It appears that they will be making the Demeter their permanent home. The ending of the final episode saw the crew doing just that, with Ursula leading and Kamen, now rescued from the Hollow, assisting in growing food. It is established early on that it’s unlikely anyone is actively looking for them. Their only hope, it seems, is for a passing ship to pick up their distress calls. One potential ship that could do this is the masked people’s ship. However, whether they are friend or foe is yet to be seen.
How Scavengers Reign’s Ending Sets Up A Second Season
Scavengers Reign’s ending sets up a second season by introducing mysterious new characters and an uncertain fate for both the Demeter’s crew and Kris. The final episode of the show prompted many questions about who the apparent cultists are, what their role could potentially be in a second season, and if the survivors will ever make it back to their homes. While a second season of Scavengers Reign has yet to be greenlit by MAX, its creators have stated that they have ideas for a few more seasons (via ComicBook). Time will tell if viewers get to return to Vesta, or if these mysteries will remain just that.
