The CRM Finally Confirms A Walking Dead Connection To The Rest Of The World

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’s season 1 finale.

The CRM has been hiding in the shadow for years in The Walking Dead universe, but The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live finally confirmed the group’s connection to the rest of the world. Although they hadn’t been fully explored until recently, The Walking Dead had been teasing the CRM since season 1. The helicopters that featured in the show’s first season were tied to the CRM, and there have been plenty of subtle clues hinting at the group’s introduction ever since. While they had small cameos in the main series, it was World Beyond that revealed the CRM’s intentions.

Throughout its two seasons, World Beyond highlighted the CRM’s true nature, as the series showcased the military’s massive size, advanced technology, and ruthless methods. The CRM’s human experiments and chemical attacks proved how dangerous they were, but World Beyond never gave a scale of just how global their influence went. However, The Walking Dead finally explored the CRM’s plan in far more detail during The Ones Who Live, revealing just how powerful they are in the post-apocalyptic world. While their dominance over America has become pretty obvious, the spinoff unveiled that they also have a worldwide presence.

Major General Beale Confirms The CRM Has Spies In Groups Across The World

The CRM’s Influence Goes Beyond America

In The Ones Who Live‘s finale, Major General Beale finally confirms the CRM’s global connections when he mentions having CRM spies around the world. During Rick’s Echelon briefing, Beale opens up about the military’s secret plans, revealing their intention to wipe out Portland alongside other communities. The CRM’s main goal is survival and secrecy, looking to take out all other communities to have supremacy over America. While explaining the military’s plans, Beale also tells Rick, “We have embeds– spies– in selected communities throughout the continent and the world,” which confirms the CRM’s influence goes far beyond the US.

The CRM’s connection to other countries in The Walking Dead proves they may not be gone for good. Rick and Michonne defeated the CRM in The Ones Who Live‘s finale, but the group’s mission may still live on in other countries. The spinoff never mentions exactly what countries they have ties to, but given the CRM’s size, they likely have spies in some huge countries. The franchise has only focused on America and France thus far, but the CRM’s worldwide influence suggests they could still be a threat to other major countries and potentially endanger America again in the future.

The CRM Still Doesn’t Know Everything About The Walking Dead’s World Outside Of The US

Beale Seemed Unsure About The CRM’s Status Compared To The Rest Of The World

Although Beale confirmed the CRM has ties to other countries, it’s clear he doesn’t know everything about the rest of the world. While telling Rick about his plans for supremacy, he admits the CRM might be the most powerful group on the planet. Given Beale spoke with confidence throughout the Echelon briefing, the word “might” confirms he doesn’t know exactly what other major forces are out there. His CRM spies may provide intel about the countries they operate in, but Beale clearly doesn’t know everything about the apocalypse’s worldwide impact and how each country has attempted to stop it.

Therefore, there may be an even more powerful group than the CRM in The Walking Dead. Beale’s limited knowledge about the rest of the world suggests there could be a group with more supplies and numbers than the CRM. Likewise, there may be countries that managed to find a cure for the zombie virus or enforced a system that stopped widespread infection in the first place. Despite having spies, Beale was unaware of how powerful other countries might be before his death, suggesting the CRM might not be the only dominant faction out there.

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Beale’s Reveal Means Daryl Dixon’s French Villains May Have CRM Ties After All

Genet & The Cause Could Still Be Connected To The CRM

Daryl Dixon‘s villains resemble the CRM, and despite there being no official connection so far, the Cause could still be tied to the Civic Republic Military. The spinoff’s main antagonist, Genet, led the Cause’s attempt to try and dominate France in Daryl Dixon, similar to how the CRM tries to dominate America in The Ones Who Live. Despite the resistance, Genet was hellbent on taking over France in Daryl Dixon season 1 and looks set to continue this goal in season 2. Although the Cause isn’t as powerful as the CRM, there are some key similarities.

Outside their obvious goals, both groups experimented on walkers, with the Cause even creating their own variants. Genet’s group also abducts people and has a similar political and military presence as the CRM. While Daryl Dixon doesn’t suggest the two factions are connected, The Ones Who Live teases the possibility. The Cause has a ship that travels from America to France, which could be how CRM spies cross the ocean. Therefore, Genet may have been a spy who successfully imposed the group’s goal onto France, allowing her to lead her own branch of the CRM, which was named the Cause.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Created by Scott M. Gimple and Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is a sequel spin-off series in The Walking Dead television franchise. The series picks up some time after Michonne departs from the original series, as she searches to be reunited with her lover, Rick Grimes. Meanwhile, Rick finds himself amid another war between the living and the dead.

Cast

Andrew Lincoln , Danai Gurira , Pollyanna McIntosh , Lesley-Ann Brandt , Terry O’Quinn

Release Date

February 25, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

AMC+

Franchise(s)

The Walking Dead

Writers

Scott M. Gimple , Danai Gurira

Showrunner

Scott M. Gimple