The Walking Dead: World Beyond Declassifies the CRM Conspiracy

As the final season of The Walking Dead: World Beyond uncovers a CRM conspiracy, a decoded newspaper reveals intel about the Civic Republic and the origins of its authoritarian military. Spoiler warning for Season 2 Episode 5, "Quartervois." The military force of the Civic Republic, the "hidden city" of 200,000 survivors living in a secret location ten years post-zombie apocalypse, Lt. Col. Elizabeth Kublek (Julia Ormond) claims the CRM to be the "last hope" for the survival of humankind. But the mysterious organization whose helicopter shuttled Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) away from The Walking Dead and threatened Althea's (Maggie Grace) investigation on Fear the Walking Dead may pose the biggest threat to the living as they fight for a future in a world of the dead.

In "Quartervois," a conversation between CRM Staff Sergeant Jennifer Mallick (Annet Mahendru) and discharged CRM soldier Dennis (Maximilian Osinski) reveals the Civic Republic Military agreed ten years ago to a transition of power toward the Civilian Government as part of the Founding Compact.  

"Civilian oversight after ten years," Dennis says. "Thing is, no one knew what the hell 'ten years later' would look like." 

Reads a headline on the front page of the Civic Republic Tribune: "Military Looks Ahead to Civilian Oversight." Another story: "CRM Requests Emergency Delay of Civilian Oversight." 

The Tribune quotes CRM Major General Beale to be "looking forward" to the long-awaited governmental transition. Asked if the ten-year timeline is still feasible, Beale is quoted as answering, "There are many variables to consider. But I have full faith that when the time comes, we will execute the plan smoothly." 

The CRM and Civilian Oversight

Reads a partially transcribed excerpt from the newspaper: 

A transition of power from military leadership to full civilian oversight is a bedrock provision of the Civic Republic's Founding Compact, the foundational document that has guided our city to rebuilding humanity for over nine years. Authors of the document were in agreement that military autonomy was imperative for the early survival of the CR, as well as its stabilization in the years to follow.

According to the provision, a transition of power would take place after a decade and "put the power back into the hands of the people."

"Pressed to reveal specifics of the plan for the transition of power, Beale remained tight-lipped," another excerpt reads. Beale would only confirm the transition is in the hands of the CRM's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Major General Beale

Kublek first mentioned Major General Beale in the early minutes of Season 1 Episode 1, "Brave," and the shadowy CRM leader has received repeat mentions in Season 2.

In the season premiere, "Konsekans," Kublek carries out orders from Major General Beale when a flashback reveals the CRM destroyed the Omaha safe-zone home to nearly 100,000 survivors. "Brave" revealed the aftermath of the CRM's massacre of Omaha's satellite community, the Campus Colony, where sisters Hope (Alexa Mansour) and Iris (Aliyah Royale) lived with nearly 10,000 other survivors. 

The Alliance of the Three

The since-destroyed Campus Colony and Omaha communities were part of the Alliance of the Three, bound by the three-circle symbol appearing on everything from helicopters to canned food supplied to a junkyard-dwelling Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) on The Walking Dead. 

The Alliance of the Three was a network of Omaha, Portland, and the Civic Republic, who operate the CR Research Facility in Ithaca, New York. The Research Facility is where the most brilliant scientific minds, including geneticist Dr. Leo Bennett (Joe Holt) and biologist Dr. T. Brooks Ellis (Allan Edwards), are developing a plan to end empties and the zombie apocalypse. 

The CRM Plot Revealed

The CRM claimed herds of the dead ran through and destroyed Omaha and the Campus Colony. In Season 2 Episode 4, "Family Is a Four Letter Word," Kublek addresses the civilians of Portland and the Civic Republic in a video message, pledging "that these tragedies will serve as a clarion call for our military to stand even more firmly resolved."

The CRM is "ready to fight for our survival, for the survival of our alliance," Kublek says, "and for the survival of humankind." 

Step 1: Under orders handed down by Major General Beale, Kublek carries out the destruction of Omaha and the Campus Colony. Step 2: The CRM requests emergency delay of civilian oversight in the wake of walker casualties totaling 110,000 lives.
Step 3: Successful execution of the false flag operation ensures the Civic Republic Military never transitions power to the civilian government despite the ten-year provision of the Founding Compact. 

Now it's up to the heroes on World Beyond — and maybe the missing Rick Grimes — to stop it. 

Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD and stay tuned to ComicBook for coverage all season long. New episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2 premiere Sundays on AMC.