From the very start of World Beyond, it was clear that CRM was not good. The new series was only several episodes away when CRM soldiers destroyed an entire city for no reason. In Season 2, the main characters find their home destroyed and want revenge. However, the series never explained why CRM beat Omaha and its campus colony in the first place, all the way to “Death and the Dead.”
In this week’s adventure, Leo, Hope, Iris, and their group implemented their multifaceted plan to escape a CRM research center. They all decided to take part in the MRC’s planned destruction of Portland. Then they set everything in motion and prepared to flee when Elton and Silas brought over 1,000 protesters to the facility to remove them after their departure.
First, they hosted Mason Beale. They were then trapped in the biotrification laboratory. Thanks to Jadis, who started the shutdown, the CRM soldiers could not enter the closed doors. Two hours later, they could restart the system and come back, but everyone had escaped through the old mine tunnels by then. At least Jadis thought so. Leo and his group hid elsewhere, throwing zombified test materials that carried explosives into the tunnels. When Jadis sent his soldiers behind him, most of them were killed in the explosions.
Leo then contacted Jadis and negotiated why he had Mason’s leverage to procure two CRM trucks. Most of their group left these trucks, but Felix, Iris, Hope, Percy, and Mason secretly stayed behind to destroy the chlorine gas that CRM was using against Portland. Unfortunately, Jadis was waiting for him, and he switched gasses. Hence, they had to try to escape quickly through an exit.
But when they showed up, Jadis was waiting for them along with a group of CRM soldiers, followed by a riot. Felix again tried to use Mason as leverage to negotiate with Jadis to get her through, but she disagreed. They just wanted to get away, but Jadis had to keep them there as long as possible so his sniper could take his place. So he decided to talk about something he knew would get his attention. Reluctantly, he explained why the MRC had abolished Omaha, and what he had told them was frightening.
He said CRM models showed that Omaha and Portland would never be completely self-sufficient. So both cities were just a CRM resource tax. So instead of cutting them out and dying of hunger, disease, and power struggles, CRM quickly filled them, suddenly “gracefully” with chlorine. They gave them complete favor by participating in a scientific experiment and studying their deaths, claiming that their legacy could help save the world.
While everyone had their reasoning, Mason made a move, Huck made a move, and Jadis’ soldiers opened fire. Percy was dead when the dust settled; Iris, Hope, and Felix fled in a jeep, and Mason was with Jadis. Huck refused to join the others, but he ran with her and will likely meet everyone in next week’s episode. Mainly, though, Jadis will seek revenge on Huck.
To watch The Walking Dead: World Beyonds dramatic conclusion, tune in to AMC on Sunday, December 5th. 10:00 ET. ET / PT, or broadcast the episode a week earlier on AMC +.