Breaking down the 4 major stories running in TWD: World Beyond

The Walking Dead: World Beyond is telling four stories at the same time

TWD: World Beyond is the newest spin-off in The Walking Dead Universe and after four episodes it has established some very big clues about what’s happening outside of Alexandria (TWD) and Texas (Fear TWD). Thus far there are roughly four plot points running in the show and they all serve to carve a niche in the fabric of the TWD franchise.

TWD: World Beyond was conceived as a limited series, which means that it must deliver the entirety of its story in two seasons. (Though Scott M. Gimple hinted during a NYCC panel that it could be expanded if needed) The story in World Beyond is meant to bridge the current TWD Universe with the franchise’s future, using the tale of a group of kids traveling across the country as a plot device to drive the bigger narrative.

As such, there are many stories playing out in World Beyond and they are all rich with their own mythology.

The Endlings, Felix and Huck

The first layer of storytelling revolves around the characters. We were introduced to Iris, Hope, Silas, Elton, Huck and Felix in the pilot episode and over the course of the first few episodes we’re slowly learning more about their complex stories.

Each character has had a very tragic past. The teens all suffered tremendously when the world fell apart. Hope killed Elton’s mother after witnessing her own mother being killed, Silas comes from a very traumatic situation and Elton was a little boy hearing the world falling apart around him. Years before the apocalypse, Felix lived through unspeakable trauma. And we’re still learning about Huck.

These characters are on a mission to rescue Dr. Bennett and they will soon learn that life is not at all what they thought it was. Their reckoning is the first layer of World Beyond’s narrative.

The Quest to Rescue Dr. Bennett and Will

The Endlings are on a quest to save Iris and Hope’s father from CRM after he sent a message to them that things had gone bad. What they learn along the way, and the mission itself, is the second layer of the story.

As fans have seen over the years, the world has changed a great deal and the greater threat is other people, not the empties. Now that the group has left the Campus Colony, they will see what the world is really like and they will learn more from this journey than they ever could have done in a classroom.

The quest is a layer in itself because everyone wants to know what happened when Leo Bennett left the Campus Colony. Where did he go, and what happened when things went bad?

CRM’s Impact on World Beyond

CRM plays a big role in World Beyond. The Endlings are on their way to rescue Dr. Bennett and Will but they have no idea that CRM wiped out their home and everyone in it. (We can also safely assume that they destroyed the Portland Colony as well)

The third layer of storytelling in World Beyond revolves around CRM and the control they have over the people who thought they were there to protect them.

We’ve seen CRM helicopters with storage units flying overhead. No one knows where CRM is based. Everything about CRM is a mystery. We’re learning more about this mysterious group through the Endlings’ journey, and at some point the Endlings will learn that their home is gone and that will become part of the story as well.

CRM’s Impact on the TWD Universe

With AMC’s commitment to the creation of a larger TWD Universe, the franchise must expand to handle new spin-offs, movies, limited series and more.

World Beyond was designed to be a limited series that would serve as a bridge to the Rick Grimes movies. CRM is the common theme between the two stories at the moment; by the time the show concludes it’s possible that fans will have more insight into what happened to Rick and what could happen to anyone who goes looking for him. (Like Michonne)

The end credits scene at the end of episode 104 revealed that CRM is conducting experiments on members of the Portland Colony. It looks like the “A” group comprises the test subjects. We know Rick is a “B” but what does that mean?

And with over 200,000 people living under CRM’s rule, and with all of their firepower and resources, CRM has just become the most dangerous force within the TWD Universe and their impact can be seen on all of the current shows. We can also safely assume that CRM will be part of future shows, and that means Carol and Daryl could run into them as well in their upcoming spin-off series.

TWD: World Beyond has been tasked with expanding the mythology of the TWD Universe so that the franchise can continue to grow and expand into the future. That’s a tall order, but the cast and crew are doing a phenomenal job laying the groundwork for what’s ahead in the world of The Walking Dead.