The Walking Dead Theory: Is Jadis Planning A Takeover?

Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) has returned to The Walking Dead universe in the spin-off series The Walking Dead: World Beyond. She says she wants a promotion in the CRM. Just how big of an upgrade does she want?

After nearly a week of trying to watch it, iTunes finally let me watch this week’s episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. While there was a lot going on in that episode, I will focus on Jadis.

If you will recall, Jadis was the leader of the Scavengers in seasons seven and eight of The Walking Dead and had been an ally of the Saviors until Simon (Negan’s second-in-command) decided to remind Jadis where her loyalties lay by slaughtering her community. Since being taken away by the Civic Republic Military in the season nine episode, “What Comes After,” she’s evolved into a Warrant Officer for the CRM. She is now a military investigator and gained a fairly high level of authority within the Civic Republic as a whole.

During this week’s episode, we learned that Jadis had been called to the CR’s research facility in Ithaca, New York, at the request of Lieutenant Colonel Kublek to oversee things there. At the same time, she deals with affairs for Major General Beale at the Civic Republic’s capital. While talking with her old trainer, Huck, she discussed her mission, what she did before being taken in by the CRM, her belief in the CR, and her ambitions.

The Walking Dead Theory: Jadis wants to take over the Civic Republic.

I know this sounds a little extreme. Jadis is little more than a military detective and certainly not in any kind of position to take over the CR. Still, she is undoubtedly ambitious, and she certainly believes in the CR’s vision of itself as the “Last Light Of The World.” The more Jadis spoke to Huck about the CR, the more it seemed like her ambition and view of the CR were intertwined.

Think about some of the things she was saying to Huck. She told her how, immediately after being brought to the Civic Republic, she’d felt she’d lost her purpose. This was before realizing that her purpose had “expanded,” which she elaborated on by saying, “…my purpose is to create a new era on this planet.” (Emphasis mine).

That is not something a person content with being a military detective would say. That is something a person with designs on leadership and power would say.

Jadis isn’t content with being a mere military detective, is she? She told Huck that she wanted to have a promotion before the end of the year. Obviously, she has designs on something more, and it just so happens that her present job puts her in an ideal position to get it.

During their conversation, it became pretty evident that Jadis is looking into Huck, making sure that she hasn’t “made the wrong alliances” and has lost some of her zeal for the cause. Would it be too farfetched to assume that she’d throw her old friend under the bus to get that promotion?

And then what? What would that promotion entail for Jadis? Would she become the head of the warrant officers? Could she start investigating people even higher in the CRM? In the civilian government?

What am I really talking about, though? I mean, it’s not like people high up in the CMR are going around doing sketchy things behind the backs of the CR’s civil authorities. Oh, wait.

Jadis having ambitions of a take over don’t seem so extreme, now, do they?

I think Jadis has learned over the years just how powerful the Civic Republic truly is. With its reach across most of the continental U.S., the resources to create the force that is the CRM (With its high-grade equipment and the things needed to maintain them), and the ability to try to cure the zombie virus. As well as potentially weaponize it if other revelations of this week’s episode are anything to go by. She sees that the Civic Republic can “create a new era” on the planet that she so desires. Furthermore, with the (Presently) unlimited power of the CRM, all it would take is someone with the right vision at the helm to see her ambitions come to fruition.

Finally, I think Jadis understands being a warrant officer within the CRM, the only people with the ability to oversee the military could give her the means to unseat people. Using any misdeeds people in power have committed (*cough* Omaha! *cough*),  and pave the way for her to wield power.

She is a very ambitious survivor, indeed.

But, what do you think? Do you believe Jadis is looking to work her way to the top of the Civic Republic Military (And maybe even the entire Civic Republic)? Do you think she’s willing to be a henchwoman for Kublek or General Beale? Or, do you think I’m overestimating her ambition? I’m curious to hear! And, if you enjoyed this and want to learn how to stay alive in a zombie apocalypse, why not pick up a copy of my book, The Rules: A Guide To Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse! You can also get it at Amazon here, on iTunes here!