‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ Recap – ‘Konsekans’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’.

​Something that truly captivates all of us in the everyday world, is how exactly people lose themselves to movements and groups that are obviously unsavory in nature. Because we firmly believe that logic should prevail in all things and that should in turn, allow for everyday folks to understand that people that are clearly unsavory and in it for themselves should be ignored and avoided and eventually forgotten. But time and time again, we simply see people flock to them and often times, the end results of this migration to the ignorant and the foolish… ends in outright disaster. Since we’ve seen cult leaders take their followers down with them and of course, we’ve even seen a polarizing maniac and wannabe leader, inspire insurrection from his red hatted minions.
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Which brings us back to the central question of this problem. In that, what exactly drives a person to follow people of that low caliber? And oddly enough, there is no easy answer to that question. For some, really do recognize a kindred evil in said idiot and are eager to follow someone that shares their beliefs. While others, follow their lead because they ignite and inspire something within them, especially when the follower is marginalized and some, are simply followers that blindly go with whatever is popular in the moment since that seems like the right thing to do. But in some rare cases, people sign up for the madness, simply because they quite literally have no other choice. For to fight the growing masses would result in more strife than they’ve already experienced and really, that particular aspect of why people join bad causes, is central to our discussion today, because it served as the focus of last night’s season two premiere of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

For ‘Konsekans’ took the time to explore some of the inner workings of the Civil Republic Military and in doing so, helped us to understand how they are able to rally so many to their cause and it turns out… that they truly work to sell to others, that they have no option in this awful world, then to join the CRM. Because to do otherwise likely means certain death. But while some would immediately scoff at that, there are ways to convince people of a ‘reality’ that someone else wants them to believe, as evidenced by Hope’s journey in this tale. For when we catch up with her, here, she and Huck and Lieutenant Colonel Kublek have taken a bit of a detour on their journey to see Hope’s missing father. To the city of Albany, NY, to be specific.

Simply because Kublek isn’t convinced that Hope is one hundred percent ready to join the fight against the dead, or the work the CRM is putting together to save all of humanity from extinction and resurrection. So, she instead gives Hope quite the choice. In that, she can either commit to the CRM and all of its principles right now, without giving it a second thought… or she can go down into the city proper itself and really come to understand her situation and her future by seeing the world as it really is. Something that she hasn’t quite experienced in this life since the CRM quickly helped her and her family out in Omaha. And of course, being pressed in that manner, motivates Hope to go with the latter option since she felt betrayed by Kublek and especially Huck and well, that’s when this central exploration gets underway.

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For Hope quickly came to discover that Albany was a horror show, for this city of the dead was filled to the brim with empties that clearly hadn’t seen the meal they desire for ages on end, and that made them aggressive and fierce. Which in turn meant that Hope struggled with survival mightily. For she had never faced this many members of the living dead before and after taking a serious beating, the kind that resulted in a concussion and some bruising… she came to realize that there was no hope for safety or survival, without the CRM’s help. An epiphany that motivated her to do the seemingly impossible and radio Kublek and her forces her help. For the Lieutenant Colonel gave her that very radio, if she decided that CRM was indeed the better way and well, that’s where we leave Hope in this tale. Both physically and emotionally broken and embracing a future and an organization she’s uncertain of, simply because she has no other choice. 
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But of course, she’s right to be concerned about the CRM. For this is an episode that also took the time to reveal just how evil this organization can be. Because not only did they destroy the Campus Colony with impunity, but they also destroyed an entire city. For Omaha and all the protections that its borders offered were destroyed by the CRM shortly before the Campus Colony, by a way of a unique plan. One where the CRM demolished the walls surrounding this city. Which attracted a super herd, one hundreds of thousands strong and well, this was quite the sobering sight. Since it once again raises more questions about this organization. Because while we’ve seen them do acts akin to wiping out the Campus Colony before to keep their secrets buried, we’ve never bore witness to wholesale slaughter and genocide from them, on this level, leaving one to wonder what the point of that was and what this organization stands for outside of control.

However, not all hope is lost when it comes to their ability to work in secret and without consequence. For there are some out there who are aware of the CRM’s actions, such as Iris and Felix. For they received solid intel from Will that Kublek wiped everyone out back home and stole everything that wasn’t nailed down and learning that… fundamentally changed Iris. Because she simply could not comprehend this kind of atrocity and how an organization that preaches safety, could go this far and well… that reality has motivated her to think differently about the Civil Republic Military and how it should be treated. In that, perhaps it has served its purpose and that its secrets should no longer be in the dark and in the end, Iris simply seems ready to fight this organization with every fiber of her being, as evidenced by the end of this particular tale. Since she took the fight to a nearby base… on her own.
 
In the end however, this really was quite the solid premiere. Simply because it did a wonderful job of plunging us back into this bleak corner of The Walking Dead Universe. All by properly showing us how precarious things are in this world right now. For it was chilling to learn that the living dead are now massing in super herds, and it was equally as eerie to see a major American city lie in ruin after all these years and of course, it was terrifying to learn how the CRM truly operates. For now, we know that this organization seemingly does at it pleases when it pleases, and it uses fear to rule and fear to inspire and that is an outright recipe for disaster, and it will be quite chilling to learn more about them in the weeks to come. For Hope is finally within its borders and that will undoubtedly give us a grand look into the inner workings of an organization that seemingly just ‘goes with the flow’ at a time when real focus is needed. Until next time.

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