‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ Recap – ‘The Deepest Cut’ & ‘In This Life’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season one finale of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’.
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Over the course of its inaugural season, The Walking Dead: World Beyond has done a phenomenal job of exploring aspects of the human condition that are rarely featured in zombie related storytelling. Which has in turn, allowed for this series to provide the audience with thoughtful and relatable episodes, the kind that feature all kinds of life lessons and important reminders about who we are. But while this storytelling decision has made for some engrossing stories and some poignant moments, the kind that stay with you long after an episode has come to an end, this push to examine humanity has put one particularly important plot element on the backburner, specifically… the Civil Republic Military. 

Because outside of learning what we came to know about them in the series premiere and that they use double agents such as Huck, this mysterious organization is still shrouded in the same level of secrecy that surrounds them in The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. Which is something that has left all of us wondering exactly when we will finally come to learn exactly what this organization is about and what they stand for and what their plan is for the future. And as it turns out, this continued mystery was all part of a grand master plan to reveal the truth about them at the end of season one of this dynamic new series. Since last night’s two-hour season finale of World Beyond finally put their intentions upon display. 

As it turns out, ‘The Deepest Cut’ and ‘In This Life’ were able to reveal to us that they really are striving for some big goals. For they are eager to put together a society of mankind’s brightest minds, the kind that can truly see a bigger picture and think outside of the box. Simply because, mankind is indeed facing extinction, and if a way forward cannot be figured out for the once dominant species on Earth, it will eventually disappear from existence in about thirty years or so. But if the CRM can get those powerful minds to come together and assemble a plan on how mankind can survive, then perhaps at last humanity can receive that all-important second chance that it believes it deserves. Which makes this organization seem noble in nature, since the survival of the species is quite the important cause to pursue.

But while it was nice to learn that the Civil Republic has a solid understanding of the importance of laying down a foundation for humanity’s ensured survival, there is sadly nothing noble about this organization in the slightest. After all, they’ve killed numerous innocents in the name of keeping a plan that should be shared with all, a secret, and we also came to learn just how much they use fear to get people to fall in line. For this tale also revealed that Hope was ‘The Asset’ in question since she has a gifted mind and the CRM believes she would serve their interests well. And despite Hope's reticence to join them, Huck was quick to point out in the most nonchalanant/threatening manner possible; that non-compliance would end with the CRM hunting Hope, and also the death of those she cared about. Which did help to motivate Hope to reluctantly join her father in the Civil Republic, in the hopes of keeping everyone that matters to her, safe. 

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However, while it was quite incredible to finally gain a solid understanding of the CRM and how they operate and what their plan actually is, it would be shocking if this series completely abandoned the storytelling elements that made it what it is today and thankfully, that all-important exploration of the human condition was still on display in this story. For the slow reveal that Huck has a double agent, allowed for us to explore the fact that sometimes the people we meet and care about in life, aren’t who we think they are, and that coming to terms with that is a painful and awful experience, as evidenced by the response from just about everyone in the group. For they struggled to realize they’d been played from the beginning and once again, this show offered up a realistic take on how we handle such matters, by reminding us that we can’t take the actions of others to heart and all we can do is be the better person and not sink to their level.

Plus, the series was also eager to explore another important lesson about life, in that… often times our best laid plans never quite go as we expect them to. After all, The Endlings truly believed it would be a straight shot from Nebraska to New York, one that would see them all arrive on the CRM’s doorstep, together. But in this finale, they remain broken and scattered and ready to make necessary sacrifices to keep one another safe and really the chaos of this ending, wherein the bad guys more or less win, serves to reminds us to roll with the punches, whether we like it or not. Because the world is and will forever be chaotic in nature and being upset with how something turned out is wasted energy since a surprise in our plans is likely related to something, we had zero control over. So, it is best to just live in the moment, take a breath and refocus and figure out a way forward under these new circumstances.

But what truly allowed for this episode to shine, was its ending. Because we all should have walked away from this tale with fury and anger in our hearts since Silas and Hope were snatched up by the CRM and the group was still scattered to the winds in the midst of a hopeless world filled with death. But instead, this finale offered up all kinds of hope for season two. Mainly because Hope and Iris have a plan to be reunited and they’re eager to sabotage the Civil Republic’s plans by way of a two-front attack. And it doesn’t hurt that it would seem that the external part of said attack is going to be bolstered by the mysterious group of folks that Will, Felix’s love, has made nice with after his own close encounter with the darker side of the CRM. Which means that perhaps at long last, people are ready to stand up to the Civil Republic and its lies and while it seems that the last thing this universe needs is more fighting amongst a species on the brink of extinction… this particular fight is necessary.

For if mankind truly wants to survive, it needs to abandon all the horrible elements that persisted in modern society before the world came to an end. Which means that deception and demands and fear, all elements that the CRM thrives upon; need to be eradicated. Because they helped in destroying the world in the first place by not allowing for an organized response to walking death and if the CRM is brought to their knees… then there is genuine hope for the future after all. Because then, people will be asked to willingly take part in a grand push to save the species and truly fighting for tomorrow in a noble manner, would bring forth all kinds of volunteers. And it should be interesting to see how exactly Hope and Iris and everyone that believes in more, are going to fight an organization that represents the worst of us when the second and final season of this fascinating series returns in 2021. Until next year.

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