Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead season 11, episode 23
The fight with Pamela Milton in The Walking Dead series finale could directly lead to a CRM reveal and lay the groundwork for Rick Grimes’ spinoff. It’s no secret at this point that both Rick and Michonne are returning for a brand-new Walking Dead series sometime in 2023. And it’s all but guaranteed that the CRM will be at the center of the story.
Though Rick Grimes was abducted by the Civic Republic Military more than six years ago in the franchise’s timeline, the characters featured in The Walking Dead season 11 still have no knowledge of the organization’s presence in their world. With only one episode left, that may not change before the main series concludes. However, the events of The Walking Dead season 11, episode 23, titled “Family,” have created the impression that the CRM is about to come face-to-face with Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and the others. Here’s how the final showdown with Pamela and the Commonwealth can bring in the CRM and set up Rick and Michonne’s new show at the time.
Pamela Could Call A CRM Helicopter In The Walking Dead's Finale
It’s long been theorized that the CRM is connected to the Commonwealth, though the series has thus far avoided confirming any link between their groups. Regardless, some sort of relationship existing between them would make sense. Given the size and scope of the Commonwealth, it would make sense if they eventually found themselves on the CRM’s radar. Mutually beneficial deals between Pamela and the CRM leadership may have been made in the past. If that’s true, a desperate Pamela could make a move that’s not at all unlike what Jadis did in The Walking Dead season 9 when she was ready to leave Virginia.
Once Pamela realizes that the world she’s built can’t be saved, she can call in a CRM helicopter for extraction in The Walking Dead series finale. When the main characters catch up to Pamela in the interest of finishing her off, the CRM could finally make their grand entrance and expose their existence to the people of Alexandria. Such an encounter would be a shocking way to wrap up the Commonwealth arc and pay off the show’s CRM story.
How Pamela's Escape Sets Up The Walking Dead's Spinoffs
Pamela Milton escaping in the series finale with help from the CRM would go a long way toward setting up not just Rick’s spinoff, but potentially the other two as well. It’s known that Maggie and Negan will take a trip to New York after The Walking Dead’s ending, whereas Daryl will be off somewhere in . Neither currently has a reason to cross the state border (much less travel overseas), so it would naturally take a rather drastic development – such as the arrival of the CRM – to justify these long-distance missions.
They may not want to kill Pamela so badly that they’d chase her across the country, but the CRM taking some of their own with them would most assuredly put the organization in their crosshairs. This could force of the community – namely, Daryl, Maggie, and Negan – to split up and look up for their bases. Details uncovered about their operations could be what points them toward New York and .
As for who might be taken, Judith would be a prime candidate. Similar to Rick in season 9, she’s suffering from what might be a life-threatening injury and may need the CRM if she has any hope of surviving. If the CRM recognizes her as someone that could be molded into an asset, that could be enough to make sense of them taking her along. Judith's connection to Rick could also be a motivating factor.
As for Rick and Michonne’s spinoff, it too would be in play in of The Walking Dead series finale’s CRM setup, especially if Pamela does indeed call the CRM. Whether Rick (or Michonne) gets a cameo in the episode or not, a tease of a conflict between the CRM and their own community would certainly be relevant to their new series. It would mean that instead of Rick and Michonne remaining isolated from their former allies, the two would ultimately get pulled back into their orbit sooner or later. That does seem feasible, especially when considering that both Judith and RJ are in the care of the Alexandrians right now.
Would The CRM Pamela? Could She Return?
The CRM answering Pamela’s call for help raises the obvious question: will she return after The Walking Dead? Chances are, the series finale will be the last viewers see of the Commonwealth leader. If the Commonwealth is willing to come to her aid, that would imply that the organization intends to get her out of there alive. As a savvy politician and someone with experience leading a community through the zombie apocalypse for years, Pamela could be considered useful to the CRM. In fact, they could classify Pamela as a “B,” which is what Jadis originally called Rick. Based on previous indications, a “B” is someone who can become a tool of the CRM.
While the Commonwealth may be on Pamela’s side if they show up in The Walking Dead series finale, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll survive. Theoretically, their involvement could set the stage for her to serve as a villain in one of the three Walking Dead spinoffs, but chances are, the finale will be the end of Pamela’s arc. With three of its main characters getting new shows, the series is already in danger of its ending lacking a sense of finality. The Walking Dead season 11’s main villain surviving and getting a chance to continue her war with the Alexandrians would only magnify the issue. For that reason, Pamela could die at their hands before she can complete her escape.
Regardless of how things play out with Pamela, a CRM-Commonwealth link finally getting confirmed could hold great meaning for the show’s future. Alexandria is a tiny community in comparison to other settlements in The Walking Dead’s world, but if they succeed in throwing the Commonwealth into turmoil, they could earn the CRM’s full attention. Not only would the CRM not take kindly to them taking over one of their settlements, they’d most likely see the Alexandrians as enemies that would need to be disposed of in the future, thus creating the opportunity for additional Walking Dead characters to return in the three spinoffs.
The Walking Dead releases new episodes on Sundays on AMC.