TWD World Beyond: Brave (Episode 1.01)

On Sunday, October 4, AMC aired the series premiere of World Beyond, the third installment in The Walking Dead franchise.

Though billed as a limited series (featuring only two seasons with a total of 20 episodes), World Beyond generated much anticipation throughout the fandom for a variety of reasons -- the most obvious being further knowledge about a three-ring emblem spotted on helicopters in each of the franchise's two established series.

In "What Comes After" [The Walking Dead: Season 9, Episode 5], protagonist Rick Grimes is rescued by a helicopter featuring this mysterious emblem -- an emblem that reappears in "The End of Everything" [Fear the Walking Dead: Season 5, Episode 5], when Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki (better known as Al) encounters a woman named Isabelle with a top-secret mission.

As the fandom has now spent two years wondering about the reoccurring emblem, World Beyond promised to address their curiosity while presenting the "coming of age" story of a group of teenagers in a post-apocalyptic world.

*Caution: if you haven't yet seen Sunday's series premiere, there are spoilers ahead.*

Perhaps the largest reveal of the first World Beyond episode is that this three-ring emblem belongs to an organization called the CRM, or Civic Republic Military.

One can only assume that the rings are representative of the "Alliance of the Three":

    1. Portland, Oregon

    2. Omaha, Nebraska

    3. The Civic Republic

While viewers are offered very little information about the CRM, it is immediately made clear that they are incredibly secretive.

One of the series protagonists, Hope Bennett, shares a visible distrust of the organization, writing a crude message on their welcome sign and flipping off their leader, Elizabeth Kublek.

Hope and her sister, Iris Bennett, live in the Campus Colony established at Nebraska State University.

Their father, Dr. Leopold Bennett, is considered to be one of the smartest men alive.

Unfortunately, Leo was taken to a research facility by the Civic Republic with instructions to teach his findings while continuing work on a potential cure to the virus.

Their mother, Kari Bennett, was killed 10 years prior to this story's introduction, on "The Night the Sky Fell".

Unbeknownst to Iris, who believes Hope saw their mother torn apart by "empties" (this show's moniker for walkers), Kari was actually shot in the chest by a pregnant woman as they fought over a vehicle to drive to safety.

On that fateful night, young Hope retaliated by shooting and killing the pregnant woman, which may have strongly influenced her future actions.

In the series premiere, Hope is depicted as a rebel: sneaking away to her mother's grave, brewing illegal alcohol, planning to leave the Colony at her earliest opportunity.

Meanwhile, Iris seems to be a studious peacemaker. 

An aspiring scientist with artistic abilities, Monument High's Student Council President is clearly haunted by her past, yet tries her best to avoid stirring the proverbial pot.

Dr. K (her "therapist") suggests that Iris suffers from recurring nightmares as she was separated from Hope when their mother was killed, and attempts to correct this injustice by doing everything for all 9,671 members of the Campus Colony.

It isn't until Monument Day (the anniversary of "The Night the Sky Fell") that Iris gives a stirring speech regarding her decision to live for herself, perhaps in light of Dr. K's passing.

As their endangered father has started sending illegal messages to the Colony for the first time in months, Hope and Iris join fellow teenagers Elton and Silas on a mission to rescue him.

Prior to this risky decision, Elizabeth assures the girls that their father is safely stationed with the CRM somewhere in New York.

However, once the four teens embark on their journey to New York, Elizabeth and her CRM gang annihilate the Campus Colony.

Assuming she's provided the teenagers with accurate information, it seems reasonable to suggest that they may be walking into a trap.

Furthermore, viewers quickly learn that the pregnant woman Hope killed as a child was actually Elton's mother, which will undoubtedly lead to internal struggles once brought to light.

With multiple competing forces in motion, Felix Carlucci (the girls' temporary guardian) sets off with fellow survivor, Huck, in search of the Bennett sisters and their newfound friends.

Though Felix's character hasn't been fully illuminated yet, he also has emotional involvement in the situation, as his boyfriend is the head of Leo Bennett's security detail.

Needless to say, there is a lot to unpack in the coming weeks, but World Beyond is off to an intriguing start.

What are your thoughts on the new Walking Dead series?

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