Here's everything we know about the mysterious group in 'The Walking Dead' who took Rick in a helico
- A mysterious helicopter group took Rick Grimes from "TWD" on season nine.
- Since then, we've learned the group is called the Civic Republic Military or CRM.
- If you can't keep track of the three "TWD" shows, Insider rounds up everything worth knowing about the CRM.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
In 2018, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) was whisked away from "The Walking Dead" in a mystery helicopter marked with three circles.
Who took the leader of AMC's apocalyptic zombie drama away and where was he taken? Two years later (over six on the show after a time jump), fans still know little about Rick's fate and the helicopter group.
First introduced on "TWD" season eight, we eventually learned the mysterious "three rings group" was called the Civic Republic Military, or CRM for short. Since Rick's departure, the military group has popped up throughout the "TWD" universe.
It's been mentioned on spinoff "Fear The Walking Dead" and, now, is one of the focal points of limited series "TWD: World Beyond."
Until we get some concrete answers about Grimes, here's everything we know about the mystery group that's currently at the center of "TWD" universe.
Elizabeth Kublek is one of the group's high-ranking leaders.
On "TWD: World Beyond" premiere, members of the CRM pay a visit to the Campus Colony community in Nebraska from an undisclosed location. During a discussion with Hope and Iris, we learn Kublek is a Lieutenant Colonel for the CRM. That's how she introduces herself to Felix.
Relive the moment: Kublek introduces herself 5:10 into the "TWDWB" pilot.
A man named Major General Beale is another leader of the CRM.
We don't know anything about this character yet, but Kublek tells Felix he was supposed to join in visiting the Campus Colony community.
We're not sure whether or not she was lying.
Relive the moment: Kublek mentions Beale 5:30 into "TWDWB" premiere.
The CRM is made up of an alliance of three communities in three cities.
Referred to as the "Alliance of the Three," the CRM is comprised of communities in Portland, Oregon; Omaha, Nebraska (which also included the Campus Colony); and another undisclosed location in New York.
The Campus Colony consisted of 9,671 survivors.
The community is comprised of over 200,000 individuals.
This was a shocking revelation. In the comics, the largest community we ever met was the Commonwealth. Situated in Ohio, that group is comprised of 50,000 people. They were just introduced on "TWD" season 10 finale.
Relive the moment: Kublek shares how large the group is 43 minutes into season one, episode three of "TWDWB."
Elizabeth has a daughter in the CRM, who we now know to be Huck (or Jennifer).
Kublek told Iris and Hope her daughter was a little bit older than them.
"She's away from me a great deal and that makes me scared sometimes," Kublek said. "She's helping to protect the civic republic."
Kublek didn't share her name, but it originally had us wondering if she was the young woman Al met on "Fear TWD," Isabelle. Later in the season, we learned Huck is Elizabeth's daughter, who was tasked with going undercover at the Campus Colony to retrieve Hope.
Relive the moment: Kublek reveals she has a daughter 31:42 into "TWDWB" premiere. We learn Huck (also known as Jennifer) is Elizabeth's daughter 43:40 minutes into episode eight.
No one enters or leaves the CRM, apparently.
"You don't let anyone in or out," Iris tells Kublek on "TWDWB" premiere.
That would help explain why Rick Grimes hasn't been able to return to his friends and family in more than six years. The place may be heavily guarded.
Relive the moment: Iris calls out the CRM 31:25 minutes into "TWDWB" series premiere.
If you pose a threat to them, they'll take you out.
After Iris discusses her skepticism of the CRM aloud to her community, Kublek and her soldiers wipe out the population of more than 9,000 inhabitants.
A few episodes later, we learn they were killed because they were considered a threat to the CRM. These guys mean business.
Relive the moments: Kublek oversees the destruction of the Campus Colony community 50:53 into "TWDWB" series premiere. She later discusses the decision to kill its inhabitants 40:55 into season one, episode three.
If you're an unruly soldier, you'll get demoted and sent to a mystery complex.
When Barca questioned killing over 9,000 people on the series' premiere, Dublek had him remanded to the CRM's Health and Welfare Complex until he was "deemed ready to serve again."
It seems like the group isn't big on second chances, though. Barca wasn't going to be reinstated into the CRM military. Dublek said he would have a "labor-oriented" position. Perhaps that would involve working with crops or some other menial task in the community.
Unfortunately, Barca expressed little interest in serving the CRM again and was told he would never leave the complex. As he was pulled from the room, we heard an audible "thump" offscreen, suggesting he was knocked out. Not reassuring.
Relive the moment: See Barca face the consequences of standing up for himself 42:20 into "TWDWB" season one, episode three.
The CRM isn't roughing it. They've found a way to bring back some comforts of the old world.
Kublek tells Barca that the CRM has electricity, water, medicine, transport, currency, schools, courts, agriculture, and something she refers to as "the Council."
They're also making their own bullets. It seems like the CRM are living the high life.
Relive the moment: See Kublek go through the list of everything the CRM has 42:31 into season one, episode three of "TWDWB."
They also have an established jail.
When speaking with Hope and Iris, Kublek mentions that she could go to jail if anyone finds out she gave them a coded map of New York state.
She wasn't joking about the jail bit either, assuring the sisters the CRM actually has those.
"Are you for real?" Hope asked skeptically.
"I am," Kublek said.
Relive the moment: Kublek tells the sisters about the CRM's jail 33:13 minutes into "TWDWB" series premiere.
They have multiple helicopters.
We don't know how many helicopters they have, but we know from "TWDWB" and "FearTWD" that they have a few that go around on patrol.
Rick has seen helicopters throughout "TWD," though not all of them were likely connected to the CRM.
Before he was figuratively carried off the show in one, Rick saw a chopper in season eight that he never mentioned to anyone.
They're seemingly working on a cure for the zombie virus.
Hope and Iris' father, Dr. Leopold Bennett, is working on a cure. In one of his messages to them, he said they "are making progress."
We saw the CRM with undead test subjects in a facility, suggesting they're testing the walkers to search for a cure.
The moment was reminiscent of Dr. Edwin Jenner's work at the CDC on season one as the virologist tried to find an answer to the zombie virus.
Relive the moments: See Leo's note to his daughters 12:06 into "TWDWB" premiere and watch the CRM testing the undead in a post-credits scene to season one, episode four.
A CRM facility, located in Ithaca, New York, is working on the cure.
We learned that Hope and Iris' father is on his way to Dr. Belshaw's facility in New York.
Dr. Bennett has written a study called "Advanced Immunology: What to Know in the Age of the Unknown."
Unfortunately, things aren't looking great for him at the moment. It's inferred that Lieutenant Colone Kublek calls Belshaw to order that Bennett and his crew are "taken care of" by the time they arrive at the facility. This is likely because Kublek and the CRM took out Bennett's entire community on the show's pilot.
On the finale, it seems like the CRM want Bennett to continue his research with his daughter Hope. Bennett is starting to seem slightly skeptical of the group, though, which may pose a problem on season two.
Relive the moment: Watch Dr. Belshaw confirm Leo is on the way to her facility 43:30 into season one, episode six of "TWDWB."
Rick is not at the Ithaca facility.
"I'm going to say this because I think it's critical to be straight with it: He is not at that facility, definitively," "TWD" universe chief content officer Scott Gimple told Insider. "Some people might be annoyed that I'm saying that, but...I wouldn't want people expecting that."
"I could tease it out, but I want to be straight with the people," Gimple added. "Do we find out more about this mythology that Rick is tied up in? Absolutely. Is Rick hanging out there? No, he is not. Could Rick have ever been there? Certainly possible, but we're not going to be rolling up to him hanging out there."
They classify people as "A" or "B."
When Anne was trading people to the CRM, she would radio a pilot to tell them she either had an "A" or a "B."
She classified Negan and Rick as an "A." Father Gabriel was considered a "B" until he backed out on a helicopter journey with Anne. When it seemed he posed a threat and knew too much about the helicopter group, she decided he was an "A."
"'A's and 'B's get a different kind of treatment," "TWD" showrunner Angela Kang told Insider in 2018. "And you saw that both Rick and Gabriel and also Negan were going to get zombie bites applied to them."
That fits into a scene from "World Beyond." We now know the CRM has a test subject group of the undead who all appear to be labeled "A."
What does it mean to be an "A" or a "B"? It can be inferred that an "A" may be a rabble rouser or someone who cannot be controlled by the CRM. Because they're perceived as a threat, they're made into a test subject. A "B" may be someone who falls more easily in line and works for the CRM's cause as the "last light of the world," as Kublek put it.
Showrunner Matt Negrete told Insider there "will be more to that explanation that we might be getting into" in season two.
Revisit the moment: See the CRM's stash of the undead in a bonus scene at the end of "TWDWB" season one, episode four.
The CRM has hidden fuel caches of gas located throughout the US.
Percy's uncle Tony reveals them hidden on a decoded map.
Two are in Ohio while others are located in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Kentucky, and in North Virginia, near, what appears to be Washington, DC.
Percy said the ones they found so far were all unguarded shacks with landing pads for their helicopters to refuel.
Revisit the moment: See where the CRM's gas reserves are 6:24 into season one, episode seven.
There are others looking for the CRM.
Huck tells Hope that there are other groups out there who are trying to find the Civic Republic.
Who are these groups and why are they after the CRM? When asked, Negrete told Insider there may or may not be some of the groups we've already seen in "TWD" universe.
"In general, the Civic Republic and their military, they're a big operation," he said. "We established in the tag of episode three that there are 200,000 souls listed as living in the Civic Republic."
"I think that any group or organization that has what they have — have the number of people that they have, have things that other people would want — the Civic Republic would want to protect. So, yeah, the door is open for any or all or one or none of those things to converge," he added.
They likely have Heath in addition to Rick (or did at one point).
Angela Kang confirmed to Insider in 2018 that Heath (Corey Hawkins) was traded by Anne to the CRM. It's why Anne was seen with the RV that Heath was last seen driving on season seven.
"We are hoping to get him back and tell his story," "TWD" creator Robert Kirkman said during a 2018 New York Comic Con panel Insider attended. "There are definitely plans in place there. It's just a matter of making sure that everything can line up because it is somewhat complicated."
Since Kirkman is working on "TWD" movie script, maybe he's trying to find a way to work in Heath.
Gimple recently told Insider he is still hoping to work with Hawkins, the actor who plays Heath, again.
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