The Walking Dead may be laying the foundations for its series finale with season 11, episode 21's mysterious Designation 2 reveal. Daryl Dixon and pals find themselves in a pinch as AMC's The Walking Dead series finale draws closer. At Pamela Milton's behest, the protagonists have been forcibly transported to Commonwealth labor colonies, where clearing railway tracks, eating slop, and getting beaten by guards are the only activities on offer. Curiously, not all prisoners are sentenced to hard labor. Connie is scheduled for transport to a separate site referred to as "Designation 2." Nobody knows what Designation 2 is - only that it lies far away, and no one sent there comes back.
Thanks to the dynamic antics of Daryl Dixon, Connie is spared finding out what Designation 2 really is, but the site clearly possesses a deeper importance to The Walking Dead mythology, and season 11, episode 21 heavily suggests the punishment of being sent to Designation 2 is worse than the backbreaking work Connie's friends are forced to carry out. Whatever Designation 2 may be, its very existence signals a bigger threat looming in the background, whether that be another dark Pamela Milton secret, or a completely new threat even more dangerous than the Commonwealth in The Walking Dead.
Designation 2 Could Be The Walking Dead's CRM
The Civic Republic is a massive community - the largest in The Walking Dead by far - only seen in The Walking Dead: World Beyond. The community's presence, however, has permeated throughout the franchise thanks to the Civic Republic Military. The CRM is best known for carrying away Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead season 9, but the soldiers have also terrorized Morgan's people in Fear The Walking Dead. More importantly, the CRM is intrinsically linked to The Walking Dead's upcoming spinoffs, which not only feature Rick, but also take Daryl Dixon to France, which is where The Walking Dead: World Beyond all but confirmed the outbreak began.
The Walking Dead season 11 already teased a connection between the Commonwealth and some unseen larger group when Lance Hornsby mentioned "certain alliances" that keep Pamela's community afloat. Designation 2 is most likely an outpost belonging to these enigmatic allies, and sending the occasional prisoner via train could be a term of Lance's arrangement. Because the CRM will obviously play a major role in The Walking Dead's future - and because the Civic Republic is the only known settlement larger than Pamela's Commonwealth - one can only assume Designation 2 is a CRM base, teasing the army's presence in The Walking Dead's series finale.
Why Was Only Connie Being Sent To The CRM?
The Walking Dead's CRM works in mysterious ways - especially when it concerns who gets taken there. In The Walking Dead season 8, Jadis separated CRM-bound prisoners into "A" and "B" categories, and although the full meaning of these labels isn't known yet, The Walking Dead: World Beyond revealed some prisoners become CRM test subjects, while others - the likes of Rick Grimes - were seemingly separated due to possessing certain qualities of strength. Perhaps, therefore, Connie showed traits that would be attractive to the CRM, such as her survival skills, tenacity, and strong moral compass.
Another possibility is that Connie was assigned to Designation 2 because of what she did previously in The Walking Dead season 11, rather than who she is. Pamela Milton is fairly certain it was Connie who wrote and disseminated the article accusing her son of mass murder, inciting an angry mob that nearly claimed Sebastian's life. Whereas most other Alexandrian prisoners are sent for hard labor, Pamela maybe singled Connie out for an especially nasty punishment in retaliation for making (completely true) claims about her son. Either way, Designation 2 will surely factor into The Walking Dead's ending.
The Walking Dead continues Sunday on AMC.