A globe statue glimpsed in The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2 could be a hint at what the CRM’s endgame is. The mysterious organization responsible for the abduction of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) appears to be the biggest threat faced by the characters of the Walking Dead universe. They’re sure to take center stage in the Rick Grimes movies, but before that happens, World Beyond is using its two-season run to answer a number of lingering questions about their motivations and how they operate.
Despite being the focus of World Beyond, the CRM remained a major mystery throughout most of season 1. Season 2, on the other hand, has been much more forthcoming with big reveals. Now that Hope (Alexa Mansour) has taken up residency in their New York base, more details are being shared with her about their intentions. Through Dr. Lyla Belshaw (Natalie Gold), it was discovered that scientists within the Civic Republic are currently committed to finding a cure for the zombie virus. Apparently, their intention is to figure out how the virus works so that they can rid the world of zombies permanently. However, this is unlikely to be the extent of their plans for the world, especially since it’ll be so hard – if not impossible – to achieve.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2, episode 3, titled “Exit Wounds”, featured what might be a clue to the CRM’s top goal. When Dr. Leo Bennett (Joe Holt) was arguing with Huck (Annet Mahendru) about her decision to take his children to New York, a statue of a globe could be spotted behind them. For a reason that was never made clear, the globe was covered in scorch marks. Though this gave it a shoddy appearance, the globe seems to be featured rather prominently at the CRM facility for all to see. It could be that the globe is actually representative of their intentions. If that’s true, it may be a sign that the CRM really is interested in having an impact not just on the country, but the whole planet.
The CRM having a global masterplan is consistent with the science team’s lofty ambitions for a wide-spread zombie cure. However, since they seem to be much more nefarious than the Civic Republic, it’s highly possible that whatever they’re scheming won’t benefit the world if it works. The scorch marks on the globe could carry a symbolic, ominous meaning. The CRM will destroy entire settlements, including allies, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it was found out that they intend to cut a destructive path everywhere they go to eventually evolve into the most dominant force on the Earth. While destroying communities seems reckless and unproductive for their organization, it’s apparently a big part of their modus operandi.
It may be that the CRM leadership thinks that they need to tear things down before they can be properly rebuilt under their control. Either way, their actions at Omaha and Campus Colony in The Walking Dead: World Beyond leave little doubt that the CRM will only bring more hardships and disasters to others if they somehow expand their reach any further. If so, they could have a presence in any future Walking Dead spinoff, no matter how far away it may take the story.