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The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season Finale: CRM Conspiracies & More

Sunday night's two-episode, two-hour wrap-up of AMC's The Walking Dead: World Beyond ("The Deepest Cut" and "In This Life") brought with a ton of tension, some startling discoveries, new questions to match the answers we did get, and one helluva set-up for the limited series' final run. Heading into tonight, we have Elton (Nicolas Cantu) joining Silas (Hal Cumpston), both apparently giving in to the harsh truths they've been deal (though one gets a thankful reprieve). Meanwhile, Felix (Nico Tortorella), Huck (Annet Mahendru), Iris (Aliyah Royale), and Hope (Alexa Mansour) keep things moving forward to find the CRM facility and the girls' father- though as far as Huck's mission goes, it's only "the asset' (Hope?) that matters. The others? Expendable.

So before we go any further, two things. First, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign because there's no way we can't go into details. Second, we'll be doing this "bullet point" style to get you the things you need to know for your very own "Charlie Board":

The Walking Dead: World Beyond "The Deepest Cut"

In the opening minutes, Huck ("Jennifer") is left to ponder her own thoughts while driving to their next destination as the others sleep- and that's when we learn quite a bit more about her dynamic with her mother Elizabeth (Julia Ormond). Set during the time she was gone from the group for 48 hours earlier in the season, we learn just how important it is for Huck to get "the asset" ready for "integration"- and that if Huck isn't able to get rid of the extra company? CRM is willing to step in to make it happen. Last thing? The deal with the watch and Huck's dad, combined with how Elizabeth reacted? I'm not completely sold on the idea that dear old dad just "got up and left"

We get to see how Huck and Felix's backstories intertwine as she goes through psych and background evaluations for campus security (some sick irony there) by Felix and Will Campbell (Jelani Alladin), who Felix is in love with and who we expect will play a major role as the series moves towards its finale next season. The flashback scenes between the two are touching, and make that moment when Felix learns Will has joined Leo's (Joe Holt) security detail during dinner that much more tragic.

So now we get that moment we see in the preview images when Huck and Iris split from an injured Felix and Hope to check out upstairs. Are we seeing Huck working on "the asset"- or is this a swerve? Considering what we know about Huck, we're a little concerned about what's in that room (and glad Iris isn't buying it, either).

Just wanted to take a moment and offer that the scenes between Elton and hallucination Percy (Ted Sutherland) are some of the best, most heartfelt, and well-acted moments from the season. I wasn't a big Percy fan up to this point, but Sutherland scored some major points tonight. As for Cantu, he couldn't have sold Elton's defining moment any better than he did in this penultimate episode, living true to his mother's belief in him by standing and fighting- and taking out four empties in one of the most Elton ways imaginable.

As for the mystery behind how Felix got injured in the first place, well… let's just say the answer to that mystery is named Huck. I think we know why by now: an injured Felix means Iris will most likely not want to leave him (which she doesn't), making it easier for Huck to keep moving forward with Hope. Yeah, we're pushing all our chips in on Hope being "the asset."

In another move that shows our characters are continuing to show some serious evolution when it comes to street smarts and common sense, Iris expresses her concerns that Huck isn't exactly someone they can trust. Impressive to see Iris knowing the deal, right? Not nearly as impressive as Hope faking out Iris like she was pro-Huck, only for Hope to con Huck into leaving the others in the middle of the night. Elton calls in on the radio, only for Huck to learn that Percy was still alive and that "someone" shot him. So let's just say that Huck is shifting into freak-out mode- made worse when Percy fingers her as the gunwoman. As if that wasn't enough, Hope knows about Huck's endgame destination and that Silas, Elton, Felix, and Iris were all expendable (even her sister… that's cold)- and now with Felix's gun, she gets to be in control.

End Credits: Clearly, CRM has had enough of Will as we see him running through the woods while trying to escape from some of the shady military group's soldiers. It's safe to assume that seeing Leo's head of security on the run is not a good sign of things to come.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond "In This Life"

One thing you can say about this episode right from the start? It doesn't waste time with the ten-ton foreshadowing because we all know that the conversation between Leo and Dr. Lyla Bellshaw (Natalie Gold) was building up to something about Hope (that she's the asset?). Also, considering how involved Lyla is with possibly killing one of his daughters has us hoping for a nasty bit of comeuppance.

I appreciated Iris not wasting any time giving Felix the heads-up about her Huck concerns- just as much as I appreciated and understood his pushback to it. Well, looks like there's only one way to undo this "Gordian Knot": let's check out what's behind (locked) Door #1! Turns out it wasn't as horrifying as we thought it would be, but it was also all the proof needed to prove Huck's not who she says she is: a room filled with supplies that could've kept the group together and moving forward.

Meanwhile, Hope pulls an "Inspector Poirot" and lets Huck know that she deciphered the CRM intel, leaving Huck no choice but to confess- and then the walkers show up. Huck is coaching Hope through their fight, still continuing her role as a teacher. And then we learn the truth: Huck's been training Hope to be ready for the new world CRM is creating, and that her father was never in danger. Huck was sent to retrieve Hope because Hope is a savant when it comes to computers specifically and tech in general (confirmed via another scene between Leo and Lyla where he tells a story of how Hope rebuilt a computer when she was little). What's fascinating is trying to figure out how many lies there are in what's supposed to be "truth" about previous lies told. Ouch. That made our brains hurt.

Just in case you're starting to feel for Huck a little, we have Percy to thank for bringing us back to reality. Yup, it was Huck who bashed in Tony's (Scott Adsit) head (no special effects, sorry) and shot Percy, who thankfully escaped (not because we liked him much before tonight but because he at least helped them out finally). I guess you could throw a couple of bonus points her way for confessing it to Hope- right?

As fight scenes go, props to the stunt team for this episode in particular because that fight scene between Felix and Huck was every bit as intense as we needed it to be. Have to give Felix credit for lasting as long as he did but that wound would never allow him to give 100%- thankfully, Hope's well-timed, gun-to-her-own-head threat to Huck helped level things off- giving Hope the time to realize that leaving with Huck will be the only thing that keeps the rest of them safe.

Please don't get us started on Silas. He's quickly become our fav (next to Felix), and we're not happy that he's in CRM's clutches now- even if it meant that Elton and Percy could escape. Silas deserves to be unleashed next season- he's owed some kickass screen time after beating himself up over a murder he didn't commit. The exchange between Silas and Elton, by the way? A big boot to the feels.

Hope and Huck make their way to the rendevous point where Elizabeth and some nasty CRM folk are waiting, and that's where we learn that Elizabeth has sent out forces to clean up Huck's "loose ends" (like Silas, Elton, and Percy, for example). She also alludes to things at the campus colony not looking so good- very curious to see Hope's reaction when she learns there was nothing left to go back to.

This leaves us with Felix and Iris coming upon a group in the woods- a group being led by none other than Will. After a touching reunion, we get an exchange that has us questioning just about every  "truth" we've learned so far (even Leo expressed his concerns over CRM to Lyla- ouch). Will is surprised to see them since he assumed they had died. Felix is confused by the assumption, and that leads to a concerned Will needing to let the pair in on what went down after they left to find Leo. Meanwhile, Iris and Hope appear to have the makings of a plan to take on CRM using both of their skill sets- from outside of CRM as well as from within.

"The Walking Dead: World Beyond" delves into a new mythology and story that follows the first generation raised in a surviving civilization of the post-apocalyptic world. Two sisters along with two friends leave a place of safety and comfort to brave dangers, known and unknown, living and undead on an important quest. Pursued by those who wish to protect them and those who wish to harm them, a tale of growing up and transformation unfurls across dangerous terrain, challenging everything they know about the world, themselves, and each other. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. But all of them will find the truths they seek.

Created by Scott M. Gimple and Matt Negrete, TWD: World Beyond stars Alexa Mansour as Hope, Nicolas Cantu as Elton, Hal Cumpston as Silas, Aliyah Royale as Iris, Annet Mahendru as Huck, Nico Tortorella as Felix, and Julia Ormond as Elizabeth. Recurring this season is Joe Holt as Leo, Natalie Gold as Lyla, Al Calderon as Barca, Scott Adsit as Tony, and Ted Sutherland as Percy.

Let's Not Forget About That "TWD" Universe Thanksgiving Image

The annual tradition of releasing a The Walking Dead Thanksgiving dinner image continued this year- with some "interesting" character decisions and placement. Negan at the head of the table- with Fear TWD's Ginny by his side, seeking council? Maggie (with Little Hershel and Elijah by her side) now has a set at the table- and she appears to be staring holes through Negan, along with Magda. Fear TWD's Morgan, Strand, and Alicia are also represented circling the table, as is TWD: World Beyond's Felix.

Seeing Connie in the distance has us feeling that she won't be back with the main group for a while- though having her next to one of the "The End is the Beginning" tag from Fear TWD has us nervous. We're big fans of what it is that Carol's reading- but is Daryl looking back towards her or someone/something else? And let's not forget about Yumiko, Eugene, Princess, and King Ezekiel off in the distance but making their way closer- but who's the silhouetted cowboy-horse combo off in the distance? Hmmm… let the speculation begin!

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