Although The Ones Who Live kept its story focused on Rick and Michonne, it did add some hype around Rick and Daryl’s Walking Dead reunion, proving the show hadn’t forgotten about the wider franchise. Likewise, it seems like Carol suggested Rick came back in Daryl Dixon‘s fifth episode. There may be no confirmation that Carol was referring to Rick, but The Ones Who Live‘s finale certainly makes that theory more likely. With these subtle connections linking both spinoffs together, the CRM’s big reveal indicates that a major Daryl Dixon theory may be true after all.

The CRM Have Agents Across The World – Why Not France?

Beale’s Spy Revelation Suggests The CRM Could Have Agents In France

During the Echelon Briefing in The Ones Who Live‘s finale, Major General Beale mentioned that the CRM has spies in selected communities across the world. He never details exactly what country these spies operate in, but it seemed like a significant detail that could connect the CRM with Daryl Dixon‘s villains. Beale’s confirmation that there are spies on other continents means Europe would be a logical destination; therefore, the CRM’s influence could spread to France. Given Genet and her group have a substantial amount of control in France, they could have originally been part of the CRM.

Genet and the Cause being a French branch of the CRM would be a perfect way of keeping the antagonists around and working towards a crossover show.

The CRM’s connection to the rest of the world is a crucial detail that likely served an even bigger purpose than what The Ones Who Live suggested. Although Beale and the CRM were defeated, they remain operational, albeit with the Civic Republic’s oversight. The group not being completely gone could play into future projects, as CRM spies across the world sharing the same vision as Beale indicate they are still a huge threat. Therefore, Genet and the Cause being a French branch of the CRM would be a perfect way of keeping the antagonists around and working towards a crossover show.

Genet’s Villains Are Already Very Similar To The CRM

Genet’s Group Experiments On Walkers And Rules Much Of France, Similarly To The CRM In America

Given Genet’s villainous group shares many similarities with the CRM, a connection feels much more likely. Both groups seem to have similar goals, which involve complete control over their countries. In the Echelon Briefing with Rick, Beale mentioned that supremacy in America is the CRM’s ultimate mission. While Genet’s goals are more mysterious, she is definitely a powerful and influential figure in France who seems hellbent on maintaining this control. Daryl Dixon‘s villains also connect with the CRM through their experiments on walkers, as the Cause managed to create their own variant walker through experiments and research.

The spinoff focused more extensively on variants than most other Walking Dead projects and showed the Cause transform normal walkers into faster and stronger variants. While The Ones Who Live doesn’t display the CRM’s scientific side, World Beyond revealed that the group also conducted experiments. Their test subjects included both zombies and unwilling human participants, highlighting the CRM’s twisted attempt to create a cure for the virus. While there is still no confirmation on whether the CRM and the Cause are connected, their similarities do make it seem much more probable and would further explain Genet’s overall objective in France.

Are Daryl Dixon’s Villains Connected To The Walking Dead’s CRM?

Daryl Dixon’s spinoff villains share many similarities with The Walking Dead’s CRM, raising questions over whether the two groups are connected.Will The CRM Be Involved In Daryl Dixon Season 2?

It May Be A Long Shot, But The CRM Could Be Involved In The Book Of Carol

While the early footage of Daryl Dixon season 2 doesn’t suggest heavy CRM involvement, the group may still appear in the spinoff. If Genet is connected to the CRM, there will likely be a reveal that comes later in the series, since the main focus is on Carol finding Daryl. There are a lot of stories still to unpack, including Daryl’s dilemma about staying in France or returning to America alongside Carol’s desperate attempt to find Daryl despite him being on a different continent. These storylines will be the focus of season 2, but the Cause will undoubtedly return.

There could also be a new group introduced entirely with an even more obvious connection to the CRM, giving Daryl two factions to overcome.

Genet featured in the teaser for season 2, meaning she will continue to try and oppose Daryl and his allies in France. Her difficulty dealing with Daryl could be what leads to the potential CRM reveal, with the Cause needing reinforcements from America or spies from nearby countries. There could also be a new group introduced entirely with an even more obvious connection to the CRM, giving Daryl two factions to overcome. However, given The Ones Who Live seemed to end the current CRM arc, Daryl Dixon may opt to keep the focus away from them, making an appearance unlikely.