The Walking Dead Already Proved The CRM Was Wrong About Humanity Ending In 14 Years

The Civic Republic Military attempted to create an elite society due to fears that humanity would end in 14 years, but The Walking Dead has already proven this isn't the case. After years of being built as the deadliest faction in the entire franchise, the CRM's Walking Dead plan was finally revealed in The Ones Who Live, which involved wiping out other communities and taking their resources so that the Civic Republic could thrive. Their mission saw them slaughter innocent civilians and even take out allied communities, all so they could preserve their settlement and plan for the future.

Given the CRM had some of the world's leading scientists and carried out plenty of experiments regarding the virus, their findings weren't just a simple way to justify murder. However, despite the CRM having a 500-year plan in place that would allow society to continue in The Walking Dead universe, their information clearly wasn't accurate. While the apocalypse is still very much an ongoing issue in the future, people were able to survive without being part of the CRM over a decade after humanity was predicted to fall, and one overlooked spinoff show proves it.

Tales Of The Walking Dead Taking Place 35 Years Into The Future Proves The CRM Were Wrong About Their 14-Year Plan

The Spinoff Showed People Managed To Survive Way Longer Than The CRM Predicted

With The Ones Who Live taking place roughly 13 years into the apocalypse, Tales of the Walking Dead episode 4 provides evidence that the CRM was wrong about how long humanity would last. According to the spinoff's creator, one episode of TOTWD takes place around 35 years after the outbreak and given that "Amy/Dr. Everett" seems to be the furthest forward in the timeline, it can be presumed this story is set well after the CRM's prediction. Not only do we see survivors and communities still active, but there are also major advancements on display, like the Dead Sector.

The Dead Sector is an area designated for thriving wildlife, which looks like a completely different world compared to the rest of America. Still, Amy was part of a settlement that was functioning relatively well before being attacked in the episode's climax, suggesting the world likely still had many survivors by this point. Clearly, there were still enough resources for large groups of people to survive, and with the apocalypse not looking a whole lot different over two decades after The Ones Who Live's CRM reveal, it's safe to say the military faction was wrong about humanity's future.

Humanity Surviving Beyond 14 Years Justifies Rick & Michonne Taking Down The CRM

Rick & Michonne Prevented The CRM From Needlessly Killing Most Of America's Survivors

Although Rick and Michonne were never really conflicted when it came to taking down the CRM, the fact that so many innocent lives would have been lost for no reason makes their decision all the more commendable. Throughout their time in the franchise, the CRM has already killed thousands, and there's no doubt without Rick and Michonne's intervention, the death count would have been way higher. Most of America would likely have been obliterated due to the faction's arsenal of weapons and advanced technology, yet it would have all been based on an assumption that wasn't even true.

The Ones Who Live's ending already presented Rick and Michonne as heroes, but taking down what was ironically humanity's biggest threat seems even more courageous, knowing that there are still survivors over 14 years later. The duo could easily have joined the CRM and brought their loved ones to safety while dooming the rest of the world. Instead, they opted to give everyone a fighting chance, which is symbolic of their characters. As a result, society continues to exist in The Walking Dead's future, and hopefully, Rick and Michonne live long enough to see that their actions were justified.

Tales Of The Walking Dead Means The Franchise Can Still Go On For A Long Time

The Apocalypse Will Go On For At Least Another Few Decades Within The Walking Dead's Timeline

With Tales of the Walking Dead taking place over two decades after the current timeline, there's no doubt that the franchise could still go on for a long time. Considering the current spinoff direction The Walking Dead has taken, it seems like the main survivors aren't going anywhere in the near future, especially with talks of a crossover show still hot among the community. The idea of seeing Rick and Daryl's reunion alongside Morgan's return is still incredibly desirable, and the franchise has plenty of time to pull it off since the apocalypse will continue for years to come.

In addition, the fact that there isn't a 14-year time limit on humanity also means The Walking Dead's next generation could get a chance to shine, as future projects may focus on the likes of Judith, RJ, and Hershel when they're older. There is even the potential to continue focusing on new survivors like Fear the Walking Dead and World Beyond have done since the franchise has few timeline restrictions. Therefore, Tales of the Walking Dead's futuristic episode is an indicator that the zombie universe may still have a lengthy future ahead, which is an incredibly exciting prospect.