New Walking Dead Clue To Where Rick Grimes Might Be

The Walking Dead: World Beyond teases a major clue as to the possible location of Rick Grimes following his disappearance from the main series.

The fate of Rick Grimes might remain a mystery in The Walking Dead, but a major clue has been provided courtesy of the Walking Dead: World Beyond spin-off series. The departure of Andrew Lincoln proved to be a watershed moment in The Walking Dead's history, stripping the zombie apocalypse of its hero and leading the AMC TV series sharply away from Robert Kirkman's original comics. After falling off a horse and getting caught in an explosion, Rick's ailing body washed up on a riverbank in The Walking Dead season 9. Close to death, Rick was discovered by Jadis, who used her connections to a mysterious helicopter community to ensure Rick was taken away for treatment. Currently in The Walking Dead, only Michonne and Judith know that Rick might possibly be alive, but his movements and present status are still very much unknown.

The premiere episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 1 finally revealed the identity of that shady helicopter group - the Civic Republic. While the location of the Civic Republic hasn't yet been confirmed, the group is part of a three-way alliance with other large communities in Portland and Omaha. The Civic Republic are better armed and resourced than any previous group in The Walking Dead's history, and their numbers are implied to easily top 10,000. The primary goal of the Civic Republic appears to be finding a solution to the zombie virus, but the group's military arm, the CRM, have shown themselves to be villainous mass-murderers.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond begins with the Civic Republic's arrival at the Campus Colony under the pretense of forging a working relationship, but some of the Campus folk remain suspicious over the Republic's refusal to reveal their location. To gain the trust of Iris and Hope, the Civic Republic's Elizabeth hands the sisters a map denoting a facility in New York. This Civic Republic building is apparently where Iris and Hope's father is working after being poached from the Campus Colony for his scientific expertise. Taking Elizabeth's word at face value, it would seem that the Civic Republic are possibly based in New York, and since they were who Rick was last seen with, the Big Apple is where Deputy Grimes could be too.

Unfortunately, The Walking Dead: World Beyond's NYC reveal comes with several caveats. Most importantly, it's not yet clear how far Elizabeth can be trusted. After Hope and Iris leave the Campus Colony with their two companions, Elizabeth wipes out their home and is satisfied at learning the youngsters had escaped. Elizabeth evidently has a plan for the sisters, which means the New York map might've been a ruse. Secondly, the Civic Republic is clearly a massive organization. Even if Elizabeth was telling the truth, the New York facility may be merely a separate site for scientific study, rather then where the Republic's main population reside. This would mean the chopper carrying Rick likely landed elsewhere.

The Walking Dead hasn't yet confirmed whether the Civic Republic alone boast access to helicopters, or whether the vehicles are available to all members of the Alliance of the Three. The choppers simply bear the Alliance's logo, so Rick could've potentially been picked up by representatives from Portland or Omaha. With that said, Michonne's discovery in The Walking Dead season 10 supports the theory that Rick landed in New York. Michonne finds Rick's belongings on a boat near Alexandria, which is located in Virginia. For Rick to work his way back home after landing in Portland (Oregon) or Omaha (Nebraska) would be an incredible challenge. Travelling from New York to Virginia in the zombie apocalypse is far more likely.

Elizabeth's New York comments could be a first clue towards unearthing the setting for the upcoming Rick Grimes movie, which will likely fill in the blank period following the character's Walking Dead disappearance.