Designation 2 was one ofThe Walking Dead’smost intriguing unfinished storylines in the entire series, but another forgotten mystery is even more interesting. AlthoughThe Walking Deadseason 11’s endingwrapped up the majority of the show’s ongoing stories and gave its central characters satisfying conclusions, the direction of the franchise left some things unfinished. Season 11’s finale teased Rick and Michonne’s return, and while their journey did get followed up on inThe Ones Who Live,the new spinoff shows largely focused on new narratives, leaving the zombie universe with plenty of unanswered questions.
As a result, fans are still desperate to see certain angles get more attention, with Designation 2 being one of the most talked-about unresolved mysteries. The hidden group was mentioned in season 11, but their intentions were never explained, leading to speculation thatDesignation 2 could beThe Walking Dead’s next villain. Unfortunately, their role in the overarching story remains a secret, something that continues to cause discussion, but it’s not even the franchise’s biggest mystery as a teased storyline from over eight years ago has still to be fully uncovered, and I hope it isn’t completely forgotten.
The Franchise Hasn’t Put Much Emphasis On This Story In Several Years
The Walking Dead’s PPP story was introduced back in 2016 midway through season 7, yet the franchise has seemingly abandoned it for the time being. It all started after Heath disappeared in “Swear”, with Tara finding a card with the letters “PPP” written on it, seemingly setting up a brand-new narrative. Fans instantly tried to connect the dots, butthe plot was forgotten about for almost six years before finally making its return in 2022’sTales of the Walking Dead, where Davon was spotted with a keycard that looked identical to the one Tara found in the main series.
Sadly, these are the only major teases we’ve had regarding the mystery, other than a small Easter Egg inThe Ones Who Live’s finale where “PPP exception” was written on a whiteboard. Considering several theories indicated that the PPP story was linked to the CRM, many viewers thought Rick and Michonne’s spinoff could shed some light on this puzzle. Instead,The Ones Who Liveonly left more unanswered questionsregarding the meaning of PPP, while all but confirmingThe Walking Deadhas no real intentions of expanding on this story any time soon, but all hope is not lost.
The Mysterious Storyline Clearly Has A Lot Of Untapped Potential
While it’s unclear exactly when the truth behind the PPP mystery will be revealed, there are still detailed plans, according to Scott M. Gimple. The former showrunner is still heavily involved in the franchise as a writer, producer, and Chief Content Officer, and he remains fully invested in the PPP storyline. According toComicBook.com, Gimple claimed that “there’s a great mythology” to the idea, and while he mentioned potentially having to pivot to accommodate changes, he also stated that the PPP plot is “just sitting on the shelf right now”, meaning it could be explored again in the future.
AssumingThe Walking Deadstill intends to follow up on the mystery at some point, it seems like there is already a lot of lore and connections ready to come to light.
AssumingThe Walking Deadstill intends to follow up on the mystery at some point, it seems like there is already a lot of lore and connections ready to come to light. We already know Heath and Davon are involved to some degree, which could provide the perfect opportunity to have aWalking Dead spinoff character returnand join the main cast, which would giveTales of the Walking Deadmore meaning.
Having Davon potentially interact with the central survivors and explain some of the secrets surrounding PPP could be a fascinating prospect, and it may be the best way to eventually get Heath involved in the series after all these years away. The storyline remains the zombie universe’s biggest mystery, but the fact that there appear to be so many ideas surrounding it as well as a huge mythology gives me hopeThe Walking Deadwill explore this angle once again, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
PPP Still Seems To Be Connected To The CRM, Making It Unclear Which Show Will Reveal This Mystery
Considering there are so few clues about what PPP actually refers to, it’s impossible to know for sure what the true meaning is, but it seems to be related to the CRM.After Heath disappeared, showrunner Angela Kang later confirmed he was abducted by the CRM off-screen, suggesting they could have been the ones to drop the keycard. Davon’s connection to the CRM is less obvious, but given PPP did appear in the CRM base inThe Ones Who Live, it’s possible it could refer to a secret branch of the military faction or one of their specific missions.
The Walking Dead’s only confirmed upcoming projects areThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityseason 2,The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonseason 3, andMore Tales from the TWDU.
Of course, the CRM connections could simply be coincidences, but the evidence certainly points to their involvement. As for which show could pick up on this story,More Tales from the TWDUhas a chance to focus on Davon once again or introduce another story addressing PPP. Likewise, a second season ofThe Ones Who Livecould uncover that a hidden branch of the CRM still exists. However, aWalking Deadcrossover series would be the best place to properly explain what PPP is, especially if it ties into the show’s main villains, assuming this project ever happens.
