Rick Grimes’ disappearance during The Walking Dead season 9 was one of the franchise’s most significant moments, and it resulted in the protagonist spending a long time in CRM custody. Season 9 marked Rick’s last proper appearance on the show, as the iconic bridge incident led to his departure from the series, before returning for a cameo during The Walking Dead season 11’s finale. Having blown up a bridge full of zombies to prevent them from reaching his allies, Rick found himself injured by the blast and was rescued by Jadis, who mysteriously took him away in a helicopter.

While many expected Rick to have some sort of involvement in the show’s ending, his appearance still created plenty of questions. Thankfully, the protagonist’s return set up a spinoff show with Michonne, which finally answered the mystery about what happened to Rick Grimes after his Walking Dead disappearance. The Ones Who Live explained that the helicopter Jadis took Rick in belonged to the Civic Republic Military – a villainous group that Jadis joined. Rick was then taken into CRM custody, and despite numerous attempts to escape, he spent many years as an unwilling part of the military faction.

The Ones Who Live’s finale ended with an emotional and powerful scene, but it also proved the bitter truth about Rick’s 14-year Walking Dead story.

Rick Was Captured By The CRM For 8 Years In The Walking Dead

The Ones Who Live Offered Some Clarity On How Long Rick Spent Captured By The CRM

Although an exact timeline is hard to pinpoint in The Walking Dead, it seems Rick spent at least eight years in captivity in the Civic Republic. Despite being given some rights and even offered a proper life in this nearly impenetrable community, Rick’s only desire was to return home to his family, leading to several escape attempts. Rick even cut off his own hand while trying to flee from the group, but they were too powerful and managed to thwart every plan. As a result, Rick spent more and more years with the CRM and away from his loved ones.

The Ones Who Live also outlined some significant time jumps, as a bit of text helped explain that one of his escape attempts happened five years after the bridge. While these small bits of information began to create a timeline, The Ones Who Live episode 4 offered far more clarity on how long Rick had been away. Michonne tells Rick that their son, RJ, was nearly eight years old and that she was pregnant during the bridge incident, meaning it had been between eight and nine years since Rick disappeared.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has not been confirmed for a second season, leaving Andrew Lincoln’s status in The Walking Dead universe unknown.

In addition, the helicopter Jadis took him on appeared to take the protagonist straight to the CRM, meaning he was likely captured by the group within days of the bridge’s explosion. Given that he didn’t escape until The Ones Who Live‘s ending, it can therefore be presumed that Rick was stuck with the group for well over eight years.

How Long Rick Spent With The CRM Compared To The Rest Of His Walking Dead Journey

Rick Has Spent The Majority Of His Time In The Apocalypse Captured By The CRM

Despite Rick’s on-screen adventure seeming like a fraction of his overall Walking Dead journey, his time with the villains was actually far longer than his journey with the franchise’s main characters. Seasons 1-9 took place over the course of around three years, meaning Rick waking from his coma to defeating Negan was barely a scratch on his time with the CRM. His connections with the likes of Daryl and Michonne seem far deeper than anyone in The Ones Who Live, but in reality, he spent over double that getting to know Okafor and Thorne.