If nothing else, these two, now dead, philadelphians have shown these three what the real danger is in this new world, something perhaps others back at the farm have not considered. The real danger is not the zombies, those are easy to kill. Can you kill/defend your own against other survivors when they are simply trying to survive as you are? It was such a well done, concise way to deliver the message TWD is all about.

 

They mentioned that they were part of a group. The fat guy was obviously a thug but Dave seemed somewhat reasonable till he went for the gun. What do you do if, as someone mentioned, it turns out that these others are just regular people trying to survive? They could actually be an asset. More hands to do some work towards making that farm productive, more guns for better security and sooner or later people are going to have to start banding together to rebuild a working society. Of course you don't want to take in a bunch thugs though.

Anybody notice the rebel flag hanging behind the bar? Maybe a subtle prop to emphasize that you had a bit of culture class going on there? People from the south can sometimes be taken aback by how brash people from the big cities on the East Coast are. How much of a factor was that in the way things turned out? (Although Dave going for the gun pretty much sealed the deal.)

They may have a war on their hands.

 

You've got a lot to learn about people if you think Dave was okay or reasonable. I would suggest reading the Walking Dead and see what happens when people approached group acting reasonable. This is part of what makes Rick a good leader, he has "Street Smarts" and was able to see through Dave's BS.

 

Regular, people wouldn't start getting threatening with their guns. Rick used his police instinct from the start to be able to figure these guys out and wasn't fooled. People who lack that gut feeling or thinking a smiling reasonable face is a good honest survivor are the first that would get dispatched by such an ilk. Sadly people get fooled by the sly antics of a smiling reasonable looking face all the time. Glen almost did, Dave saw that, that's why he started directing questions to Glenn. That's how scum like these get their foot in the door, plunder and destroy your people.

Looking back at the episode there seems to be some signs of them being from a problematic group that wouldn't take the keen eye of a cop or another person able to discern a problem... A. They kept talking about all these groups they came across along the way. What? And they never bothered to join with those groups of people they met as extra reinforcement but suddenly show an interest in Rick's group that they haven't even met? More like they pillaged and plundered these groups they came across. B. The Nebraska talk did not add up from where they were. C. Fat boy Tony's reference to not having any "ass" in a few weeks while in the middle of them trying to get Rick's group's location out of them. Well we know what Tony wanted to do the minute they took control of another group, and probably same can be said for everyone in their group. D. Dave getting the gun off the cop, claiming it was a dead cop. Tony shot him a look when he said that, that suggests otherwise.

I don't see Rick having a problem with banding with people. His problem is, if they do not add up to his keen eye, he's not going to allow certain creeps to endanger his group and family.

 

Yep that's what makes groups of bandits so dangerous. They are smart enough not to wear a neon sign that says "Hey I'm a dangerous thug" Dave was using the sweeten with honey tactic, and Rick saw it.

Besides that, if Dave and Tony had a group of survivors with them that were just normal people they too were interested in protecting, they would have been just as weary of Rick and and his group potentially being thugs, as Rick was of them. He wouldn't have been trying to push his group into a situation with a band of strangers like he was. Certainly not talking about hay rides to the barn. It would have been perhaps, similar to the situation that they had at the nursing home. That group was really a group of honorable people standing by the elderly to keep them alive, but at the same time, masquerading themselves as standoffish thugs in order to preserve and protect themselves from bandits. They didn't start out trusting Rick and crew at all, or trying to get with their group.

 

I agree with everything you say about these two, Rick did exactly what he needed to do and handled it perfectly. But it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the writers decided to throw us a curve ball and insert an "it's not so cut and dried" kind of twist.

 

I'm not going to lie, that one kinda blind sided me...just wasn't expecting that at all lol

 

I think they already did that when Rick, Daryl, and T-dog faced the Nursing home "thugs" that had Glenn hostage.

Notice the differences too? Both groups were standoffish, and did not trust each other. None of this howdy doody crap, lets all take a hay ride to the barn.

 

Not as of now anyway...... he just got over his son recovering from being shot, the lost little girl in the woods is finally resolved and he seemingly just was able to resolve everything with Herschel (Herschel came to his senses actually).

As another poster put it, his "Street Smarts" are now finally able to kick in again as opposed to solving all these problems. With those issues addressed and his cop instincts beginning to take over, look at the kind of Rick we get.....

I have not read the comics, not yet anyway, but what is Rick's reaction when he or others in teh group encounter two or three other groups with similar interests as these two "thugs" come along....pretty soon it would be tough to trust anyone not in your original group.....consequently, tough to join another group in order to survive if the need were to arise as well....

 

That's a good point. The problem with still wandering and trying to find a secure place is you greatly increase your chances of more encounters with bandits. Most of the decent survivor groups by now are either hunkered down some where for long term and hiding, or have been destroyed by wandering Bandits who are what you will mostly see roaming like this.

 

I, as well, enjoyed last night's episode. In fact, I recapped it earlier this morning. I think there are many other nomadic groups throughout this apocalyptic-world. If the Grimes Crew and Hershel Crew survived... I'm sure others have too. They probably hide out for most of their time and occasionally venture out to gather supplies. I feel that the Grimes and Hershel crews will come across more survivors. As for Lori accusing Daryl of being selfish, I can see it from her perspective. I mean Rick and Glenn went out to go grab Hershel. Daryl was sitting down alone sharpening a stick with his knife. He looked for a little girl who was unknowingly already dead. He ventured off into the woods, along with everyone else, to search for Sophia. He wasn't the only one to. Daryl just gets to over-reactive about Sophia. I guess it's safe to say that I could argue from his perspective too. However, in this episode, I felt he was selfish and an asshole to everyone. I really did like this episode.

And even though he's my favorite character, he can show his dick side a lot.

 

Next week's preview was interesting. More thugs looking for their friends the other thugs. How calm they were saying that there were zombies or something like that out there with them. When someone actually sees a walker upclose panic and fear and screaming take place. It now comes down to a kill or be killed and survivalist mentality at any cost and Rick knows this because he is Law Enforcement and those instincts just kick at or during certain situations.

 

I like in the preview when Rick yells out to the other guys " This is not going to end well". Those guys might as well have brought knives to a gun fight. At least that is what I think will be the end result.

 

I hope they brought extra ammunition. Rick just emptied his revolver. I'd be trying to sneak out the back. looks like the next episode is going to be a good one!

 

I would think they would, or at least hope they'd think about that. lol Glen and Hershel still have guns, and there are guns left over by the other two dead idiots. The good thing about gun fire is it attracts walkers. If they can barricaded inside long enough, the bandits may become surrounded by a horde.

Btw: I love your avatar!

 

Thanks, I was trying to figure where yours comes from. Very creepy.