Fear The walking Dead, Survival Rule Of The Week: Stick by your friends
By Liam O'Leary
In the San Diego Comic-Con trailer for Fear The Walking Dead, we see Troy save Nick. Why? Because, in a zombie apocalypse, you stick by your friends.
If you saw my article yesterday, you saw my analysis of the San Diego Comic-Con trailer for Season Three B of Fear The Walking Dead. What you also see is me pointing how much stronger the friendship between Nick and Troy appears to be.
From that, particularly a scene where Troy protects Nick from an attacker, I was led to theorize that, as tensions rise at Broke Jaw Ranch, Nick would be torn, as Qaletaqa and even his mother might want Troy gone. And why? Because, if I’m right, Nick learns the value of sticking by your friends.
Friends are a rare and precious commodity in a zombie apocalypse, to be quite honest. In a world so dedicated to one’s survival, having someone who won’t stab you in the back is as valuable as a trusty weapon.
Part of this stems from the fact that the apocalypse has a tendency to bring out the worst in people, and the more selfish and cowardly amongst us will likely turn on friends in the more chaotic begins of the outbreak.
So, if you have a friend from before the outbreak who’s survived alongside you, hang on to this person. Short of immediate family, such people are going to know you and trust you more than strangers will, and that relationship is vital. A good friend is far more likely to be honest with you about what course of action to take and much more willing to take risks to help you.
Should you not retain or rediscover any old friends in the outbreak, and instead make new ones, the same rules still apply. Granted, it will take time to determine if someone is trustworthy.
However, if someone is willing to take risks to help or protect you, it’s a good place to start.
Anywho, the same rules still apply, your new friend(s) are much more likely to be honest with you (And/or back your plays) than strangers might.
This brings us back to our point: Sticking by your friends.
Doing this can prove difficult in a zombie apocalypse, not least of which because of how precarious loyalties can sometimes be when the world goes to shit.
If you find yourself with new (And, ultimately, fragile) relationships to hold together, being confronted with a (Relatively) old friend can complicate things. However, should nothing have really changed (Or, perhaps, even improved) with your old friend(s) and, yet, your new one is asking you to choose them over the former, I would hope the answer is clear: You stick by your old friend. The loyalty they’ve likely shown you is deserving of equal loyalty in return.
If I’m correct that Nick and Troy truly become friends in the second half of Season Three, I suspect Nick will be forced to choose between what Madison and Qaletaqa want, and his loyalty to his new friend.
While he’s certainly erratic, Troy has also (And, as the trailer shows, will continue to) saved Nick’s life; So long they don’t abandon him, Troy seems very loyal to those he deems friends. This will force Nick to side with Qaletaqa, whom he may not trust, over Troy, who, despite flaws, has gone to lengths to protect him.
This is where loyalty becomes important.
If you’re forced to choose between a nominal ally who you may not trust, versus a friend whose been loyal to you, you’re better off sticking with your friend.
Why?
Well, for two reasons. One, because, of the two, you know your friend has stuck by you; You have no guarantee your erstwhile ally would do the same.
And, two, abandoning a loyal friend in such a situation can come back to haunt you, as other members of your group may now (Reasonably) believe that, should things get hot, you’ll just abandon them when it’s convenient.
Friends are a valuable commodity in a zombie apocalypse. It can not be overstated how vital it is to know you have a person who will watch your back and help keep you from going totally Crazytown when the world is crumbling around you.
Having allies is nice, but it doesn’t provide you with nearly the piece of mind having a true blue friend does. As such, the smart survival strategy is to stick by them as best as you can, even, if not especially, when things get tough. Chances are, times will come when it won’t be an easy choice, but, if they’ve already shown loyalty to you, it’s not only proper, but wise to return the favor.
A good friend is like having a bona fide guardian angel over your shoulder.
This is why you follow…The Rules.
Next: Fear The Walking Dead, Survival Rule Of The Week: Your crimes will haunt you
And that’s our survival rule of the week!! Hopefully, it will help you should you ever need it and give you that mental edge that will prove so crucial once the dead start eating everyone.
If you like this and want to find out more rules to survive the zombie apocalypse, why not pick up a copy of my book, The Rules: A Guide To Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse! You can get it on Kindle here and on iTunes here!