The Walking Dead survival rule of the week: Appearances are deceiving

The Walking Dead, there is nothing wrong with hiding

Daryl wasn’t the only one for whom things were tense in this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. Maggie, Negan, Father Gabriel, and Elijah had to scramble to stay one step ahead of the Reapers. Thanks to Daryl’s timely clues, they only just managed to escape their rendezvous point unscathed. Of course, the reason they were able to do it was the fact their safe house had a trapdoor into the basement, and a secret exit out of that basement, literally escaping while under the nose of Carver, one of Pope’s subordinates.

The more significant point here is that, wherever you go in a zombie apocalypse, you don’t know all of the nooks, crannies, and hidey-holes a place may have, and finding them can mean the difference between life and death.

First, let’s look at the safe house from Maggie’s point of view: Had she and her team not found that trapdoor, they almost certainly would have been caught, forcing them into a firefight with the Reapers. Considering Maggie’s team started eleven people strong and are down to four, I’m not confident in their chances of winning that fight, even with Daryl backing them up.

Now, for the Reapers’ part, just because they’re badass hardened soldiers doesn’t mean they were in any better of a position. If the rest of the team were all near the trapdoor, Maggie and the team could have just popped out and ambushed them. Even with all their training, if they got caught off guard, Father Gabriel or Negan could have turned them all into Swiss cheese with the shotgun!

You see, taking the time to search a place for hidden compartments, rooms, doors, or tunnels can both provide you with a means of hiding from the dead or the living or ambushing them. Conversely, making that effort can also prevent other people from hiding from and ambushing you, which can be just as important as being able to hide from threats yourself.

Never assume that what you see of a building is what you get. Making that assumption can get you killed, one way or the other.