The Walking Dead, Survival Rule of the Week: Never Assume

Tales of the Walking Dead series premiere

Never assume you’re alone.

For most of this first episode of Tales of The Walking Dead, the only people you saw were Joe and Evie, road tripping across Ohio and Michigan. This gave the impression that states were abandoned, devoid of all life save the two of them. Of course, as we’d learn, that would be incorrect.

While in Michigan, just before Joe and Evie would hit the road again, and after Joe had already started the motorcycle, Evie called him back to reveal that she deduced Sandra’s location; this provided enough of a window for a thief to roll up, steal the motorcycle, and all of the pair’s gear.

There is a lesson in this: In a zombie apocalypse, never assume you’re alone.

You see, the funny thing about the apocalypse is, with the background noise of civilization gone, any noise that is made carries a lot further. This means that, even if you can’t see people around you, there’s a good chance they’re lying in wait out of sight because they can hear you a lot easier now. With all the talking Joe and Evie were doing and the sound of the motorcycle, the thief probably heard them from miles away and had to just follow the sound to track them down.

You can’t really go around being paranoid in a zombie apocalypse, but you should at least be cautious and try to make as little noise as you possibly can so that you’re not just announcing your presence to every hostile for fifty miles in all directions.