If I’m going to realistically assess each character’s utility as a potential team member, I better go deeper than a first pass selection and look at group dynamic variables that would affect the willingness of my preferred members to join such a team, and the ability of the completed team to work effectively. We have to be a travelling, scavenging and fighting band that can stay together while making use of found materials and remaining flexible in evaluating and adopting or rejecting “found” companions.
In light of that, I think I’d have to reject several individuals who, through virtue of demonstrated skills, resourcefulness or clear thinking I’d otherwise want with me. So, choosing the me + three others option, my eliminations are as follows:
Shane - I’ll assume I know everything shown so far in the series at this point, so I have to reject the murderer. It boggles me a bit how many commenters in the other thread believe Shane’s sacrifice of Otis was a ‘tough but smart decision’ given the situation. I think they’re not looking at the story universe as realistically as they think they are. Putting ethics and morality aside for the moment (something I’m doing only for argument’s sake), betraying a comrade in order to avoid failure of the mission just isn’t a successful option for survival as part of a group.
Shane (who let’s not forget failed to plan any type of exit from the FEMA supply trailer in the first place) had time to argue with Otis over going on without him, time to shoot Otis when he refused to leave him, and time to wrestle him for the pack containing the respirator… but he didn’t think he had any time to limp away arm in arm with Otis to escape the shambling z horde.
Given the fact that every mission in this brave new world o’ shit is going to be critical, I don’t want this backstabbing scumbag practicing his idea of flexible thinking anywhere near my group. If I thought like Shane did, I’d put a bullet through his brain at the earliest opportunity, but fortunately for him (in this hypothetical) I ain’t like he is.
Rick - No way I’m getting Rick without taking Lori and Carl as well. Even if I weren’t arbitrarily limited to three selections (more on this later), I wouldn’t want to take a pregnant woman and her adolescent child away from the more stable and defensible farm we’re currently at. Plus, Rick owns the Shane problem. I need to leave him to see that one through.
In addition, although I’m alternately puzzled and appalled at Rick’s major strategy and tactical decisions, I’ve agreed with every one of his eventual moral and ethical choices. (Including going back to try and retrieve redneck drug dealer Merle.) But if I’m with the group already, I don’t really need Rick’s moral compass. And I sure don’t want to have to constantly argue against his need to find a surviving governmental authority from which to take direction. The most we’re likely to find is a strong arm proxy, and I want no part of that either.
So with Rick and Shane eliminated, my strongest choices are Glen, Daryl and either Andrea, T-Dog or Dale.
Taking those in reverse order, Dale has that unfortunate tendency of the experienced and wise to extrapolate his general case of “knowing best” into a universal assumption of correctness for each specific case. He sometimes assumes more ownership of events than he’s warranted. I’d like his auto repair skills and no doubt plentiful wealth of life experience, but I don’t want his tendency towards unilateral action. Dale’s out.
T-Dog seems resourceful and tough, but he’s still carrying some sort of baggage from the pre-zombiepocalypse. I’ll keep him as an alternate, but he’s not one of my first picks.
That leaves Daryl, Glen and Andrea. Daryl is a hunter-tracker and a tough survivor. He’s adapted to the group pretty well and seems OK with not leading the group as long as he has a specific goal he can work toward. But he’s also capable of decisive independent action. All of this makes Daryl part of my “A” team.
Glen is fast, light, quiet and quick thinking in a stress situation. He’s in, but I don’t think he’ll want to leave Maggie, nor will she want him to go without her. This is fine with me. I need Glen, so I’ll let Maggie choose to join on her own, and I get two quick and able bodied team members for the price of one.
Andrea will either get completely over her existential angst or eventually kill herself, but it’s not likely she’d do that at the expense of the group. And she’ll see crisis situations through without flinching. She’s also shown herself to be a scrappy survivor. She’ll do just fine.
But we ain’t heading towards Ft. Benning.