(SPOILERS) This is probably the first Telltale game where you play as the villains

[ScorpionWasp]

No matter how I look at it, I can't seem to escape that conclusion. From the moment Sam and Greg issue a distress call, only to them ambush the people who answer their distress call, I knew I couldn't trust these two.

Randall's misunderstanding that we are with them is not at all unreasonable, given the circumstances. Nevertheless, before being sure of what exactly happened, Norma's faction treats you with nothing but respect and courtesy. The game tries very hard to imply they are brutish barbarians, but the fact remains there's very little hard evidence as to what exactly happened aboard that ferry - and more importantly, under what circumstances. Norma denies involvement, and I have no reason to doubt her.

On the other hand, there's a lot of evidence, even early on, that Sam did steal from Norma. Both the bag and its specific contents match the stuff they hold in their storage room perfectly. Greg is a compulsive liar who has no compunction implicating you by saying "he has known you for a long time".

Norma would have been more than justified to execute these two. But that's not really her way, is it? We later learn that Sam had been caught before, and Norma decided to have mercy on her. Bad decision for sure.

You tell me again why exactly Michonne decided to go along with this scoundrel rather than shoot her in back at the first opportunity?

[Cogsworth]

I think it's not as black/white as that. I don't think Norma was a bad person per se (still not sure on that one even after finishing), but neither do I think Sam/Greg were. Sam/Greg are young and made some bad calls but I think they really believed Norma's group were bad people especially since Randall is definitely a terrible person as you see later on (much more than any misunderstanding).

[Magnyr]

I just finished episode two, and I played 1&2 trying to patch things over with Norma constantly, telling her the whole truth and selling out the two thieves. Yeah, Randall is an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, but Norma is the aggrieved party in this case, and the ONLY act that definitively proves they're the "bad guys" is Sam's word that the group on the ferry were slaughtered by Randall on Norma's orders, which is out of line with how Norma is depicted entirely at the point we meet her face to face. We get a reasonable, even generous, leader who freed a girl who tried to steal from them.

I am severely aggravated that I could not side with Norma, or at the very least, she was made a less sympathetic character so that I would not want to. Very immersion breaking.

[Magnyr]

And after finishing episode three, my opinion is even more solidified. Monroe was a thriving community, and Michonne was responsible for its demise, to save a single undeserving thief. And you had no choice in the matter. The entire game, I did everything I could to placate Norma, and to no end.

[VeilStrider]

Yup, if I could, I would have killed Sam. I even said that Greg is a liar in his face.

Too bad the game insists otherwise.

[nova]

Telltale games give you an illusion of choice. Its their whole gimmick and its a lie. What we are doing is watching a cartoon and pushing buttons.