Howe's Hardware is a former hardware store that first appears in "In Harm's Way" of Telltale Games' The Walking Dead: Season Two. It is the base of operations for Carver's Group, along with two surrounding buildings.
Pre-Apocalypse
Prior to the outbreak, Howe's was a large hardware and home improvement chain store with the business slogan "Howe's that for a deal?" At some point, a certain store in Tennessee was abandoned.
Post-Apocalypse
Following the outbreak, the hardware store and the adjacent building abandoned. At some point, a group of survivors settled there, managing to restore power to the store, enabling them to use the lights and PA system. A greenhouse was placed on the roof of the building, allowing for the development of crops. Several herds of walkers moved through the area, but due to the fortifications set up around the store, they were all either fended off or drawn away from the store. There is little information on how the community grew, but it is known that the community was wholly run by William Carver, who, at first, was focused on keeping all of his people alive and on bringing in as many survivors as possible. Within two years, however, Carver began shifting towards aggression to keep his people in line. According to Bonnie, Luke began raising challenges over Carver's leadership and his priorities and the place began to feel less like a community. When Rebecca began showing signs of pregnancy and Carver believed himself to be the father, Luke and eight others made the decision to leave the community, with Bonnie ultimately deciding not to join them. The group successfully escaped, though they were forced to leave Reggie behind as everyone kept running.
Season 1
"400 Days"
Howe's is first referenced by an unknown survivor communicating via radio with Tavia. She explains to the survivors near Gil's Pitstop at their camp that they have an abundance of food, water and shelter to safely accommodate them should they choose to go with her. Wyatt asks if they find a lot of survivors, and Tavia says they used to, but the number of people brought in recently has not been as many. The people that are already there include not only single survivors, but whole families as well.
Season 2
"In Harm's Way"
After capturing the cabin group and company at Moonstar Lodge, Carver brings them back to his base at Howe's. It is the setting for much of the episode. Carver announces intentions to continue an expansion project to extend the fencing to the other building in the parking lot.
"Amid The Ruins"
Howe's Hardware could be seen swarmed by walkers as Clementine and the other members of the remaining group struggle to survive in the chaos. Walkers can be seen entering the building and can be seen reaching the rooftop where Tavia and the rest of the inhabitants are as they are firing at the approaching herd, allowing Clementine, Rebecca, and Jane to escape. The fate of the inhabitants is unknown.
"No Going Back"
Howe's is mentioned a couple of times in this episode; first at the Power Station where Bonnie states that she acquired the bottle of rum from Howe's, and later on after Kenny gets a truck working, Jane suggests they return to Howe's.
If Clementine shoots Kenny and forgives Jane, the two of them along with Alvin Jr. return to Howe's Hardware only to find it abandoned, meaning that the walkers either killed or chased off the remaining inhabitants. Clementine and Jane are then approached by a family who can either be allowed in or made to leave. If Clementine and Jane never return there it can safely assumed that the family still finds the place. If denied entrance, the family will leave, though pointing out that they will return and that they "might be dangerous". If invited in, they will gladly join them, with Clementine noting that they can all "start something here".
Season 3
"Ties That Bind - Part 1"
The hardware store is determinately seen in a flashback if Clementine had gone with Jane back to Howe's Hardware. Clementine spends an indeterminate amount of time in the community until leaving following Jane's death.
"Thicker Than Water"
The hardware store is determinately seen in a flashback if Clementine had gone with Jane back to Howe's Hardware. The scene involves Clementine and Jane learing out dead bodies in the store and the former fighting two walkers.
Inhabitants
- William Carver - The leader of the community. (Formerly)
- Bonnie - An armory worker of the community. (Formerly)
- Troy - A regularly armed guard of the community. (Formerly)
- Johnny - A member of the community. (Formerly)
- Tavia - Official scout for the community. (Formerly)
- Reggie - A one-armed survivor living in the community; placed in the pen by Carver after he aided the escape of Luke and the other cabin survivors. (Formerly)
- Jane - A survivor taken in by Carver while walking outside of the walls covered in walker guts and placed in the pen. Later leader if the player goes with Jane. (Formerly)
- Mike - A survivor living in the community who was placed in the pen for failure to follow orders; set to work on the expansion project. (Formerly)
- Hank - A guard living in the community. (Formerly)
- Stan - A mechanic living in the community. (Formerly)
- Lowell - A guard living in the community. (Formerly)
- Tyler - A guard living in the community. (Formerly)
- Vera - A guard living in the community. (Formerly)
- Tisha - A guard living in the community. (Formerly)
- Vince - A survivor living in the community. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Wyatt - A guard living in the community. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Russell - A guard living in the community. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Shel - A survivor living in the community with her sister. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Becca - A child living in the community with her sister. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Radio Survivor - An unseen survivor who worked with Tavia in recruiting. (Formerly)
- George - An unseen survivor of the base killed by Alvin. (Formerly)
- Luke - A member of the community, left the community due to the conflict between him and Carver. Upon stealthy return, Luke holed up in the comic book store. (Formerly)
- Rebecca - Previously an announcer for the community, left the community with her husband. Upon return, forced into pen until further notice. (Formerly)
- Alvin - A survivor living in the community, left the community with his wife after killing one of Carver's men. Upon return, (Determinant) brought to Carver's office for punishment. (Formerly)
- Carlos - A doctor living in the community, left the community with his daughter. Upon return, forced into pen until further notice. (Formerly)
- Sarah - A child living in the community, left the community with her father. Upon return, forced into pen until further notice; working as food handler. (Formerly)
- Pete - An elder survivor living in the community, left the community with his nephew and sister. (Formerly)
- Nick - A survivor living in the community, left the community with his mother and uncle. Upon return, (Determinant) forced into pen until further notice. (Formerly)
- Clementine - A child taken into the community by Carver; forced into the pen until further notice. Later co-leader if player go's with Jane. (Formerly)
- Kenny - A survivor living in the community; brought in as expansion worker. Upon arrival, forced into pen until further notice; set to work on expansion project. (Formerly)
- Sarita - A survivor living in the community; brought in as food handler. Upon arrival, forced into pen until further notice. (Formerly)
- Alvin Jr. (Determinant)
- Randy - A man accepted into the store by Clementine with his family (Formerly, Determinant)
- Patricia - A woman accepted into the store by Clementine with her family. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Gill - A child accepted into the store by Clementine with his family. (Formerly, Determinant)
- Nick's Mother - A former survivor living in the community, left the community with her son and brother. (Formerly)
- Tara Gale - A employee (Pre-Apocalypse)
- Barry Peterson - A employee (Pre-Apocalypse)
- Several other unseen members. (Formerly)
Deaths
- George - Killed by Alvin while he and the other cabin survivors were escaping Howe's Hardware.
- Reggie - Pushed off the roof by Carver and fell to his death.
- Hank (Determinant) - Shot in the chest by Alvin in Carver's office.
- Alvin (Determinant) - Fatally shot in the shoulder by Hank in Carver's office.
- William Carver - Head bashed in by Kenny with a crowbar in the stockroom.
- Troy - Devoured by walkers outside of Howe's Hardware after he was shot in the crotch by Jane.
- Carlos - Devoured by walkers outside of Howe's Hardware after being shot in the neck.
- Sarita (Determinant) - Bitten by walker and arm chopped off by Clementine outside of Howe's Hardware and either axed by Clementine before reanimation or left to reanimate. (Determinant)
- Jane (Determinant) - After learning she was pregnant, hangs herself in Carver's office. Clementine can shoot her to put her down or leave her.
- Jane's Unborn Child (Determinant) - Dies when Jane kills herself.
Trivia
- In the comic book store beside Howe's Hardware, many of the titles are "Invincible", "Ghosted", "Super Dinosaur", "Manifest Destiny", and "Outcast", all of which are real-life comics published by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment, the same imprints of The Walking Dead.
- Howe's is actually a parody of the real life hardware store chain, Lowe's, with a very similar blue and white front entrance, a chain-link garden center, recorded audio advertisements for the speaker system, and more.
- Howe's is one of six communities in the game, the others being Crawford, Wellington, Monroe, Prescott and Richmond.
- Howe's is the first community to be seen active in the game.
- Howe's is one of four antagonistic communities in the game, the others being Crawford, Monroe and Richmond.
Appearances
Video Game
Season 2
- "In Harm's Way"
- "Amid The Ruins"
- "No Going Back" (Determinant)
Season 3
- "Ties That Bind - Part 1" (Flashback, Determinant)
- "Thicker Than Water" (Flashback, Determinant)
Gallery
