There was a post about this years ago and I did some digging. apparently the social game named Randall's group "The Living" which is a terrible name if you ask me. For a "gang" it's bad, and for a group like the one Randall described, it's odd that this early into the apocalypse men and women, or even just men would call themselves "the living." Highwaymen, Wolves, Saviors, Whisperers all make sense when you've been isolated or deranged for years on end with no hope of modern civilization.
I'd argue Joe's group makes more sense not because Joe would've tolerated Randall, but because narratively they're the first and arguably only rape-themed group of hostiles we see in the show's universe. Joe's group were traveling nomads who operated through a merit-based honor system of "do whatever but make sure you claim ownership of it first."
I could easily see that translating or mutating from whatever Randall's group used to be. Why are there fewer of them? Its a year later and they proably took some losses. Joe might not have been the leader at the time.
Randall's story is the most detail we get about who they are - they captured a dude and his two TEENAGE daughters, gang-raped them, and forced the father to watch it all. Probably beat him to make sure he couldn't intervene. Then they just left.
That's a level of sadism I could only attribute to Joe's group.
But Joe and the claimers tried to kill Rick's group? True, but that doesn't invalidate a difference in circumstances or say Joe's group would absolutely kill everyone thjey came across. Even Joe himself identifies that the severity of punishment will depend on the offense and the general "attitude of the day."
What did Joe decide to do when he caught up with Rick? To have Daryl beaten to death in front of Rick, assault Michonne and Carl immediately after, and then shoot Rick. The only part of that if we're splitting hairs that's inconsistent is that Joe planned to kill Rick when they were done instead of leave him alive. I think its not that much of a stretch that Joe would feel "inclined" to go that route specifically because Rick killed one of his boys and proved himself a clear threat to them, whereas earlier in the apocalypse if they had done this, it probably wasn't against a confirmed, armed threat who had personally wronged them.
I don't mind a little "vague connections to other things" if the show doesn't outright contradict it. Some other examples:
Its irrelevant since the show is so old and not going to reuse any of these characters, actors, or storylines but it's interesting to think about.
Ngl, at first I thought he was part of Early Terminus, until I actually got to Terminus and found out they only RECENTLY became evil, and even then, they didn't Rape people, they just eat them... Which I don't really think is that much better, but still.
I think the living( as opposed to the dead) isn’t the worst name. I could see people picking it. Rick had his whole we are/arent the walking dead moments too.
Also didn’t the games or the wiki or something say that Randall’s group ended up fighting some religious cult?
Morgan didnt see the whispers
They didnt even exist in the comics yet
There is (or at least was) a theory that the group that attacked and changed Terminus for the worse is actually The Living.