I can see why some people would have a problem but at the same time
I think it's good to see this version of the walking dead from a new perspective. I don't believe this franchise is all about clem, Lee was the main character in the first one. Clem was the main character in the second. But at the same time sidelining a former main playable character to a supporting role is problematic because you are taking a character that people formerly had control pver away. It would have been better to truly start fresh and removed the surviving characters from the game entirely. Some people would be mad, some people wouldn't care, but it would provide a truly fresh start and wouldn't have a built in concept of in the minds of people who played clem in a certain way and want her to act a certain way.
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I believe the problem is for the past 2 seasons clem has been arguably the main character and now after 1 season of playing as clementine and one season of her being the main character for her to all of a sudden be sideline to a minor supporting character is problematic for older fans of the series.
She is hardly a minor supporting character in season 3. That is misrepresenting the reality. She has been the playable character of one season out of three and that brought with it certain problems that came up here many times. If everyone had adored season 2 over season 1 and that could be traced to playing as Clem then this might have validity but it's just not the case.
It's a strange set-up that they have going on this season. Having Clem in the role she posesses gives off a strange feeling for me. Not necessarily a bad one, but just the sensation that something is "off".
The addition of Clementine was a smart choice, considering many players would've dropped off or at the least have been very upset by her absence. Some players would be pleased, and others would be neutral towards the change, of course. I personally don't think that Clem has been a bad character this season, and I'm finding that I enjoy the focus on Javier. Her inclusion, with her either upfront or more on the sidelines, or her absence all could have been very problematic. I'm happy with what we received. It was almost a lose-lose situation in some ways, and I feel that this is a satisfying intermediate.
Nonetheless, I kind of feel this disappointment and sadness with regards to some ways that Clementine, or at least her story, was handled. The flashbacks were extremely problematic to me, and caused me to even doubt her inclusion in the story. I was hoping with all of my heart that our ending would be influential in molding Clementine, and they seemed to be weak in that regard. How has Jane specifically influenced Clementine? Kenny? Residing at Wellington? The game is nowhere near complete though, so I'm letting these fears slide for now. Anyway, the effect on Clementine aside, I felt betrayed in a way by the way that these characters were handled. The rushed scenes felt like a disrespect to the characters. These scenes wouldn't have come about if ties were cut off from Clementine. The way they were handled severely tarnished my views, but I'm still hopeful for the rest of the season. One scene shouldn't make or break the entire game.
She's been a good character so far, and despite my disappointments, I feel that her appearing the way she has so far is a positive. I like Javier. Clementine does feel like my Clementine for the most part. She's far from her roots at this point, but that's okay. She has so much room for growth and development, and the focus on other characters in this extensive world seems really beneficial. There are so many different stories to explore, solely focusing on one character almost seems like limiting yourself, and writing yourself into a corner. I am simply just estatic to see Clementine return. Certain revelations fill me with much empathy and have piqued my interest in who she is. Oooh, I'm excited to see every character, including Clementine. So...I'm satisfied, for the most part. I'm very, very conflicted, but pleased too. I don't find the game to be neither awful nor a masterpiece; it's good. So uh...I'm alright with Clementine's role. I'm alright with Javier.
They wrote themselves into several different corners with those season 2 endings. I don't envy anyone who had to pick up the story after that.