The flaws with 'Suffer the Children'

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  • Violet hasn't really been given much time to [potentially?] be believable.

    Violet doesn't hate Clem by the end of E1 but I still personally don't find the switch-up in E2 all that believable.

    I can sorta the concern.
    I guess the basic idea for episode 2 though is that Violet is trying to stand up for someone who's proven to be helpful to the group and especially opposing any concern for the person who sorta put them in their discoursed conditions in the first place, particularly her.

    It really is the only good explanation for the pacing issue of this episode in particular. It just comes off as poor writing to me. Violet is even less believable than Louis.

  • Wait what? Reaction time? Okay lol whatever you say. It would be stupid to underestimate a shooter. The disappointment was A.J isnt a great shooter like they said. He should have aimed for the head..... I would post a video of Aj shooting first...... then hitting Able in the shoulder but meh

    Piggs posted: »

    I hate the fact that your choices can get you killed. It's like yes Telltale finally let me kill people and choose crazy things. Then they k

  • I don't understand why the idea of kidnapping kids and forcing them to fight as soldiers seems unrealistic.

    I guess it's mainly an issue of what the Deltas risked in trying to get them and whether drafting the kids would be that helpful in the first place.

    As for issues with this episode: I agree that Aasim having a crush on Ruby seemed to come out of nowhere, but that could be written off as Clem being new for her not having seen it before.

    Pretty much.
    It seems to primarily be a way of humanizing him a bit, too.

    Kenny's hat wasn't one of the collectible items.

    0/10. Do nut boy.

    acturis posted: »

    I dont understand why the idea of kidnapping kids and forcing them to fight as soldiers seems unrealistic. It has been happening as far back

  • edited October 2018

    I would post a video of Aj shooting first...... then hitting Able in the shoulder but meh

    Alright, I'll post it for you then. Skip to 6:43

    There's only two gunshots, one for AJ and one for Clementine. Abel isn't bleeding or anything, namely because AJ never got the chance to fire his gun. At all.

    And in that sense, yeah, it's extremely dumb to underestimate a shooter... the shooter being Abel.

    KingProInc posted: »

    Wait what? Reaction time? Okay lol whatever you say. It would be stupid to underestimate a shooter. The disappointment was A.J isnt a great

  • I guess now that my impressions have finally be posted in some cobbled of laziness form, it's time I actually make a list of things. I'll try to use each of the characters involved to hopefully talk about each side aspect that doesn't really depend on a single one to hopefully draw attention to how they possibly could've been addressed(and also so this doesn't go on for too long) if I can:

    • : Lily is the single weakest part of this episode, as I've said a number of times, but inherently need to reinforce. I will make the distinction this time that it's almost entirely on her first of the two scenes she gets, but first impressions are indeed somewhat important at times and considering the context, I'd say this is definitely one of them. Oh and that Breaking Speech in context was the moment I was more sure we were in trouble. Makes you wonder why this villain had to be Lily, either in this scene or in general.
    • Violet is a character I've been weird about actually talking about in a resourceful/critical manner and this episode doesn't really help with that. However, since this is a thread about Episode 2's flaws, I guess I should specify that she just seemed to be there for idle accolades(particularly the supposed leadership thing) and the loose romance stuff. In other words, her interim characterization feels sorta bland, underdeveloped and in practice thus far, resulting in me not really feeling or knowing what to feel about her personally. The card game is still her best scene. There's also the factoid that her "romance" scene, while once again probably the more "fair," unique, and broader paced of the two, was rather misleading in it's prompting and honestly weird in what it entailed.
    • Louis's character arc throughout this episode, though I am able to see what they were going for now and the little touches they did have, kinda bothered a few times, particularly diagnostically and formatively. The weird part is that while there are some nice touches depending on your choices, I felt some of his angry display was a tad too pronounced in a select few areas. The other issue is that he and Marlon didn't get as much background and by extension development here as I would've thought. Also, while I didn't care for either of them, his "romance" scene was kinda eh in it's misleading nature and depending on how into it you get with dialogue, a little uncomfortable. By extension, I don't really like how you seemingly have to go with him in order to have Violet be the one to attack Lily to be subsequently dragged to the cart by Sullene(and vice versa).
    • Aasim just dropped outta prominence all of a sudden in this episode. Seriously, it's like someone on the written staff had a similar thought that I did when I saw the Hunting scenario and decided to give the head role of the person who's opposed to Marlon&Louis and takes the [entire] leadership position to Violet instead. As a result, he spends what time he has in this episode alternatively being humanized and/or getting the piss taken out of him; I don't mind that aspect too much, but it unfortunately underlines what a demotion he got. He also has his identity as the third vote in favor of letting AJ stay left up in the air and is unceremoniously captured by the Deltas offscreen.
    • Omar is just kinda there in a select few scenes at the distinct ends of the episode and that's partially because he doesn't really take much of a stance on the AJ matter one way. However, it's an instance where this probably could've been made an distinguishing/interesting character point; kinda like Alvin. Alas, he just kinda ends up taking a shot after, what, his third line before being captured by the Deltas? Though at least they had the decency to NOT just kill him off.
    • Brody is mostly forgotten in this episode after already being rather underutilized in the previous episode for a plot/drama key character. I still kinda wish she survived the previous episode to help give this one a more tangible representation of how traumatic and divisive Marlon's secret ended up being. Probably could've helped give some of the more fringey and under-showcased characters something more to do. Not to mention that with the way Lily & the Deltas(and I guess Violet) were handled, there wasn't in the way of a mysterious element to upkeep for suspense.
    • Willyof all the other students really should've gotten more character development in the context of this episode's setup. After all, he seemed to be the only other character who was continually bittered about Marlon and Brody's deaths in themselves, making him the prime [unbiased(?)] candidate for expanding on those two regarding what they do for and meant to the group. Not to mention that his friendship with Mitch probably should've been used more in light of the latter's sudden boost in prominence and his inadequacy in the eyes of Aasim could've indirectly benefit to the matter of the shift in management.
    • Ruby is probably the most wholly solid character in this episode by process of , but I also feel like either that or the simple avoidance of a contrast might have been unintentional...? Question mark? Like, while she gets some background and heart points through her talent in botany, her reverence for the lost Ms Martin, and by acting as medic to her little arch AJ, she also has her part in the feelings and vote regarding AJ killing Marlon left in this nebulous abridge. Like, honestly, I'm a little surprised there wasn't a scene or line clarifying either. So, she's sort of a middle of the road thing, albeit debatably meatier than with Violet.
    • Mitch was okay in this episode, still not near my cup of tea, but he was at least a functional character with some degree of background this time. So if I had to pinpoint something for anyone to nitpick, I guess it could be the blanket fact that they realized what a nondescript background character he was before and just kinda dropped a Tripp 2.0 sorta characterization on him. There's also the little matter of how abrupt his death can feel, though I personally didn't mind it. Which incidentally reminds me how, based on a comment as well as the trailer regarding what happens this episode, I kinda wonder if he was always the one with this role originally..
  • Oh yep you right my bad Aj didn't shoot first. Doesnt mean he couldn't have shot first. Doesn't take much to squeeze a trigger thou. I think he was fuking with AJ head when he said that it mush have worked...

    Piggs posted: »

    I would post a video of Aj shooting first...... then hitting Able in the shoulder but meh Alright, I'll post it for you then. Skip t

  • The Delta raiders grow their own food so I don't think having more mouths to feed is an issue.

    * Recruiting child soldiers doesn't make sense. They're extra mouths to feed and they won't be loyal to you. * The kids at the school chang

  • I'd say the one piece of writing I didn't like is that all the kids just ganged up on AJ with no hesitation and seemed to completely forget about Marlon killing Brody or letting the raiders take the twins.

    Yeah, I get it, AJ was wrong to just blow his brains out when he'd dropped the gun and wanted to just leave and be forgotten, but they treated AJ like he was the literal spawn of Satan while Marlon was some angel.

  • I actually consider that good though. I hated Clementine's immortality in Season 2. You can't get caught while you're looking for supplies in the house, for example. If you fail to hide from Rebecca, Sarah just distracts her and she never comes into the bathroom.

    If you eavesdrop too long, Nick will make eye contact with you, but won't say anything, so the tension is killed there.

    If you don't Stay Quiet during the Howe's escape, Rebecca just grabs you. You don't alert a walker or anything.

    I like the feeling that "If I do or say this, I might just get myself killed."

    Hell, that's what made Until Dawn so good. You couldn't just do whatever. You had to use your head. Like, NOT running to the switch while everybody is still inside.

    KingProInc posted: »

    I hate the fact that your choices can get you killed. It's like yes Telltale finally let me kill people and choose crazy things. Then they kill you... Real disappointment. Other then that nothing major.

  • That scene and another one with Violet and Louis later on just goes to show that Clementine is shit when it comes to the element of surprise. You don't ANNOUNCE what attack you're going to do before you do it.

    "AJ shoot!" Well great, now that he knows what's coming, he can shoot the kid first.

    Now for the woods scene, I had Clementine tell Louis and Violet to take the shot, only because I thought she'd give them a subtle sign to take it. A little nod or a gesture. But she sits up and cups her mouth with her hands, and bellows out at the top of her lungs:

    "SHOOT!"

    Piggs posted: »

    I would post a video of Aj shooting first...... then hitting Able in the shoulder but meh Alright, I'll post it for you then. Skip t

  • It's really amazing how literally no one cares about Brody aside from a passing mention by Vi.

    And people still think their hate towards Clem and Aj was sensible.

    I'd say the one piece of writing I didn't like is that all the kids just ganged up on AJ with no hesitation and seemed to completely forget

  • Yeah. It's almost like Brody was just there to be killed for shock value and have that whole suspenseful walker scene where you're trapped with her in the basement. After that, nobody really cares.

    It's really amazing how literally no one cares about Brody aside from a passing mention by Vi. And people still think their hate towards Clem and Aj was sensible.

  • Tenn and Willy

    It's really amazing how literally no one cares about Brody aside from a passing mention by Vi. And people still think their hate towards Clem and Aj was sensible.

  • The moment that A.J. kills Marlon, is the time that we should've had that option.

    ...I'm trying to think of an opening where that would've been able to come up.

    Deathbeam posted: »

    Where the hell was the " we're leaving option?" from Clem? Why in the hell would Clem want to stay asides supplies? She been good on the road for 5 years. 5 years! The moment that A.J. kills Marlon, is the time that we should've had that option.

  • So one of the things that struck me as something of a red flag in the trailer was the shot where Violet is carrying Marlon's bow. Having seen the full episode/context now, I know that there is a reason why the bow is there.

    There is also not a reason, however, as to why Violet is carrying it.

  • well someone has to

    DabigRG posted: »

    So one of the things that struck me as something of a red flag in the trailer was the shot where Violet is carrying Marlon's bow. Having see

  • Yeah, but did it really have to be someone who currently hates the original owner?

    well someone has to

  • Does it really matter tho. Its just a weapon. She probably thought, hey this will come in handy and then took it.

    DabigRG posted: »

    Yeah, but did it really have to be someone who currently hates the original owner?

  • Uh, considering the character involved, I think it should.

    Does it really matter tho. Its just a weapon. She probably thought, hey this will come in handy and then took it.

  • DeltinoDeltino Moderator
    edited November 2018

    I'd say the one piece of writing I didn't like is that all the kids just ganged up on AJ with no hesitation and seemed to completely forget about Marlon killing Brody or letting the raiders take the twins.

    I personally think it makes sense enough. At the end of episode 1, everyone at the school has to come to terms with five sudden reveals, pretty much all at once:

    • That Marlon has been lying about the twins the entire time, and traded them away in exchange for safety.

    • That Marlon killed Brody (albeit accidentally) in an attempt to keep his secret hidden.

    • That Marlon tried to kill Clementine by locking her in the basement, then outright threatened her with a gun when that failed.

    • That Marlon started waving a gun around at everybody after his attempts to turn them against Clementine failed.

    • That Marlon gets his brains blown out after dropping his gun and pretty much surrendering, by a kid they met two days ago.

    And then they have a funeral a measly 12 or so hours after learning all of this.

    That is nowhere near enough time for anyone to reconcile their feelings, let alone actually wrap their head around everything that just happened. Why is everyone acting like Marlon didn't kill Brody or trade away the twins? Because they're completely overwhelmed by all the sudden shit they just learned. Everyone's confused, and nobody has any idea how they should feel, who they should blame, or who they should even be mourning for. So what do they do? What most people do when faced with a ton of issues at once: handle them one at a time. It just so happens that most of them started with mourning Marlon, with Violet, Tenn and maybe Aasim being exceptions. Maybe he doesn't really deserve it, but that's not going to stop a group of people that have known and trusted him as both a friend and as a leader for 8+ years, only to be confronted with a ton of awful secrets and revelations all at once. Not to mention that they're still young, we can't forget that factor either. Teenagers are not exactly renown for emotional stability, after all. Especially teenagers that were enrolled at a school for 'troubled youth'.

    I'd say the one piece of writing I didn't like is that all the kids just ganged up on AJ with no hesitation and seemed to completely forget

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