Favoritism towards Kenny?

Kv321

After finishing Episode 4, I can't help but look back and think, "would I really care if anyone in Episode 5 dies?".
Now, before you go on hating on me for thinking such a thing, hear me out. We more or less don't know a whole
lot about any of the characters in Season 2, excluding Kenny, Clementine, and Bonnie.

But I feel like this season Telltale focused more on story progression, rather than character progression.

When Sarah and Nick died, I noticed immediately that I was sad. In fact, they were the only characters I could relate to, and because Telltale
wanted to support the majority favoritism towards Kenny they killed them off. The only purpose, in my opinion, as to why Kenny is even still alive, is to cater to everyone who wants him alive. If Kenny wasn't in Season 2, I think that I would honestly be able to say that I would feel more attached towards the other characters, and I would actually feel more than just "sad" that a character has died. Kenny's appearance in the game makes the story feel like it revolves around him, and not around the group's survival. He is focused on more than almost all of the other characters.

So again this leads me to think, "would I really care if anyone in Episode 5 dies?".

My answer? Nope. Everyone who I had an emotional connection with was sloppily killed off, and now the game is more or less about about Kenny. If anyone else died (Mike, Bonnie, etc) in Episode 5 (which is extremely likely), I might be a little upset, but nothing major since Telltale decided that they weren't important enough to go more in depth about them.

You might be asking, "but what about Clementine?"
What about her? She is more or less just the 1st person narrator of the dramatic story of Kenny.

So now I ask you, what do you think? Is Kenny just there to serve the purpose of catering to those who want him alive?

Spooch

Pretty much, yeah, he is . Kenny's alright, but he kind of overshadows everyone.

Bokor

Unfortunately, yeah, it is. We're stuck with Kenny until Episode 5, and I really hope the writers have the guts to kill him off. Bonnie and Mike are likely to be DOA when Episode 5 begins, Luke is mediocre, and the characters I sympathized with are either dead or gone. At this point, I only really care about Clementine surviving and reuniting with Christa.

MerakMissile2

Yeah, I think you're spot on. I'll just quote what Bokor posted on another thread, since it summed it up pretty well.

The initial impression I had of Kenny was of a friendly, good-natured man with a hot temper towards any threats to his friends and family, and I still sympathize with him. But I resent the writers forcing him into such prominence while marginalizing other characters, particularly the guy who's supposed to be his rival, and contriving situations that force us to rely on him. I don't like that he has been resurrected for a retreading of his original character arc, even if there are hints that he's becoming the monster that Carver was. I resent that the universe circa Season 2 seems to revolve around him and his feelings, and that he's sidelining Clementine herself. And I dislike the fact that he's pretty much invincible while the more likable, reasonable characters continue to be killed off.

I want to like the character, but I dislike how the writers seem to be in love with the character and want everybody else to feel the same way. He exists as a crutch for the writers, so that we can be influenced by our memories of him in Season 1 rather than focus on developing the huge cast of characters in Season 2 further. Why couldn't we have stuck with the storyline of NICK becoming gradually more unstable and doing the actions that Kenny takes upon? It could have been a more interesting story if Nick was the man who kept resisting Carver and becoming a problem to the group while remaining sympathetic.

ClemTheBraavosi

Okay, I can admit, I am a huge kenny supporter. There is a lot of attention on him, it is true. I hate to be 'that guy', but season 2's writing is pretty shitty. They should of made me care for the other characters, I agree. I'm a pretty sympathetic person so I judge a character from what I can assume they are going through but that shouldn't be how it is. I should care about the things that telltale shows the characters are going through, which isn't that much. Kenny, Nick and Sarah are the only ones that show some kind of remorse. And when they do, they end up doing something to make us 'hate' them.

Anyway, you've heard this rant before. I'm done.

Thematt9001

He's been the deuteragonist for two seasons when he really only should have been for one. He has so much personality, and he carries so much baggage that it's only natural for other characters to fall behind. The issue is, he was introduced before anybody got developed. Since he needs so much screen time, most of the other characters got screwed. He's not a bad character, but I am getting tired of big chunks of the every episode with him in it to calming him down about something.

prink34320

I hate to admit it, but I have reached the point where I can't help but not care about any of the Survivors apart from Clementine and the baby too.

Saltlick123

If we see Chriata again (we probably will) I want Kenny to see her again...

Kennyftw

I think telltale had this great idea of "We are going to have the second season where people play Clementine." They pretty much got themselves into trouble. It's pretty tough to entertain a large group of people from the viewpoint of a little girl. Sure they could have had Clementine acting like an adult but it would have come off as really cheesy.

As for the favoritism towards Kenny. I don't know what you Clementine fans are smoking but get real. Clementine is the only person in the game that isn't going to die. All the rest of us that like the other characters are probably going to lose them.

JustAnotherFan98

I admit, as a Kenny fan, there is some favouritism towards Kenny, but that's not the reason why character development in almost non-existence in Season 2.

I think the reason is because of the lack of a HUB. In Season e.g the Motor Inn. I could go to any character and talk to them, and I would find out more about them, most of it was optional, I could just push on with the story, but miss this chance to learn about the characters. With Season 2, the game wants you to push on and learn about the story and doesn't allow to explore the environment or the characters.