Re-Write: End of 'Amid The Ruins'/First Half of 'No Going Back'
Okay. So, the Russians. I didn't care about the Russians at all. Like, none. I didn't love them or hate them. Because we had no development of them whatsoever! The only reason I reacted to Arvo was because--with his possible sick sister, nervous and cowardly attitude--that was character her to him, no matter how minor. And I helped him, so I thought 'Ooh, maybe this'll help me?'
And we know how that worked out. Regardless of the option, it's the same thing. And even the dialogue is hardly different! I remember from Season One if you don't steal from the Stranger, he states at, at first, he wasn't even coming for you specifically--just the people who stole. It only changed once he got to know Clementine. I don't see Arvo or his group holding the person who robbed (determinate, I know) him responsible, even though he points her out specifically. So, it was as if they were just there to be dicks, while the Stranger had an overall purpose. It was to make you think about the Butterfly Effect you had on him and just go 'holy shit, really?!'
So, regardless of how poor I thought it was carried out, I wrote my own version of it that I felt would at least give the overall conflict with the Russians more depth.
Amid The Ruins
Starting from the observation deck, the dialogue is all the same, followed by the option to steal from Arvo or not. If you choose [Return the bag] he thanks you, followed by Jane threatening to kill him, which solidifies his later fear of Jane. If you choose [Keep the bag], the threatens Jane in a similar fashion to cannon, instead assuming it to be her fault entirely and not at all fault of the 'little girl'.
If you kept the bag, in addition to offering pain medication to Rebecca, you could choose to offer medical help to Luke and Kenny, but if you choose to Clementine explains that it was stolen from a stranger, which gives them slight worry.
Rebecca has her baby on the observation deck and Jane leaves, as per normal. When the group is walking across the snowy field, Rebecca falls and Clementine offers to take the baby--which Rebecca accepts. The episode would end with Arvo limping towards them, leaving speculation open to what their actions were about to cause for themselves.
No Going Back
Arvo limps out and is quick to notice Clementine and, more importantly, the baby--which causes him call into the woods 'Hold on! Don't! [Russian]' Depending on your choice, the Russians will either emerge from the woods with their guns raised or lowered. Natasha asks Arvo what the issue is when she, too, notices the baby.
Clementine and Arvo exchange a glance, as a way of her saying 'That's why I wanted/needed the medicine'. If you stole the medicine, Buricko and Vitali are hostile and attempt to provoke something but Natasha is quick to stop them for the sake of the baby. She says something along the lines of 'We'll settle later. They need shelter. [Russian]' to which Arvo agrees. He explains to the group 'The thief is not here. I do not see her. They are no threat and have a little baby. Please! [Russian]' He then explains in English that his group can help.
If you took the medicine, this can instill a lot of distrust in the player's mind--especially considering the language barrier. Arvo argues the case of Clementine's group to his own, followed by Buricko or Vitali possibly belittling him for how soft he is being, but ultimately they choose to 'settle' it back at their shelter. Comparatively, choosing to take the medicine causes Arvo's group to be more stubborn and possibly even aim at Clementine's group shouting 'No, we settle this now! [Russian]' In the process of the argument, Rebecca dies of a combination of hypothermia and blood loss, and Vitali is the only one to notice—being in the back of the group/closest to her—and isn’t hesitant to shoot her. Before the situation can be misunderstood, he points his gun and says ‘I did what I had to! She was a monster! [Russian]’ and Arvo tries his best to translate the situation, expressing his apologies and leaving the group to their goodbyes. They decide to follow Arvo out of concern for her baby.
After a trek, they reach the hideout by nightfall with the obstacle of the frozen lake to cross. Arvo explains to them to go careful and slow, and Buricko crouches to distribute his weight on the ice (being the heaviest). The rest of the group crosses just as unsafely as they did in cannon, resulting in the ice breaking under the miscalculations of 4 (Arvo's group) vs. 9.5 (both groups combined). Luke is trapped in the same position as before, just without the threat of walkers, and he falls through. If Clementine chooses to [Help Luke], she falls through as well. Buricko comes to the rescue (if nothing else, a ploy to make the player trust him more), boosting Clementine to Bonnie's waiting arms and handling Luke himself. If Clementine chooses to [Cover Luke], the situation is reversed, only with Bonnie taking Clementine's place.
Once everyone is back at the house, Mike expresses his concern for Buricko as others are worrying over Clementine and Bonnie (determinant) and Kenny makes a wise crack about ‘He’s a Ruskie. They’re used to this shit.’ Vitali, though poor at English, understands that much, and calls him a slur in Russian, to which Kenny replies ‘English, motherfucker!’ A possible fight only simmers down after Arvo's efforts to get them focused on the fire to warm the 'little girl and baby'.
When Clementine wakes up later that evening, the player has the option to actually try and interact with some of them. Interacting with Buricko who would be tending the fire, Clementine can say [Thank you for saving [me/my friend]] to which he just nods, then proceeds to ignore all attempts of interaction—it’s up to the player to decide if it’s a language barrier or if it’s purely because he doesn’t want to talk to a child. Interacting with Arvo, the player has the option to say [Thank you for bringing us here] to which he responds by mentioning his and Natasha’s concern for the baby, then mentions she is sleeping when Clementine asks where it is she went. You also have the option of having Clementine being continually suspicious of this to which Arvo says something along the lines of ‘We are not bad people, Clementine. We are survivors, too. It is all we want now.’
Asking Mike or Bonnie about Kenny’s whereabouts they mention Vitali having shown him to an old car they had out back. Clementine goes outside to meet them, and Vitali acknowledges her by the nickname of ‘tough girl’. They enlist Clementine’s help into trying to get it to start but with little luck. Clementine goes back inside and is approached by Mike about how she is feeling.
The group comes outside once Kenny and Vitali get the truck started, lastly followed by Clementine. Clementine is suddenly attacked and is saved when Natasha pulls it away from her and both fall into the snow. Vitali shoots the walker and attempts to give Natasha his hand when she pushes away from him. It’s soon shown that it had bit her in her struggle to knock it away. Kenny says out loud that they need to ‘cut that fucking thing off, quick’. Luke offers his machete but Arvo steadfastly insists that his sister is strong and his sister will be fine, completely in denial to what he and both groups already know. Natasha decides for herself to protect her group by requesting someone to kill her. Arvo and Vitali protest and start pushing the blame of the situation on the person that Natasha was injured protecting—Clementine.
The argument is finished when Buricko says ‘I’ll do it if you won’t. I will respect your wish. [Russian]’ Arvo is distraught, repeating to his group that ‘Natasha will be fine! She will! Don’t make her leave me! [Russian]’ to which Buricko snaps ‘Grow up, boy! Learn to depend on yourself and not others! You’re an embarrassment! [Russian]’ and all but shoves Arvo to the ground and shoots Natasha point blank before anyone can “change their minds”. Everything is silent with the exception of Arvo now weeping over her dead body.
After Natasha is shot, Vitali turns livid (as he did when she was shot in cannon) and screams something along the lines of ‘We should have killed them! First they steal from us and we still help and now this!? Ungrateful Americans! This is their fault! I’ll kill them all right now! Make them pay for this! [Russian]’ and raises his weapon, prompting everyone to do the same. Buricko points his AK at the group and Vitali points his shotgun at Kenny specifically (how they ended up with their guns reversed in the finale I’m just chalking up to ‘overlooked mistake’) Clementine and the others will try to talk them down by reassuring it was an accident, but with Arvo too preoccupied to translate for both sides, the attempt is useless.
The spray of Buricko’s AK downs Bonnie—who attempts to protect Luke—and Kenny, Mike, and Luke get wounded in the process of ducking for cover. The groups spread out in an individual attempt to cover themselves—Mike and Luke heading for the tree line and Vitali behind the opposite wheel of the car while Kenny tries to angle him from the back. Luke does Buricko to protect Clementine who he was aiming for allowing her to run behind Kenny, who she is closest to. Kenny tells Clementine to keep her gun on Arvo while Kenny threatens Vitali that he’ll have Clementine kill him if he doesn’t stand down. Arvo glares at her through his tears and when he tries to stand, Clementine attempts to shoot his feet but accidentally shoots him in his bad foot, forcing him to stay put. It’s at this point Jane comes out of brush and knifes Vitali in the back of the throat.
Once the fight is over Jane explains that she had been following them with the intention of coming back but stayed hidden once the Russians had shown up. The only casualty is Bonnie, with Luke suffering an injury to arm, shoulder and chest and Mike to the arm and back. Jane goes to get Alvin Jr. and the remaining supplies while the others stand over Arvo in a debate of what do to. Luke and Mike are against it just like the original finale while Kenny wants to deal with him right then. Arvo tells him off and Kenny proceeds to beat him beside his sister’s dead body. He’s left there sobbing and muttering intelligibly while Kenny has a change of heart and decides ‘Leave him with his sister. It’s what the fucker wants.’
The gunfire and commotion had drawn walkers from all around onto the house and towards the group. Jane comes out with the duffles slung over her shoulder and Alvie cradled in one arm and screams for Kenny to get the truck started. Luke ushers Clementine to the car and Mike stubbornly insists that he is not leaving a defenseless kid to get eaten to death. With no time to argue, Kenny has no choice but to leave him.
The rest of the episode continues as it does originally, save for the addition of Luke in the backseat with Clem. Jane and Kenny argue and the group ultimately separate with the aim of meeting at the rest stop. Clementine and Luke are together when Luke falls and doesn’t try to get back up. He tells Clementine that he’s spent and it’s either the cold or the wound that’ll kill him, and that she needs to get to warmth.
At the rest stop, the ending plays out with no changes—Jane still hides the baby as an attempt to provoke and test Kenny, and the player gets to choose between the two of them in the end.